A Thank You to my Readers

A homemade holiday treat, New Mexico style 🌶️

This Thanksgiving I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has dropped by to read since I rebooted my blog here on Substack this fall.

I’d also like to thank

Holly Becker / Decor8

for leading the amazing Blogging Today & Substack Masterclass courses that have really re-ignited my creative-writing mojo. You couldn’t ask for a more motivating teacher—her experience and energy to keep up with the zeitgeist is really inspiring!

I’d like to offer you all a little Thanksgiving treat today—a recipe that has become a winter season tradition at our house since we moved to Santa Fe. It’s a recipe for red chile cranberry sauce that was featured in New Mexico magazine in 2012. Unfortunately, I can no longer find this version online to link for you. So here is my version:

New Mexico Red-Chile Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients per 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries—

Grated zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange plus water to make 1 cup liquid

1 c white sugar

1 tsp powdered red chile (adjust according to your taste and spice tolerance 😉)

1 T triple sec or Grand Marnier (optional)

Note: DO NOT use “chili powder” found in the spice display of the grocery store!!!

“Chili” powder consists of a blend of red chile with cumin, garlic powder, and other adulterating flavors. Nor do you want red chili flakes. You want “red chile” powder, the pure ground chile pods. If it’s not in the spice section, you can probably find a display of Mexican spice products in the Mexican / Hispanic food aisle of your local grocery.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F/177C.

Rinse and pick through cranberries, discarding any that are bruised, puffy, or squishy.

Place berries in an oven-proof casserole or glass baking pan.

Add grated zest, juice/water mix, sugar, and chile powder and stir to mix ingredients.

Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 50 minutes.

At 50 minutes, remove foil and stir in triple sec, if using. Bake for 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Place in storage containers and fridge overnight before serving (don’t forget to taste test 😎). Freezes excellently. Can be multiplied easily.

Serving ideas (besides turkey): Salmon, pork, ice cream, spread for blue cheese shortbreads and other cheeseboard goodies.

Enjoy!

A Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

(What are your favorite Thanksgiving treats? Be sure to let us all know in the comments!)