Friendsgiving 2010

Saturday night Jess hosted Friendsgiving at her awesome apartment in Greenpoint.  I made cranberry sauce (recipe below) and peanut butter & chocolate toffee cookies.  There was also veal, green bean caserole, kale salad, quiche, mashed taters, apple pie and much more.  We also got to say goodbye to Preeya and Dave before they head on their year-long trip around the world! I'm going to miss them so much, but I'm sooooo excited for them!!  The night ended with us drinking a can Four Loko so we could try it before it's banned - let me just say that the world will be a better place without that crap.  With Four Loko and wine pumping through our veins we turned Jess' computer into a YouTube juke box of 90's grunge rock.  I'm thankful for my friends, they're the best!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

This cranberry sauce is tart and full of delicious cranberry flavor, but you can add up to 2 cups of sugar if you like things sweeter. 

• 1 lb. whole cranberries
• 2 oranges (Valencia is best)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnmon stick
• 1-2 sprigs of rosemary
  
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. Turn off the heat and add the orange juice (be careful not to drop any seeds in the sauce) and stir.  When the sauce has cooled stir in the walnuts.  Pull out the rosemary and cinnamon stick before serving.