Cooking Countdown to Thanksgiving- homemade Cranberry Sauce

pic of my cranberries in the pot boiling away, and now they are all ready for the big day!

I have decided for the countdown to Thanksgiving, I would post a recipe everyday that you should find simple, yet yummy, and sure to impress the crowd.  Today will be homemade cranberry sauce, which by the way, is way better than the canned stuff that comes out into the shape of the can from which it came! Making it from scratch is easy, doesn't contain a bunch of extra additives we don't need, and will make you look like Rachael Ray :)

Now don't get me wrong, there are some things that just aren't worth the headache and hassle to me, like gravy which either taste like flour or has clumps in it.  (I just give in and buy the jars of Heinz Turkey gravy, and had my Dad fooled for years thinking it was homemade like my grandma used to make, LOL.)  But the cranberry sauce is worth the effort, because it isn't much of an effort at all.

My goal this year is to have everything made up and ready to go except the turkey to roast and the mashed potatoes to mash, the few days before; so I can actually enjoy watching the parade.  I know it's corny, but I just love watching it, and always have since I was a little girl.  It is on my bucket list to go someday to the Macy's Day parade before I die!  Until then, I will just curl up in my snuggly pj's, and watch from the couch... and my daughter likes to watch it now, so I have a partner in crime.  There will be lots of smiling as the band just moves on down the street, and I sip hot cocoa :)

Cranberry Sauce

1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries (wash and drain)
1 cup water
1/2 to 1 cup white sugar (depends how sweet you want it) I like mine a little tart so I use 1/2 c
(and if you didn't want to use white sugar, you could substitute agave instead)
1 small can of crushed pineapple (well drained)
1/3 cup of currants (these are tiny little raisins basically)

Place water, sugar, and washed cranberries in pan and bring to boil.  When the cranberries start to split and pop they are done.  If you want more whole berries, only let a few pop, if you like a more smashed look to the berries, cook longer to pop them all and stir.  I like mine mostly whole because it looks prettier :)  Remove from the heat and stir in the drained pineapple and currants.  Let sit, and it will look a little juicy, but the extra juice will find its way into plumping the currants.  And that's it!  Looks beautiful, more healthy than canned, and sure to wow your friends and family :)