Tart cranberries and sweet apples are baked inside a brown sugar and oat crisp for a perfect not-to-sweet cranberry apple crisp.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Old fashioned apple crisp has long been a stand by recipe for me. One that works for any occasion and no one seems to turn down, especially if it is warm and I add vanilla ice cream.

Take your apple crisp, add a bag of cranberries, yes an entire bag. Because who wants just a half cup of leftover berries floating around their fridge? And there you have it, a perfect cranberry apple crisp.

Well, that’s almost all there is to it. I do like tart things, but the crisp does need some sugar mixed with the fruit to help those cranberries.

I am always curious, who peels their apples for crisp? I admit I do not anymore. They cook down nicely and I am good with skipping that step. No one in my family seems to notice that I have started doing that.

I know cranberries are only available fresh in the late fall and early winter time frame but finding ways to enjoy them year-round has been my personal mission. Lucky for everyone they freeze extremely easily.

And to make it even easier, there’s nothing special to it. Just toss the bag in your freezer. I have found that frozen and fresh are quite interchangeable. There isn’t a recipe I have written yet that you can’t swap fresh for frozen and vice versa.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Not only is cranberry apple crisp delicious to eat I am in love with the bright red festive color of the berries contrasted by the white apple slices. To assemble your crisp toss the cranberries and apple slices with your sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In fruit crisps I don’t always use cornstarch, however, it does help

While we always hope the holidays will be relaxed and joyful, stress can show up as we navigate family dynamics, financial strains, and societal pressure. Here we share some ideas to help you find mindful moments so you can return to calm

1. Wrapping gifts

Whether you love or loathe gift wrapping, there are a few things we can do to make it more a mindful. Dim the lights, play some holiday music, pour a glass of your favourite festive tipple. As you wrap, take a moment to feel the texture of the paper, notice the colours of the bows, and the delicious sound your scissors make when cutting. Go slow and lose yourself in the process.

2. Going for a winter walk

Heading outside when it’s cold may not seem appealing, but there’s magic to be found on winter walks. Wrap up in your favourite coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. Pull on some boots with good grip to navigate any icy patches, and make your way outside.

Notice the way the bracing air feels as it hits your skin. Look out for interesting patterns, perhaps there are footprints in snow or some particularly pleasing brick-work. Listen out for birds singing, squirrels scurrying, and trees swaying in the wind. If you’re in a city, can you hear snippets of conversations on the breeze?

3. Making hot chocolate

Having a mindful moment is all about doing something slowly and with intention. With this in mind, making a hot chocolate can become a ritual. Use your favourite mug (the bigger the better in our opinion) and use your senses to explore every step of creation, from warming the milk and adding the chocolate, to finishing with a flurry of marshmallows.

If possible, take some time to sip it slowly, noticing the flavour with each mouthful. While drinking, cosy up with a good book, listen to a calming playlist, or simply look out the window and take a moment to be fully present.

4. Lighting a festive aromatherapy candle

Aromatherapy is a simple yet effective way to make any moment more mindful, as it triggers our sense of smell and pulls us into the here and now. Look for warming and fresh scents such as nutmeg, pine, frankincense, cinnamon, orange, or clove.

Use your candle as a way to signal relaxation time, perhaps after you finish work for the day, or when the kids are tucked up in bed. Light the candle and pause for a moment to watch the flame (you could even try a candle meditation) and notice the scent, taking slow, deep breaths.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Fudge is filled with sweet, chewy bits of coconut and then topped with a generous sprinkling of coconut.

Coconut Fudge

Talk about a seriously crunchy, chewy, chocolate-y fudge that will have you coming back for just a sliver more all night long. I enjoy sweets but can usually resist, as long as I get it out of my house quickly. Until I made this coconut fudge.

Have I mentioned before that coconut is my kryptonite? It makes me weak and destroys every ounce of sense: as evidenced by The Best Ever Coconut Pound Cake that I could easily polish off single-handed.

When you combine generous amounts of coconut with creamy dark chocolate fudge, it’s guaranteed to be an irresistible holiday treat.

