Whatcha' Got Cooking?

Here is my #1 holiday survival skill. I've adapted it over the years to perfection. It matters not who you must break bread with. It matters not what comments are made about you and your food. I once had a guest straighten all my wall art, said it made him feel dizzy. I thought, it's the beer, not the paintings. We no longer serve beer at gatherings. Someone complained that my freezer was inconveniently arranged, said the ice for his cocktails was hard to reach. We no longer serve cocktails at our gatherings. Someone said I didn't let the bread rise long enough and baked it too long and did we have any Wonder Bread? We no longer serve bread at our gatherings. Let's see, the soup was too salty, the stuffing - mushy, the turkey - dry, the gravy - bland, the cake - not sweet enough and the coffee - too strong. We no longer serve bread, soup, stuffing, turkey, gravy, cake or coffee at our gatherings. It seems the only things I make well are Cranberry Relish and Sweet Potatoes. I've included these recipes below. So, if you are a host/hostess this year and folks complain about what you serve, tell them about a friend of yours that doesn't serve to folks things they don't like. We are down to 2 dishes and 2 guests ; )

Cranberry Relish:
Boil 3/4 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 jar Sorrell Ridge peach, all-fruit jelly, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 3 cups fresh cranberries and 1/2 cup golden raisins. Boil until cranberries "pop" and then mash with a potato masher. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Serve hot or cold. Will keep in refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Sweet Potatoes:
Cook, peel and slice 6-8 sweet potatoes. Arrange in buttered 13x9" serving dish. Melt together 5 Tbls. butter, 1 jar Sorrell Ridge peach or apricot, all-fruit jelly, 1 tsp. salt and 1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Pour over sweet potatoes and bake in 375 degree oven until bubbly. Serve hot.

Happy Thanksgiving!