Cranberry Salad

This is a family favorite and has been made every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I remember taking turns with my sister to hand-crank the whole cranberries and grind them for this dish. Then we would swap out who got to chop the pecans. 

Although this wasn't my favorite Turkey Day dish as a child, it has easily become one of my favorites as an adult. My mom still makes sure to chop the pecans extra small just for me. It gets made only once a year, making it an extra special treat.

If you're looking for a fruity addition to your meal this week, try this recipe out. It's definitely a crowd pleaser, and maybe it will become one of your family favorites too!

• What You'll Need
• 1 large strawberry jello
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 package fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 4 oranges, with juice
• 1 cup chopped pecans

• What You'll Do
• Dissolve the strawberry jello in two cups of boiling water, stir until the jello has completely dissolved. 
• Wash the whole cranberries then grind them. Add the sugar the ground cranberries and stir.
• Add this mixture to the warm jello and mix well.
• Add the pineapple (and juice) the oranges (and their juice), and the chopped pecans. Combine well, then transfer to a 9 x 13 glass dish. Refrigerate overnight.

Fruit Filled Jack 'O Lantern Oranges

I think these jack 'o lantern oranges are the cutest things ever! This type of Halloween-inspired treat makes me super excited for littles during the holiday season! Husband agrees with me. While this isn't so much a recipe as it is an idea, I couldn't not share. I think these would be great at a Halloween party filled with fruit or a dip and they would certainly be super festive and fun for children. 

I will be using this concept on orange peppers, cutting off the top, hollowing them out, then 'carving' a jack 'o lantern face into one of its sides for my Halloween party tomorrow. I will be filling mine with a spinach dip (I'll be sharing the recipe) instead of fruit. Any circular fruit or vegetable could have this type of treatment done to it, and the filling ideas are endless! 

• What You'll Need
• Naval oranges (as many as you like)
• Fruit for filling

• What You'll Do
• Cut off the very top of the orange.
• With a knife, go along the very inside of the orange. 
• Scoop out the fruit part of the orange (I used a grapefruit spoon for this part.) 
• Next carve out a jack 'o lantern face.
• Fill with fruit.

For more Halloween food ideas and recipes, click HERE.