By Tanya Manus

I recently was a guest at an imaginative cocktail party, and all the guests were raving about what was in the martini glasses.
It wasn’t alcohol. It was mashed potatoes.
The menu for the party included heavy hors d’oeuvres and a mashed potato bar. Each guest could take a martini glass and fill it with mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes and a variety of toppings. The results looked like weird, wonderful sundaes, and they were delicious. I think this idea would be great fun for Thanskgiving, especially if you’re serving a buffet dinner.

To set up your own mashed potato bar, you’ll need:
Mashed potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes
Brown gravy
Chicken or turkey gravy
Assorted toppings: Cooked bacon chopped into small pieces, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream or toppings of your choice

Provide a bowl or glass for each guest, and let each assemble a mashed potato “sundae” with the ingredients of his or her choice. Enjoy!

By Deb Holland

I was fortunate to get a huge bag of apples from a co-worker and throught it would be the perfect time to bring out the old dehydrator to make some dried apples and fruit leather with the bounty.

When Jim and I were first married, his parents gave us the food dehydrator they bought sometime in the 1970s. It’s a Nutri-flow brand with a dozen shelves, so you can dry in volume.

Anyone who knows me can attest that I love kitchen gadgets. So, of course, I have an apple peeler, corer, slicer from Pampered Chef that makes peeling and dicing the apples a breeze.

I found a recipe for fruit leather, but when I went to prepare my trays for the dehydrator, I realized I only had Glad Press ‘n Seal, not Cling Wrap. So, I used the Press ‘n Seal. Bad decision. It was so sticky, that I could not peel away the leather.

I thought about it for a day or so and decided I would buy the Cling Wrap, but first try drying the leather on a Slipat sheet I got as a Christmas gift a few years back.

It worked wonderfully. I was able to pull the leather back in a whole sheet, then used the Cling Wrap to wrap the leather up for storage.

Here is the recipe I used from simplyrecipes.com

How to Make Fruit Leather
Ingredients
Fresh fruit (apricots, peaches, plums, berries, apples, pears, grapes)
Water
Lemon juice
Sugar (if needed)
Spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)

Method
1. Rinse the fruit. If you working with stone fruit, take out the pits, chop the fruit. If working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. If working with grapes, de-stem them.
Taste the fruit before proceeding. Note how sweet the fruit is. If very sweet (ripe Concord grapes for example) you will not need to add any sugar. If still a little tart, you may need to add some sugar in the next step.
2. Place fruit in a large saucepan. Add a half cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit. Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan. Taste the fruit and determine what and how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add. Add sugar in small amounts (1 Tbsp at a time if working with 4 cups of fruit), to desired level of sweetness. Add lemon juice one teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor.
Continue to simmer and stir until any added sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 minutes (or more).
Note if you are working with grapes - strain the juice out of the mashed grapes to make grape juice. Force what is left behind, after straining, through a food mill, to make the purée for the next step.
3. Put the purée through a food mill or chinoise. Alternatively purée it thoroughly in a blender or food processor. Taste again and adjust sugar/lemon/spices if necessary. The purée should be very smooth.
4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with sturdy plastic wrap (the kind that is microwave safe). Pour out the purée into the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Place in a dehydrator for 6-8 hours, or place on a baking sheet lined with Cling Wrap in a 140-degree oven overnight, so about 8-12 hours.

By Jomay Steen

Until I started working on weekends, my cousins and I had instituted Sunday brunches several times a month. We would make up our menu then bring our favorite dish on Sunday to a beautifully set table of linen and china. We pampered ourselves with good friends, a leisurely meal and plenty of rich, flavorful coffee.
That went away months ago as I started a new reporting schedule.
Yet on a recent vacation to a fishing village in Canada, I again felt the daily pleasure of a breakfast lingered over with a fine cup of perfectly brewed coffee. My hosts would cook up hearty and delicious brunches allowing us to skip the midday meal but indulge in a cocktail hour at 5 p.m. complete with hors d’oeuvres and dinner at 7.

