Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Well here it is another Christmas day ! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day with your families where ever it is you may be ! We are all still in our pyjamas, watching movies, enjoying new gifts, and just relaxing. I do not know about you , but I am really exhausted, I feel like I was hit by a truck. I gave it my all this week, really just trying to do and make or bake all of my kids favorite things. It's what I love most about Christmas, getting everything ready for them, in the hopes that many, many years from now, they may stop and remember, "that´s how mom used to make it". Find myself a bit overwhelmed, I admit that baking gingerbread cookies this year, was something I had crossed off the to do list. Somehow I thought it was something the kids would not miss, boy was I wrong, yesterday mid afternoon, Simon asked, "when are we baking the gingerbread cookies?" I told him "we already have so many other things on the dessert table, we can leave them ou...

It’s SO simple to make homemade cranberry sauce, and it makes such a beautiful, festive addition to any holiday dinner table.  Fresh cranberry sauce is delicious, AND it can be made it in advance! Fresh orange juice and zest  compliment the cranberries really well. Trust me skip the can stuff this year and make fresh cranberry orange sauce instead. 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 cup orange juice 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries zest of 1 orange directions: 1. Rinse cranberries with cold water. In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water, and orange juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and add cranberries and orange zest. Return to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cranberries will start to burst, cook about ten 15 minutes, to thicken. 2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Pour sauce into a serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.