Healthy Holiday Entertaining: Very Cranberry Crafts and Chutney

There is so much more to cranberries than a can-shaped, gelatinous sauce. Today, Lara of Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom shows us how to use the gorgeous red fruit to brighten up your home.

The recipe calls for: Flatout HungryGirl Foldit Sliders or EdgeOn Crisps

Decking the halls doesn’t have to put a big dent in the budget. With a little repurposing of things you already have around the house, and by adding in some of the most common – and affordable – seasonal staples, you can really make the holidays glow. This year, rather than a hard to pull off and expensive theme, I went with a really simple one: cranberries! For door-to-door decor I used fresh cranberries (about a buck a pound) in everything from garland to candle displays. Cranberries in apothecary jars, in mismatched silver service (which I collect and have all over the house) and in this ice bucket and/or votive candle holder. BONUS: they taste great, too, so we cooked with the leftovers!

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Cranberry Ice Bucket or Votive LED Candle Holder

• 1 paper half-gallon container (plus cling wrap if making a votive holder)
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• Greenery (I used pine from our backyard trees. Rosemary works well, too.)
• Water
• Container to place box in while in freezer
• 1 wine or spirits bottle (empty if making a votive holder)
• Display tray and container to catch drippings as the ice melts
• Flameless LED candle (for votive holder)

Directions:

Cut the top off your empty and cleaned out half-gallon container using an X-Acto knife or scissors. Place your bottle inside (if making a votive, cover the bottle with cling wrap). Arrange berries and greens inside the box, around the bottle. Fill the box half way with water. Place box in container to freeze. Freeze for at least 24 hours or a minimum of 4 hours. Remove from freezer. Score the corners of the container with a sharp knife. Pull paper off and, WHA-LA you have your ice bucket or votive holder!

For votives: To remove the bottle from the ice, carefully fill with hot water. This will loosen the bottle from the ice. Grab the cling wrap and remove bottle. You now have a beautiful votive holder.

NOTE: ONLY USE FLAMELESS LED CANDLES!

Cranberry Chutney with Brie and Flatout

• 1 wheel of store-bought brie cheese
• Cranberry chutney (recipe idea here)
• Fresh cranberries
• Fresh rosemary
• Flatout HungryGirl Foldit Sliders in Classic White or EdgeOn Crisps in Sea Salt

Directions:

Top brie with chutney, fresh cranberries and rosemary. Serve with EdgeOn Crisps or Foldit Sliders. If serving with sliders, cut each slider in half and bake on a lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees until crisp, approximately 5 minutes.

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We’d love to hear your fresh perspective!

• What’s your favorite way to incorporate cranberries during the holidays?