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November 22nd is National Cranberry Relish Day by Elaine A. Powers, Author

When I read that November 22 was National Cranberry Relish Day, memories of my father came to me. My Dad didn’t do much cooking but he had his specialties: popcorn popped in bacon grease, the fluffiest waffles for weekend breakfasts, and every Thanksgiving, homemade cranberry relish. His wasn’t a fancy recipe but it did become a tradition and a fond memory.

He would start by pulling the grinder out of the closet. This grinder had been passed down from his parents. In the past it had been used to grind meat, nuts, and, of course, cranberries. He clamped it to the dining room table and set a large roasting pan under it. Then he would pour the fresh cranberries from the bags and grind away. We kids weren’t allowed to grind – that was Dad’s job. Rhythmically the handle went round and round until the ground berries became a mound. (Yes, I write rhyming books.) Then he would empty the proper number of cans of frozen orange juice concentrate onto the mound and allow the juice to melt in. After mixing, the relish was the perfect combination of tangy cranberry and sweet orange.

Dad’s relish was eaten with the roasted turkey on Thanksgiving Day, the leftovers the next day, and on turkey sandwiches the following week.

So, on November 22, relish some cranberry relish, and I’ll relish the memory of my father and his very special cranberry relish tradition.

Book Note: One of my favorite rhyming books is Don’t Make Me Fly, all about the fascinating Greater Roadrunner. It’s a fun read in rhyme–the whole family will love it–is educational and vibrantly illustrated by Nicholas Thorpe.

A copper colored book cover featuring an illustration of a Roadrunner bird — “With vibrant illustrations by Nicholas Thorpe, this picture book is jam-packed with scientific facts about roadrunners, delivered in verse form to keep the narrative lively. Roadrunners “…grab their victim/behind its head/And bash it on/the ground until it is dead.” Want to know how to swallow a horned lizard? Keep reading!” AZ Daily Star

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