12 things about Cookie Monster

So, I got this idea from this blog. I thought I'd talk about Cookie Monster for just a bit. 12 things, to be exact. Obviously, I keep this blog as anonymous as possible, so I'll keep details to a minimum about Dr. ChezVCK.
1. Cookie Monster has a PhD. Which is why I called him doctor. I'm not a weird sex pervert or anything. ;)
2. He really enjoys doing yard work. Unfortunately, we do not live in a place that requires it anymore, but when we did, he really liked putting on his iPod and raking leaves, or whatever needed to be done in the yard.
3. He is a nerd. I call him this in the most loving way (because I am a total nerd, too). He talks about cells and brain channels to me, and I try really hard to keep up.
4. He loves to play baseball and soccer.
5. He incurred a war wound whilst playing soccer.  A permanent one. My husband is a complete badass!
6. He has cheered me on at every single race I have ever been in. Including the one with 50 mph wind gusts and pouring rain. The man loves me. I am a lucky woman!
7. Cookie Monster likes to do the "pancake-a-thon" whilst I race. Meaning, he eats pancakes while or after I run. We even made T-shirts for it. Really! His says "I heart pancakes" and mine says "I heart running."
8. He is the most generous person I've ever met. We met when we were 15 years old. We've known a lot of people since then.
9. No, really.
10. He loves to watch totally obscure cartoons, like Spongebob, which is *fairly* normal, or AquaTeen Hunger Force, which is beyond any and all of my comprehension.
11. He hates all forms of squash. And he really dislikes onions, but in the past six years I've been cooking for him, he's been eating them more and more. I'm wearin' him down!...
12. (Be forewarned. It's mushy!). I love him. Lots and lots. Probably more than I have ever loved anything or anyone.

So that's my Cookie Monster.

Cranberry Sauce (juiced!)

Cookie Monster and I did not host Thanksgiving dinner this year; we were guests at his boss' house. So, in order to ensure our favorites were around after the Big Day, we made some of them just for us. Cookie Monster's favorite is a turkey, cranberry, stuffing, cream cheese sandwich (and I happen to like them, too), so we cooked up all of those things. Yes, for the two of us, we cooked a 14 lb. turkey. It was the smallest I could find! So, after two Tupperwares of that turkey, plus some leftover his boss sent with us, we are pretty damn tired of turkey right now. (Nevermind the two more Tupperwares full in the freezer!)
Anyhoo, I'm getting off track. The cranberry sauce. It's tasty. It's tart. It's a bit sweet. And, in our case, it's juiced. With liquor, that is.

Obviously, it started with these:

And then I stripped an orange naked.

And Cookie Monster did this to said naked orange.

...until there was a half cup of orange juice.
Then came the good stuff!

A little for the cook...
(Glass from Portugal. Appropriate, no?)

And then some sugar.

Boil everything together 'til the cranberries burst and it reduces into a lovely, thick sauce.

Makes the best sandwiches! Also great in oatmeal, too.

Orange Port Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup port wine
3/4 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all cranberries are broken down and mixture becomes gelled.