Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This past Thanksgiving was the first time that I have ever made cranberry sauce. Now I don’t understand why I had never endeavored to make it from scratch before. I mean, I grew-up with the beautiful can mould of cranberry sauce in my grandparent’s serving dish every year…and thought nothing of it. It tasted good and it was cranberries for Pete’s sake! But after savoring this sauce, I will be hard-pressed to give-in to the convenience of the can again. Come on…how could you not want to take a big spoonful of this lusciousness?!

There are very few steps needed to make an absolutely delicious cranberry sauce. However, if you are not up to this indulgence, then by all means...think again.

 To start, in a large saucepan bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently so that the sugar does not stick to the bottom of the pan and dissolves completely.

Add on bag (16 oz) of fresh cranberries to the boiling sugar & water. Adding the cranberries will cool the temperature of the water, so we need to bring the pot back up to a boil.

In the meantime, get your cutting board out and let's put it to use. Take 1 granny smith apple (you could use a gala apple in it's place) and chop it into bite size pieces. You could do this by peeling your apple, coring it, cutting it into 8 wedges, cutting each of those in half lengthwise and then chopping each of those slices into bite-sized 1/4" pieces.

However, I take full advantage of this tool...my handy dandy apple slicer/corer. Then I just slice off the skins of each wedge. Half each wedge lengthwise. Stack several wedges and cut them into 1/4" thick slices. So there are basically a ton of little apple triangles all over the cutting board. (which I then have to spend time fighting off my triangle stacking girls)

Once things start boiling again, you will begin to hear the sweet melody of popping cranberries. Time to lower the heat so the mixture will just simmer.

Look at how beautiful and robust the color is from these berries! And the smell! Ohhhhhh the smell!Mmmmmmmm!

Alright, back to the cutting board. Take 1 cup of walnuts and chop, chop, chop. They basically need to be the same size as the apple pieces, maybe a little bit smaller.

Time to get the citrus involved.

 Cut 1 orange and 1 lemon in half and juice.

Be sure to remove all seeds! There is no need to make an emergency trip to the dentist after dinner.

It is now time to add the walnuts & apples to the pot.

If you are a fan of raisins, then this would be the time that you add about 1/2 cup of raisins to the pot.

Grab a spoon and stir everyone in the pot.

Add orange & lemon juices.

Take one of the orange halves and zest 1/4-1/2 teaspoon into the sauce. When that zest hits the cranberries...WATCH OUT! Again, the aroma is amazing.

Now it's time to measure out 1/4 cup Grand Marnier. I love this stuff! Anytime I can work it into a dessert of any kind, I will. If you are not a fan of Grand Marnier, or you just don't have any on hand, then juice the other half of the orange (1/4 cup) and add it to the sauce instead.

Give it a stir again so that everyone can mingle.

 

Spices, spices...throw in the spices! Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. If you have fresh nutmeg, then by all means, get out the little grater and grate away.
Lest we forget to add 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves. So little it almost gets lost in there, but so very good. If you are really a fan of cloves, then go ahead and bump it up to 1/4-1/2 teaspoon...you know what you like.

Give it another stir and then continue to simmer on low heat for another 10-15 minutes. This will allow all of your spices to do their work. Try to contain yourself, don't give in to an early spoonful...it is worth the wait.

Remove from stove and allow the saucy deliciousness to cool.

Then pull out your favorite little serving dish and spoon in plenty of cranberry sauce. This is perfect with turkey or any holiday dish!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1 (16 oz.) Bag Fresh, Whole Cranberries
1 Chopped Granny Smith Apple (Gala Apple can be used as well)
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/4 Cup Grand Marnier (optional)
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/2 Orange, Juiced
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg, Ground (freshly grated if available)
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves, Ground
1/4 - 1/2 Teaspoon Orange Zest (to taste)

Directions:
In a large sauce pan combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add the cranberries and return to a boil.

