Cranberry candles

Here is a quick and easy project to dress up your home for Christmas using cranberries. I was at the dollar store a few weeks ago and found these really neat square glass candle holders. So I got a couple and filled them with cranberries, then placed little round tea light holders on top of the cranberries, and voila! I now have two festive candles adorning the dresser/console at my entryway.

Another way to use the cranberries would be to put them in jars or vases with water, and add floating candles...I think I saw this on HGTV. Or you could put some white candles on a plate or tray and surround the candles with cranberries. I've done this before on an old silver tray...very chic.

Have fun and be creative! If you have any crafty ideas using cranberries, let me know!

Another recipe with cranberries

Life has gotten kinda crazy lately, so I haven't been able to post anything for a bit. Here is another recipe that I used on Thanksgiving. It is super yummy! And it has cranberries in it...the dried variety. :)

Craisin Broccoli Salad

2 bunches broccoli, washed and cut into small bite-size pieces
1 pound bacon cut into small pieces and fried crisp
1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup sunflower kernels

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons vinegar (taste it before you add a 4th tablespoon of vinegar...I got carried away with the vinegar, and ended up having add more mayo and sugar to make it taste better!)

Mix all together and serve. Recipe can be doubled.

Citrus-Cranberry Sparkler

I just made this tonight to take to my husband's parents for Thanksgiving tomorrow. It is VERY yummy and refreshing!!!

Citrus-Cranberry Sparkler (from Secrets of the Spas by Catherine Bardey)

1 32-oz bottle sparkling mineral water
1 cup cranberry juice
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
ice cubes

Empty mineral water into a large pitcher. Add cranberry juice and fruit slices. Serve over ice.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

Here is another recipe for you to try. I make Pumpkin Cranberry Bread almost every year around the holidays. It is great to make it in mini loaf pans instead of the full size one and give the little loaves as gifts.

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries (from About.com)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups pumpkin pureé (15 oz can)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries

Preparation: Combine flour, spice, baking powder, and salt in bowl; stir to blend the dry ingredients well. Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil in a mixing bowl, beating until smooth. Stir in flour mixture, then stir in cranberries. Spoon into a greased and floured 9x5x2-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. If you use the mini loaf pans, you probably won't need to bake them for the same time as the full size loaf. I think I did mine today for about 50 minutes...although I lost track somewhere along the line, so I'm not sure exactly. Just make sure to check them occasionally.

Enjoy!

A cranberry by any other name...

After reviewing the scientific names of cranberries, it only seems fitting that we go on to mention some of the other common names the cranberry goes by.
Our English word “cranberry” is the shortened version of “craneberry”. These tart red berries were so named because, along with cows, cranes also enjoy munching them. And it is convenient for them too since cranberries grow in the swampy bog areas where cranes like to make their homes. The name “craneberry” also refers to the flowers the plant produces, which hang over like a crane’s head.
Sometimes cranberries are referred to as “bearberries” because…You guessed it!! Bears like to eat them. However, as I was doing my research, I discovered that the true bearberry is actually not a cranberry. Bearberry is a type of dwarf shrub that produces dark purple to black to red berries, depending on the species. In fact, it turns out that one of bearberry’s other names is MOUNTAIN CRANBERRY!!! So I suppose they are sort of related, even if not in a technical, scientific way.
Cranberries are also sometimes called “bounceberries”. Why? Have you ever dropped a cranberry? They really do bounce! If you have never done it, you really should try it! Go ahead, drop that cranberry! :)
Sometimes you’ll also hear cranberries referred to as American cranberry, or bog cranberry. These are just some of the names I came up with in my research, although I’m sure there are lots more. And it probably depends on what part of the country you live in as well.

The Scientific Side of Cranberries

A study of any herb wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning the scientific names. With cranberries, there are only two species, however, there are several varieties. There is the small cranberry known scientifically as vaccinium oxycoccos. Vaccinium comes from the Latin word vacca which means cow. Apparently cows like to eat these small berries, thus the name. The other variety of cranberry is the large one, which is the one we use in cooking and such. These are known as V. macrocarpon, with macro meaning large.
By looking at the leaves, you can easily tell the difference between these two varieties. The small cranberry’s leaves curl under, while the leaves of the large cranberry are smooth and oval. There is also a difference in the size of the fruit that each one bears. Vaccinium oxycoccos fruit generally ranges in size from a quarter of an inch to half and inch, while the fruit of V. macrocarpon ranges from half an inch to one inch in size.
As for the varieties, well, there’s a lot! However there are four main varieties: European, American, Mountain, and Highbush. The American variety is typically what we find here in the United States, and is used fresh, and in cranberry juice. The European variety is smaller, and mostly used for decorative purposes. Another small variety is the Mountain cranberry, which is occasionally found in stores. The Highbush (Viburnum trilobum) variety is actually not technically a cranberry, although it looks very similar. These “cranberries” grow on a shrub with pointed leaves, whereas the real cranberry grows on a vine with rounded leaves in boggy, swampy areas.

Orange Cranberry Pancakes Recipe

Here is a yummy cranberry recipe to start off with. I just made these tonight for my daughter and myself. I thought they were delicious! My daughter wasn't fond of them...I think the cranberries were a little too tart for her. :) But if you like cranberries, you are sure to like these pancakes. We topped them with a little bit of butter and powdered sugar. YUM!

Orange Cranberry Pancakes (recipe from http://www.bellybytes.com/)
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk baking mix (we used a multigrain mix instead)
1 large egg
1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cranberries, fresh, chopped

Directions:Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Combine baking mix, egg, milk, sugar, zest and nutmeg in a medium bowl; mix well. Stir in cranberries.
Warm skillet over medium-high heat. Pour batter onto skillet in 1/4 cup measures and cook for 1-1/2 minutes; flip and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Set aside and keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!