Most Americans will probably agree; the cranberry sauce from a can is tasty and convenient. But have you ever wanted to take your Christmas turkey or chicken into new and unexplored territory? Here from Southington's own parent extraordinaire, Susan West, is a delicious homemade cranberry sauce that your family will beg you to bring to the table again next year.

Cranberry – Orange Sauce with Raisins

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix the orange juice, water, cranberries, sugar, apricots, raisins, and orange zest. Stir constantly until sugar has dissolved; about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes, or until cranberries have burst. Remove from heat, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving cold.

While some will undoubtedly refuse to subject their bird to the Bloomingdales of cranberry sauce, to maintain the peace, you can always set a platter of the good ole' fashioned canned-jellied variety. 'Tis the season for spending time with family and friends—and enjoying each other's tasty recipes.

Have a holiday side dish recipe that you'd like to share? Email me at k_thibs@hotmail.com and I'll publish it on Examiner.