Get Sauced!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

We had a wonderful week with grandchildren (and daughter & son-in-law) here for Thanksgiving. The little girls are a perfect age to visit. Young enough to love bedtime stories and hugs, but old enough to do their own baths and brush their own teeth. 

For the last two years we did not have our extended family Thanksgiving dinner, like we had done each year since I was a young child. Things can't stay the same forever. But this year a lovely young couple in our family invited everyone to their house for the big dinner. They wanted to revive the Thanksgiving tradition. They live in a historic home, built in the 1700s and moved to its current location in the 1800s. It was perfect for nearly 50 of us to gather. The weather cooperated so tables were also set up on the large porches. 

They knew about how many people to expect. But the huge number of dishes we all brought caught them by surprise. There were casserole dishes, bowls and platters on every available surface. The desserts had to be moved to another room. We've never exactly had a food plan. The hosts provide the turkey, dressing and gravy. Some of us make the same things each year (I always make macaroni & cheese and bake bread and rolls) so the essentials are covered, and our more adventurous cooks bring something different every year. And it always works out.

One of the dishes that Mommy always makes for Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce. Some people love the canned cranberry sauce—although there can be great disagreements about jellied vs whole berry. But our favorite is her homemade cranberry sauce. Here is her recipe. It's quick and easy and delicious.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 lb. fresh cranberries, washed
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

Combine berries, sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir together. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in cinnamon stick and ground spices. Simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Some of the berries will burst. Some will remain whole. Add orange juice and zest and stir. Cool before serving.


I read last week that someone spooned leftover cranberry sauce over vanilla ice cream. I might try that with the very last of the sauce that fortunately was left at our house. It would have to be good!

As fabulous as the food was, the very best part was all of us being together again. It's this day that keeps us connected as a family. Fingers crossed that our young hosts were not too overwhelmed with all of this. Because we'd love to be invited again next year.