sorry, jt. I'vwe been gone for a few days. Dad had surgery on Tuesday, then an arterial bypass in his "good" leg (the only one he has left since they amputated the other one 3 years ago!). Friday night he had a heart attack, at least he was already in the hospital. It's been exciting, so I've been kind of tied up. Anyway, the boss loves the cranberry salsa, so I just made her a batch of it for her birthday. I did put extra hot peppers in it because she likes it HOT. I like it better than cranberry sauce just because it's not quite as sweet. I seldom make regular cranberry sauce, I make cranberry jezebel, thanks to LindaC at the Cooking Forum. It's a less sweet cranberry relish with horseradish, I love it. Here are those recipes for anyone who wants them: Spicy Cranberry Salsa 6 cups chopped red onion 4 finely chopped large serrano peppers 1 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar 5% acidity 1 T. canning salt 1 1/3 cups sugar 6 T. clover honey 12 cups ( approx. 2 3/4 lbs.) rinsed whole fresh cranberries Wash and rinse six pint canning jars, keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturers directions. Combine all ingredients except cranberries in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat slightly and boil gently for 5 minutes. Add cranberries, reduce heat, slightly and simmer for 20 minutes.Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Pour into jars, leave 1/4 inch headspace. Leave saucepot over low heat while filling jars. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace if needed. Seal with lids, process in water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours and check for seals. This is a pretty nice chutney: Pear Apple'n Cranberry Chutney Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Makes 6 half-pints 2 Cinnamon Sticks , broken in half 1 teaspoon Whole Allspice 1/2 teaspoon Whole Cloves 1/2 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper 2 pounds pears, peeled, cored, and finely chopped, (about 5 cups) 1 1/2 pounds green apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped, (about 4 cups) 3 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity) 1 package (6 ounces) dried cranberries or one 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped, (1 cup) 1/3 cup Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped Tie cinnamon, allspice, cloves and pepper in a cheesecloth bag. 2. Combine all ingredients in 6-quart saucepot; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook until thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. As mixture starts to thicken, stir more frequently. Remove spice bag; discard. 3. Ladle into hot half-pint-size canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run thin, non-metallic utensil down inside of jars to remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jars clean with damp cloth. 4. Cover jars with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. And finally, the Jezebel, which I've done with artificial sweetener for Dad and it isn't as "firm" but it is sugarfree. Cranberry Jezebel 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries 1 c. water 3/4 c. white sugar 1/2 c brown sugar 3 Tablespoons horseradish 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard Wash and pick over the berries. Put water and sugars in saucepan (large enough to prevent boil over) and bring to a boil, add berries and return to a boil, cook on medium for 15 to 20 minutes from the time it returns to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool to lukewarm then stir in horseradish and Dijon mustard. Refrigerate for a few hours at least and enjoy! Cindy's Notes: Reduce the amount of white sugar and substitute some fresh-squeezed orange juice for some, or all of the water. I also like to add a couple tablespoons of Cointreau. Sometimes I'll stir in a little orange zest along with the horseradish and Dijon. Annie

Oh, I never made a relish with cooked cranberries. Sounds like a good thing to try. I like experimenting with cranberry sauces and relishes... Thanks for posting it.

HiDesert, I made this again for Christmas and it again tasted delicious and looked fabulous! Oh, I I baked it (by accident as I pulled out the wrong pan) in a 10 inch springform and it was just perfect. It was a not as high, but, larger in diameter. It looked great and everyone just loved it. I think I'm going to make another one to give to my neighbor as a Happy New Year sweet treat gift! I wish you and your family a Happy & Healthy New Year!

Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup Ingredients 2 quarts water 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons dried parsley 1 tablespoon onion powder 5 cubes chicken bouillon 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes or sub Rotel tomatoes and chilies 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup 3 tablespoons chili powder 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained or frozen 2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained or black beans,rinsed and drained 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream Directions In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes. **save the sour cream to add at the table, along with shredded cheddar cheese and corn tortilla chips. Want great tortilla chips? Buy a package of fresh corn tortillas. Spray or brush both sides with olive oil, cut each tortilla in half and then julienne them into 1/4" strips. Spread the strips out on a nonstick cookie sheet. If you like, sprinkle with sea salt, chili powder and/or cumin. Bake 5 minutes at 425 degrees and check; sample and bake longer until the chips achieve your desired crispness. The julienned chips are great because they're easy to pick up with a soup spoon. You'll never go back to store-bought chips! can make in crockpot.freezes well.