Apple Dip

1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup soft brown sugar (no lumps)
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 package Heath bits with chcolate

Whip Cream cheese until fluffy, add brown sugar, whip until smooth and creamy light.  Add powdered sugar whip until mixed, add vanilla.  Mix well.  Stir in Heath bit.

Serve with Tart apples.  YUM!

Pineapple, Apple, Orange, Cranberry Jell-O Salad

 

 2 - 3oz packages of raspberry jell-o

 1 large sweet apple, diced small
 1 - 20oz can of crushed pineapple, strained and juice reserved
 1 - 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce or 2 cups fresh cranberry sauce (cooled)
 ½ cup orange juice
Reserved pineapple juice + orange juice + Water  to equal 3 cups total
1 cup whipping cream (whip until stiff)
½ cup pecans quartered.

 Method:

Set a strainer over a measuring cup that can hold at least 3 cups. Drain the pineapple as well as you can, capturing the juice in the cup. Meanwhile, chop apple into a small dice (do not peel).

Put drained pineapple and diced apples into med bowl. Stir well - the acidity in the pineapple will prevent the apples from turning brown. Cover and place in the fridge.

 Add water and orange juice to the pineapple juice until the total combined amount equals 3 cups. Pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then add gelatin. Stir until completely dissolved, about a minute or two. Turn heat down to lowest setting and add in cranberry sauce. Whisk until dissolved (cranberries will remain whole). Remove from heat.

Pour into a serving bowl and place in the fridge. When Jell-O thickens stir in fruit. Let continue to set up for a several hours.  Whip cream and fold into Jell-O mixture.  Add pecans.   Cool again for several hours.  Top with additional whipped cream if desired.  Serve cold.  Serves 10-12

Variation:  Add ½ cup chopped oranges with fruit.

Fresh Cranberry sauce
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 cups fresh cranberries

Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Add fresh cranberries stirring well.  Cook over medium heat 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into jelly dish.  Let cool at room temperature.  Refrigerate for storage.  Makes 2 ½ cups.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients for the fruit salsa:
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
8 oz raspberries
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry; would only use 2 tbsp next time)

for the cinnamon chips:
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray

cinnamon sugar:
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1.    In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar, and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 350 degrees.

2.    Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar, cut into wedges, and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).

3.    Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be served with cinnamon graham crackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.

 

Crockpot Applesauce

15-20 apples, peeled, cored and cut to fill a large crockpot Use a variety of apples
1 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 inch cinnamon stick
5 tsp light brown sugar

1. Peel, core and chop the apples.

2. Add the sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon stick.

3. Set crock pot to low and cook for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Remove cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact. (I used a whisk, which gave the sauce a nice chunky consistency.)

4.  Keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

Butternut Squash soup with apples and Fresh Sage

By: Lindsey Johnson (Wendy's friend in NY)

2 butternut squashes
1 onion
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
2 Tbsp. fresh sage
heavy cream (I used 2 cups, but less is fine)
chicken stock (probably a quart--depending on how thick you want the soup)
Cut the butternut squashes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Line acookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the butternut squashes cut side down on the foil. Roast at 400degrees for about an hour--maybe less. A knife tip should easily gothrough the squash when it's ready.Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin, or turn thesquash over and scoop out the flesh.You can do one of two things next:1. Saute the apples and onion in a couple tablespoons of butteruntil everything is soft. 2. You could also roast the apples and the onions with the squash. Now, some grocery stores sell peeled and cut butternut squash. That eliminates roasting them whole. In that case, toss everything with a little olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven until everything is soft. You could also peel and cube the squash yourself, though roasting it whole is much quicker and easier, in my opinion.Me? I peel and core the apples and chop them into large chunks. I also roughly chop the onions. It all gets pureed at the end, so it doesn't matter much about how big or small the pieces are.Once the squash has cooled a bit, I place the squash, the sauteed/roasted apples and onions in my blender or food processor. Add a little chicken stock at this point to thin it out. You will probably have to work in batches.Pour all of the puree into a large pan and thin it out a bit with more chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer and right before you serve it, add some cream and the fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper. (You may not need salt if the chicken stock is salty.)