Cranberries

Menu Plan Monday – October 26, 2015 and Cranberry Relish

I’ve signed up for a 31 day  writing challenge.  Everyday in October, I am posting a new slow cooker recipe, a link to a previous posted slow cooker recipe, or a link to a recipe from another blog.

Tonight I’m extremely unmotivated.  We had a three day weekend because of parent teacher conferences.  I taught students all day and then had a 2 hour training.  I’ve got to come up with a lesson plan for when I’ll be observed by my principal.  My brain cells have been overextended.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Leftover Turkey, Green Bean Casserole

Tuesday – Taco Soup

Wednesday – Beef and Noodles

Thursday – Sloppy Joes

Friday  – Beenies Weenies

Printable Version of the menu

I'm HungryThis post was originally posted in November 2011.  (It’s been repinned on Pinterest over 300 times!)

On Sunday, my father-in-law informed us he was cooking a chicken for Thanksgiving. There was going to be only 6 of us for dinner and he didn’t want to deal with all the left-overs. The family convinced him that he needed to make a turkey. I wanted to help make the dinner so I decided what I was going to bring. One of them items was going to be homemade cranberry relish. Yesterday I stumbled on this recipe.

Earlier in the week I had created a list of things I needed from the store. One of the items was an orange for the relish. My husband went shopping but didn’t buy an orange. His reasoning was I had oranges at the house. I have grapefruit and clementines but no navel oranges. So I made a trip to Save-A-Lot to go get the oranges. Boy I’m glad I did. This recipe is easy and the end result was delicious.

Cranberry Relish

Click on picture for the original blog post

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 oranges
  • 1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 cup sugar
  • pinch cinnamon or Chinese five spice
  • 3 tablespoons water

Steps:

  1. Zest the oranges.
  2. Cut off the remaining outer peel and pith and discard.
  3. Cut the peeled orange sections into small chunks and add to the slow cooker along with cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, and zest.
  4. Add water.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. (I had to put it on low for about 1/2 hour after cooking it on high.)

Since my brain cells are overextended, I’m going to leave out the blog spotlight for the week.

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If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest.  Here is a link to my Facebook page and my Pinterest page.

To check out the rest of the recipes I’ve shared during this challenge, click on this link.

Oh and please check back during the first week of November.  I’m planning a small giveaway.  No, it is not a crock pot.  More information will be forthcoming about the giveaway.

Happy eating,
Traci

Gingerbread Granola

As I stated in the blog entry about the ginger snaps, I’ve really been loving the flavors of gingerbread this holiday season.  So when I decided to make some granola to give to friends and family members, I decided a gingerbread flavored granola sounded yummy!

While to base of the granola was baking in the oven, I was on the phone with my mom.  I asked her what add ins I could use that would be yummy with the gingerbread flavor.  It was decided that pecans or walnuts would be yummy and cranberries or even raisins would also be yummy!  I ended up putting pecans and cranberries.  You could even put chocolate chips for a chocolate gingerbread flavor.

Gingerbread Granola

Gingerbread Granola

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 c. oatmeal (I used quick oats.)
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of cloves
  • 2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 Tbsp. molasses (Spray measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring.)
  • 1/4 c. honey (Spray measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring.)
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1/4  – 1/2 c. raisins or dried cranberries (I used cranberries.)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans.)
  • Optional:  1/4 c. chocolate chips

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a medium measuring bowl, combine oatmeal and spices.
  3. In a small bowl, place coconut oil.  Melt in microwave for 1 minute.
  4. Add the molasses and honey to the coconut oil.
  5. Pour over the oatmeal and spices.  Stir until all of the oatmeal is combined.
  6. Place on cooking sheet in a thin layer.
  7. Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir.  Place back into oven.
  8. Bake for an additional 8 minutes.  Take out of the oven.
  9. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the raisins or cranberries and nuts.
  10. Store in an airtight container.
  11. Enjoy with yogurt or milk!

