Happy Holidaze

Ah, the insanity that is November and December. The cooking frenzy in many a kitchen. I started on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with a variation on last year's cranberry sauce recipe. I figured a day for the flavors to meld into a whole would be a good thing and as it turns out I was right. Our ingredients:

• 2 12-ounce packages whole cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 6 Tablespoons Gran Mariner

Preheat the oven to 350F. Rinse the cranberries in cold water and drain. Put in a glass baking dish in one layer. Stir in sugar, zests and cinnamon until well blended--the cranberries will be coated with sugar, but you shouldn't see the spices. Cover and  bake for sixty minutes. After removing from the oven, stir in orange juice and Gran Mariner. Remove spoon from sweetie's hand so he doesn't eat it all. Let cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

My thirteen-year-old cousin was a little confused at the appearance. "How did you get the stuff in the can to look like that?" To her credit, she tried some and said she liked it. I can't say I'd have done the same at that age. 

Next week: Variations on an herbed quickbread!

Questions, comments? I'd love to hear from you!