The cranberry. Great for your bladder and kidneys, high in vitamin c and helps with digestion and prevention of ulcers. Also a delicious tart festive treat!

Cranberry sauce

1 cup raw cranberries

3/4 cup apple juice or water

3 tbsp rice syrup

zest of 2 lg organic oranges

1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp kudzu

Bring juice cranberries, zest ,syrup, sea salt and raisins to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Dilute kudzu in a little water and add to the pot, stir until sauce is thickened. Pour into a bowl or mold  and allow to sit for at least an hour . Serve.

Here is a great recipe from Meredith McCarty, I made this pie for thanksgiving to everyone’s delight.

Cranberry-currant Tart

1 single crust pie shell

1/2 cup currants

11/2 cups apple juice

3 tbsp agar flakes

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

water

In a large pot, bring currants, juice,agar and salt to a boil. Simmer until agar is completely dissolved, 3-5 min.

Sort through cranberries to discard soft ones along with any stems. Rinse,drain and add cranberries to pot. Cook until tender but not mushy, 2-5 minutes more. Stir arrowroot in a little water to completely dissolve and add to the pot. Stir gently until mixture thickens slightly. Transfer filling to pie crust. Allow filling to gel before serving.

We had a great Easter weekend! The kids had yoga, went to the park, watched a bike race, walked downtown, baked egg shaped cookies and best of all had their  Lala (grandmother) here from Canada for a visit!

Easter weekend yummyness..

leek and corn soup and Pesto pasta!, Udon and Sushi galore!, Polenta and roasted veggies!, walnut cake! and Easter cookies!

Easter Cookies

11/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1tsp baking powder

1 tsp grated organic orange rind

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1/3 cup rice syrup

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350′

With a whisk, mix dry ingredients in a big bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix together  until smooth.

Form into a ball and roll dough flat and thin on a floured surface or between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Cut out oval shapes with a cookie cutter (or squeeze a small round plastic container and press out oval shapes). Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 min or until golden.

makes about 2 dozen.

Topping

Heat 1/2 cup rice syrup in a pan on low heat until bubbling,turn off heat and spoon 1/2 tsp onto each cookie, smoothing over surface. Press decorations into hot rice syrup. let cool and enjoy.

Decorations..

sesame seeds

poppies seeds

coconut

pumpkin seeds

raisins, currants, dried cranberries

walnuts, almonds, peanuts

grain sweetened chocolate chips