Dreaded Cranberry Cocktail

Yes folks, it's that time of year when I contemplate what we will have to start Thanksgiving dinner. In years past, it was simple. We started with Cranberry Cocktail, a recipe my mother has made since I can remember. In fact, until probably around 1998 or so, she made it for Thanksgiving and brought it to our house for the celebration. Probably around that same time, the younger generation began to indicate that they really didn't like it all that much. Hmmmmmm. I have a comment written by one of that generation, who shall remain nameless (Sarah) who wrote right on my recipe card, "Yummy, Highly recommendable."

So, after the moaning and groaning began, we tried other "starters," such as squash soup, crackers and cheese, etc. In 2005, after my trip to Ukraine, I made borscht. That went over almost as well as the Cranberry Cocktail. Last year, I think I remember buying already-made squash soup and heating it up. How tacky.

This year, I'm feeling particularly nostalgic for lost traditions, and, since it very well may be my mom's last Thanksgiving with us, I have unilaterally decided (since I am the only one here, anyway) to make the dreaded Cranberry Cocktail. Here are a few differences between the way my mother made it and my proposed dish.

1. She made several gallons of it. It often lasted in the fridge until Christmas. I am making barely enough for a small serving for each of us.
2. She peeled (!!!) a ton of grapes (and seeded them in the days before seedless grapes were invented) ((Yes, I am that old.))
3. She included chunks of grapefruit, which really did taste awful mixed with the cranberry

We'll see how my recipe holds up with the younger set this year.

1. Small amount
2. Regular green grapes cut in half
3. Only oranges, no grapefruit
4. Slice banana into the dish just before serving. Voila, the first course is almost ready to eat, as we speak. The cranberries have been cooked and sieved, the sugar has been added and the lovely red mixture is cooling (chillin') in the fridge, ready for the fruit to be added tomorrow. I bet it would be good with some kind of liqeur added to it......hmmmmm...there's really old Amaretto in the cupboard....(just kidding).

What could be next? For Christmas, there was always mom's strawberry jello with cream cheese salad.........