Holiday Cranberry Salad {Marilyn Hunt}

I wouldn't be a true Mormon if I didn't have a jell-o recipe on this blog. This is the one and only jell-o recipe that I love. My mom makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas because that's what her mom did. And because it's SO good. It's that dish that I saw growing up and was like "ew" because of the celery and nuts (oh, how I hated nuts) IN the jell-o. Then, thankfully, I matured. Recipe from my grandmother, Marilyn Hunt.

21.5 oz. can crushed pineapple

6 oz. pkg cherry jell-o

¾ cup sugar

2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lb (1 ½ cup) ground raw cranberries

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup broken walnuts

1 small orange (cut off ends, cut into pieces and process in food processor)

Drain pineapple, reserve syrup.  Combine jell-o & sugar, dissolve in hot water.

Add cold water, lemon juice & pineapple syrup. 

Chill till partially set… then add remainder of ingredients and chill till firm.   

Yummy!!!

Maple-Braised Butternut Squash with Fresh Thyme.



snagged from bonappetit.com

Here's my other new fave that I discovered for Thanksgiving dinner from bon appetit. The flavors are so yummy together. The 3 stores I went to were out of fresh thyme so I had to use dried and it was really good still! Yeah for dried herbs.

3 tablespoons earth balance "butter"
1 3 - 3 1/2 pound butternut squash, cut lengthwise in half, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon (or more) black pepper

Melt earth balance in heavy large deep skillet over high heat. Add squash; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, syrup, thyme, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until squash is almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer squash to large bowl. Boil liquid in skillet until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Return squash to skillet. Cook until tender, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with more pepper, if desired.

THE TECHNIQUE: BRAISING: sautéing, then cooking low and slow in a bit of liquid) is most often associated with meat, but it's also a great way to cook veggies. Fibrous vegetables like butternut squash are the perfect candidate for braining. The braising liquid infuses the squash with flavor and makes it very tender.