Coconut Candy

I can not resist the fun of melting chocolate and transforming it into holiday fudge in just minutes! When I think back on all the times I stirred and stirred and stirred with a candy thermometer at my side while I made fussy candy recipes, I just think “never again.”

I love spending time in the kitchen and I enjoy making holiday treats, but I can make 6 different kinds of fudge in the time it takes to stir together one old-fashioned batch! You don’t have to tell Grandma this isn’t her family recipe.

Want a peek at this year’s quick and easy candy making? Chocolate Pecan Fudge, White Chocolate Caramel Fudge, and Peanut Butter Oreo Fudge are all great 5 Minute Fudge recipes! 

There I go getting distracted by all the fudge again. For this recipe, I love stirring in toasted coconut. Toasting the coconut for this isn’t required, but it will add an additional bit of crunch to the fudge and to the topping.

It can be incredibly tough to see your child going through self-harm. From a mother who has experienced it herself, we share steps for supporting them on their journey

When my child was 10, I discovered they were self-harming. I want to give other parents a list of things that have helped me and my child in the terrifying journey that self-harm can be. This is that list:

1. Listen

As Carrie McColl, a counsellor specialising in self-harm explains, listening is the most important thing to do. “Your child may not always have the words to express what they’re feeling, but tone of voice, body language, and behaviour can speak volumes,” she says.

It can be a tough conversation to have, but a needed one. “If your child has disclosed the self-harm to you, thank them for being so brave and honest,” Carrie continues. “If it’s been discovered in a different way, try to gently approach the subject in terms of making sure wounds are clean, and seeing if medical attention may be needed.”

2. Choose how you want to deal with the self-harming and the wounds

It’s a hard thing to say to a parent who has just discovered something so heartbreaking, but it is up to you to choose how you want to deal with the self-harming of your child. From removing sharp objects to cleaning wounds, there are many ways that can help you feel more in control.

As Carrie says, “Self-harm is much more than just cutting, and if someone wants to hurt themselves, they will quite often find a way.” There is no better way to deal with it than another, only a difficult choice to make to ensure your child feels safe.

3. Find an alternative

Depending on why your child self-harms, and their age, there are lots of different coping mechanisms that can be tried: elastic bands, red pen, butterfly drawings (check out the Butterfly Project, butterfly-project.tumblr.com).

Carrie says: “Distraction can be useful, as it helps to learn that the urge to self-harm will pass. If your child can agree to it, ask that they let you know when they have the urge, and then work together on ways to distract them until the feeling passes. Most of the time, if distractions are working, the urge will have gone.”

4. Don’t define them with self-harming

Tell the school, your friends, your family. Self-harming should not be taboo, but you don’t want it to become their only identity. Continue defining them with the activities they love, and show them that self-harming doesn’t change the way you see them.

“Try not to dismiss what they’ve done, or mini

Kara’s Christmas Cranberry Jell-o

Simple cherry jell-o full of fresh cranberries, apples and bananas makes for the best Christmas side dish on the dinner table!

Two years ago we had our cute friends over and Kara brought jell-o. Whhhhaaaaaa? When is the last time that someone brought jell-o to dinner? I was OBSESSED with it growing up, like it was one of my favorite things, but now I’m so old and it’s so sugary so I kinda ditched it, but I AM BACK!!! 

I’m so in!!

Kara’s Christmas Jell-o is one of those unexpected surprises. It’s so flavorful, the color is so bright and cheery and my goodness, it hits every good thing about life. I cannot get enough of it and I wouldn’t even share it except based on the love you all have for our raspberry pretzel jello, lemon pudding orange jello and our lemon jello cake, I’m gonna guess you all are fans of those killer jello recipes too. 

Kara is the friend that always remembers me. I don’t know how else to say it, she just is. She’s the one that pops by when I’m totally not expecting it. She’s the one that invites us over, asks about our kids and just loves us. 

And we love her, and her jell-o. Pretty sure you’re going to love it too.

Ingredients for Christmas Jell-o

You only need 5 ingredients to make this bright and festive Christmas side dish! Here is your shopping list:

• Cherry Jello
• Sugar
• Cranberries
• Apple
• Banana

The measurements for each can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.