Man Food With A Twist

I found this recipe on Crockpot Lady's blog. I knew we had to try it immediately. Now, hubby LOVES roasts and any kind of potatoes, but I wasn't sure how he was going to feel about this one. Much to my surprise, he was saying how good it was before I could even eat any. We will be making this again, and maybe even with pork next time.

Cranberry Roast:

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1, 2-4 lb roast
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can whole bery cranberry sauce
flour for dusting
salt and pepper

Cover the roast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on each side. Dredge each side of the roast lightly in flour. Heat a tablespoon or 2 of butter in the skillet, and brown the roast on all sides. Place the rings of onion in the crockpot. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the butter and dripings over the roast. Next add the 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce, just pouring over the top of the roast. Dispense the cranberry sauce on top of the roast. Cook on low for 5 -6 hours. This is so good. Can't wait to make the pork version. ENJOY!!!!

Seasonal Squares

Apple Cranberry Squares:

1/4 cup White House applesauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries (can substitute raisins)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup white chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 square pan. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, and egg. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the cranberries and pecans. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center comes out clean when pricked with a fork or knife. Microwave the morsels in 30 second intervals until melted. Drizzle over the bars. Cut into 2 inch squares once they are cooled.

Flavorful Meatballs

Cranberry Chili Meatballs:

1, 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1, 12-ounce bottle chili sauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1, 38-ounce package frozen homestyle meatballs, thawed

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low until ingredients are warmed through and brown sugar is dissolved.

Berry Good Side Dish

Hello again, everyone. I took a few days off for the holiday. Hopefully you had a wonderful Christmas. Today I am going to share a recipe with you that we had at our Christmas meal yesterday. It would be a great holiday addition or could be used anytime. On a side note, I will be taking a couple more days off from posting after today.

Classic Cranberry Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 12oz. pkg. fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp. fresh grated orange peel

Combine the first six ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 12 minutes or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

This recipe came from Cooking Light Magazine.

Post-Thanksgiving Beverage

If you have leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving, use them to make this terrific drink...

Fresh Cranberry Punch...

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3 1/2 quarts water
12 whole cloves
4 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups sugar

In Dutch oven, combine cranberries, water, cloves and cinnamon. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes. Strain cooked juice through fine sieve or cheese cloth, squeezing gently. To strained juice, add orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Serve piping hot.

Cranberry Creation

I am not a huge fan of eating cranberry sauce just by itself. However, when mixed with something else, I usually like it. So, when I found this recipe about a year and a half ago, I decided to try it. We liked it so well that it became a part of our holiday meal. For those of you wondering, yes, I did serve the traditional cranberry sauce as well. I think you will like this if you try it.

Frozen Cranberry Dream:

1 lb. can whole cranberries (I have used jellied cranberry sauce)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 3oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup Cool Whip
1, 8 1/2 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup pecans (can substitute walnuts)

In a bender, pulse the cranberries. Add sugar and cream cheese, blending well. Add the nuts. Mix well. In a separate bowl, fold the pineapple into the Cool Whip. Then fold in the cranberry mixture. Pour this into a square pan or individual ramekins to freeze.

A Taste of Autumn

This yummy little muffin recipe comes from an issue of Cooking Light. I honestly can't remember which month it was, but nonetheless, they are worth your time. This is great for the fall too!. If you need something quick for overnight visitors during the holiday season, this is your recipe!

Cranberry Orange Muffins:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. grated orange rind
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups coarsely chopped, fresh cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Level with a knife. Set aside 1 Tbsp. sugar. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well into the center of the mixture. Combine rind, juice, oil, and egg in a small bowl. Stir well with a whisk. Add this to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups, coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Bake 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly. Run a spatula or knife around outer edge of each muffin cup. Carefully remove and place on wire rack to cool.