Fresh Cranberry Relish

Every year Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving unless there are certain special side dishes on the table. For our family one of these dishes is Fresh Cranberry Relish. We still include the canned cranberry gel, but this dish is fresh, vibrant and full of flavor. Best of all it is an easy addition to the Thanksgiving table. So it give it a try and it may become a regular on your holiday table.

FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 navel orange
1/2 - 3/4 cup white sugar

1. Cut the orange into quarters. Place in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times.
2. Add cranberries and pulse until your desire consistency. Be careful not to over process.
3. Mix in the sugar. Taste and add more if desired.

This can be made the day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. It is great on turkey sandwiches.

ENJOY!

Aunt Alma's Jello Salad

With Thanksgiving coming up, we were going through our menu for the big day. Every family has must have dishes for Turkey Day, one of ours is Aunt Alma's Jello Salad. This recipe comes from my brother-in-laws wife's family. Aunt Alma was Ellen's aunt who was the cook of the family. We have included this dish for years and it isn't Thanksgiving without it.

AUNT ALMA'S JELLO SALAD

1 cup pear juice
1 cup cold water
1 6 ounce package lime jello package
24 ounces pears, canned and drained
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pint cool whip

1. Bring juice and water to a boil. Dissolve jello and refrigerate until slightly thickened.
2. Beat pears and cream cheese. Add to the jello mixture. Blend well and fold in the cool whip.

ENJOY!

Cheesy Mac

Everyone loves Macaroni and Cheese. This recipe is an easy and delicious version. It is a Paula Dean recipe that my wife brought back after visiting Paula Dean's restaurant. It would make a great side dish for Thanksgiving.

CHEESY MAC

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. After macaroni has been boiled and drained, add cheddar cheese while the macaroni is still hot.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.
4. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 30-45 minutes. Top with additional cheese, if desired.

ENJOY!

Grandma Marge's Apple Bread

We have two apple trees on our property that we planted 17 years ago and this year we had a bumper crop. We were bringing buckets of apples to our friends who have horses so the apples would not go to waste. Towards the end of summer when the zucchinis are plentiful, we have zucchini bread as a constant in our household. I have tried making apple bread but I have never really found a recipe I really liked. That is until now. Terri took Emily and our visiting German student, Karen, to visit Grandma Marge in southern Minnesota. While they were visiting Grandma Marge made this Apple Bread and was willing to share the recipe. The Apple Bread has a nice apple flavor and is similar to our Zucchini Bread in texture. Try this delicious recipe.

GRANDMA MARGE'S APPLE BREAD

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely grated apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients.
3. Fold in the apples and mix until incorporated.
4 Bake for 1 hour in loaf pans or bundt cake pan.

You can add nuts and/or raisins if you desire. ENJOY!