'Tis the Season For Cranberries and Gratefulness

The holiday season is here! I've been spending a lot of time in my kitchen lately, working with one of my favorite foods-cranberries! These delicious berries are packed with antioxidants and actively work to promote a healthy digestive system, immune system, and reduce inflammation. Check out a couple of my favorite holiday cranberry recipes below!

Wishing you and all your loved ones a happy, healthy Thanksgiving. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful people in my life and the many exciting experiences we bring to each other each year. This is a wonderful time to appreciate our health, friends, abilities, the abundance and variety of good, clean food, and the privilege to make choices in our daily life. Now, more than ever, striving to be positive and inclusive can help you to feel healthy of body and spirit. Make the most of this fun season!

CRANBERRY ORANGE PUMPKIN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
2 large, very ripe bananas
½ cup orange juice plus zest of one orange
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup Date Paste
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tablespoon alcohol-free Vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened
3 cups gluten free oats
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon

When pumpkin is plentiful, I like to make pumpkin spice oatmeal in the morning. One day I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to eat it and I wondered how it would taste baked into a muffin. The result was pure pumpkin perfection! These little beauties are moist and delicious.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process bananas and OJ until smooth. Add pumpkin, date paste, extract, zest, flax seeds and spice and continue processing until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the oats and dried cranberries. Spoon an equal amount of batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners or silicone baking cups. You need to fill each muffin liner with about ½ cup of batter as these do not rise. A retractable ice cream scoop works well. In a separate bowl, mix the nuts and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly into each of the 12 muffin liners. A cheese grater or nut grinder works well for grinding the nuts. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

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 Mavie’s Fresh Cranberry Salsa

INGREDIENTS
1 bag fresh cranberries
1/4 C sugar or 1/8 C. sugar, 2 T. orange juice concentrate if you like orange
1/4 c minced green onions
1/2 c minced cilantro
2 medium jalapeños (or  to desired heat)
2 Tbs lemon juice + lemon zest
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger (Freezing makes it easier to grate) or use minced jarred ginger

Instructions
Place cranberries in food processor with jalapeños (de-seeded & de-veined). Put mixture in bowl and add remaining ingredients. Chill for 4 hrs before serving. Serve over cream cheese if desired.

I have also placed cranberries, japs, cilantro, and green onions in the food processor rather than mincing the latter two. Seems to work well!

Enjoy these fun recipes and time with your friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving, from my kitchen to yours! 

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