It's That Time Again

These photos are old. This is last year's batch of cranberry sauce. But I can assure you, this year's batch looks pretty much like that one and I make it the same way every year. It's so yummy I've thought about spooning it over ice cream. And it couldn't be easier to make. Okay, I guess twisting a can opener would be easier, but let's not be ridiculous.

But, hey, how about the recipe? I haven't posted one in a while and this one's a keeper. Picking over the cranberries is a great task to give to children, even smaller ones and making this sauce will fill your home with such a festive scent! It always starts to feel like the Holidays when I can smell the cranberry sauce in the upstairs hall. From America's Test Kitchen, of course:

Cranberry Sauce With Pears And Ginger
makes about 2 cups

-1 cup sugar
-3/4 cup water
-1/4 t salt
-1 T grated ginger
-1/4 t cinnamon
-12 oz. fresh cranberries, picked over
-2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Bring sugar, water, salt, ginger and cinnamon to a boil in a nonreactive medium saucepan (stainless steel, nonstick, or enameled) over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and pears and simmer until slightly thickened and the berries begin to pop, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving, about 1 hour. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I'm thinking of offering a reward to the smaller persons in my home for finding the flash drive. I really want to show you my Thanksgiving preparations! Proof that I'm on top of things and getting them done! Not to mention Daria made the cleverest little place cards which must be seen to be appreciated.

So, the table is set (except for the tapers in the candlesticks which Daria is out buying right now and the napkins which I am supposed to be folding right now--but instead I'm languishing in front of the computer), the cranberry sauce is made (see above), dinner is in the crockpot (I got a whole eye of round roast on sale and had to use it up), the meat and veg for the stuffing is cooked and the butter and shortening are in the fridge chilling, waiting to be made into pie crust. Daria and Redheaded Snippet are doing a last-minute grocery run for me (milk, butter, dried sage, cake flour, and oh yes, the TURKEY--kind of some essential items there) and when they return I'll be finishing assemblage of the stuffing and tackling the pie crusts. Don't tell anyone, but I'm making them from scratch this year. I've always wanted to try it and decided this year is the year. Everything else has been so streamlined that I actually have the time to do it. Isn't that crazy? So tonight's the night. I figure if it all goes horribly wrong, I can send someone out for a box of Pillsbury ready-made pie crusts.

I think everything is going along just swimmingly and I never would have believed that possible a scant week ago! This is going to be a Thanksgiving for the family history books!

Right, off to fold napkins...