As a child I was addicted to cranberry sauce, the jellied kind that came in a can and you had to open both ends and give it a good shake before it slithered out onto the plate, a perfect cylinder with can ridges intact. I’d cut off a little red disc and eat it from my hands like a peppermint patty which I was also addicted to. Just the thought of that is making me trip all over my words so without further ado…

1. Pour about 2 cups of frozen cranberries into a 1.5 quart saucepan.
2. Add about 1 cup orange juice.
3. Add enough water to cover cranberries, or until they float. I end up using about half orange juice, half water. Don’t use all orange juice.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer until it cooks down to a thick sauce. You’ll have to watch this because it can foam over, especially in the beginning, or stick to the pan, especially in the end. It will take about 10 or 15 minutes depending on how much fluid you added. Maybe 20. After years of making it I just wing it.
5. Pour (or spoon) into a heat-resistant container that accepts a hand blender. I stir in a sprinkle of cinnamon and a teaspoon or two of sugar before it cools.
6. When cool, blend on high with a hand blender. Because it’s thick you’ll have to stop once or twice to scrape off the sauce that sticks to the outside of the wand. I don’t strain away any skins and blending doesn’t get rid of all of them but it’s good enough for me.

We add this to berries and oatmeal or baked apples. Mostly I just spoon it out of the jar when I pass the refrigerator.