Orange and Ginger Spiced Cranberry Sauce

 Here we are!  Only one day left to roll out all that food!  Get your engines running and grab those elastic - wasted pants and let the holidays officially begin.  I've got a million things to do and little time so I'm just going to blast this one out before hitting the road dutifully armed with some capers, Brussles Sprouts and this cranberry sauce.
I had a last minute thought last night as I had was cleaning out the fridge and noticed some organic cranberries just staring back at me.  (Random grocery purchase by the husband?).  Anyway, I just started tossing a little bit of this and a little bit of that into the pan and I'll be, it's pretty darn good!  I love it when that happens!  Give it a try if you are feeling adventurous.
Here's to a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!  Cheers!

Thomas Keller's AMAZING Roasted Chicken

The plan was to have an excellent picture of my perfectly golden chicken, in all it's crispy-skinned glory.  But with the daylight being what it is these days, I can't get my act together in time to cook and have any light available for a decent photo.  So, here's all that's left as any evidence that a spectacular meal was had here last night.
In my past chicken - roasting life, before I discovered this life-changing recipe, I would shove various complex compound butters under the skin, stuff the cavity with onions or lemons and garlic, or all 3.  Then I'd season the bird lightly and place on a roasting pan, carefully lined with tin foil.  In the end, I did have a delicious chicken, no doubt.  I mean, it was really good.  But now, after roasting the bird Thomas Keller's way, (hello, it's Thomas Keller!), I can not believe I got away with the old way.  It's unbelievable how. much. better. this is and it's SO MUCH EASIER.  Do I have your attention?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Butter, Lemon, Dijon and Capers

Brussels Sprouts might be most under-appreciated and most detested vegetable on the planet.  It's a sad and unfortunate truth!  I think I know why these poor little cruciferae suffer from such misguided hate.  It started a long time ago... In a kitchen near you...  a pile of pale green, boiled to death, mushy mini cabbages sitting lifelessly on a plate with a weird cabbage-y bitter smell filling the kitchen, cutting through whatever else was cooking that made you instantly un-hungry for dinner.  Dinner hopes dashed, appetite gone.  This, I believe, is how most of us were served our Brussels sprouts back in the day.  And it wasn't good.  Or pretty.

Now, let's start over.  Close your eyes and imagine beautifully roasted, slightly caramelized and glistening, beautiful baby Brussels sprouts rolling around in a delightful, aromatic combination of garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and capers, oh, and butter.  Roasted first, then left to steam so that each bite is perfectly al dente.  Not squishy mushy and not hard and under cooked, but just right.  Welcome to the new millennium of The. Brussels. Sprout.

Lemon Ginger Tea

Clayton Junior Illustration

Sometimes life is too funny!  Last night I made my favorite night-time elixir, and this morning, as I was checking out my favorite blog, I came across this illustration featuring my 3 ingredient love.  Pure coincidence!
This serendipitous happening makes me inclined to share with you a lovely tea, great for sore throats,  upset stomach, or simply winding down for the night.  It's as easy as boiling water and squeezing a lemon.  Simply divine.

Lemon Ginger Tea with Honey

All these measurements are rough and can be adjusted to your liking.  The more ginger root, the more zingy your tea and the more honey, the sweeter.  It may take a few rounds to get to your tastes.  I buy a lot of ginger to have on hand, and I always have lemons in the fridge.

Ginger root - about 3 inches, cleaned and skin removed
About 3 cups filtered water
2-3 TBLS raw honey (I use Tupelo)

Boil water with ginger for about 5 minutes.
Strain into a heat-proof pitcher and add honey while still hot.
Enjoy this either hot or cold.