Recipes

Okay, I am going to pass along my two favorite recipes. These are the recipes I usually don't share with others because I like to be the only one who brings these things, but since the odds of us ending up at the same table are quite unlikely, I am passing them on because they are awesome. These aren't my creations, my sister found the cranberry one in a magazine ten years ago and the pineapple one came from this website, which I highly recommend by the way.


Cranberry Salsa 216 Ways

To a 12 oz package of cranberries and 3/4 cup sugar add one from each A, B, and C.

A: 1 cup chopped pink grapefruit, 1 cup chopped kumquats, 1 cup diced pineapple, 1 cup chopped apricots, 1 cup pomegranate seeds, 1 tangerine, peeled and sectioned.

B: 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground allspice, 1/4 tsp. ground anise seeds, 1 T chopped crystallized ginger

C: 1/2 cup pecans, 1/2 cup hazelnuts, 1/2 cup almonds, slivered or whole, 1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup macadamia nuts.

For example, we usually make it with kumquats, cloves, and almonds but since I won't see my sister and her kumquat trees this year I am going for tangerine and hazelnuts.



Baked Pineapple

1 20 oz can pineapple chunks
3T white sugar
6 T butter, melted
3 T flour
5 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup butter cracker crumbs

Drain pineapple, reserving 3 T juice. Combine pineapple, reserved juice, sugar, butter, flour, and cheese. Mix well. Spoon mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish; top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

We can eat this at one meal so I double it. If you decide to double, don't double the butter, it just makes the crackers greasy.



And for Celeste.......

Caramel Apple Pie

1 pie crust, store bought or homemade recipe
6 cups sliced apples
juice of one lemon (or like me, splash of bottled lemon juice)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
dash grated nutmeg
3 T flour
4 T cold butter, cut into little cubes
8 - 10 one inch square caramels, cut into fourths
white sugar

In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, sugars, spices, flour, butter, and caramels. Stir to coat fruit evenly. Line a pie plate with one of the crusts. spoon filling into the bottom crust, and cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges. Place the pie on a baking sheet covered with foil. Poke fork holes over top and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. If you notice overbrowning after 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350.