For Thanksgiving...

Here are two recipes I used last Thanksgiving, and will use again!

Cranberry Granitas


Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network

2 cups cranberry juice

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup lime juice

Fresh cranberries, for garnish

Whisk the cranberry juice and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour the cranberry mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2 inch glass baking dish. Cool completely. Whisk in the lime juice. Freeze until the granita becomes slushy, about two hours. Using fork, stir to blend. Continue freezing the granita until frozen, stirring every hour to form crystals, at least five hours.

Divide the granita into six dessert glasses. Garnish with fresh cranberries, if desired.


Variations: Add 1 shot of Southern Comfort to make a frozen “Scarlett O’Hara”. Or add 1 shot of vodka and ½ shot of Triple Sec to make a frozen “Cosmopolitan”. The original recipe calls for the vodka to be added before freezing, but I prefer to make mine virgin (so the kids can have some!). Ginger ale or any lemon-lime drinks are also good additions.


Pineapple au Gratin

3 cans pineapple chunks, drained, and the juice reserved

1 and a half tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

2 stacks of Ritz crackers, crushed

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 stick of butter, melted



Place pineapple in a buttered casserole dish. Top pineapple with grated cheese. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, and juice. Heat until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over pineapple and cheese. Top with Ritz crackers. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.


This is a delicious side dish perfect for any holiday meal, but it goes especially well with a honey-baked ham. Yum!


Enjoy! These aren't just for Thanksgiving. My mom likes to serve the pineapple for Christmas and Easter as well. The pineapple recipe is my aunt's.

Pumpkins- not just for Halloween!

My mom has had some success in growing pumpkins. These aren't for carving Jack'O Lanterns- they are for eating! Here is a recipe for a casserole that's just divine:

Cinderella’s Coach

1- 1½ pound pumpkin

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rum (I use Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 can Ro-Tel (chopped tomatoes and chilies), medium to hot
1 can coconut milk
1 cup uncooked white rice

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

4 tablespoons butter

1. Pre heat oven to 375°.
2. Cut lid off of the pumpkin, and scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers. Scrape some of the pumpkin out of the shell, about one cup, and set aside.
3. Place pumpkin in a large, heavy roasting pan and bake for half an hour, until tender but still firm.
4. Rinse rice, and cook in 2 cups of water (salt to taste) for 20 minutes or until tender. Add one tablespoon of butter. When the water has been absorbed, add coconut milk and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, rum, and soy sauce. Set aside.
6. In a skillet, melt remaining butter and sauté the onion. Add shrimp, and cook until pink and firm. Stir in the lime juice mixture, and then add the pumpkin, tomatoes and chilies.
7. Add the contents of the skillet to the coconut rice.
8. Fill the pumpkin with the rice mixture.
9. Bake pumpkin for another 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8


I don't know what makes this dish great. The combination of rice, coconut milk, pumpkin, shrimp, and lime juice is very satisfying. All this dish needs on the side is a nice green salad and a loaf of crusty French bread.



This variety of pumpkin is called Long Island Cheese. No, it doesn't taste like cheese- it just looks like a big wheel of cheese!