It isn’t the holidays until someone breaks out a cheese log, am I right? Well this year I guess that someone is me. I can honestly say I’ve never really been all that into cheese logs. The whole concept is so odd…rolling out cheese into log form, crusting it in nuts and serving it with crackers? It’s just always seemed like this strange retro holiday food that’s continued to show up on appetizer tables inexplicably over the years.

I decided to make one – what the heck? What convinced me was the ingredient list in this recipe, which actually sounded like something I’d want to eat. Feta, cream cheese, Swiss cheese and honey? That combo was sure to be super tangy and a little bit sweet. And I’ve definitely demonstrated my affinity for cranberries and pecans over the past month. It would come together quickly and I could easily refrigerate and transport it to the holiday party I’m attending on Tuesday. Really…what’s not to like?

So I abandoned my past judgments on the issue and made one tasty holiday cheese log.

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Well, it’s a good thing I like cranberries.

What did your junior high home ec teacher always tell you to do before you started to prepare a recipe? Read it first. Not just give it a quick scan, but actually read it through so you understand what you’re about to do. For some reason, that lesson never quite sunk in with me. I still routinely skim the directions and good percentage of the time that means a degree of improvisation somewhere in the middle of my cooking. Making this Cranberry Nut Bread recipe from a package of cranberries was one of those times.

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Whew! As much fun as Thanksgiving cooking was, I’m actually kind of glad to switch over to other late-autumn treats (if you’re looking for some good leftover turkey ideas, check out the leftover panini recipes on my other food blog – Panini Happy). Cookies call my name all year round, and as we enter part 2 of “the holidays” I find oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks especially irresistible.

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Cranberries, sugar and water – that’s all you need to make traditional cranberry sauce. Yet while it may be the simplest dish on your Thanksgiving table, it’s definitely no wallflower. Just look at that gorgeous color! And if that wasn’t enough to capture our attention, the tart berries seize our tastebuds and make our mouths water for the rest of the holiday feast.

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