Once a boil is reached, lower the heat so that the mixture simmers. When you hear the popping of the cranberries and the liquid becomes a burgundy shade it is time to add the rest of the ingredients.
Add apples, walnuts, Grand Marnier (or 1/4 cup additional fresh juiced orange), lemon & orange juices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and orange zest. Continue to simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool. Serve in a side bowl with any holiday dish! (Makes Approx. Eight 1/2-cup Servings)

Birthday Night Gone Awry

It's 10:00pm and I've just returned home from a night out with my Charming for his birthday. First dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Two Guys From Hong Kong, with the girls and my in-laws. Which was really perfect tonight and we had quite a spread to choose from…Honey Walnut Shrimp, Spicy Orange Chicken, Crispy Sesame Beef, Chicken Chow Mien and Fried Rice. Not to mention the pot stickers that Rose & Grace devoured. (that’s their highlight of eating Chinese food) If you are in Reno, you have got to go there...in the Whole Foods shopping center. After dinner, feeling completely stuffed, we leave the kiddles with Grandpa & Grandma and head off to the movies. As we make our way to the theater, snow begins to fall...lightly, then thick enough to look like a fog as we go down the road. By the time we get to the theater's parking lot, the flakes are about the size of dimes. Beautiful! But not a good thing when you don't have a hood or hat and are wearing flats, not boots or sneakers. And what did we decide to spend our evening watching you ask? Not some romantic comedy, not some ubber manly battle flick, nor a scare you up the walls thriller...nope. We chose to see The Tooth Fairy. Yep, you read that right. There are moments in the beginning where you wonder how long before it really gets going or you get going out the theater doors...but then the comedy starts to kick-in, the kids win you over and you just really want to see what Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is going to have to go through in tights. I think I love that man even more now that he was brave enough to wear tights for a second film. (the first time was in The Game Plan) Anyway, we enjoyed the movie and make our way to our car which is now dusted with snow that has iced itself onto the car. It's not even possible to brush it off with your hands...completely iced over. Get in, Charming finishes his call with my family for the birthday wishes, we start the car an make our way across the iced parking lot. Realize that the gas gauge is just above "E", so off to a gas station we go. Fill'er up and jump back into the car to head home..."whirrrrrrrrr" "whirrrrrr". Won't start. Give it a few minutes, try again....same thing. So there we are, sitting at the gas pump, windows are getting fogged and I start wondering when a cop is going to come up to the window asking what we're doing...and then I have one of my hysterical laughter bouts. You know, one of those laugh sessions where you can't even begin to catch your breath, can't get yourself composed, tears are running down your face and your head starts pounding. Typically these happen late at night, triggered by something that Charming says right before we fall asleep...and then the laughter begins and doesn't end for anywhere between 15-45 minutes. I can't explain it, my body must just really be in need of a serious laugh release. Things start coming out of my mouth like, "Watch a cop comes to the window 'Officer, he's making me cry!'" Charming suggests that we push the car over to a parking space right infront of us, "I can just see us pushing the car and we slip on the ice, landing on our faces and watch the car go rolling right thru the restaurant that's under construction"...uncontrollable laughter takes over once again. Poor Charming, he sometimes wonders what God was thinking making me this way...but he loves it. After waiting for about 40 minutes we finally give in and call Charming's dad to come tow us home. Finally, back to a nice warm home...to defrost my nose and toes. This was not how I planned our evening going...but it's something that I am still laughing about now. Wonder what will happen on my birthday?

A Little History ~ The Chatty Mom

Before I became The Chatty Mom, there was a time where weekend trips to the beach for the simple purpose of smelling the salty air or to walk through art galleries were done without the consideration of packing an extra set of clothes for kiddles. A time when plans for running to the next stage production weren’t being juggled with babysitting scheduling. Movie nights used to consist of romantic comedies to old black & white or Technicolor movies, instead of the latest animation obsession. Drawings were made with painstaking strokes for hours on end without the thought of ”What will I make for dinner?”.

And then one day I met my Prince Charming……and things changed. Not for the worse by any means, but they just changed as things tend to do in life.

