Cranberry Martini

Congratulations! We have survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday! Tons of delicious turkey, stuffing, pies, and countless calories later I am now stressing about preparing for Christmas.

I get the honor of preparing that massive quantity of cookies that my Grandmother used to make. I went to the grocery and after an hour of battling the crowds, I reappeared with 25 pounds of flour, 25 pounds of sugar, an assortment of nuts, sprinkles, baking chocolate and 10 pounds of butter. We won't discuss the eggs. That was a nightmare. A very distracted mother was allowing her young child WALK on the eggs. I'll go back for eggs another day. Once I've got my cooking baking game plan figured out. Look out for all the delicious recipes that will follow!

While I work on that game plan, I will be sipping on one of my favorite holiday drinks. A delicious Cranberry Martini.

Crustless Cranberry Pie

I'm not sure what is up with the weather, but it was very nice to be able to have my windows open all day and enjoy the wonderful 75 degree temperatures here in NC. Apparently nobody told the weather that it's the end of November, but I'm not complaining. It was magnificent!

It was also the perfect day to try out a new recipe, perfect for a Thanksgiving dessert. A simple "pie" that requires less than 5 minutes of effort. This isn't really a pie, but a cake in the share of a pie. But whatever you call it, it is delicious! Try it out this holiday season!

Cranberry Apple Crisp

It is November. That means that local stores are finally starting to stock fresh cranberries!

I hate buying the cranberries from the freezer section at my local grocery stores. First off, they are hard to find except in the high end stores. Secondly, they are often freezer burned and full of ice. At least around here they are. Cranberries aren't a popular seller in my area.

So when these wonderful little fruits first appear on store shelves, I grab up 5 or 6 bags to freeze myself. While practically inedible alone, cooked up with a bit of sugar and some other ingredients, these little berries become heavenly, adding just the right amount of tartness to so many wonderful dishes.

Crepes with Cranberry-Apple Compote

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. My whole day feels wrong if I can't start the day with a good homemade breakfast.

This morning I woke up an hour and a half early. I blame this stupid time change. But at least it gave me time to make a good breakfast.