Published on December 11, 2023
As we prepare for the holidays, long-time volunteer Anne Williams has shared recipes for the community to help bring joy into the homes and lives of all those who make them.
Anne has been volunteering with Alive for over 20 years. With a background in nursing and home health, working as a volunteer at Alive simply made sense. When she moved to Nashville, her mother was in a nursing home, and volunteering at Alive by sitting with patients and families at the end helped her to be prepared when it was her mom. She now volunteers with our bereavement mailings group, sending thousands of envelopes each month to those who have had a loved one cared for by Alive.
Try Anne’s Spiced Pecan and Cranberry Relish recipes below to add a bit of joy to your holiday season!
From Alive volunteer Anne Williams:
These two recipes are simple, I used to make the spiced pecans and put them in Ziplock bags for quick gifts for friends. They’re highly addictive!
Spiced Pecans
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp water
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups pecan halves
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350, and cover bottom of cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk everything together and add pecans. Stir until coated.
- Transfer to parchment covered cookie sheet and arrange in an even layer, add ALL the glaze.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, slide the paper off and cool. Enjoy!
These make the perfect gift for family and friends!
Cranberry Relish
The cranberry relish recipe was passed down from a Knoxville sister-in-law. Our family loves cranberries to accompany turkey and ham during holidays.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup lemon, peel and all (cut up)
- 1 orange
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
Instructions:
- Blend sugar, water, raisins and lemon together for about a minute until raisins and lemon are coarsely ground.
- Add 1 orange, peel and all (cut up), and 2 cups whole fresh cranberries to blended mixture.
- Blend to desired consistency.
- Refrigerate and enjoy with turkey or ham or chicken!