Vodka Cranberry Sauce

Health care in this country is simply amazing to me. On Wednesday at 1:30pm, they removed vertebra C-6 from my neck and replaced it with a good vertebra from a dead guy. The operation was done by 3pm. At 5pm, after an hour in recovery, they brought me to my room. By 6:30pm, I was walking the halls with my rolling IV stand. At 9:30am the next morning my girlfriend picked me up and drove me home.

There are a couple things going on here that make this rapid recovery so remarkable. The medical side is fascinating. They made the smallest incision in my neck. You look at it and you think how in the heck did they get a vertebra out and back in through that tiny little incision? That minimal invasiveness makes it a lot less traumatic on the body, greatly aiding in a speedy recovery.

Secondly, I have to give a tip of the hat to CrossFit. I was in tip-top shape going into the operation, even doing the WOD the day before my surgery. Being in such good condition made the recovery portion of the ordeal a breeze. I was up and walking immediately and I'm about to head out right now for a brisk two mile walk around Normandale Lake. There's no doubt I'll be back at CrossFit in less than 10 days, modding my already modded workouts, of course.

While I thought I might have to take it easy over the holidays, I am set to party. I thought I'd let you join in on the fun by sharing by my Vodka Cranberry Sauce recipe. This is strictly an adult dish and it packs a wallop....so keep this out of reach of the kids. And if you'd like it a little more potent, just lift your elbow a little higher during the vodka pour. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ingredients

One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup Vodka, chilled in the fridge
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Directions

1. Wash the bag of cranberries under cool water, and then throw them into a medium saucepan. Pour in the cranberry juice and maple syrup. Add the orange juice and orange rind (you could also do lemon rind and lemon juice - anything citrusy). Stir together and turn the heat on high until it reaches a boil and the berries begin to pop.

2. Turn down the heat to medium-low and continue cooking over the lower heat until the juice is thick, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow to cool, and then chill in the fridge until Thanksgiving dinner is ready. When ready to eat, add vodka to the sauce, stir and serve.