the cranberry sauce that never was

the bear and i were so good. we planned ahead. i placed my whole foods order online on saturday for pickup the tuesday before thanksgiving. we compiled a list the week before of things we were going to make (cranberry sauce, semi-homemade stuffing, green bean casserole), so we could grocery shop over the weekend. we shopped 'til we dropped on saturday and got everything on our list. since the cranberry sauce can keep for up to a week, refrigerated, i used making it as a break from my project on sunday.

[cranberries, in their pinot noir + sugar solution, in various states of mushiness]

and then, as i am so very well known to do, i left it behind. in the back of our refrigerator. there was much wailing and sadness when i realized i had left it behind, while drinking a sam adams cranberry ale, no less. dejected, i sent the boys (bear and my brother), to get some ocean spray stuff-in-a-can. oh well, i'll just have to eat it as dessert or top everything with it in the next few days. the bear usually isn't a fan of cranberry sauce, but he said he would even help as this one is rather delicious.

i know i'm posting this sort of backwards, but in case you need a recipe for christmas dinner or even next year's festivities, here ya go. i got it from a fellow OC nestie. i used less oil in our fab non-stick pan, substituted more fresh ginger for the crystallized, and really didn't taste a need for any more sugar at the end.

pinot noir cranberry sauce
1 T. oil
12 oz. bag cranberries
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1-1/2 c. pinot noir
1 c. sugar
2 T. crystallized ginger, chopped

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, about 3 minutes. Add wine and 1 cup sugar; boil about 30-45 minutes until sauce begins to thicken and reduce. Add crystallized ginger. Taste for sweetness; add more sugar if necessary. Serve warm or cold.