Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
1 1/2 c. Flour
1/2 c. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t. Salt
1/4 t. Baking powder
1/4 t. Baking soda
1/2 c. Butter or margarine, Softened
1 c. Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 t. Vanilla
48 Maraschino cherries
Frosting
6 oz. Semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. Sweetened condensed milk
4 to 5 t. Cherry juice
In bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla to butter-sugar mixture and beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter-sugar mixture and beat until well blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and push down center of each ball with thumb. Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place 1 cherry in center of each indentation. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
For frosting, put chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in small saucepan. Heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 4 teaspoons cherry juice. If too thick, add more juice.
Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry. Spread to cover cherry. Bake 10 minutes or until done. Do not overcook. Remove to wire rack and cool. The cookies freeze nicely.

Coconut Joys
1/2 c. Butter
2 c. Confectioners’ sugar
3 c. Flaked coconut
1 T Milk
2 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate - melted
Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add sugar, coconut and milk. Mix well. Shape rounded teaspoon of mixture into balls. Make a dent in the center. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Fill center with melted chocolate. Chill until firm. Store in refrigerator. These freeze wonderfully and look beautiful on a tray.

Praline Cookies
1/2 c. Butter
1 1/2 c. Packed brown sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 t. Vanilla
1 c. Chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and egg. Stir in flour, vanilla and pecans. Mix well by hand. Shape into balls about the size of walnuts, place on cookie sheets and flatten to about 1/8 inch.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely and harden. (These cookies are chewy, not hard).

Nut Crescents
2 c Unsalted softened butter or margarine
6 tb Confectioners’ sugar
2 Egg yolks
4 c Flour - sifted before Measuring
1 c Ground or finely crushed Almonds - pecans or walnuts
Topping
2 Egg whites
1 c. Ground or finely crushed Almonds - pecans or walnuts
1/2 c. Granulated sugar
Confectioners’ sugar for Sprinkling
Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in flour and 1 c ground nuts until mixed. (Dough can be refrigerated up to several days; soften slightly before shaping cookies.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
For topping, beat egg whites lightly with fork in shallow dish until frothy. Mix 1 cup nuts and granulated sugar in separate shallow dish.
Roll a generous teaspoon of the dough in the palm of your hands into a crescent shape. Dip top of crescent in egg white and then into nut-sugar mixture. Place crescents on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until bottoms are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Caramel Pecan Treasures
1 c. Butter - softened
3/4 c. Lightly packed light Brown sugar
1 t. Vanilla
1 3/4 c. All-purpose flour
1/2 t. Baking powder
12 oz Semisweet chocolate chips
1 T Vegetable shortening
25 to 30 caramels - cut in Half - rolled into balls
Finely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until well-mixed. Stir in flour and baking powder. (If kitchen is warm, refrigerate dough for a few minutes; dough should be firm enough to roll easily.) Shape scant teaspoonsful of dough into balls about the size of a marble. Place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Flatten slightly.
Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Remove from heat.
Flatten caramel halves so they are the same diameter as the cookie. Put one caramel half on top of each cookie. (If necessary, use a dab of chocolate as “glue” to help caramel adhere to cookie.)
Using a small metal spatula, spread melted chocolate thinly over top and sides of caramel and cookie to cover. Press chopped pecans onto tops of cookies. Let stand on a wire rack until chocolate firms (refrigerate if desired), about 20 minutes. Put into individual paper wrappers. Store in a cookie tin with a piece of wax paper between each layer.

Gingerbread Bears
3 1/2 c Unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 ts Ground ginger
1 1/2 ts Cinnamon
1 t Baking soda
1 t Ground cloves
1/4 ts Salt
1/2 c Butter - softened
3/4 c Sugar
1 Egg
3/4 c Light molasses
1 t Grated lemon rind
Decorations as desired
Measure 3 1/2 cups flour; sift together with spices, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Stop the mixer and add molasses and lemon rind. Mix on low speed to combine. Stir in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Divide dough into four parts. Wrap each one separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll the well-chilled dough on a floured board or between sheets of waxed paper to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch between each cookie.
Bake just until the cookies are lightly browned and set, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer from baking sheets to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating. Decorate as desired. Store in airtight containers.

