For Thanksgiving this year we celebrated with Nathan’s parents in Tampa, FL. 13 cousins, 3 other brothers, 3 sister-in-laws and our precious 95 year old Grandma Ruth.  Among all the festivities, faces, and food, we had to remind ourselves to not allow  stress to take over. It’s easy  to be overwhelmed by everything that “HAS” to be done (to make the holiday perfect, of course!).  We were blessed to kick back with family and enjoy talking (when we could hear each other over 13 kids running around!), eating yummy food, and being OK if something was forgotten or the plates were paper (who wants to do all those dishes anyway?).

Being with so many family, we see all of our craziness and slight dysfunction (don’t we all have it??) but we also realize how thankful we are for their love and support.

I wanted to share one of my favorite things I ate this Thanksgiving, made my by mother-in-law Susan.  She’s a fabulous cook, but keeps things simple and attainable. None of us need to be a gourmet chef (unless that’s your passion and career!) to make healthy, delicious foods! This recipe is quick and easy and one that I will NOT be reserving just for Thanksgiving. My kids loved it and it will become a regular in our house as a side to any meal!  Cranberries are high in Vitamin E and C, as well as fiber.

Does anyone else love cranberries? Maybe you eat them out of a can but if you’re ready for a flavor explosion and ready to try something new, try them fresh with this yummy recipe!!!  This Thanksgiving, my tastebuds had a whole new thing comin’!  My mother-in-law (aka Nona) made a delicious feast for our huge family and my favorite thing on the menu was her Cranberry Chutney. Try this out and let us know what you think!!  After this recipe, I am “koo-koo for cranberries!”

This is the perfect time of year to stock up on cranberries when they go on sale. Then freeze the extra bags and pull them out to use throughout the year! We stock up every November and December!

Nona’s Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups (12 oz) fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup honey or agave (or substitute some for stevia – sweeten to taste)
• 1 cup 100% apple or orange juice
• 3 drops doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil
• 1/2 orange, chopped in very small pieces (rind optional)
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped in very small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Add the cranberries, honey/agave, and juice to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Boil for a few minutes until cranberries start to pop.
3. Add orange, wild orange essential oil, celery, and pecans and bring to a boil again.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Refrigerate until serving.

I’d love to hear your comments if you try this out!  How else do you jazz up cranberries?