{SUPERFOOD For Your HEART ♥ CRANBERRIES}

Nine days ago, I did email several Cranberry recipes to Nora from SeelenSachen (SoulThings) an Austrian blogger friend. She just had purchased fresh cranberries and asked anyone for a recipe. Below will follow my favorite recipe; one that I could not email to Nora.

 It seems that in Austria fresh cranberries are becoming popular as well.
According to the USDA , cranberries rank 6th in total antioxidant capacity out of over 100 common foods, making them an Antioxidant Superfood.

At +Costco Wholesale I did buy mine and they were really great quality. 

  Just like to share my favorite recipe with you:

  Cranberry Conserve
 MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 30 MIN., CHILL: 3 HRS 
4 cups cranberries = 500g

1 cup orange juice = 250 ml

1 orange

1 cup dried cranberries = 120 g 

2½ cups sugar = 400 g (I used 40 g of Splenda)

½ cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)

   Rinse cranberries.

COMBINE cranberries and 1 cup orange juice in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until cranberry skins pop.

 GRATE rind of orange; peel, seed, and dice orange. Stir together cranberries, orange, grated rind, dried cranberries, sugar (Splenda) and pecans (walnuts).

COOK over low heat, stirring often, 20 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, and cool. Chill at least 3 hours.

When I made mine, I doubled the recipe which I adapted from the original recipe in 'Southern Living' Cranberry Conserve December 2003.

{Post # 148 and my blog is 1 year old today!}

Today marks a very special day as on November 23 of last year I did launch my very first blog-post about Romancing the Home.

At that time I was very sick, in excruciating pain and could not even get to my PC... Only a second blog-post I launched on December 13, showing: {Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December}. Together with a reply to Johanna Gehrlein  from Silber-und-Rosen-Shop about her question.

By the end of the year I was walking on crutches...

On January 9 of this year I was in the hospital being almost totally paralyzed with very high fever that they couldn't knock down at first. 

It was on January 11, that I cried in my hospital bed; on the birthday of my still born sister 'Mariet' who would have been almost 13 months older than I am. 

I told her that I was NOT yet ready to see her in heaven...

After four days in the hospital they put me on Prednisone and the pain went away.

Again I could MOVE! What a joy.
Being diagnosed with a very rare auto immune disease, I was now on the mend!
♥

For my sister Mariet, trying to live for her as well, I've added 'TE' behind my name.
♥♥

That's the story behind my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 

Anyway, most people here in the US had difficulties pronouncing Mariet, so this works well.

So there came my next blog on March 21, about dear Friend Johanna Gehrlein's: {Splendid book about Silver Rose Flatware}. That is about my passion: Silver Rose Flatware.

Only since April 4, I know my statistics as I was way behind with everything and slowly did catch up on my daily life's routine.

Not bad for only seven-and-a-half month of data:
6,544 Visits
34,859 Pageviews

6,544 Visits came from 74 countries/territories

It just so happened that recently, country # 73 is Georgia! Living in Georgia/USA this is special.
The First Lady of Georgia is Dutch born Sandra Roelofs.
So this is a double-Dutch connection...

Related links:

{My Angel Sister & Mariette's Back to Basics Explained} | previous post by me

{Silk Embroidered Birds from China Trip}

These exotic looking silk embroidered birds are hanging in our veranda.
Husband Pieter did bring them back from his trip to China.

 The above is actually a scan from the one below.
As it is behind glass it is hard to capture the beauty of the silk and silk embroidery on camera!

Silk charmeuse is the back ground on which these lovely spring blossoms with birds have been worked.

The framing as usual, has been done by Irok Gallery.

Pieter did go for Campbell Soup to China with People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

That organization was founded in 1956 by Dwight D. Eisenhower.