So Many Dishes

Happy Eve of Christmas Eve, everyone. I am really ready to celebrate. It’s just Ken and me this year, as it has been for the past few years, actually. We still enjoy our celebration, and especially our holiday meals. This year will be extra special, because Ken was in so much pain at this time last year that it didn’t feel like a celebration at all. We’re both so thankful that he is healthy now, and it’s fun to watch his excitement as he looks forward to everything about the holiday this year.

Although the cooking and baking will gear up tomorrow, I noticed that there was one element of Christmas dinner that I could make ahead: cranberry sauce. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we’re having homemade cranberry sauce. Over the years, I have tried a number of different recipes, but Ken and the kids always preferred the canned jellied sauce. But a few weeks ago, Ken was looking through a cookbook and said, “this cranberry sauce looks good. Could you make it for Christmas?” He didn’t need to ask twice!

This may be the simplest dish I’ve ever made. It includes only the cranberries, an orange, sugar, and a little water. The recipe says you can opt to make it spicy by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but we decided to stick to the basic recipe. I cut the amounts in half; the original makes 12 servings, and no matter how good it is, there’s only so much you can eat. Cooking Light is the source of the recipe.

Simple Cranberry Sauce

• 1 orange
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 ounces fresh cranberries (1/2 of a 12-ounce bag)

Grate the rind of the orange to yield 1 teaspoon grated rind. Cut the orange in half and juice; measure 1/4 cup juice. In a small saucepan, combine the grated rind, orange juice, sugar, water, and cranberries. Bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 7 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

There will be more about my holiday cooking and baking adventures in the next few days. I hope you’re enjoying this time of anticipation.

Happy eating!