Sauce for the gander (or hen)?

by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett

[image error] "Bah! Humbug--but that's too strong, 'cause it is my favorite holiday."

Those are the opening lyrics to Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses.  (Love that song.  One day I may even learn all the words ... and if you don't know why that's so difficult, I guess you haven't heard it.)*

There are a lot of reasons to be happy during the holiday season, and I suppose just as many to be grumpy.  Let's choose happy!  And one reason to be happy is because cranberry sauce goes on sale from November through December.

[image error] Here's an unbelievable fact:  Some people only eat cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving! That wouldn't be me. Nope, I eat it with any kind of fowl. Turkey, duck, goose, chicken, and I suppose I'd even eat it with swan, but I never heard of anyone eating a swan.  (I'll bet that meat is tough. Have you ever seen a swan land on water? Wow--like the Spruce Goose. Taking off looks about the same, too.)

Last year, cranberry sauce sold at my local Wegmans store for 79 cents a can. Immediately after Christmas, it went up to $1.29. A DOLLAR TWENTY NINE!!!  Well, we paid it, but grudgingly.  And I knew when it went up to $1.29 (from 99 cents) that when Christmas rolled around, it was going to BE 99 cents.  Sure enough, this season they're selling it for 99 cents a can. 

[image error] I'm not taking any chances on another price hike. That first week in November, I bought six cans. And I've been buying a can every week ever since. And I will continue to buy a can every week through December. (Um, I eat a lot of chicken, and therefore eat a LOT of cranberry sauce.)

So, what holiday treat are you stocking up on so you can enjoy it through the rest of the year?

(*And by the way, cranberries play an important part in the Christmas Wrapping song.)