Simple Holiday Salad and My Sister's Table

     For the past few years, my husband, son and I have spent Thanksgiving at home, just the 3 of us. With family scattered, it was just the way it worked out. We really didn't mind, most years we just ordered our meal from Cracker Barrel because I wasn't going to cook all that food for 3 people. This year, when my sister invited us to her house (about an hour and half away) we said yes. She cooked, I cooked, and while both of us had one of our kids who couldn't make it, we did have 4 of our 6. One of the things I took was my mother's very easy recipe for Cranberry Relish/Salad. I don't like the "normal" cranberry sauce, but I like this and it is so simple to make.

Ingredients:

2 bags of fresh cranberries, rinsed

2 oranges, washed and with just the stem end removed

2 cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup (or more) nuts-chopped (walnuts or pecans)

1 1/2 cups sugar

In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries,

place them in a large bowl.

Next, place the oranges in the food processor

and chop them peeling and all. Add to

cranberries in the bowl.

Chop the celery, add to the mix.

Add the cans of drained pineapple.

Add the sugar and the nuts and mix well.

This is a colorful and really fresh tasting salad/relish.

 It not only works well for Thanksgiving,

it is also perfect for Christmas.

     It was the first holiday meal my sister and I had been together without our parents. My dad was in Florida and my mom has now been gone a year and a half.

My sis had the table set beautifully.

She used my mom's china, sterling flatware and crystal.

We had all the trimmings, way too much food and a really great day!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

for Tablescape Thursday, and

Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday