Easy Holiday Favorites (WFMW)

Okay, so tommorrow's the big feasting day (Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!) so for *my* works-for-me Wednesday post, I want to share an oh-so-easy recipe for cranberry sauce. Well...its not so much a *recipe* as it is *instructions* ...but, I promise, if you try this once, you will never want cranberries-in-a-can ever again!!

(Grandma's homemade cranberry sauce)
First, rinse your cranberries; remove any that are bruised or rotten.
Pour the cranberries in a pot, and add 1 cup of sugar for every bag of berries (I usually do 2 bags: 1 3/4 c. sugar, but I like mine a bit tart)
Add just enough water to cover the berries, then simmer on stovetop until berries "pop" (about 40 minutes??) *this is a good time to "taste", and add more sugar, if desired, just be sure it all disolves.; remove from heat and "mash" with a potato-masher (leave it 'chucky' tho; you don't want "jelly") and allow to cool; berries will thicken.
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts (or not!) and one can mandarin oranges, drained. (again, you can omit these as well, but I highly recommend them.). Transfer to bowl, Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Oh....and one more of my favorite quick-and-easy and oh! So good! holiday favorites:

(Grandma's Sunshine Salad)
Combine 1 med. size can of (drained) pineapple chunks, 2 small cans (drained) mandarin orange slices,1/2 jar (5oz.) maraschino cherries (drained & halved), 2 cups mini marshmellows, 1/2 cup crushed walnuts, 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1 cup of sour cream. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate several hours before serving.

mmmm...these recipes "work for me"; go on over to Rocks in my Dryer for lots of other great ideas & tips...see what works for YOU!!

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!!

...Or, not (Tackle-it Tuesday)

Man! I feel like such a slacker!! Here it is, only my second week of participation, and already I'm "behind" (ahh...such is my life) This week's "tackle" was supposed to be my kitchen pantry, but I've been feeling so crappy all week, I didn't feel up to taking that project on....

I'm lucky that my tackles included doing supper dishes, and making the bed. Until I shake this cold, I'm afraid that's all the effort I'm willing to expend.
Rest assured, tho, the pantry's day-of-reckoning is on the near horizon...maybe this week?

So...what are *you* tackling this week?

Be sure to stop by 5 minutes for mom, and see what all the other TTer's are tackling, too!!

May all your tackles be productive ones.....

Still tackling...

Wanna see my new plasticware storage drawer? :

(cut me some slack on the pic; its from the phone, remember?!)

Stand-by; I believe next week's "Tackle-it Tuesday" will be all about the kitchen pantry...

Jumping in! (Tackle-It-Tuesday)

I've been reading 5 Minutes for Mom's "Tackle-it Tuesday" for quite some time, and with the new year upon us (Blessed Samhain to you all!), I thought this would be a good time to jump on in & participate my own self! I'm hoping that by posting 'regular' updates here I can generate the added motivation that I need to get'er done. So, without further adeiu;




My first tackle, while rather small, was my kitchen catch-all drawers - well, ALL (7) of my kitchen drawers, really, but that was the worst of them. I also removed all of our plasticware from the pantry shelf (I was tired of them all falling on my head when I went to retrieve one!)and put that all in the bottom drawer, which is *much* better!!

(before)

(after)
I DO have before/after pics, but unfortunately, I will have to add them here later today, as they are on my cell phone (remember, Murphy-mouth ate my camera? Well, we have replaced it, however the USB cord wasn't included, so I've had to order one from the manufacturer) and right now, I don't have the minutes to download them!...If it ain't one thing, its another, huh?! (pics added 11/07)

ANYWAY.....We also (finally!!) purchased new hardware for the kitchen cabinets as well - and the pantry door - which I plan to "tackle" today, and I will post those pics, too. (I DID, in fact, add the new pulls in the kitchen, but I can't get a pic to show them at all! Maybe another time)

...In the meantime, I hope all *YOUR* tackles are productive!