Sugared Cranberries Simple Recipe

Aren't these just beautiful?

I think they look like berries in the snow.

Sugared Cranberries are strangely addictive.

They look so tempting sitting on the platter.

The sugar hits your mouth and then the bright tart cranberry almost pops in your mouth.

HMMMMM

Have I made you want to make them?

I think this treat would be a perfect addition to a New Year's Eve dessert buffet.

Easy Sugared Cranberry Recipe 

• 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• additional sugar for rolling (you can make superfine sugar in the blender if you want to get fancy)

Wash cranberries and discard any damaged ones. Place in a bowl. Combine sugar and water in a pot and heat until simmering. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool for a few minutes until warm (not hot). Pour over cranberries and let sit in fridge, covered at least 3 hours.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use a slotted spoon to remove berries from syrup. Set berries on a cooling rack that is placed over foil to collect drips. Spread berries out so they are not touching each other. Let dry for 1 hour.



 

 

 

Roll berries a handful at a time in sugar. Place sugared berries on a baking sheet, or foil, etc. and let dry for an hour or two.

That was easy....!

The finished cranberries look amazing sitting in a single layer on a tray.

BUT....

I found this when I was doing my "research" for this post!

 

Sugared Cranberries as a Cake Topper.

I love the little sprigs of Rosemary...or you could do mint.

 

http://www.shaydacampbellblog.com/2015/11/sugared-cranberries-cake-topper.html

 

 

 

 

Have a Wonderful Day!

 

A Charcuterie Board -Easy Entertaining

This week the Sweetwater clan gathered for a belated birthday party for little old me.
With an almost 3 year old and a two month old to work around, it makes no sense to try to serve any kind of sit down meal these days. We are all too busy holding babies and playing with toys to sit down at the table.

The solution: Charcuterie!

Ooh La La!! Doesn't that sound french and fancy? 

So what is Charcuterie? 

The definition is actually the shop where you buy cured meats....but it has come to mean the way of serving them.

Basically it is just a fancy word for a big platter of cold meats (usually cured), cheeses, fruit and nuts!

The Sweetwater Daughter delivered a huge bag of goodies from Aldi of all places.

My job was to figure out how to make our Charcuterie look something like this!

Gardening in Florida

The Sweetwater Daughter, Grandboy and I spent last weekend visiting my mom and brother in Florida last week.

Mom has the sweetest little cottage in New Port Richey.

My brother lives just down the street in another little cottage.











 Our trip was fun.....The Grandboy loved going barefoot and hanging out with "swingin'" GreatGrandma...





This post is actually not a travelogue....
It is all about the way that my brother gardens.

How to Clean Cast Iron

The pots and pan cupboard here at Sweetwater is really pretty basic.
We have a set of Calphalon cookware that has been around for a lot of years.
We also have some great cast iron pans that are real work horse pieces.
These have been around for even more years.

 These pans, a frying pan, a round griddle and a reversible double burner sized griddle get a fair amount of use because of their versatility.

A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is naturally non-stick. ...

Cast iron cookware retains heat — that is, they stay hotter —

Cast iron pans can be used on the stove top as well as in the oven.

And did you know that cooking with cast iron pots and pans can boost your iron intake.

A Banner Basil Crop!

 Basil is an all round wonderful herb.

 "It's elementary my dear Watson"
(do you get the Basil connection?)


Here are some interesting basil facts if you want to wow everyone with your knowledge about basil.

That would have to be wiser conversation at dinner than politics!

BASIL FACTS

I had always been proud of my basil growing abilities....

and then for the last two years.....disaster!

My plants started out looking good...and then this happened.

It seems I had a mildew....so I used new soil and pots this year!



SUCCESS!
Whatever was wrong before is no longer a problem!

You would think that this would be enough Basil for me!

But.....NO!

One of the reasons that these plants look so full, is the constant pinching back that I do.

The snips of Basil (and Coleus  and even Rosemary) will send out new roots.

Just let the cuttings sit in a opaque container filled with water.

After about a week, you can pot these up.

The only thing better than a pretty Basil plant is a pretty FREE Basil plant!

Now I need YOUR help!

About the only thing I do with all this beautiful Basil is make Pesto or Caprese Salad.

I need some new recipes from you!

I would love to hear from you.

