I get the joy of going to see my sister this coming week for Thanksgiving! I’m excited to see her and to be in Pensacola again for awhile.  Have you been to Pensacola, Florida?  Gorgeous beaches, amazing history, great museums, fun shopping, and more. I lived there for ten years, and am a graduate of University of West Florida.  Go, Argonauts! It’s a fun place.  Most of all, though, I will love the “sister time” that Sherrin and I will have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I’m leaving  for a week and since my husband will not eat any of what is left in the fridge, even if  it’s labeled and put front and center for him,  😉 I’m trying to use up what is there before I leave.  I had a bag of fresh cranberries in the produce drawer, as well as  a couple of lemons.  I also had, in my potato basket on the counter,  seven sweet potatoes that I had never done anything with.  I decided to boil them in their jackets this morning, then drained them when they were done.  When they cooled, I removed the jackets and sliced them.

I layered the slices in a large casserole dish, then sprinkled the fresh cranberries all over the top of them.  I squeezed the large lemon over the top of all of that, then drizzled three tablespoons of melted butter over them.  Because the cranberries are so tart, I sprinkled demerara sugar all over the top of the whole dish, and stuck it in the oven for fifteen mintues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At fifteen minutes I looked at it and could hear the berries pop-pop-popping as they got hot.  I added about a half  cup of hot water to keep things most and steamy, added a sprinkle of cinnamon across the top, and let it bake for fifteen more minutes. Then I pulled it out of the oven, and here is what I saw:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I scooped some into my bowl, and dug in.  The potatoes were soft and lightly sweet, and the cranberries were juicy and popped in my mouth when I bit into them.  I love the tartness of the berries, but if you are not a fan of that much tartness, you could make a sauce first with the cranberries by placing them in a small saucepot with a cup of water and 1/3 to 1/2 cup of  sugar (or perhaps some Splenda) and cook it until the berries start popping.  Pour that over the top of the sweet potato slices and then do everything else the same as I did above.

This turned out to be a great way to use up this delicious produce in a bright, sunny way, not a melty, marshmallow-y, super-sweet way like many of us will experience on Thanksgiving day.  I loved it.

So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?  I hope you have a wonderful plan for being with some of the people you love the most.  Make it a fun time full of precious memories!  🙂  Happy Thanksgiving!