Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Christmas may be over for most people, but I still have one to go.  I know I probably should have shared this recipe with you before December 25th, but I just never got around to it.  So if you, like me, still have an after-the-official-Christmas-day celebration to attend, please make cranberry upside-down cake.

This cake is perfect for the season with a hint of cinnamon and cloves and the sweet tartness of cranberries.  Plus it is a great cake to make if you don't want to take the time to frost a traditional cake.  Just make it, bake it, and turn it upside down.  The cranberries make their own beautiful topping.  Plus they add a powerful punch of antioxidants no frosting can compete with.

Makeover Monday: Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Spice Muffins

Baby, it's cold outside.  I can't put my finger on it, but when the weather outside gets frightful, spice muffins are so delightful.  Add the sweet combination of cranberry and orange, and there's not even a word for it.  All I can say is that I want it!  

On chilly evenings, my husband and I enjoy wrapping up in a cozy blanket, watching sitcoms, and sipping cups of hot tea.  I have been craving a coffee shop worthy treat to munch on that would be good with our hot tea.  The idea came to me that a spiced muffin with cranberry and orange would hit the spot.  I love it when I'm right!  These muffins are packed with warm flavors and just beg to be eaten with hot tea.  And because I gave them a healthy makeover, you can feel good about eating them any time of day.

Makeover Monday: Cranberry Walnut Jell-O Salad

The week of Thanksgiving is upon us!  After a two year hiatus, I am finally returning to my parents' house to have Thanksgiving with my family and I could not be more excited. As the big day quickly approaches, I find myself thinking about my favorite dishes that my mom has been making every year for as long as I can remember.  While I love them all, perhaps the one I get the most excited about every year is this Cranberry Walnut Jell-O salad.  I know that Jell-O salads aren't usually the star of the show, but for some reason I can never get enough of this stuff.  It is sweet, tart, crunchy, and just plain good.  With cranberries, apples, oranges, and walnuts, it is a perfect dish for this time of the year.

As with many of the recipes I have requested from my mom over the years, I was a little surprised when I saw that this seemingly healthy side dish was deceptively unhealthy.  It had a cup of sugar!  I've eaten desserts with less sugar than that.  And that is on top of the 73 grams of sugar in the package of Jell-O.  Ouch!  But I loved this recipe too much to just forget about it.  I was going to make it myself.  I was going to enjoy it without feeling guilty.  And I was definitely going to eat it more than once a year.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I guess I am on a cookie bender this week.  I made a batch of these Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies before I had even finished my Chocolate Reese's Pieces Cookies.  Oops.  I did redeem myself a little bit by giving some away.  Albeit reluctantly.  These are seriously yummy cookies.  

With Thanksgiving sneaking up on us (2 weeks away!) I have cranberries on my mind.  I love their sweet tartness.  I also love that they are a great source of antioxidants.  This time of year is when fresh cranberries show up in stores, but I enjoy dried cranberries year round.  Surprisingly this was the first time I put them in cookies.  I am not a huge fan of baked raisins, but these cranberry cookies turned out great.