Have A Great Day!

How are YOU Avoiding the FLU?

 Look at these "gorgeous" images.....

They look like fine contemporary art don't they?

Well.....NOT SO MUCH!!!

They are really microscopic images of the FLU Virus!!!

 

I spend my days "immersed" in germs....ewwww!

All those books covered in germs....

All those computer keyboards covered in germs....

All those wonderful hugs from the kids.....covered in germs....

I have always figured that being "immersed" in germs is a good thing.....building lots of immunity against most illness!

And....knock on wood...it usually works! 

But this year it seems that every news report includes yet another report about how widespread and big the outbreaks of this year's flu strain are.....

Now...I don't usually get too worried about catching it.....
but when one of my friends (a great strapping 40 something man) ended up in bed for two weeks.....
and a young freshman student in my school actually lost her life to the flu....

I realized it was time to get myself my very first FLU SHOT ever.....alas....not until last week....so it will be a while before the shot takes full effect!

In the MEANTIME....I decided I need to get serious about some strategies to ward off those bugs!

Our VITAMIX has been getting a workout making this delicious Grapefruit Juice!
Eating whole grapefruit is sort of a pain....
CostCo has big bags of grapefruit for "cheap"....

The recipe is simple:

Just peel the fruit.....leave the white pith on....

Dump the sections in the blender.....

Add a little orange juice....

Add a little pomegranate juice....

Add a couple of packets of Emergen C....

Turn on the machine and let it do it's magic....

 The juice is really pulpy....and just sweet enough....Yummm....

I also planted some Wheat Grass a month earlier than usual.....

This magic flu fighter to make Wheat Grass Smoothies...

Here are a couple of posts I did about Wheat Grass....

How To Grow Wheat Grass

and

Mowing the Wheat Grass (Smoothie Recipe)

HOWEVER....this year we have a new challenge when using the wheat grass as food!!!

Yup....you know...I think Marvin is trying to get some flu fighting anti-oxidants of his own!!!
So I guess now I need to WASH the wheat grass before I use it!!!

How are YOU warding off the flu at your house?

Hopefully you are not reading this from your sick beds....but if so....I wish you a speedy recovery!!!

HMMMM....maybe I will print those germ photos and frame them.....as sort of a talisman for warding off the flu?

Eat Your Vegetables!

Now while I love my garden...you may have noticed that I only grow flowers not food!

It's not that I don't like food....it's just that between the deer and the rabbits....there isn't much chance that any food would make it to the table.

I do grow some lettuce and herbs on the deck....

but that is the extent of our "farming"!

We have to leave the food growing to the experts....



Have I told you about my brother?

• He lives in Florida in the Winter and Maine in the Summer! 
• He is a sustainable urban gardener 
• He is an expert in the science of permaculture
• Maybe some day he will "guest post" for Sweetwater Style!

Here are some photos of his amazing plants in Florida!

He grows enough food in the front yard of my Mom's winter home and his own backyard garden to have a stall at a Market called "Sweetwater"....too funny!

Alas....that Sweetwater Market is too far away for us to shop at...so instead...

 we bought a share in a CSA!

Starting in June we will be getting a weekly delivery of vegetables from The Fox & Fawn Farm!

Fox and Fawn Farm

 The Sweetwater Daughter, Sweetwater Son and Mr. S and I went together to buy a whole share!  Can't wait!  

So we will be eating our vegetables....and letting the experts worry about foiling the deer and the bunnies!

Speaking of Bunnies.....here is a great kid read a loud....

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

It’s about gardening...

the rabbit family makes a deal with a lazy bear for shares of the crops they will plant.

The bear can have “tops” or “bottoms.” 

The first season the bear takes “tops” the rabbits only plant stuff like carrots. Rabbit gets the carrots and the poor bear gets carrot tops. 

The next season the bear sort of catches on and takes bottoms. That year the rabbits plant lettuce and beans.  The bear gets zilch again. 

The last season the bear wants the tops and the bottoms.....foiled again when the rabbits plant corn!

The bear learns his lesson....and you get a great read a loud!


After I published this post....I got a comment from my niece about this great looking planter that you can get (her husband-my nephew sells them...who knew?)

Here is the link  Triolife - Big Gardening in Small Places!

Have a wonderful day!

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