Cranberries

Did you know that Wisconsin produces the most cranberries in the US? Did you also know that they grow on vines and are only in bogs at harvest when the beds are flooded so the berries float to the top? I did not know either of these things. I didn't even know cranberries grew anywhere but the east coast until Rachael Ray had cranberries from Wisconsin as her "Snack of the Day" yesterday. Then, thanks to my newspaper insert today, I became a regular cranberry expert. :o) Now you also have a couple fun facts to share if conversation is lacking around your Thanksgiving table.
As I have mentioned before, I am hosting the Thanksgiving dinner this year. My turkey is thawing in the refrigerator. I just love cranberries, so I wanted to do something special with them this year. I made my first ever batch of homemade cranberry sauce today.
I have absolutely nothing against the canned kind. In fact, I love how the numbers and lines from the can are indented into its sides and ends. That alone screams "Thanksgiving" to me.
But, due to my love of the Food Network and allrecipes.com, I decided to try my hand at making some "real" cranberries this year. I am probably the only one that will appreciate them, but my taste of them warm out of the saucepan was definitely positive. The recipe I used was SUPER easy. They were done in 10 minutes and it was kind of fun to hear the berries popping as they cooked.
Here is the recipe I used from allrecipes.com:

Washed Cranberry Salad
1 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and any stems removed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups orange juice
3/4 cups water
(OR you may use all water for the liquid)

Combine all in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Take any foam off the top and store the cranberry sauce in the refrigerator.