A few tidbits about cranberries. . .
~ The cranberry is native to North America.
~ Cranberries bounce because of air pockets inside the fruit.  They are also called bounceberries.
~ If you were to string all of the cranberries harvested in North America last year, it would reach from Boston to Los Angeles more than 565 times!

Source of information:  http://www.oceanspray.com/Kitchen/Plan-It/Family-Fun/Cranberry-Fun-Facts.aspx

Some time ago, I posted a few ways that we like to eat plain yogurt.  Cranberry season is here, which means we can swirl some raw cranberry orange relish into creamy plain yogurt for a delicious breakfast treat.  Topped with walnuts & a sprinkling of raw cacao nibs, it makes a great breakfast with a piece of toast and some tea.  As I mentioned in a previous post, our favorite yogurt is Nancy’s.

When you open up a new yogurt, stir it well until all the lumps are out and it is super creamy.  Add whatever you like to make a healthy and delicious breakfast.

You could stop with the cranberry orange relish {recipe here} and walnuts, or do as I did and sprinkle a few raw cacao nibs over the top.  In one fell swoop, you can boost the taste & the nutrition of your creamy bowl of yogurt.  What a deal!

I enjoy having some toast with my yogurt.  It adds somewhat of a “savory” bite to counter the yogurt’s sweetness, even though this yogurt isn’t super sweet, since it only contains a bare minimum of sugar.  I wrote about this bread before, but it’s worth revisiting.  It is simple to make & tasty to eat.

Better eat it quickly, because the butter is almost melted!  I prefer my butter sitting on top in cold, thin slices.  Mmmmmm!  This bread is just about as good as cinnamon rolls, but a lot easier and quicker to make.  With the cranberry orange relish, more fruit isn’t really required, but the star fruit makes a pretty addition to the plate.  Aren’t they cute?  Star fruit is a tropical fruit whose season runs from July-February in the U.S.  It is a good source of Vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  According to Food Chemistry, star fruit is a good source of antioxidants, particularly the kind found in green tea and red wine.

Date Walnut Cinnamon Bread
adapted from Easy Little Bread

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F) 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup/140 grams whole wheat flour
1 cup/100 grams oats
1 cup/125 grams unbleached white flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
5 dates, snipped into small pieces
1 cup broken walnuts
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing {you probably won’t need it all}

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit – 5 – 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, salt, cinnamon, dates and walnuts in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 9” x 5” loaf pan {8 cup} generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat – to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm with butter.

Makes 1 loaf.

Bon appetit!