If you are looking for an original, colorful appetizer or side dish, you can’t go wrong with this delicious apple salsa. It is healthy, tasty and original. You can serve it with blue corn chips, tortilla chips or, for a really low calorie snack – celery sticks.

Apple Salsa

• 3 Large Macintosh or other red skinned apples
• 3 Large Granny Smith apples
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 small can (4 oz) of mild green chillies (chopped)
• Jalapeno peppers – if you like spicy salsa. Chop fine and add to taste
• 6 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine
• 2 limes

It is best to make this the same day – a few hours ahead. Dice the apples and sprinkle the juice from 1/2 lime over them to keep them from browning. Put the apples in a bowl. Dice the yellow pepper. Cut the green onion into small pieces. Add the pepper, onions, chillies, jalapenos (optional) and cilantro to the bowl. Squeeze the rest of the lime juice over the ingredients. Mix well.

Cover the salsa with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Transfer the salsa into a nice bowl or chip dip set. Arrange the tortilla chips or celery around the bowl. Have a spoon available for scooping onto plates. You can also use this apple salsa as a side dish, or topping for broiled salmon or fish. It also goes quite well with roast pork. There is virtually no fat and it is very healthy – so enjoy your guilt free appetizer. Ole!

You can serve this drink in a large pitcher and provide individual glasses – or put it in a punchbowl. It looks lovely and colorful with the fruit floating on top. I prefer the limes and cranberries floating at Christmas time, to keep with the red and green holiday colors. In the fall, I prefer the orange slices and yellow lemon slices with the red backdrop of the sangria – since these are the wonderful colors of fall. Match the tablecloths and table decor to the colors of whichever season you are preparing this for. Try to find seasonal wine charms to dress up the wine glasses. You can pull them out again every holiday – and you save the waste of drinks being abandoned because no one remembers which one was theirs.

Cranberry Sangria

• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 1 cup cranberry juice or cranberry cocktail
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp lime juice or lime cordial
• 1 thinly sliced orange
• 1 thinly sliced lemon (Thanksgiving) or Lime (Christmas)
• Handful of cranberries (Christmas)
• Club soda or mineral water (optional)

Combine all ingredients (except soda) in a pitcher. You can always add some red wine for real cocktails. Chill several hours before serving. If someone wants a sparkling sangria, then fill the glass 2/3 full with the sangria and 1/3 full with the club soda. Enjoy.

 This punch can be made in a non-alcoholic version for children or designated drivers. Simply use one bottle of cranberry juice and one bottle of orange juice. Add in the fruit and club soda for holiday mocktails

Easy Beef Chili Recipe

• 1 kg or 2 pounds of lean ground beef. You can use ground chicken or turkey instead.
• 3 onions, chopped fine
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
• 5 large carrots, cut in cubes (cut up smaller if you need to hide the vegetables from your kids)
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1/2 cup beef broth (You can use chicken or vegetable broth instead – especially with ground chicken)
• 1 small can of tomato paste (approx 5.5 oz)
• 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn niblets (optional)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup mild paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper – more if you like spicy
• 1 can of red kidney beans (approx 19 oz)
• Grated cheddar cheese to top (optional)

Step 1: Put the ground beef and onions in a skillet. Brown the ground beef over medium heat and drain any fat.

Step 2: Add in the garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes, corn and beef broth. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are softer. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the kidney beans.

Step 3: Cook over low heat for an hour. (If you are in a rush, you can cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.) You can also put it in a slow cooker at this point and leave it cook on low for hours.

: Add in the kidney beans for the last 10 minutes. Serve the chili in a bread bowl, over rice or pasta, or just on its own. This recipe makes a great family dinner, especially on cold nights. Leftovers can be reheated and put in a thermos for great school or work lunches.

Kids love to help in the kitchen and learn to cook. Let them help put the ingredients in (good for math) and stir it together. They will be proud they made something so delicious!

1 cup whipping cream (can also use evaporated milk or heavy cream)

3 large eggs

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup brandy

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 pie crust (prepared or premade)

Whipped cream to top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).  Partially bake your prepared pie crust by weighing down the foil with uncooked rice or dried beans and bake in a 400 degree (F) oven for 10 minute.  Remove the foil and the rice (or beans) and bake 5 minutes longer.  Allow the crust to cool slightly before you fill it.

