…I’m a huge fan of cranberries, especially fresh ones and especially for cooking, so carole’s topic for today will be fun!

my favorite two ways to use fresh cranberries – cranberry relish and cranberry conserve (recipes blogged here)

1 & 2. cranberry relish and cranberry conserve (pictured) are stars at our thanksgiving table.

3. warmed cranberry brie (leftover conserve used in place of whole berry sauce) is my standard hors d’oeuvre for the holidays.

4. cranberry oatmeal bread. I made this for bible study last week and it was delicious, especially served with pumpkin cream cheese (I used this recipe, but substituted leftover roasted butternut squash for the pumpkin – highly recommend!)….and an added bonus – there’s a second loaf in my freezer!

5. ina’s cranberry harvest muffins. it’s worth getting the figs, but I substitute pecans or walnuts for the hazlenuts.

6. sugared cranberries. a special treat for the season. as pretty to look at as to eat!

7. in crystal dishes to decorate the mantel.

8. with white votives in a shallow bowl for a pretty centerpiece.

9. strung (with white popcorn?!) and hung on the tree.

10. eaten plain. they’re really tart, so I can only eat a couple at a time (and yes, I know this is weird – marc and sara both gave me a hard time about snacking straight from the bowl), but they’re crunchy and deliver that wonderful cranberry taste without anything extra.