Printable Recipe

 

 

Tastes of Thanksgiving Green Smoothie

So last week, I had my blender cup washed after making a smoothie.  The Wee One and the Imaginative One put away the dishes after the dishwasher was finished.  Somehow my blades got put into silverware/ utensil drawer (double drawer) and the band that held the blade was missing.  I had been craving a smoothie but couldn’t make one because of the missing piece.  😦

Today the Wee One found the piece in our cereal/ plastic ware cabinet so I decided to make the smoothie I had been craving.  I had bought some fresh cranberries today so I decided to put them in the smoothie.  Yum!!!  Since I didn’t put any sugar in the smoothie, it turned out tart but that’s okay with me.  If you make this, you may want to put some type of sweetener in it if you don’t like tart flavors.

This smoothie is called tastes of Thanksgiving green smoothie because I love eating cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving and the flavors of this smoothie remind me of cranberry sauce.

 

Tastes of Thanksgiving Green Smoothie

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Stars of the recipe:

  • 1/4 c. fresh cranberries, washed
  • 1/4 c. frozen strawberries
  • 2 c. greens (I used power greens – kale, spinach, and Swiss chard.)
  • 1/2 c. orange juice
  • water if you need more liquids (add a little at a time)
  • optional:  1 Tbsp. your favorite sweetener (more or less depending on your taste buds.)

Steps:

  1. Add all the ingredients to your blender cup.
  2. Blend together on the smoothie setting until blended together.
  3. Pour into a cup.
  4. Enjoy!

 

Printable Recipe

 

 

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal

A couple of days ago, Tiffany from Eat at Home posted a recipe for cranberry orange oatmeal cooked in the slow cooker.  I’ve attempted to make oatmeal in the slow cooker and it did not turn out pretty.  Most of it was wasted.

This recipe turned out great because I found a different way to cook the oatmeal in the slow cooker that did not burn or dry out the oatmeal.  The result was creamy oatmeal that I did not have to add any liquid to it when I heated it up the next day!!!!!!  🙂

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal

adapted from Eat at Home  and the Motherload

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Stars of the recipe:

  • 1/2 c, steel cut oats
  • 1 c. orange juice
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/4 c. sugar (I omitted this.)
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 c, dried cranberries

Steps:

  1. Find a bowl that is big enough to hold the oatmeal but small enough to fit in the slow cooker.  It also needs to be oven safe.
  2. Spray the bowl with cooking spray and add the ingredients.
  3. Stir!
  4. Place the bowl in the slow cooker.
  5. Pour water around a the bowl to create a water bath (an inch high).  Place the lid on the slow cooker.
  6. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
  7. Enjoy!

BTW:  I used a 6 quart slow cooker.

Printable Recipe

White chocolate granola

I’ve mentioned how much I like a local Farmer’s Market called Second Street Market. One of the vendors has a delicious granola called Triple Treat Granola. It contains walnuts, cranberries, and melted white chocolate. I sent a container to my May and one to my June foodie pen pals. Both of them loved the granola:).

I’ve decided to recreate the granola and add another flavor element – coconut. It turned out delicious.

White Chocolate Granola
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Adapted from Finding Joy in my Kitchen

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 c. Water
  • 3/4 c. Brown sugar
  • 5 c. Old fashioned oatmeal
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon (add more or less depending on your likes or leave it out)
  • 1/4 c. Chopped walnuts
  • 1 and 1/2 c. White chocolate chips
  • 1/4 c. Dried cranberries
  • 1/4 c. Dried sweetened coconut

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a big saucepan, combine water, olive oil, and brown sugar. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the oatmeal and cinnamon.
  4. Slowly add the oatmeal mixture to the saucepan. Stir each time you add some of the oatmeal. Make sure the water, olive oil, and brown sugar is evenly coated on the oatmeal.  Take it off the heat.
  5. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Place in preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes.
  7. Take out of oven and stir.
  8. Add walnuts to the granola. Place back in oven.
  9. Bake for 5 more minutes.
  10. Take out of oven and sprinkle with a cup of the white chocolate chips.
  11. Put back in oven for a minutes.
  12. Take out of oven and stir the granola so the melted white chocolate gets all over the granola.
  13. Allow to cool and then add the remaining white chocolate chips, cranberries, and coconut.
  14. Store in an air tight container.
  15. Enjoy over yogurt, froyo, or by itself.

Printable Recipe