Yes, I'm judging you!

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the sparkle of gratitude is fading...... can we have a word about the cranberries on the table? Look man, nobody EVER said that they preferred the jiggly canned mess o' cranberry over the gorgeous homemade version. So don't even think about showing up with the store bought cranberries next year - learn how to make them yourself. And the best part, they are SUPER EASY. SUPER EASY (twice for emphasis)!

Here's how:

1 C sugar

1 C water

12 oz fresh cranberries

Weed through the fresh cranberries and take out any that don't look good to eat. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the cranberries, return to boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently for about 10 minutes, stirring a bit here and there. You'll hear the cranberries start to pop. pop. pop. And the color in the saucepan will become beautifully shiny red. If you like your cranberries a little runny, take them off sooner, if you like them super thick, do the full 10 minutes. Cover and cool completely to room temp. Refrigerate and serve in a glass dish (which emphasizes the gorgeous color)! Makes 2 1/4 cups. Tastes delicious.

On the stove - pop pop popping!

Tomato Paste

I don't know where I got this tip but I like it (warning: old lady tip ahead). This one is for all the years that all of us have opened a can of tomato paste and used one or two tablespoons, then put the can in the fridge and waited til it got super moldy and disgusting and then threw the whole thing away. Here's a better idea!

Spread out a piece of saran wrap

 Measure out 1 tablespoon piles of paste on the saran

Cut the saran and roll up your little pastes like tootsie rolls

 Throw them in a baggie

Throw the baggie in the freezer - now you have measured tomato pastes ready for whatever you're cooking and you can just go from freezer to pot with them. And you're not a waster! And if you're really good, you recycled the can too!