one hundred and thirty-one point five

Orange-Cranberry Sauce

Even people who swear they don't like cranberries love this sauce!  It's delicious as a side dish for turkey or as a dessert topping for, say, no-bake cheesecake.  It can be made several days ahead, and the flavor only gets better as it sits.  Can be served hot or cold, which makes it the perfect alternative to the canned stuff. 

2-12 oz. packages fresh cranberries, mushy berries and/or stems discarded

1 tbsp orange zest, finely grated

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup honey (I used cranberry blossom)

1 cinnamon stick, whole

a few grates of nutmeg, to taste

up to 1/4 cup of white sugar, to taste

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, water, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes or until the berries have popped and the sauce has started to set.  

Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit, then check sweetness.  Fish out the cinnamon stick.  

Stir in up to 1/4 cup of the white sugar little by little until the sauce is sweetened to your liking.

Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Reheat slightly covered in the microwave for about 2 minutes or on the stove top on low for about 10 minutes.