Cooking by Connie

 

November is the month for Thanksgiving.  But what else is November  known for.  I had to do some searching.  It is Manatee Awareness Month, and National Georgia Pecan Month, National Novel Writing Month, (that’s good for me as I am still writing my novel).  November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month and it is also Plum, Pomegranate and Cranberry Month.  With the Cranberry in mind, I figured I do something for ‘ye ole’ turkey table ideas.   Here is a Cranberry mold and some variations that you can use for the big day.

 

Cranberry Mold

 

2    3 oz packages  raspberry gelatin (or if you can find

 cranberry gelatin, that is best)
1  16 oz can whole cranberries, broken apart
1  16 oz can pineapple, either crushed or chunked 
1 can mandarin oranges
2 cups hot water
1 cup reserved liquid or add water to make up the  one cup

 

Mix gelatin with hot water and stir.

Drain oranges, pineapple, and reserve liquid
Add remaining liquid—cold water and cold juices reserve.
Refrigerate until starting to gel.
Add fruit and fold in gently. (This way the fruit will not fall
to the bottom)
Break up whole cranberries with a fork if needed.
Put in mold and chill for at least 4 hours.

 

There are many variations to this recipe

Add ½ cup of your favorite nuts, I like pecans.   broken, but not chopped.

Add ½ cup chopped celery.

Or

Decrease the liquid by about ¼  cup and  add ½ cup  of

frozen whipped topping. This will change the look of
 he mold. The other mold is transparent. With the
addition of the whipped topping, it becomes opaque
and pink. It is a little sweeter than the others. 

Or

Add 1 cup seedless white or green grapes, cut in half.
You can eliminate the oranges and use the grapes or

eliminate the pineapple and use the grapes.

Or

Add 1 can of raspberries, fresh or frozen. Eliminate one of

the other fruits.

 You don’t want it too dense with fruit.