Cranberry Salad for the Holidays or Any Day

Cranberries are nutritious containing antioxidants, vitamin C, help to prevent certain types of urinary tract infections and are low in calories. The problem is that most cranberry recipes contain too much sugar or are loaded with unhealthy fat from mayonnaise. Canned cranberry sauce is high in sugar or corn syrup. With Thanksgiving yesterday and the official start of the holiday season here, cranberries take center stage. Here’s a great recipe that I created that’s simple, quick and delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 package of fresh cranberries (you can freeze to maintain freshness, and cook it frozen also)

1 cup of water

1/3 cup of sugar (most recipes call for 1 cup; trust me, you don’t need it)

1/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup of finely chopped celery (approximately 1-2 small stalks)

Directions:

Rinse cranberries well.  Combine cranberries, water and sugar, place in a 3 quart pan and boil for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally during this time.  You will hear and see the cranberries pop during this process; watch that your heat is not too high so it does not splash out onto your skin. Remove cranberry mixture from heat, place in a serving dish.  Add the chopped walnuts and celery.  Mix well.  Cover then chill for at least 4 hours.

The fat and extra sugar will not be missed. This recipe serves as a great side dish to a meal or a tasty topping to non-fat Greek yogurt or non-fat cottage cheese for a healthy lunch or snack. Try to make cranberries a part of your regular diet throughout the year and not just during the holidays. 

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Veteran's Day - Remember Our Veterans and Active Duty Military Members

Please remember today and every day, all of the sacrifices that our Veterans and current members of our Armed Forces make for all of us. Show your appreciation for their time, dedication and loyalty to our country.

• Thank a Veteran for his or her service. Offer to pay for their meal if you meet one in a restaurant.
• Send a letter of thanks and, or, a care package to an Armed Forces member that is currently serving in Afghanistan or elsewhere on deployment.
• Don’t forget the spouse and family that are left at home, holding down the fort: Current members of the Military may be in your own families or communities. Offer to help the spouse and family by helping carpool their children to school, making a trip to the grocery store or calling to say hello.

If you don’t know of any Veterans or a Military Member who is currently serving, consider donating time or money to a Veterans organization. Here is a list of a few.

• If you live in or near Los Angeles: Volunteer drivers needed for The Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The DAV is a Non-Profit Organization serving California Veterans. They need dedicated volunteer drivers to transport Veterans to the West Los Angeles V.A. Hospital for medical appointments.  Vehicle, Insurance, Lunch and Gas is  provided. For more information please contact Blas Barragán at: (310) 478-3711 Ext. 49062 or at (310) 268-3344

Other groups that need monetary donations and/or volunteers:

• Fisher House
• The Wounded Warrior Project
• Team Rubicon
• The Purple Heart Service Foundation
• If you don’t live in Los Angeles but near another VA Hospital or clinic you can contact them to see if they need volunteers.