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Each of us has our own expectations about the holidays. As a youth, I
thought it was supposed to be like in the movies. My family had some
strange holiday habits, though, like the year my parents painted the
kitchen on Christmas Eve. I always felt disappointed.
As a young adult I lived in Ecuador for three years. I had the
privilege of sharing in the traditions of other families, many of which
were new to me. I also became a vegetarian, so the foods I chose were very
different.
I have come to understand that the holidays are times we get to make up
for ourselves. Their meaning and significance comes from deep within, not
from expectations or the superficial goings on around us. Each year I
choose old and new activities that remind me of the significance of the
season.
And then there is the holiday food. It is so easy to overdo. Almost all
people eat things they do not normally eat at other times of the year. I
won�t bore you with the statistics about the average weight gain during
November and December each year!
My gift to you is a recipe I have developed and enjoyed over the years.
I look forward to the holidays when all the ingredients are available.
This is a food that is healthy, delicious and healing. The acidity of the
cranberry has been shown to have a positive affect on the environment of
the kidney. It is about the only recipe I have ever seen for cranberries
without lots of sugar. Yes, it can be tart, depending on the type of
apples and how many raisins you use. I have always received rave reviews
when I take it to a potluck dinner or serve it in my home for guests. It
has become one of my personal holiday traditions � I hope you will enjoy
it as much as my family and I do.
Homemade Cran-Apple-Raisin Sauce* from the Kitchen of Rita Miller-Huey
Makes 8 servings. Takes about 1 hour to prepare.
6 cups apples
12 oz. Cranberries (one bag)
� cup raisins
2 whole cinnamon sticks (broken in two)
1/8 to � cup water
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1. Clean, core and cut apples into chunks. DO NOT PEAL!
2. Rinse cranberries, picking out the bad ones.
3. Combine apples, cranberries and raisins in medium sauce pan.
4. Break the cinnamon sticks in two and push into the fruit mixture.
5. Pour the water over the top.
6. Cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, at least 30 minutes until the
apples are cooked down to sauce and the cranberries pop. Stir
occasionally. (It will be chunky.)
7. Serve warm or chilled with nonfat vanilla yogurt.
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This is a naturally sweet combination because of the raisins. For
sweeter sauce use Rome or Jonathan apples. (Red Delicious apples are
not good cooking apples). For tart sauce, use Macintosh or Granny
Smith apples. A combination creates a more complex flavor. Rome and
Macintosh are my favorites.
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Can be stored up to 2 weeks in refrigerator; longer in freezer. As
fresh cranberries are only available in November and December, buy
extra bags and freeze them for Cran-Apple- Raisin Sauce for the 4th of
July!
Nutrition Analysis per Serving:
Calories: 115; Fat (g): 0.5; Cholesterol (mg): O; Protein (g): 1.4;
Carbohydrate (g): 28; Fiber (g): 5.
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