Welcome 2012

2012 started out with me getting sick. I think I was on a holiday high and when everything was over I sort of crashed.

Not being able to do much I tried to get a lot rest, caught up on a few blogs, slept, and once again realized I am not very good at being sick. 

The first recipe I tried this year was a pancake one.  I really wanted to love it especially since I enjoyed the touching story that went with the recipe. But the pancakes came out well...not so well.  It happens to everyone...there is a recipe, a place, or even a person you want to like but things turn out...not as expected. Thank goodness for my trusty old pancake recipe. Here's to 2012 where I hope things turn out well!

Cranberry Orange Bread

frozen cranberries left over from Thanksgiving

Makes one 9-inch loaf
recipe from Cook's Illustrated
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest from 1 large orange
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1 large egg , beaten lightly
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups cranberries (about 6 ounces), chopped coarse
1/2 cup toasted pecans , chopped coarse


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Stir together orange juice, zest, buttermilk, butter, and egg in small bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl. Stir liquid ingredients into dry with rubber spatula until just moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and pecans. Do not over mix.

2. Scrape batter into loaf pan and spread with rubber spatula into corners of pan. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes longer. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving.