decorating and baking with cranberries + a friendsgiving contest

We’ve officially entered my favorite time of the year! I love the second half of November and December! It’s so easy to get busy and overwhelmed during these two months, but I love this time where we gather together with family that we don’t always have the chance to see, take time to reflect on how much we have to be thankful for, and carry out traditions with the people we love. Whether you are looking forward to a Thanksgiving meal or a Friendsgiving celebration or even both, here’s a contest you don’t want to miss out on!

Wow do we have a lot to be thankful for! I think back just on this past year, and while of course there are highs and lows and sad moments and hard things, I feel so blessed with things we have been able to accomplish, unexpected surprises throughout the year, but mostly I feel blessed by the people in our lives.
On our little farm harvest time gets so busy, so I love the little break that comes around this time of year too! We go from rushed dinners or meals on the go, back to a chance to sit down and chat over dinner and time again to have friends and family join us for meals. Thanksgiving isn’t a meal we usually have at our house, so I don’t typically do a lot of decorating for this holiday. This year, however, I decided to add some touches now that would last all through the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
Cranberries are one of my favorites! Most of the year we used dried cranberries in many of our recipes, but once the holiday season hits, we love to pick up fresh cranberries to use to decorate the house, as well as to bake some of our favorites!
BAKING WITH CRANBERRIES
This time of year is a great chance to make delicious breads for breakfasts, and I usually make an extra to either freeze or share with a neighbor. Here’s the a link to the recipe for my all time favorite holiday coffee cake! The recipe makes up two loaves so it’s perfect for this time of year!

I also love to add cranberries to oatmeal in the morning, or it’s delicious in my favorite baked oatmeal recipe that I shared here.

DECORATING WITH CRANBERRIES

I love adding cranberries around the house in a couple different ways!  I’ve added them to the bottom of vases with dried greens and flowers for a pretty fall touch!  I also love the in various sizes of glassware floating at the top with water in the bottom! Another fun way to add cranberries to your house is to fill a large saucepan with water, add a cup of cranberries, a few slices of an orange, and a couple cinnamon sticks.  Let it simmer on your stove and your house will be filled with an amazing aroma!

Enjoy this holiday season with the people you love the most!  Don’t forget to enter this #FriendsgivingCranberryContest for your chance to win!