Thanksgiving is the first Surviving Holidays episode. Surviving Holidays will be shorter episodes designed to encourage you through the anxiety of experiencing holidays without your loved one(s). In addition to Thanksgiving, I will also touch on Christmas, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, birthdays, and anniversaries along with other special occasions that will not be the same. But with a little preparation and some grace, holidays don't necessarily have to be all bad.

I usually get through holidays by cooking or baking something special. Since food is my love language, I want to share the love by passing on my self-proclaimed,
world-famous cranberry relish recipe with you. I hope this will help you focus on something other than grief for a little while.

I hope you have a happy moment this Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Relish
Makes about 2 cups

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Cook the cranberries, sugars, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the skins begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Stir in the apples, cinnamon stick, and allspice. Cook until most of the cranberries have popped open, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the cranberries to room temperature. Transfer the relish to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

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Music: Uneven by Coma Studio