View complete posting: A Little History ~ The Chatty Mom

Cocoa & Peanut Butter Pancakes

How I love cocoa! How I love dark chocolate! How I love peanut butter!
And boy, do I love pancakes too!!
This is a once in a blue moon batch that I make when I really want to treat my hubby, kiddles (and myself) to something that I know we really shouldn't be having for breakfast. But sometimes you just have to indulge and savor the moment bite by bite. I begin with my favorite pancake mix...Krusteaz's Buttermilk Pancake Mix. I don't know why, but I just like this brand the best. And of course I have to have some cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Who better for chocolate than Ghirardelli? And who better than Reese's for peanut butter? In a small mixing bowl I pour the pancake mix. Since these are supposed to be chocolate pancakes, a little bit of cocoa powder gets added aswell. I can remember a time, I must have been around the age of 6, when I found cocoa powder in my Momma's pantry. It was nothing like I had expected it to be...bitter, void of any sweetness whatsoever. That was one of the fastest trips to the bathroom that I had made, trying desperately to wash the cocoa powder out of my mouth. Funny how that didn't agree with my taste buds, but baking chocolate squares were one of my favorite things to sneak. Oh well, enough of the flashback. Time to hit the chips...or at least chop the chocolate ones. The Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips are rather large, so each one gets quartered before being added to the mix. The peanut butter chips are just fine...I leave those alone. Into the mixing bowl those little chips of joy go. Ready and willing to be part of the party. Then, just to make sure that they don't just sink to the bottom, I give them a quick tumble in the dry ingredients for a coating. Now the water gets added in the same amount that is called for in the pancake mix's instructions. Stir the batter until everything is incorporated, but allow a few lumps and bumps to remain...they're good for our cakes. Oh Dear! I forgot to add one very necessary ingredient to the batter...sugar! If sugar doesn't get into this batter, then these are going to be some very bad, very bitter pancakes. Not a good start to the day. Therefore, watchout batter...here comes powdered sugar! There is absolutely no sweetness in the batter, so the best way to get it nicely sweetened and evenly dispursed is to use powdered sugar. (a.k.a. confectioner's sugar)

Okay, getting over to the stove and setting the flames to medium high with a skillet on top. You can melt a little bit of butter (or not, they seem to do just fine with or without butter if a tephlon skillet is used) and grab a ladle. I chose not to add any butter...I wanted these to be sweet, no buttery taste was really desired. I wanted full-blown chocolate.

One of the nice things about pancakes is that it is so easy to get them to come out right...you just have to be a little bit patient. It only takes about 3 minutes before little bubbles start popping up to the surface of each cake. Wait just a bit and allow them to appear all over the cake. That is the signal that it is time to do a delicate flip. Too fast, too hard and get ready for batter to splatter. (I don't like splatter, therefore I say "delicate".)

See how nicely they ccoked? The color is not too dark and the cake's surface is not crispy... only lightly browned. (now if butter is used, then it would be a bit more crispy) But here, just a little bit of a crust along the edge. Exactly how I like them. Then I give these beauties another 2-3 minutes for the other side to finish cooking. That's it...a total of 4-6 minutes for 2 perfect rounds of morning comfort.

These are by far the best toppings for these particular pancakes. No butter needed. No maple syrup. Just a simple dressing like the top of a sundae. For breakfast!! Now onto a plate to get dressed to the nines. A little sprinkling of powdered sugar, a drizzle of Hershey's Special Dark Syrup. Perfection. Just look at the joy flowing at this breakfast table.

Italian Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Soup

Here's a slight change to chicken noodle soup...all dressed-up Italian style.

Since the winters here in Reno bring a cold that I have not experienced since my brief stay in Tulsa, OK, I have found myself looking at ways to make soups that are a little bit different and intensely appealing. While the color is not bold in this soup, the flavors definitely are rich and comforting.
Since the winters here in Reno bring a cold that I have not experienced since my brief stay in Tulsa, OK, I have found myself looking at ways to make soups that are a little bit different and intensely appealing. While the color is not bold in this soup, the flavors definitely are rich and comforting.

