Jeweled Cranberry Bread

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Jeweled Cranberry Bread

Jeweled Cranberry Bread

Those red jewels are on display in grocery stores everywhere – yes, even the Netherlands and Belgium stock fresh Ocean Spray cranberries. Just as the fall leaves exchange their green hues for an explosion of color, nothing quite says autumn like those tokens of sweet and tart. With glee, I rushed home with the bag and placed it in my fridge, excited about the visions of turkey alongside blue-cheese mashed potatoes, and my to-die-for sweet potato casserole. But then I stop. It’s still October. It’s too early for my mom’s Thanksgiving cranberry jello mold! What am I going to do

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Alice

Alice

“Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Queen of Hearts, Alice in Wonderland. Droplets of wax pool at the base of an antique candlestick holder. An orange flame breathes and extends towards the painted ceiling. Rows of teapots smile from the shelves – winking and whispering to the suiker and sucre jars across the dining room. Glistening chandeliers cast a glow over tea-sippers and bounce rays of warmth off walls the color of a rain-kissed rose. This is Alice. I’ve found my new favorite tearoom in Belgium. We’ve come to Gent for the GentseFeesten,

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Love You the Most French Toast

Love You the Most French Toast

My mom’s special French toast was always my favorite. Slices of Roman Meal wheat bread were dipped into beaten eggs and milk and then she’d add her secret ingredients. She’d press the egg-dipped slices into a mixture of crushed corn flakes and sweetened shredded coconut. She’d melt butter in a skillet to brown on both sides then serve with a generous amount of maple syrup. It was heavenly and I thought that’s how all French toast was made. Imagine my surprise when I ordered French toast at a restaurant as a teenager and found they had forgotten the corn flakes

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Cranberry-Peach Bread

Cranberry-Peach Bread

I was so excited to find Ocean Spray cranberries in the Netherlands grocery stores when we first moved overseas. The happy bag of red berries was an instant passport to memories of Thanksgivings and Christmases in Texas. If you’re lucky enough to have a freezer in Europe, grab an extra bag or two and save this recipe for when peaches are ripe next summer, cranberries freeze well! Or open up a can of peaches, drain excess liquid, and enjoy this bread with a warm cup of tea in the wintertime. Preppin’ 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour (patentbloem in Dutch)

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Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Bread

I have a whole slew of quick breads in my repertoire but this one is probably my all-time favorite!  It’s great year-around but it’s so much fun for Valentine’s Day. Years ago, I whipped up a whole batch in mini disposable loaf pans and distributed them to my auditing co-workers for Valentine’s Day. (Yes, I was THAT kind of accountant? Weird.) Anyway, my best friend Carrie, who is as thin as a rail, sat down in her cube, grabbed a fork and ate her whole mini loaf in one go. It’s just love in a pan! This recipe makes enough

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