Beyond the scrambled eggs and bacons, I love pastries best and include a recipe below:
Praline Biscuits
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
36 pecans or walnut halves
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup milk
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 teaspoons butter in each of 12 muffin cups. Heat until melted. Stir 2 teaspoons brown sugar and pinch of cinnamon into butter in each cup; arrange three nut halves in each cup. Mix baking mix, applesauce and milk until dough forms. Beat 20 strokes. Spoon onto mixture in cups. Bake 10 minutes. Immediately invert on heatproof serving plate. Let pan remain 5 minutes so syrup can fun down over biscuits.

What’s your favorite brunch menu item?

“Eeewww.” That was pretty much my response as a kid whenever squash appeared on the dinner table.
In recent years, though, I’ve come to like squash. There are so many kinds to try - and there’s something very cozy and homey and fall-like about the smell of baking squash.
Just now I have spaghetti, butternut, acorn, turban and carnival squash sitting around my house looking festive.
My question: What kind of squash do you like best, and how do you cook it?
I’d like to find some simple recipes to try. Please share

By Jomay Steen

If you have to figure out something for the next bazaar or craft festival, I offer you these recipes from Land O Lakes Butter. Cake, cupcakes and crispy rice treats, it’s all good. Then brew up some crisp apple cider to ward off the chill.

Pumpkin Pound Cake
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups Land O Lakes butter, softened
6 3ggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk
Glaze
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Land O Lakes butter, softened
4 to 6 teaspoons milk
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine sugar and 1-1/2 cups butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add pumpkin; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk, until well mixed.
Spoon batter into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Glaze cooled cake.
Substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and cloves.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Land O Lakes butter, melted
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup Fat Free Half & Half
3 eggs
2 small (1 cup) apples, shredded
Frosting
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons Half & Half
2 tablespoons Land O Lakes butter
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups into 24 muffin pan cups; set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice in medium bowl. Combine all remaining cupcakes ingredients except apples in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Add flour mixture; stir until just moistened. Stir in apples.
Fill each prepared muffin cup with about 1/4 cup batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely.
Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons Half & Half and 2 tablespoons butter in 1-1/2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved (4 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in enough powdered sugar for desired frosting consistency, adding additional Half & Half, if necessary. Stir in vanilla. Frost cupcakes.
Recipe Tip: An easy way to shred the apples is to core and halve them before shredding. Leave the peal on for a little color and texture.
Recipe Tip: Brown sugar is measured a little differently than other sugars or flour. Be sure to pack the brown firmly into the measuring cup or spoon until it is level with the top.

Candy Bar Crispy Treats
1/2 cup Land O Lakes margarine
1 (10-1/2-ounce) bag (6 cups) miniature marshmallows
3 (2.05-ounce) 1-1/2 cups chocolate-covered caramel and nougat candy bars, chopped
6 cups crisp rice cereal
Melt margarine over medium-low heat in 4-quart saucepan. Stir in marshmallows until melted (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Stir in 1 cup chopped candy. Candy may melt slightly.
Press mixture into greased 13×9-inch pan. Sprinkle with remaining chopped candy.
*Substitute your favorite chocolate-coated candy bars.
Microwave Directions: Combine margarine and marshmallows in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once, until marshmallows are melted. Stir in cereal. Stir in 1 cup chopped candy. Continue as directed above.
VARIATION: If desired, shape mixture with buttered hands into 1-inch balls, roll in chopped candy or decorator sugars. Place onto waxed paper. Store in container with tight-fitting lid.
Recipe Tip: For easier chopping, refrigerate candy bars at least 1 hour before cutting.

Spiced Hot Apple Cider
1 gallon apple cider
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
Combine all ingredients in 6-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until heated through and flavors blended (15 to 30 minutes).
Tip: To keep cider warm, hold in slow cooker on Low heat setting.