Well, by the time you read this you will have already celebrated Thanksgiving and are now trying to figure out what to do with all those leftovers, so I thought this week I would use recipes that would help with that problem.

Turkey Hawaiian
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1/2 c. celery, diced
1 medium apple, chopped
1 small can mandarin oranges
2 T. plump raisins
1/4 c. sliced almonds
5 T. mayonnaise
1/2 t. curry powder
Combine turkey, celery, apple, oranges, raisins and almonds in a large bowl. Mix mayonnaise and curry powder. Pour mayonnaise over chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Turkey Cheese Soup
1 c. carrots, shredded
1/4 c. green onion, sliced
3 T. butter or margarine
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. milk
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can chicken broth
1 1/2 c. cooked turkey, chopped
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 t. black pepper
In a medium saucepan, cook carrots and green onion in hot butter or margarine about 10 minutes or until tender but not browned. Stir in flour. Slowly add milk, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in turkey and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese melts. Serve hot.

Sassy Chicken Salad
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 T. honey
1 1/2 c. cooked turkey, cubed
1 c. celery, thinly sliced
1 c. grapes, halved
1/3 c. toasted pecans, chopped
In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, mayonnaise and honey. Stir in chicken, celery, grapes and pecans. Cover and chill. May be served in hallowed-out melons, avocados or papayas. Serves 6.

Chiles Rellenos
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes undrained
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 c. chopped, cooked dark turkey meat (about 1/2 lb)
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
2 T. slivered almonds chopped
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. pepper
1 dash of ground cloves
2 c. canned chicken broth, divided
4 (4-ounce) cans whole roasted green chiles, drained
1 T. margarine
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. skim milk
1 egg yoke
3 egg whites
Drain tomatoes; reserving liquid; chop tomatoes and set aside.
Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. Add turkey and next 6 ingredients; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup broth and 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes; cook 15 minutes or until liquid has nearly evaporated, stirring frequently. Gently rinse chiles under cold, running water; drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Spoon 1/4 cup turkey mixture into each chile. Place 2 filled chiles into each of 4 individual casserole dishes coated with cooking spray; set aside.
Melt margarine in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour, and cook 1- minute, stirring with whisk. Gradually add milk; cook an additional minute or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually stir one-fourth of milk mixture into egg yoke. Add to remaining hot mixture, and set aside.
Beat room temperature egg whites at high speed in a copper mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of egg whites into milk mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg whites; spoon 1/2 cup egg white mixture over each serving of stuffed chiles. Bake at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned.
Combine tomato liquid, remaining chopped tomatoes, & remaining 1 cup chicken broth in skillet; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until thickened into a sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup tomato mixture around each serving. Serve immediately.

Turkey Pot-Pie
2 c. chopped cooked turkey
1 10 oz. pkg frozen English peas
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced celery
1/2 c. soft breadcrumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 c. mayonnaise
3 dashes hot sauce
1 (8 oz.) can crescent dinner rolls
2 t. sesame seeds
radish slices (optional)
fresh parsley (optional)
Combine first 10 ingredients; mix well. Spoon into a 12x8x2 -inch baking dish.
Separate crescent dough into 2 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Cut into 4 long strips and 4 short strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design across the top of your casserole. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Garnish with radish slices and fresh parsley sprigs, if desired.

