juice

Hot Mulled Cranberry Juice (& a christmas giveaway)

By in Beverages, Christmas, Warm 51 Comments Tags: , , ,

Hot Mulled Cranberry Juice (& a christmas giveaway)

I”m a sucker for the scent of cinnamon and cloves. I often get a pot of boiling water on the stove with a couple of cinnamon sticks and cloves thrown in just to get the house smelling pretty (an awesome trick I learned from my mom). As good as it smells though, it”s definitely not something I would ever want to drink.

But now, with this recipe, I can perfume the house and drink it too. :)

If you want to be the best hostess ever, get a pot of this Hot Mulled Cranberry Juice simmering on the stove just before company arrives and then offer them a warm mug as they walk in the door. They may just set up camp and never want to leave. I know I would.

If you”re in the mood to stir up a batch but you don”t want to drink it all at once you can refrigerate the leftovers and heat up individual servings in the microwave later. It”s a great drink to have on hand around the holidays for unexpected guests or just to warm up after an afternoon in the cold.

If only I took my own advice, because just talking about this is making me crave it – but alas I have no cranberry juice. Learn from my mistakes. Go pick up the ingredients for this right now!

Hot Mulled Cranberry Juice

For an adult version add a splash of rum or brandy just before serving.

  • 1 litre cranberry juice

  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 6 whole cloves

  • 1 mandarin orange, cut into quarters

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, squeezing oranges to release their juices before placing in pot. Bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, for 20 minutes to infuse spices. Strain before serving.

Serves: 4

And now the giveaway!

****** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED******

Since I think you guys are pretty awesome for coming here and giving me a part of your day, I really wanted to be able to give you something fun in return for the holidays. To me photos make some of the best gifts and what better than a free canvas print of one of your own photos or artwork?

Easy Canvas Prints is offering one special Kitchen Simplicity reader a free 16×20 inch canvas print. You can keep it for yourself or give it away as a Christmas gift. And, even if you don”t win you get a 50% discount (and free shipping) off your next order when you like Easy Canvas Prints on their Facebook page. Sweet deal, right?

Entry Rules:

  1. The print needs to be shipped to a mainland US address so make sure you have one available to you before entering.

  2. Leave me ONE comment telling me what foods you look forward to the most at Christmas time.

  3. Contest will end on Sunday, December 4th at 23:59 GMT and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Thanks again so much for reading and good luck to all! ;)

Making Cranberry Juice

By in Beverages, Cold, Fall, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Homemade, Thanksgiving 36 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Making Cranberry Juice

I am not one to usually make juice from scratch. For some reason in my mind it always seemed like a lot of work and I didn”t understand the reasoning behind it, when it is so readily available to purchase. But, after making homemade Cranberry Juice I have been converted. It is pure. It is tasty. And, you can control the ingredients. No more overly sweet fruit juice for me!

This juice is a cranberry lovers dream (just ask my mother). The tart flavour cleanses the palate and lends itself to avoiding becoming overly sweet. The ruby red color has an elegant translucent sparkle, which makes it perfect for entertaining. There are awesome health benefits too. Of the many, it helps in the fight against cancer, gives you better cholesterol, and helps you loose weight. It takes no work at all to make. You just let it do it”s thing and you get amazing juice as a result. A divine drink all around!

This is the last instalment in my countdown to Thanksgiving. For those of you who are celebrating, enjoy your time with family and friends! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Cranberry Juice 24

Cranberry Juice

adapted from Tartelette

  • 600g pckg. frozen cranberries, thawed (or fresh if you prefer)

  • 6 cups water

  • 1 cup sugar

  1. Place the cranberries and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to med. heat and cover loosely. Simmer 10 min. until the cranberries have burst.

  2. Strain through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Resist the urge to press on the fruit to extract more juices.

  3. Pour the strained juice back into the sauce pan and add sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 min.

  4. Let cool to room temperature before cooling the the fridge.

* I did not have cheesecloth at the time so I used a sturdy paper towel.. just don”t use too much as it soaks up the juices and you do not want any juice to go to waste. :)

** The amount of sugar needed may vary depending on your taste and the sweetness of the berries. If you think you may prefer it more tart start with 1/2 cup and work your way up.

*** A great way to make this juice stretch further is to serve it half and half with ginger-ale.

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