Your 2016 Cranberry Entertaining Guide for Friendsgiving: 10 Recipes and DIY's for Thanksgiving with Cranberries
It's on. Thanksgiving is officially less than three weeks away and it's time to buckle up and make your plans. Sure, you may have your traditional Thanksgiving plans with family, but we're talking about Friendsgiving: getting together with your pseudo family amidst the holiday craziness to eat food you actually like with people you also actually like.
Now the best part about Friendsgiving is you get to change things up. If you hate corn casserole, NO ONE HAS TO MAKE CORN CASSEROLE (this is really a point of contention in my biological family. I think it looks like cat barf, but I have a cousin who can't stop the corn casserole love). You get to chose what to make, pour and how to decorate (#InstagramWorthy). And while you're at it you can also upload your Friendsgiving ideas to win over $4,000 in prizes from the Cranberry Marketing Committee!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...mostly because it involves sweaters and Southern style stuffing mixed with cranberry relish/jelly/anything. I was so excited this year to work with the Cranberry Marketing Committee to build an entire Guide to Entertaining with Fresh Cranberries. We've been planning since Spring to bring you all 10 amazing recipes and DIY's to make your Friendsgiving amazing to update tradition. Sometimes we can be so bogged (nailed it) down by doing things the same way because of tradition that we forget to play and innovate. And you know in this house we like to do things a little differently. One third of millennials can't imagine Thanksgiving & Friendsgiving without cranberries. So we decided to update your idea list.
So why cranberries in the first place?
They are seriously America's original super fruit. They are one of only a few produce items that is truly indigenous. A serving of fresh cranberries is a good source of vitamin C, and fiber but also polyphenols. Also- yes. What you've heard is true: they can also help urinary tract health.
Currently 80% of Americans are enjoying cranberries and 44% vote them as one of the most versatile fruits (sweet and savory, tablescapes and cocktails-just look at the guide!). In the guide we made them into cocktails, salsa, cupcakes, pickles and even a seasoned butter with sweet potatoes.
Want to win those $4000 in prizes?
This is the second annual Cranberry Friendsgiving Photo Contest! Feature cranberries at your Friendsgiving to win. Send a picture of your cranberry creations on social media with the hashtag #FriendsgivingCranberryContest, and upload it at CranberryFriendsgiving.com for a chance to win! For more information and contest rules, visit CranberryFriendsgiving.com.
For more tips and ideas on how to throw the best Friendsgiving, join @uscranberries for a #FriendsgivingCranberryContest Twitter party on November 10 at 7 p.m. EST.
Disclosure: A huge heaping thankful serving of goodness to the Cranberry Marketing Committee for working with me this year to develop the Entertaining guide and this post.
Dietitian Nutritionist and cookbook author sharing flavor-forward recipes and simplified science-driven wellness.