Turkey Enchiladas
3 T. butter or margarine
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. onion, chopped
3 c. cooked turkey, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. pimento-stuffed olives
1/2 c. toasted almond slivers
2 t. chili powder
8 corn tortillas
oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add mushrooms and onion; saute’ until onion is tender. Remove from heat and stir in turkey, undiluted soup, sour cream, olives, almonds and chili powder.
Briefly cook tortillas in hot oil until softened; drain on paper towels.
Place 1/3 Cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Bring opposite sides of each tortilla up over turkey mixture overlapping edges at center. Arrange, seamside down, on a greased 9x13 and a 8x8 baking dish. Spoon remaining turkey mixture down center of each enchilada. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake at 400º for 25 minutes until hot. May take longer depending on oven. Serves 4

Turkey-Mushroom Soup
4 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cups each sliced carrots & celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. margarine
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. dried whole thyme
1/8 t. dried whole marjoram
1/2 cup skim milk
1 T. dry sherry
1 egg yoke, lightly beaten
1 (10 oz) can chicken broth
1 cup cubed cooked turkey
1/3 cup cooked regular rice
1 T. diced pimento
Combine mushrooms, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and margarine in a 2-quart casserole; microwave, uncovered at high for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes.
Add flour, salt, thyme, and marjoram; stir well. Add milk and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Microwave, uncovered at high 6 to 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring every 2 minutes. Yields about 5 cups.

Deep Fried Turkey Fritters
1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 t. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. milk
2 c. chopped cooked turkey
oil, for deep frying
Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add egg and milk; mix well (batter should be thick enough to coat turkey pieces). Add the chopped turkey to batter. Drop batter, a tablespoon at a time, into hot oil (about 365°).

The following recipes come from the Cooksillustrated.com web-site. I have found that they have excellent “tried and true” recipes. I especially like these two because you can make them ahead of time, freeze them and cook them the day you need them. With Thanksgiving coming up I thought these two would be very useful.
Also, Unbaked apple and pecan pies freeze well. Assemble each pie, but don’t brush it with egg wash. Freeze the pie for 2 to 3 hours, then wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. You don’t need to defrost the pie before baking it. Brush the pie with egg wash, sprinkle it with sugar, cut slits into the top crust, and place the pie on a baking sheet in a preheated oven. You’ll need to bake it an extra 5 to 10 minutes.Don’t try to freeze a custard or pumpkin pie.

All-Purpose Gravy
This gravy can be served with almost any type of meat or poultry or with mashed potatoes. If you would like to double the recipe, use a Dutch oven to give the vegetables ample space for browning and increase the cooking times by roughly 50 percent. The finished gravy can be frozen. To thaw either a single or double recipe, place the gravy and 1 tablespoon of water in a saucepan over low heat and bring slowly to a simmer. The gravy may appear broken or curdled as it thaws, but a vigorous whisking will recombine it. Makes 2 cups
1 small carrot , peeled and chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1 small rib celery , chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
1 small onion , chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 whole black peppercorns
Table salt and ground black pepper
1. In food processor, pulse carrot until broken into rough 1/4-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses. Add celery and onion; pulse until all vegetables are broken into 1/8-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses.
2. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and well browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add broths; bring to boil, skimming off any foam that forms on surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Strain gravy through fine-mesh strainer into clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Dinner Rolls
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast
1 large egg , beaten lightly
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface and dusting rolls
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces and softened
1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven reaches 200 degrees, maintain oven temperature 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.
2. Microwave milk and sugar in microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl at full power until warm (about 95 degrees). (Alternatively, heat milk and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until warm; remove from heat.) Whisk to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle yeast over surface of liquid, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 10 minutes to soften yeast. Whisk egg into milk mixture, dissolving yeast.
3. Combine flour and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix on lowest speed to blend, about 15 seconds. With mixer running, add milk mixture in steady stream; mix on low speed until flour is just moistened, about 1 minute. With mixer running, add butter one piece at a time; increase speed to medium and beat until combined and dough is scrappy, about 2 minutes. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough until smooth but still sticky, about 4 minutes. Scrape dough out onto work surface. Knead by hand until very smooth and soft but no longer sticky, about 1 minute; do not add more flour. Transfer dough to large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven until dough doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes.
4. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down dough, replace plastic wrap, and let dough rest 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and use following instructions for shaping and cutting:
a. Lightly flour work surface, and pat dough into 9-inch square. Fold dough into thirds, folding upper 3 inches down and lower 3 inches up. Pinch together edges to seal.
b. Using the side of your outstretched hand, firmly press an indentation along the length of the dough.
c. Fold and roll upper sealed edge of dough toward center indentation, pressing firmly with your fingertips to seal.
d. Pull the upper edges of the dough down over the thick portion to meet the seam, pressing with your fingertips to seal. Repeat 5 or 6 times. The dough will lengthen and form a taut, narrow cylinder about 17 inches long.
e. Dust with flour, then roll the dough seam-side up and pinch firmly to seal.
f. Press an indentation into the length of the dough along the seam with the side of your open hand. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to form a long, taut cylinder.
g. Gently stretch and roll the dough cylinder until it measures 36 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide.
h. Holding the bench scraper at a 45-degree angle to the cylinder, lop off one end. Cut triangular-shaped rolls along dough, alternating the scraper 45-degrees to right and left. You should get 24 rolls.

