National Eat a Cranberry Day

How lucky are we…National Eat a Cranberry Day is observed every year on November 23rd.

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Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin jellied cranberry sauce from the can, was an indispensable part of my favorite Sunday dinner. Stuffed chicken with all the fixings. I loved it so much I served to my own family once or twice a month. Of course, we also enjoyed cranberry sauce as a mainstay for Thanksgiving dinner.

My fascination with cranberries grew when I moved to northern Wisconsin to Eau Claire, Wisconsin a town closer to cranberry bogs than when I lived in Milwaukee! Check out this short 3 minute video if you want to see how cranberries are harvested. Most cranberries are processed into juice, sauce, jam or sweetened dried cranberries.

Cranberry Orange Salad is my number one favorite way to serve cranberries. I have adapted it from a recipe served to patients from my days as Registered Dietitian at my beloved Ridgeview Medical Center. In 1999 Gary had elevated lab tests and as his overly concerned Registered Dietitian wife I served this delicious side dish as a sweet to fill him up. I also served a healthy soup and salad before the entrée to fill him up. We watched his numbers go down.

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  • Cranberry Orange Salad
    3 oz. package Strawberry gelatin*
    1 cup boiling water
    1 cup cold orange juice
    1 cup cranberries, chopped

Add one cup boiling water to gelatin. Whisk or stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold orange juice. Refrigerate until almost set (about 1.5 to 2 hours) and stir in chopped cranberries. Makes four servings.

I used the new Simply Good Strawberry Jell-O® with no artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives. If you are watching your weight this is delicious with diet Jell-O° too. I often boost the fiber by adding a diced apple.

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Why else am I excited to celebrate Eat a Cranberry day?

I love science backing up my fork. To avoid frequent UTIs, I drink Unsweetened Cranberry Juice several times a week. For many centuries cranberries were reported to have the potential to prevent UTIs and in recent years science has confirmed their anti-microbial properties demonstrating that a specific type of cranberry phytochemicals known as a proanthyocyanidins(cPACSs) hinder bacterial activity by preventing their adhesion and motility. That’s why I keep Unsweetened Cranberry Juice stocked at all times in my fridge, ready to create a cocktail with sparkling water. And, this cocktail really takes the edge off my cravings for sweets!

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Want to use cranberries this season but don’t know where to start? Check out this fabulous Guide to Entertaining with Fresh Cranberries with recipes and how you can use cranberries as part of your holiday décor this year. It was created by my friend Carlene Thomas, RD, who has teamed up with her husband Chris to showcase how delicious and beautiful healthy eating can be. She is the new healthy lifestyle guru. Move over Marth Stewart!

There are so many reasons I love cranberries. I hope this post gets you excited to add cranberries to your holidays. #lovecranberries Happy holidays everyone!

I was not paid to write this post, all opinions are my own. I was sent two bags of Ocean Spray Cranberries which I used to prepare this cranberry recipe for you!

We can’t wait to hear what your favorite cranberry recipe is.