Cranberries meet Salsa

Day 1 of Operation Deep Freeze is over. I can't help but snicker when this happens here in Southern Arizona. Out temperatures hit 24 during the night, and the media and citizens pop a hernia over it. However, when I lived in North Dakota -- and night of only dropping to 24 meant spring is coming!

In the defense of the desert rats, the ramifications are a little different here when it gets cold. We have constantly running pool pumps. We grow gardens year round. Our pipes are only a few feet under the ground. So if your pipes are not well-wrapped and insulated -- you will not be showering in the morning.

I am speaking from experience. 2 years ago, I was unaware of this side effect of Tucson's deep freezes and didn't get to take a shower in the morning due to frozen pipes.

So far, the only damage is a dead geranium plant and a frozen Tulsi Tea plant. I pray I can revive the Tulsi plant! Love my fresh tea.

So enough "cold" talk....let's talk about something hot! So I reveal my Cranberry Salsa Recipe today. Super easy, super delicious, super versatile! Great for winter cocktail parties (which we hosted and attenteded several this Christmas season).

I unfortunately don't have any pictures to share. My nice smart phone got a virus, so I have shitty old phone. So food pictures look pathetic and sad. Use your imagination ;)

Cranberry Salsa:

12 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 cup cilantro
2 anaheim peppers + 1 jalepeno (roasted) .....or you can you a small can of green chiles
1/2 cup Stevia in the raw (or sugar...but I made this healthy)
2 limes juiced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
S & P to taste
1 tsp cumin

Use food processor to blend your cranberries. Once nicely chopped -- Add in the chilies, stevia, lime juice.
Pour into a bowl, and add your chopped cilantro, green onions, and seasonings. Enjoy!

I have used this recipe several times lately in various ways. Here are a few varieties I've played with:

Simple salsa - serve with tortilla chips.
Bake a chunk of brie cheese - pour salsa over it. Cut slices and serve with crackers. (this is my favorite)
Have softened cream cheese - and pour cran-salsa on top. Serve with crackers.
Use as a spread on a chicken sandwich.

It's healthy and delicious! I love the tangy kick of cranberries.

Hope everyone is having a warm and wonderful weekend. What are you doing to stay warm? I'm making beef stew and drinking a home-made latte right now...contemplating making a second one and adding a kick of baileys! ;)

What is your color?

Green My favorite color ever! I have to control myself to not purchase too many green things. If I had no control, my house would be green. My kitchen would be lime-themed. With greenery everywhere. My bathrooms would be green. My bedroom would be green. You would all feel nauseated-green after entering my home. (So I don't have a green-themed home) Many things I love are green, such as: Spinach (I eat it a minimum twice a day usually) My weding color was green. (clover green) Limes (I have at least one time a day) Grass. I love the feel of grass, especially since I see it so rarely in AZ (except in my neighborhood that has amazing landscapers with grass-galore) Palm trees. Any tree. Christmas trees. I love Christmas Green Beer. I think the green beer on St. Patty's Day tastes better. My favorite color of eyes. When I was in 9th grade, I so badly wanted to get green contacts. But they made me keep my brown eyes. Diet Mountain Dew (my guilty pleasure) Granny Smith

8 Months

Well, I missed month 1-8. But it is never too late to begin, right? Here is a recap of Maddy at 8 months. (I'm totally stealing this idea from my sister, Lisa. I thought it was so neat that she recaps her son's favorites and happenings every month) How am I sleeping? Better than I was - but not as good as my peers. It also depends on if I'm teething. Last week, her 2nd tooth was poking through - so she was awake 3 times. No matter how much I let her cry it out, I cannot seem to cut down her feedings. When I go in there - she is literally pulling at my shirt with her mouth wide open. So clearly she's hungry. She eats 2 times/night and luckily goes right back to sleep. It is what it is. What am I eating? While we have had breastfeeding and bottle refusal struggles - I am so glad that taking to food as been relatively smooth. We are doing baby led weaning, and Maddy really enjoys most every food I've given her. Her favorite foods are scrambled eggs, apples, and c

Currently - May edition

I haven't blogged much - but the last time I did one of these, Maddy was 9 months old. It's really fun looking back on the things that were "stressors" to me at that time. Prior to that - my currently post was a pregnancy edition. So here goes May 2022. Maddy is almost a 15-month old and summer has set ablaze here in Tucson. Reading : I really wish I had a better answer for this one, but I have not been the best about reading lately. The only book I'm reading is "How to talk to your kids so they'll listen and listen so they'll talk". It is really good. Most of the book is geared more to school-aged kids, in my opinion. But it highlights some great communication skills with children to help them trust you as a parent to be open and honest. Eating: All the smoothies. It has been getting really hot here - and every day when we get home from our stroller run I make a smoothie for Maddy with whole milk, Fage, and fruit - and then a smoothie for

qwerkyqook said…

Yum Ab! I love the brie idea!

January 12, 2013 at 5:26 PM

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said…

Yum that does sound delicious! I love cranberries! Were you at the lake when mom made that cranberry cocktail sauce for shrimp? It was SO good. The sweet and spicy combo was awesome. I will have to try this out! And it would be awesome with brie!!

January 14, 2013 at 5:13 AM

Marlys said…

Yes, it does sound delicious! I am so frustrated because I can't find the recipe I made for shrimp coctail sauce and it was so good! I have even searched the internet for it but nothing found! I, too, love the brie cheese idea!
Keep warm out there! It is below zero here, but only about -7, so a piece of cake for us!

January 14, 2013 at 12:02 PM

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