Transfer rolls to baking sheets, then cover each with clean kitchen towels and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove towels and (without pressing on the rolls) wrap baking sheets tightly with greased plastic wrap. Freeze rolls until solid, about 6 hours; transfer to large zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
5. When ready to bake rolls, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen rolls on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets; let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and switching positions from top to bottom halfway through baking time. Transfer rolls immediately to wire rack; cool 5 minutes and serve.

Last week my sister and her husband came to visit - so naturally we had to do a family dinner and decided on an Octoberfest theme. In the past, when the family lived closer together, we used to get together every Oct. to celebrate birthdays and our father’s heritage by cooking German food, playing German music, drinking German beverages.... and just having fun. Some of the following recipes had been used in the past but we also tried a few new ones. The Apple Strudel recipe has been in the family for years and is “tried and true.” After the dinner was over we all decided that we liked all the recipes used so I thought I would share them with you. - Enjoy!!

Beef Rolls (Rinderrouladen)
6 slices (1/2” thick each) bottom round
1 lg. onion, chopped - (1 c.)
6 T. vegetable oil
3 c. soft bread crumbs - (about 6 slices)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 t. salt
2 T. hot water - (for stuffing)
4 T. all-purpose flour
2 envelopes instant beef broth or 2 t. granulated-beef bouillon
1 t. leaf thyme - crumbled
2 1/2 c. water - (for gravy)
chopped parsley
1. Pound beef slices with a wooden or metal meat mallet, to 1/4” thickness.
2. To make stuffing: Saute onion in 4 T. of the oil until soft in a large skillet with a cover. Add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and the 2 T. hot water; toss lightly to mix.
3. Spread 1/4 c of the stuffing on each beef slice. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion; secure with wooden picks.
4. Heat remaining 2 T. oil in same skillet. Add beef rolls, turning to brown on all sides; remove to a hot platter; keep warm while making sauce.
5. Stir flour, instant beef broth and thyme into drippings in skillet; cook, stirring constantly, just until bubbly. Stir in the 2 1/2 c. water; continue cooking and stirring, scraping to loosen cooked-on juices in skillet, until gravy thickens and bubbles one minute.
6. Return beef rolls to skillet; cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
7. Place on heated serving platter; spoon a little of the sauce over beef rolls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve remaining sauce separately. If you wish, pipe rosettes of mashed potatoes around edge of platter, and dot each with a bit of chopped pimiento.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream
Thinly slice:
2 cucumbers
sprinkle with:
1 t. salt
let stand 30 minutes. Drain.
Combine:
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1 T. vinegar
1 to 2 drops Tabasco sauce
2 T. chopped chives
1 t. dill seed
dash pepper
Pour sour cream mixture over cucumbers. Chill about 30 minutes Serves 4 to 5.

Apple Strudel
1 recipe strudel dough
1/2 c. butter - melted and cooled
1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
1 1/2 lbs. tart apples, peeled - cored, and-finely sliced (4-6 apples)
1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar - (depending on tartness of-apples)
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped walnuts or almonds
Make and stretch strudel dough. Brush dough with some of the melted-butter. Sprinkle two-thirds of the surface with bread crumbs and apples.
Sprinkle over this the sugar, cinnamon, raisin, and nuts. Roll, as for cinnamon rolls but don’t cut, place on buttered baking sheet. Brush with butter. Bake in moderate over (350 F.) 35 to 45 min. basting frequently with melted butter.

