Not Your Aunt's Cranberry Salad

There are some things you are destined to remember, unfortunately, around the holidays.  One of my least favorite dishes (besides marshmallow murdered sweet potatoes) was cranberry salad.  It just seemed like such an old-fart, pruney thing sitting on your plate in a puddle.  So, over the years, I have, of course, morphed it into a luscious, full-of-creamy badness side dish--or, as is usually the case around here--another helping along with dessert thing.  Besides, cranberries have twice the polyphénols (antioxidants) and vitamin C than oranges, are a relative of blueberries and bacteria blockers in certain areas of our bodies.  So, these little rubies are healthy and of course, cancel out the calories in the marshmallows, cream cheese and Cool Whip ;)

Super easy, fast and you can dip your spoon and treat yourself for probably three or four days after Thanksgiving--if there's any left.

Not Your Aunt's Cranberry Salad

1/2 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and chopped, smashed--(whatever you like or however much stress you need to get rid of while anticipating relatives sitting at your table)
or
1- 6 oz. bag dried cranberries because hubby didn't know the difference in 'fresh'
1 orange zested (this means you lightly grate the orange peel NOT the pithy, white part--(don't you hate that word 'Pithy'--sounds like my 7th grade English teacher that had a lisp)
1 c Sprite or 7-Up
1 c fresh chopped pineapple or canned but fresh is soooo much better
1 package raspberry instant Jello
1 package cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 c chopped pecans
1/2 c chopped marshmallow (optional)
1/2 c coconut
 1 carton frozen Cool Whip, thawed

In a saucepan, add cranberries, pineapple, orange zest, jello and Sprite--bring to boil, cook until Jello is dissolved, remove from heat.  Let cool slightly then stir in cream cheese--leaving small lumps.  Add pecans, marshmallows, coconut and finally Cool Whip.  Mix Well.  Pour into your prettiest serving bowl--white is lovely and shows off the gorgeous rosy color. Freeze ahead and set out several hours before serving.

Cran appétit!