Now, of course I wanted this to be a simple recipe...who wants to spend all day making a pot of soup? Not me! I like it quick and full of flavor in the end, so this homemade recipe takes only 15 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to simmer creating a soup that tastes like it simmered all day long. In approximately an hour you're ready to sit down and "comfort soup-it" all you want.

[caption id="attachment_2153" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A small list of spices for the chicken...keeping it simple."][/caption]

I start by taking a couple of chicken breasts, defrosting them (I always have some in my freezer) and placing them into a glass baking dish. You could spray the dish with cooking spray, but honestly you don't have to if you defrost the chicken in that same dish first. (Just don't drain off the juices after defrosting)

Then to keep it simple, I just sprinkle some sea salt over each breast.

Then a little bit of garlic powder over each breast. If you don't have garlic powder on hand, then substitute some garlic salt for the sea salt & garlic powder.

And finally a bit of dried Italian Seasoning mix (oregano, basil, Italian parsley) is sprinkled over the top of each breast.

Place the chicken into an oven preheated to 375°F to bake for 30-45 minutes. (depending on your oven) At the 30 minute mark, I pull out the chicken and slice it through the thickest part to see if the meat is no longer pink. If it's not quite done, then back into the oven it goes for another 5 minutes. Check in 5 minute intervals until it is done baking. (this part comes about later on)

While the chicken bakes, I take either a couple cans of chicken broth/stock or 3 cans of Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup and pour it into a large pot. In this case, I was out of chicken broth/stock so I used the condensed chicken noodle soup. Grab a colander/strainer and pour the soup through it so that the noodles and chicken pieces don't go into the pot. Do this with each can and reserve the noodles & chicken, then I throw it into the fridge to be heated for lunch the next day for my girls. (they love noodles, but aren't big fans of chicken noodle soup)

This step is ONLY for the condensed chicken noodle soup. Instead of adding a full 3 cans of water (as called for on the chicken noodle soup can), I add 2 cups of water to the pot. Turn the heat to low and allow it to begin the simmering process.

Toss in a bay leaf...they are just so good in soups. And then smash, peel and press a clove of garlic...add it right into the pot aswell.

Next a bit of Italian Seasoning gets to jump in. Give it a stir. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

While the broth is simmering, I take a couple celery stalks and cut each in half.

Then those halves get diced into 1/4" thick pieces.

Next I take a cup of broccoli slaw mixed veggies. I always have this on hand...we like making spring rolls on Friday nights. (you can typically find a bag of this in the salad mix area of the produce area) They get a quick rough-chop and are ready to go.

After 25 minutes, I add the celery and broccoli slaw into the broth. Give it a stir and place the lid back on the pot.

Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas...and I love to take advantage of the pre-made bags that you can get from Bertolli in the refrigerated section. However, I'm using a wonderful Italian seven cheese blend tortellini that I got at Costco! (big savings and I easily get four meals for 4 out of it)

And since the chicken is now ready to be pulled out of the oven and shredded, I turn up the heat to medium-high and pour about 2 cups of the tortellinis into the pot.

Give them an immediate stir. The last thing I want is any sticking to the pot. Then cover and allow to cook for 8-9 minutes. (I always set my timer, just so that the pasta doesn't get over cooked)

After checking to see that the thickest part of the chicken is cooked all the way through, and not pink in any way, I take the chicken and start attacking it with two table forks. Shredding each breast into nice bite-sized pieces.

Once everything is shredded, literally 3 minutes of shredding, I pour them into the pot. Another gentle stir, I don't want to break any of the tortellini, to get the chicken distributed throughout the pot and then just allow it to simmer with the tortellini until the timer goes off.

Once that buzzer sounds, turn off the heat, grab a bowl and fill it up. Oh the aroma is just amazingly inviting, it's hard to take a moment and follow-thru with the next step. (I confess, I had to take a small spoonful first) And last but not least, I top it off with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

[caption id="attachment_2124" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Freshly grated Parmesan cheese just "makes" this completely perfect!"][/caption]

Then I just sit down and enjoy the soup of my non-labor.