Greek Style Yogurt Cranberries

I have huge aspirations of sharing the variety of cranberry products I run across here in cranberry country, but time has a way of slipping away.

I do, however, have one product I'd like to share with you all today.  

YOGURT COVERED CRANBERRIES

I happened to try the Great Value product from Walmart, but I've seen other versions as well.  Each brand calls them something a bit different, but in essence they are yogurt covered dried cranberries.

These Greek Style Yogurt Cranberries are bound to be as classic as the classics.

Similar to yogurt covered raisins, but only yummier - because they're made with cranberries!!

Did you know the cranberry is loaded with antioxidants - cancer fighting, cell repairing substances found in fruits and vegetables.  The cranberry ranks #3, right after wild and cultivated blueberries.  With over 8000 antioxidants in 1/3 cup, cranberries make a healthy addition to any lunch box.

Just a note:  there are fewer antioxidants in dried fruit compared to fresh fruit.  But, not many people, especially kids, can handle a mouthful of fresh cranberries.

This is a newer Great Value product; I can't even find it at Walmart.com, but there are plenty of other companies that make similar products.  I've linked to a couple options below.

8 ounce pouch

10 pound box

I have a challenge for you.
How many whole cranberries can you fit in your mouth?
Can you chew them all and swallow without drooling?

Give it a try.  My record is 10.  One of my family members can do 20.  Now that's a mouthful.

Have a VERY BERRY fun day.

Cranberry Harvest...{bringing up the water & pulling pipe}

Take a look around the October archives from past years.  I definitely love sharing cranberry harvest pictures and descriptions of what's being done.  This year isn't any different. 

 Today's cranberry harvest lesson answers the question:

Do cranberries grow in water?  I've answered this question before.  That was years ago; it's time I answer it again.

Do cranberries grow in water?

NO!

Cranberries grow on vines rooted in sand covered beds or bogs.  A cranberry bed is basically a 2-5 acre rectangle carved out of the earth surrounded by a ditch.  During the growing season the soil is kept moist, but not saturated.  Cranberries do require plenty of water, however, they like good drainage.  Cranberry beds, when it's time to harvest, are flooded.

Flooding involves moving water from our reservoir, through the flooding ditch, to the cranberry bed.  Cranberries float, which is the reason they are harvested in water - they're easier to pluck from the vine when floating.

Here, boards are being stacked in the bulkhead to dam up the water.  The full ditch utilizes the power of water pressure; it helps the water stay on the beds being harvested.

Stacking up bulkhead boards again.

Once a shallow flood is achieved, it's time to pull the pipe.  The pipes transport water for summer irrigation and spring and fall frost protection.

The pipe pulling crew.  For as hard as they work, they still know how to have fun.  Everyone jokes about how loud they are; their voices can be heard over all the tractor engines.

First the pipes are carried to the edge of the cranberry bed.  Then they are lifted out and lined up along the edge of the bed where they'll lie waiting until spring.

The pipes also create a good line of hurdles.

Reaching across the deep ditch.....anything for a cookie.

Just a gorgeous sea of red, floating in water, waiting to be corralled.

What else do you want to know about harvesting cranberries?

Quick Activity Cards...{for pre-schoolers}

Pinterest is awesome!  Ideas abound, boards are created, pins are saved.  Technology is so cool.

But what happens when you pin a pumpkin craft to your Halloween board in July?  I'll tell what happens to me.

I have an ah-hah! moment in October when I remember I pinned said pumpkin craft.  But what board did I pin that to?  The arts and crafts board?  The 4-H project board?  The Activities for Joseph board?  The Halloween board?  The Homeschooling Fun board?  I browse through my Pinterest boards, get side tracked with other cool ideas I'd forgotten were pinned, conduct another quick search of pumpkin crafts in case a better project shows up, then realize my crafting time has come to an end, and I have nothing to show for it.  I'm disgusted with myself for getting side-tracked...again!  My kids are dissappointed.  It's a lose-lose situation.  Until now.

Technology is cool.  But, it still can't beat paper and pencil for some things.  I came up with this idea to put technology in its place and show it who's boss.

It's so simple.

1. Grab a stack of notecards.
2. Find a super cool idea on Pinterest.
3. Write up a quick summary on a notecard.
4. Rubberband all the super cool ideas together.

Now whenever you have a few minutes to craft or you need to keep your pre-schooler busy, pick out a notecard and do the activity.

Here's a sample of my notecards.  And note:  not all the ideas came from Pinterest.  Some of them I actually thought up myself.

