November and December are my two favorite months of the year culinary wise.

Besides the two wonderful meals to share with family and friends, you have so many occasions to make new and old recipes to share.

We’re sharing Thanksgiving with friends this year and with my little family that is always fun. Christmas plans have not been firmed up yet, but I’ve already started my menu and my list of edible gifts to give.

These two recipes will be on my table many times over the holiday season, they are two old favorites that everyone is sure to love.

Brandied cranberries

2 to 16 ounce bags of fresh cranberries

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup brandy

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

3 tablespoons orange zest minced

Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with non-stick vegetable spray. Pour in cranberries and sugar, stir. Cover tightly with foil, bake at 350 degrees for an one hour.

Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the brandy, add the pecans and orange zest and stir well. Let cool and refrigerate.

Sweet potato casserole

3 cups mashed sweet potato

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter

2 beaten eggs

1 can coconut

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a buttered casserole dish.

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup flour

1/2 stick melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the topping ingredients together, using a fork or your fingers. When crumbly sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Christina Hall writes a lifestyle column for The Nattchez Democrat. She can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.