Cranberry Fruit Conserve Recipe

Are you ready to get started on Thanksgiving Dinner??? This will be my first recipe to prep  (and one of my favorites, although not many other family members share my enthusiasm!) I have to be honest and say I usually just make the recipe on the bag of fresh cranberries using fruit, water and sugar. This year, I think I'll add the apple from this recipe and maybe the raisins... see what you think.. I trust Ina Garten to give us the BEST! Add and subtract as you desire, just keep the basic proportions the same. I like to have leftovers to spread on turkey sandwiches! Yuuummm!

Cranberry Fruit Conserve

 From : Barefoot Contessa Parties!

 

1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 orange, zest grated and juiced

1 lemon, zest grated and juiced

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

 

Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled

Quick and Easy Fresh Apple Cake

Ok, I have to confess. I snuck into the kitchen the other day. I was craving something sweet and knew Bill was as well. I'm feeling so much better and thought just a quick recipe would soothe both of us. This is one that Cousin Carol passed on to me. She makes the most scrumptious coffee cakes and "breakfast cookies". This one is good for brunch, lunch, dessert or snack. It truly is QUICK and easy!  The longer it sits, the denser (is that a word?) and more juicy it gets. I'm giving you my version; Carol's makes a 9-in pan. You KNOW I'm not about to heat up the oven for a pan that small, besides, in my house that would last about a nano second! So, half the recipe if you wish and bake in a 9-inch pan (but you'll be sorry!). If only I had some vanilla ice cream to put on top while it was hot... sigh.... Now I'll go back to "resting" on the sofa. ;)

Quick and Easy Fresh Apple Cake
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups diced apples (don't peel)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Helen's Note: Since I just had my gall bladder out, I omitted the nuts. If I was adding them, I would lightly toast them before adding. Raisins are optional, too.

Spiral Apple Dumplings

I've completely forgotten where I found this recipe, but today all I can think of is something warm and gooey and filled with cinnamon. This recipe jumped right out at me! Doesn't it sound wonderful???? I had gall bladder surgery last Thursday and am slowly recovering. I think I'm hungry but am filled up after a few bites and I really don't feel up to tackling the kitchen. So, I'm sitting at home reading about yummy things to eat and hoping you'll be inspired to try them! Give this a try and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for me!

Spiral Apple Dumplings

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
¼ cup margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2  cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups shredded, peeled cooking apples (3 to 4 medium), such as Golden Delicious, Rome, Granny Smith, Jonathan, or Newton Pippin

Combine 2 cups sugar, water, margarine, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large saucepan . Bring to boiling and boil for 5 minutes; set aside (about 2 cups sauce).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pea-size. Make a well in the center; add milk all at once. Stir just until moistened. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface 10 to 12 strokes or until nearly smooth. Roll out to 12x10-inch rectangle.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. Sprinkle apples evenly over dough. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll dough into spiral, starting from a long side. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into twelve 1-inch-thick pieces. Place in 9x13-inch baking pan. Pour sauce over dumplings.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden.Yield:12 servings.

Chicken-Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe

In a hurry? Need a quick meal in a matter of minutes? Swing by the grocery store on your way home and pick up ingredients for this quick one-dish meal. If you don't have time to remove the chicken from the bones, just make the mac and cheese with the broccoli and serve the  chicken on the side. Either way, you've got dinner in a matter of minutes.

Chicken-Broccoli Mac and Cheese

 8 oz. dried rigatoni

1 whole roasted/rotisserie chicken
1 ( 5.2-oz). pkg. semisoft cheese with garlic and fine herbs (or cream cheese with herbs)
¾  to 1 cup milk
¼  cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and snipped
¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, optional

 In large saucepan cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. While pasta is cooking, remove meat from roasted chicken. Coarsely chop chicken. Drain pasta and broccoli; set aside.

 In same saucepan combine cheese, the 3/4 cup milk, tomatoes, and  freshly ground black pepper. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta mixture and chicken. Heat through. If necessary, thin with additional milk. Sprinkle fresh parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

I'm going to start this post with what will probably be blasphemy to some of you. I do not like Paula Deen. EEEK... did I really say that out loud??? Sorry to those of you who love her. However, I do like this recipe of hers and have made it for covered dish dinners and large holiday gatherings! It is easy to make, looks beautiful and tastes yummy! So, personalities aside, I highly recommend the recipe, especially if you're having a crowd or if you're charged with bringing dessert for a crowd!



Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

  Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely.

 Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool.
 Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding.
 Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, and then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Crock Pot Apple Butter Recipe

Some of you have heard this story before, but I think that it is one that bears repeating every fall.
My Hoosier husband thought there was nothing that could ever top Brown County, IN apple butter - UNTIL he tasted this recipe! Now (with the aid of a gadget) he even helps make it! Today he peeled 1/2 bushel of apples while I prepared them for the following recipe. Of course, to hear HIM tell it, he MAKES the apple butter! Just like when we throws the meat on the grill, he COOKS dinner! As long as it gets him into the kitchen to help me, I'll let him keep on thinking that HE made the apple butter, but we all know better! ;)

From our 1/2 bushel of Pink Lady, Rome and Golden Delcious apples from a North Georgia grower, we have 2 crock pots of apple butter and my large le Cruset Dutch oven of applesauce all cooking. To make a crock pot of apple butter, you only need about 8 pounds of apples. Any variety will do, but the fresher the apples, the better the apple butter and a variety of types will give it intense flavor. Same holds true for applesauce.

Trust me, once you've had homemade applesauce, you won't ever want the comercially produced stuff again!

Crock Pot Apple Butter
8 pounds apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Place apples and vinegar in a 4-quart crock pot. Cook, covered on HIGH for 6 hours. Stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to LOW and cook, covered ro 4 hours. Cool and store in refrigerator.

To seal and store for up to 6 months, pour hot apple butter into hot, sterilized canning jars. Cover with lids, adjust rim, process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes for 1/2 pints and 10 minutes for pints. Remove from water and set jars on wire rack to cool. Store in a cool, dark place.
Yield: 14 (1/2 pint) jars or 7 pints.

This recipe can be halved. Follow the same directions, just half the ingredients.

Applesauce

4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced or chopped
1 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar, optional

Place apples and apple juice in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add lemon juice and sugar and simmer, stirring often, until apples are soft enough to mash with a potato masher. When apples are soft, remove from heat and mash to desired consistency.

You can add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the sugar, if desired. If your apples are sweet, you may not even want to add sugar. Taste them when they start to get soft and see if you really need sugar. I use my stick blender to mash them. Just make sure your apples are soft and the deep enough in the pot (I had them splash all over the kitchen once!).

You can also make the applesauce in the crock pot. Place the apples (no juice) in the pot, cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Stir mixture and continue to cook until desired consistency. Add sugar, if needed after the first 4 hours.

Refrigerate applesauce or put in jars and process as described in the Apple Butter recipe.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Don't let this winter squash intimidate you! Cut it (carefully), scoop out the seeds, cut into cubes and make this delicious recipe! The taste is similiar to sweet potatoes. (Actually, you could substitute them in this recipe!)

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash, cubed (7 to 8 cups)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat  oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash with the maple syrup and oil. Arrange the prepared squash in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast it, stirring once, for 35 to 40 minutes, until it turns golden brown. Serve the maple roasted butternut squash hot or at room temperature.