By Heidi Bell Gease
There’s nothing better than coming home on a cold day to the smell of a hot meal in the crockpot.
Unfortunately there are plenty of days at our house when 6 p.m. rolls around with nothing cooking and nothing planned.
When I don’t feel like going to the store I fall back on a few standbys that I almost always have the ingredients for.
Omelettes. If you’ve got eggs, shredded cheese, some lunch meat and a red pepper, you’re set. (And if, like me, you didn’t grow up on omelettes, here’s a tip from my omelette expert husband: mix the eggs with water, not milk, before pouring them in the pan.)
Spaghetti. We have a freezer full of buffalo, which I sometimes use with jarred sauce. Other times I prefer this meat-free version: Saute a few cloves of minced garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add canned tomato sauce and canned tomatoes (either diced or whole cut into large chunks, partially drained). Add some halved black olives, dried basil and a little Italian seasoning and let it simmer until it’s as thick as you’d like.
Pancakes. Sometimes they taste best for dinner - especially if the chef makes them into animal shapes, like my mom always did
Anybody else have any quick-fix ideas that don’t require a trip to the store? Please share!

By Tanya Manus

My fellow blogger Lynn is looking for recipes that are delicious, healthy and possibly vegetarian. A stew I enjoyed at a party recently might be just what she’s looking for.

The guest of honor at the party was a vegetarian. The hostess, and all us other guests, were not. So the hostess made Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Stew, based on a recipe from Country Living magazine. Instead of shrimp or chicken stock, as the recipe calls for, substitute vegetable stock. And, instead of mixing shrimp into the stew according to the recipe, the hostess topped individual bowls of stew - except for the guest of honor’s - with five or six jumbo shrimp a few minutes before serving. We all loved it and, paired with some hearty bread, it made a wonderful meal.

Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Stew
4 pounds unpeeled medium shrimp (to make shrimp stock*)
1 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper cored, seeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
5 cups shrimp stock * or low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
2 tablespoons salt
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bunch green onions (white and green parts) finely chopped

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking almost constantly, until the roux reaches a light peanut butter color (5 to 10 minutes). Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, corn, stock, salt, bay leaves, basil, thyme, black pepper and paprika. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peeled shrimp and scallions. Bring back to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the stew stand (off heat) for 15 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

*Shrimp Stock
Homemade shrimp stock makes a difference in the flavor, but it can add an hour to the stew’s cooking time.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat. Add 1-1/4 pounds shrimp shells and heads, 1 tablespoon each paprika and ground black pepper and stir until the shells crisp up and turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add 1 small, quartered onion, 2 stock celery (cut into 2-inch pieces), 1 small carrot (cut into 1-inch pieces), 4 smashed garlic cloves, 1 rosemary sprig and 8 bay leaves, and cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups white wine and bring to a boil. Add 3 quarts water; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low to simmer (skimming foam) for 45 to 60 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

By Lynn Taylor Rick

My father-in-law and mother-in-law are arriving for a visit on Friday and I’m looking for some good meal ideas. My father-in-law eats very healthy and mostly vegetarian. Any ideas?

By Tanya Manus

The apple trees in our backyard are giving us the most abundant crop I can ever remember, and we’ve been busy finding ways to use them all.

We’ve got an apple pie in the fridge, enough homemade apple pie filling in the freezer to last us through at least Thanksgiving, and next week’s project is apple butter. Then, the cool, windy weather inspired me to bake, so I pulled out a pumpkin apple muffin recipe I’d been wanting to try.

The recipe makes moist, slightly spicy muffins studded with apple chunks. Although this recipe calls for a streusel topping, our family agreed that next time, we’ll skip it. These muffins don’t need any embellishment, except maybe a good cup of tea.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2-1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples

Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

In large bowl, combine first five ingredients; set aside. In medium bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Stir in apples. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinking Streusel Topping over batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18-20 muffins.

Streusel Topping:

In small bowl, combine 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Cut in 4 teaspoons butter until mixture is crumbly.

By Deanna Darr

We had about 30 soccer players at our house last night for a pasta feed before today’s game. Parents brought lasagna, pasta salad and a three-cheese pasta made with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Also on the table was a pizza pasta dish featuring spaghetti, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and Canadian bacon - all conveniently baked in a 13 X 9 pan.
It all tasted great, which must mean that casserole season is officially here! Share your favorite recipes with us.