1. Wiggle, Wiggle - wiggle a jump rope on the ground like a snake and let the kids jump over it
2. Sidewalk Chalk Fun - trace toys with chalk on the driveway
3. Alphabet Jump - chalk the ABC's on the sidewalk, yell out a letter and let the kid run to it
4. Mixing Colors - fill Styrofoam egg carton with colored water, let kids use an eye dropper to transfer and mix colors
5. Pillowcase Clothes - decorate old pillowcases, cut holes for head and arms, then play
6. Make-up Smear - photocopy your own (protect your eyes) or print a black & white copy of your face, give kids old make-up and let them make you pretty

These are just a few of my notecards.  And this isn't just for pre-schoolers.  Joseph, our 8 year old with Down syndrome can benefit from a stack of activity notecards with speech activities.  A stack of summer boredom cards or fall fun cards - any topic you'd like, for any age you'd like.

Linking up with

Bring On the Wisconsin Cranberry Harvest

It's no secret, the Wisconsin Cranberry Harvest is in full swing.  

Here at Camp Homeschool, the boots are laid out.

The fog is lifting.

The pumpkins are in place.

That means it's time for Cranberry Harvest!  Really, I don't think the pumpkins care much about cranberry harvest, but the deep oranges and bright reds of the two fruits are so beautiful together I can't have one without the other.

Any questions you want answered about the benefits of eating cranberries?

How about cranberry harvest?  How it's done?

Looking for a cranberry recipe?

I'd love to help you out.  Leave a comment here or at Facebook and I'll do what I can to answer your questions.

AND....head on over to Facebook and like Camp Homeschool.  If I reach 250 likes by the end of our cranberry harvest, I'll pick one winner from all my "likers" and they'll receive a cranberry gift from the heart of cranberry country.

Have a CRANTASTIC Day!!!!

Pillow-soft Cranberry Pecan Sweet Rolls

Hi!  If you're here from my YouTube channel this is the cinnamon roll dough that I always use.  I vary the insides depending on what we're craving.  The regular insides is so simple.  Just spread a half stick of softened butter over the rolled out dough, generously sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, then follow the remaining directions below.  😋

The Wisconsin cranberry harvest is well underway.  We finished up with our Hyreds and tomorrow we'll get our boots wet again and start the regular harvest.  

I love this time of year.  I love opening the windows, letting in the crisp, cool, autumn air.  I love cooking, especially with fresh cranberries.

I have a delicious sweet roll recipe to share with you all.  It definitely takes some time, but it's well worth it in the end.  I based this Cranberry Pecan sweet roll recipe off my basic cinnamon roll recipe which uses the bread machine dough cycle.  Letting the bread machine do the kneading frees me up for 1 hour, 40 minutes.  Time I put to good use homeschooling the youngest kids while the older ones are working harvest.

First up, I start the dough in the bread machine.  It's basic.  Place all ingredients in pan according to the instructions that came with the bread machine.

Basic Dough:

1 c. milk

1/4 c. warm water

1/4 c. softened butter

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

4 c. BREAD flour

1/4 c. instant vanilla pudding mix

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Set on dough cycle, press start.

*I do not warm up the milk; I just use pretty hot water - when mixed, the liquids are the right temp.

*Be sure to use bread flour.  It doesn't matter what brand, but the extra gluten in the bread flour is what makes these pillow-soft.

While the dough is mixing, I make up the filling.  For the purpose of this post, I'll give general amounts, but IRL I usually wing it.

Place a couple handfuls (2 cups) of fresh (or frozen) cranberries in food processor; pulse until finely chopped.

Add pecans (1/2 - 1 cup); pulse a couple times.

Transfer cranberries and pecans to bowl.

Add 1/2 - 3/4 c. brown sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon.  Stir.  Set aside.

When dough cycle is complete, place dough on lightly floured surface.  Roll out to a 17x10 inch rectangle.  

Spread with about 3-4 Tbsp. softened butter.

Grab your bowl of cranberry, pecan yumminess and spread over buttered dough, almost to the edges, but not quite.

Starting on the long side, roll up jelly roll style.  

Pinch to seal.  Don't worry if the pinching doesn't work so well.  Mine never wants to hold real well.  I've wetted my fingers with water, and that worked OK, but not great.  

My favorite way to slice the dough is to use my Rada bread knife.  I'm not sure if you can tell by the picture, but I'm pinching the dough as I slice so it doesn't unroll.  See, I told you my pinching doesn't always hold real well.

Then lift the sweet roll with the knife blade and place on greased, half sheet pan.  I love my Nordic Ware pans.

I place them quite close, that way when they rise they touch.  Once baked they look so pretty and professional.

Let rise for 45 minutes, until lightly puffed.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Now it's time for the frosting.  You have two options.  Frost while warm, or cool, then frost.  It depends on what you're into.  Frosting the sweet rolls while still warm will allow the frosting to melt and run into all the nooks and crannies.  The frosting will be more like a glaze.

Or you can let the sweet rolls cool (my choice).  The frosting just hangs out on top of the sweet roll waiting to cling to your upper lip when you bite into it.  I have to make these again....SOON!

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 brick cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Stay tuned for more cranberry recipes, products, and harvest pictures to come.

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