Tag: Cranberries

Mango Cranberry Smoothie

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This little smoothie was a bright spot in my otherwise dreary day yesterday. I had gone since November with nary a sniffle, but then…WHAM! A head cold hit out of nowhere. Well, actually, I think it came from the direction of my son’s room. But let’s not point any fingers.

As I trudged around the house yesterday morning, my head heavy and my back aching, the thought of a smoothie entered my addled brain. The ultimate reward of something cool and tangy to sip quickly overtook my fatigue and before I knew it I was raiding the fridge, freezer, and fruit basket. Mango…check! Yogurt…check! Banana that’s not completely disgusting yet…check! I even had the mental wherewithal to write down measurements as I went, just in case it was post-worthy good.

Well, it definitely made the post-worthy cut. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The mango and cranberry provided the perfect blend of sweet and tang, along with a healthy dose of the vitamin C that I was craving. Just what the doctor ordered on my feel yucky day. Feel free to substitute and trade out what you have on hand. That’s the joy of smoothies, after all!

Mango Cranberry Smoothie

Click for a printable version of this recipe

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings (or one if you’re feeling greedy)

  • ½ cup mango (peeled, chopped)
  • 1 banana (peeled, chopped)
  • 1 (5.3 oz.) container Chobani Mango Greek Yogurt (that’s what I had on hand, substitute to your heart’s desire)
  • 1 cup orange juice (mango or apple juice would also be yummy)
  • 1½ cup ice
  • ¼ cup cranberries

Directions – Place ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Sip. Feel better.

No-Cook Cranberry Relish

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Welcome to day three of Thanksgiving Prep Week!

This recipe goes back a long way. It was 1994. I was engaged to Hubberman (I guess he was “Fianceman” then,) still living with my folks, planning a wedding, and preparing for life as a married woman. One night, in a particularly frenzied display of neuroticism, I came to the frightening conclusion that I didn’t have nearly enough recipes in my personal arsenal. All of a sudden I was panicking – how would Fianceman and I survive if I didn’t have a recipe box bursting with recipes?? I began frantically pouring over every home and cooking magazine I could get my hands on, clipping like a mad woman. This recipe was one the fruits of this neurotic labor.

Sure, my fears were unfounded and a wee bit over the top. What I didn’t realize then was that it takes time and effort to accumulate a collection of tried and true recipes. All of the recipes I clipped back then are still in my collection, but many have never been prepared. This one is an exception.

I made this recipe that very same year on a trip to New Jersey to celebrate Thanksgiving with Fianceman’s family. I’ve been making it ever since. I’ve made it enough years now that Thanksgiving just isn’t the same for me without it.

No Cook Cranberry Relish

No-Cook Cranberry Relish
Adapted from a recipe clipped frantically from Good Housekeeping Magazine

  • 1 bag cranberries
  • 1 can halved, peeled apricots in heavy syrup
  • ½ cup(s) (about 4 ounces) pitted prunes
  • ¼ cup(s) sugar or sweetener of your choice (I have used agave and honey with great results)
  • 1 teaspoon(s) grated peeled gingerroot (sometimes I use a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger in a pinch)

1. In food processor with knife blade attached, blend cranberries until coarsely chopped (or with knife, coarsely chop cranberries on cutting board); remove to medium bowl.

2. Drain syrup from apricots into bowl with cranberries.

3. Place drained apricots and prunes into the food processor and blend until smooth. Add to bowl of cranberries.

4. Stir apricots, prunes, sugar, and ginger into cranberries. Cover relish and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (it’s even better if it sits overnight.) Serve relish with roast poultry or baked ham.