The Three Cranberries......a Chippewa Fable

The Three Cranberries
A Chippewa Fable

Three cranberries were living in a lodge together.
One was green, one was white and one was red. They were sisters.
There was snow on the ground and the men had gone hunting.
The sisters felt afraid and began to say to each other, "What shall we do if the wolves come?"
"I", said the green one, "shall climb up a Shingoub(spruce) tree."
"I", said the white one, "shall hide myself in the kettle of boiled hominy."
"And I", said the red one, "shall conceal myself under the snow."
Presently the wolves came and each cranberry sister did as she had said.
But only one of the three had chosen wisely.
The wolves immediately ran to the kettle and ate up the corn and with it the white cranberry.
The red cranberry was trampled in the snow under the wolves feet.
But the green cranberry, who had climbed up the thick Shingoub(spruce) tree, escaped notice and was saved.

retold from Algic Researches: North American Indian Folktales and Legends by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Curtis M. Hinsley, first published in 1839

Once called bounceberries, because ripe ones bounce, cranberries are a staple at Thanksgiving, mainly due to the fact that they are harvested in the fall.
Because of their extreme tartness, cranberries are best combined with other fruits, or turned into cranberry sauce.


Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr
READY IN 1 Hr 25 Min
Original recipe yield 2 - 8x4 inch loaves

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup egg substitute
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray two 8x4 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground cloves in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Mix the egg substitute, cranberry sauce, pureed pumpkin, vegetable oil and grated orange zest together.
Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.
Pour batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with the chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let loaves cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans.
Can be made even lower in fat by substituting 1/3 cup applesauce for the 1/3 cup vegetable oil.

Did You Know?
Cranberries help fight bacterial infections.
It takes 4,400 cranberries to make a gallon of juice.
Native Americans used cranberry juice as a natural dye for rugs.
more cranberry facts and recipes at Allrecipes.com