Strudel Dough
3 c. sifted enriched flour
1/2 t. salt
1 T. vegetable oil
1 beaten egg
1 c. lukewarm water
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a “well” in the center of the flour; place oil and egg in the depression. Work flour gently into oil and egg and gradually add water to make a soft dough. (The dough will be sticky.)
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured pasty board. Hold dough high above board and crash it down against the board. Repeat this about 100 to 125 times or until the dough is smooth and elastic and leaves the board clean. (After 15 to 25 times it will no longer stick.) Knead slightly and pat it into a round. Lightly brush surface of dough with oil (not olive oil). Cover dough with an inverted warmed bowl and allow to rest from 30 to 60 min.
To Stretch Dough
Spread a large table (about 3x5 feet) with a clean cloth, allowing cloth to hang down over edge of table. A bed sheet works well for this. Sprinkle cloth lightly but thoroughly with about 1/2 c. flour. Place dough in center of cloth and roll it into a large oblong, turning it several times to prevent its sticking to the cloth, and rolling the outer edges as thinly as possible.
With a soft brush, lightly brush the dough with cooking oil (not olive oil); the oil aids in preventing the formation of holes during stretching. Now reach under the dough and start stretching (do not pull) gently from the center to the outer edge. Use the backs of your hands. Work around the table until the evenly stretched dough is as thin as paper and drapes over the edges of the table on all sides. As you stretch, keep the dough close to the table. The dough should not have any torn spots. If some should appear, do not try to patch them.
With kitchen scissors, trim off the thick outer edges that overhang the table. Allow the stretched dough to dry a little, about 10 min. It should lose its stickiness but avoid drying too long because it becomes brittle.

Sweet-Sour Green
Beans and Carrots
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 (9 oz. pkg.) frozen cut green beans
3 slices bacon
1 1/2 med. onion sliced
1 1/2 apple, peeled - cored, and sliced
3 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
In saucepan cook chopped carrot, covered, in small amount of boiling salted water till nearly tender, about 10 minutes. Add cut green beans and return to boiling. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more. Drain well, in a skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain, reserving 1 T. drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Cook sliced onion in reserved drippings until tender but not brown. Add sliced apple, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook just until apples are tender 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked beans and carrot; heat through. Sprinkle with the bacon. Serves 4 to 6.

Sauerkraut with Apples
3/4 (27 oz.) can sauerkraut
3/4 med. onion, sliced
3/4 tsp bacon drippings or cooking oil
2 1/4 med. apples, peeled - cored, and sliced
3/4 lg. potato, peeled and shredded
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp caraway seed
Drain and snip sauerkraut. Cook onion in bacon drippings or oil until tender. Add sauerkraut, apples, potato, broth, brown sugar, salt, and caraway; mix well. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Add more broth, if needed. Sprinkle with additional brown sugar, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Potatoes in Wine & Basil Sauce
1 1/2 lbs. new potatoes
2 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 c. chopped chives
1 1/2 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
3/4 t. dried basil or
1 1/2 T. fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves or
parsley
Wash potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarters. Place potatoes, garlic, chives, wine, vinegar, basil and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook slowly, 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon; place on a platter and keep warm. Continue to cook the sauce, uncovered, until it has reduced and thickened. Stir mustard and basil or parsley into sauce. Cook 5 more minutes. Spoon hot sauce over potatoes and serve immediately.

