We took a trip back to my hometown in northern Wisconsin a couple weeks ago.

We wanted to enjoy the crisp fall weather and see the beautiful colors of the changing leaves that you miss out on living in the city.

There is a festival that takes place every year called “Cranberry Fest” and we decided to brave the cold and crowds for a few bags of cranberries and kettle corn.  It was well worth it.

My Mom, whom my love for baking comes from, insisted we make a fresh batch of cranberry sauce for my blog.

The sauce came from these berries!

I took so many pictures and had such a hard time deciding on which to use.  Fall weather in Wisconsin is the perfect backdrop for pictures of food!

Recipe: Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

4 Cups Cranberries (fresh or frozen)

2 Cup Sugar

2 Cup Water

Zest of 1/2 an Orange

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes.

Wash and pick through cranberries, removing and discolored or mushy berries.

Add cranberries to boiling water/sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and add orange zest, stir and let simmer for about 5-15 minutes, or until all the berries have burst and a sauce consistency is reached. The long you let it simmer the thicker it will get. I recommend about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Serve with your Thanksgiving feast! Or use as a sauce with desserts, sandwiches or just eat it plain! Freezes very well in a ziplock bag as well.

Note: This sauce is very easy and almost a no-fail recipe. I encourage you to make it for your Thanksgiving feast and impress all your friends and family. It also makes a fantastic gift in a mason jar (find inspiration on Pinterest!)