Year 'round cranberries are yummy

Fresh cranberries only appear in the grocery stores from Thanksgiving to Christmas but they are good year 'round, especially as cranberry sauce. Just throw the bag of fresh cranberries, as is, in the freezer where they will keep a couple years with no ill-effects.

Small-batch cranberry sauce is simple to make. Put 1 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. Add any flavoring that strikes your fancy. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until the cranberries burst, stir and cool. That's it.

You could swap the sugar out for other sweeteners but a 1/4 cup serving is only about 60 calories. It's great on turkey and chicken, of course, but also everything from salmon to oatmeal.

Among the flavorings that work great are a cinnamon stick or cloves, pie spices, horseradish, lemon zest, grated or candied ginger, etc. You can also add additional fruit (and more sugar depending on the fruit). I like to add rhubarb (+ sugar) or frozen cherries (which don't need additional sugar).