A couple weeks ago I had some antelope hunters stay at my B&B and one of the things I made were some pumpkin muffins; because the recipe didn’t use all of the pumpkin I had some left over (I used my “FoodSaver” and removed all the air from the can, so I could use it later). This last weekend I started looking for recipes so I could use the leftover pumpkin. I found a very interesting one where you bake a pumpkin cake in canning jars; maybe some of you have heard of it before. I checked it out on the Internet and there are quite a few recipes using this method. It sounded so “cool” that I really thought I would “give it a go” until I started reading some of the extension reports from other states. After thinking about it I couldn’t believe that I would have even thought of trying it, considering my education in Home Economics.
Clostridium botulinum spores are abundant in nature but fortunately will only grow and produce toxin in unrefrigerated high moisture foods that are low in acid and exposed to little or no oxygen. These conditions occur in canned foods such as asparagus, green beans, beets, corn - and home canned cakes. Thus low-acid canned foods must be processed in pressurized retorts at temperatures of 240 degrees F or higher to make sure that the heat resistant spores are killed.
I still liked the idea of baking them in the jars, removing the cakes, freezing them until I wanted to give them as a gift, defrosting them, returning them to the jars, decorating the jars and giving them away… until I read further… “In addition to the risk of botulism, there is also a significant risk for consumers to become injured from broken glass when baking cakes and breads in glass jars. Canning jars are intended for use in hot water baths or pressure canners and are not designed to withstand the thermal stresses that occur with dry oven heat.” - so much for that idea!!! - Back to the drawing board…
Well, I was still faced with the fact that I had some pumpkin that I needed to use up so I started searching for pumpkin recipes again. I only had time to try the Pumpkin Bread recipe, which I might add is excellent! I still have 1/2 cup of pumpkin left so I plan on making one of the other recipes that I have included this week. Hopefully you will try some of these recipes. Now that pumpkin season is here you could even use fresh pumpkin instead of buying canned!

Pumpkin Bread
This bread improves with age, so plan to make it a day ahead if possible.
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Description: High in cholesterol, but outstanding in taste. Even those of us with high cholesterol cheat once in a while.
Cake Ingredients:
2 Sticks (One cup) Butter
3 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Pumpkin (canned or fresh pureed)
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/3 teaspoon (or less) Salt
Filling Ingredients:
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
Filling Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat ingredients until very smooth.
2. Set aside and prepare cake batter.
3. Pour into glass dish on top of batter as described in cake instructions below.
For Cake:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and beat well.
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
5. Mix in pumpkin and sour cream. Blend thoroughly until smooth.
6. Pour 1/2 of batter into a buttered 13x9 inch glass baking dish.
7. Add the filling mix, spreading the batter evenly in the dish.
8. Add remaining batter and lightly swirl into filling.
9. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
10. Allow to cool.
11. Cut into twelve servings
Serving Tips and Suggestions:
* Add Whipped cream on top when serving.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Crust:
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick sweet butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
Directions for crust:
1. Blend in a food processor until a ball forms.
2. Press in 8x8 pan
3. Bake 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes
4. Cool slightly
Directions for Filling:
1. Blend until smooth
2. Pour over crust
3. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until set
4. Cool and cut into bars.

Pumpkin Crunch
1 package 1 package yellow cake mix
1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping
Preparation Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease bottom of 9x13 pan.
3. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl.
4. Pour into pan.
5. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.
6. Top with pecans.
7. Drizzle with melted butter.
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden.
9. Cool completely.
10. Serve with whipped topping.
11. Refrigerate leftovers. If you have any leftover, that is!!!

Pumpkin Fudge Recipe
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
1/2 Cup Pumpkin
Dash Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
4 Tablespoons Margarine
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
* Combine milk, sugar, corn syrup, pumpkin, and salt in a large pan.
* Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
* When mixture comes to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture comes to the softball stage.
* Remove from heat.
* Beat in cinnamon, allspice, margarine, and vanilla.
* Cool, then beat until thick and mixture looses it’s gloss.
* Spoon into buttered dish.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. Extract sees from pumpkin.
2. Separate and discard pulp.
3. Thoroughly wash seeds in warm water.
4. Spread seeds out onto a cookie sheet.
5. Sprinkle generously with salt.
6. Put into oven and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Check every five minutes and stir, adding more salt or to taste.
8. Check seeds to see if they are done by taking a sample out, allowing to cool and tasting. If the insides are dry, they are done. Allow to cool and serve.