 
In the meantime, prepare your filling.  In a large bowl, add pumpkin, cream and eggs and beat thoroughly with a whisk.  Add the spices and beat them into pumpkin mixture.  Mix in the brandy.

Spoon the filling into the partially baked crust.  Bake the pie for 8 minutes in the lower shelf of the oven.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake another 35 to 40 minutes.  Pie is done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Fresh pumpkin:  Place 2 cups of fresh pumpkin meat (approx 1 med sugar pumpkin)  in a food processor or blender.  Blend for several seconds till pureed.  Place pumpkin in a saucepan and cook on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes.  Let cool then proceed with recipe.

1 cup whipping cream (can also use evaporated milk)

3 large eggs

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup brandy

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves      or substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 pie crust 

Whipped cream to top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F) and prepare your pie dough.  Partially bake dough by weighing down the foil with uncooked rice or dried beans and bake in a 400 degree (F) oven for 10 minute.  Remove the foil and the rice (or beans) and bake 5 minutes longer.  Allow the crust to cool slightly before you fill it.

In the meantime, prepare your filling.  In a large bowl, add pumpkin, cream and eggs and beat thoroughly with a whisk.  Add the spices and beat them into pumpkin mixture.  Mix in the brandy.

Spoon the filling into the partially baked crust.  Bake the pie for 8 minutes in the lower shelf of the oven.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake another 50 minutes. Put foil around the crust edges to keep them from burning.  Pie is done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 Serve pumpkin pie warm or cold.  Keep leftovers in the fridge.

The key to a really good crust is to start with really cold shortening and butter. Leave them in the freezer overnight before you use them. I find the fastest, easiest and surest method to make great pie crusts is to use a food processor. It is very fast and easy, and you are not warming up the dough with your hands, so the result is a flaky butter pastry.

Once you have made the dough, you can store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You will need to let the dough soften before you can roll it out. For 2 x 9” crusts, you will need;

¼ lb (1 stick) frozen butter
¼ cup frozen Crisco shortening
2 cups flour
½ cup ice water
½ tsp salt (optional if you use salted butter)

Cut the butter and shortening into 6 or 7 pieces and put them in your food processor. Add in the flour and salt. Turn your food processor on for about 3 seconds then stop. (You can use the pulse feature if you have one.) Repeat this about 5 times or until the mixture looks like course oatmeal. Do not over beat.

Add the water in slowly as the machine is running (through the feed tube). Process for about 12 seconds more, or until the dough begins to gather around the blades.

Take the dough out of the machine and press it into a ball. Divide the ball into 2 pieces and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Put the dough balls in the fridge to stay cold while you prepare your filling.

To roll out your dough, flour a large board and roll out the dough equally in all directions. You may need to let it soften a little as you do this. You can flip dough over once and continue to roll out till the dough is about 11” in diameter and 1/8” thick. Repair any cracks by pressing the edges together and smoothing or rolling them out.

Place prepared crust in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes to reduce shrinkage while baking. Prepared crusts can also be frozen for a later use.

Pumpkin seeds have been used by North American Indians for their health benefits and as a food source. They introduced pumpkins to the Europeans. Mexican cooking takes advantage of the wonderful flavour and nutritious value of the pumpkin seeds – using them in everything from salads to muffins. They call the flat, green seeds ‘pepitas’. Pumpkin seeds are most nutritious raw, but you can roast them at low temperatures to preserve the natural oils.

Pumpkin seeds are full of wonderful minerals like magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. They also contain zinc, iron, vitamins and protein. Pumpkins seeds contain phytosterols, which may help lower cholesterol and prevent certain cancers. The Cucurbitace in the seeds has positive effects for slowing or preventing prostate cancer. The other health benefits may include improved brain function and lower depression; improvement of bladder problems including incontinence and urinary tract infection, and treatment of parasites.

Sound impressive? The bottom line is they are simply delicious and very versatile. Add them to cooked veggies, bread mixes, cereals, etc. You can also grind the seeds and add them to rice pudding, oatmeal, ground meat, salad dressings, etc. Pumpkin seeds are not part of the nut family and consequently do not trigger allergies, so they are safe to bring as a snack to work or school.

If you find it difficult to find pumpkins year round, or too messy and time-consuming to roast the seeds, simply buy pumpkin seeds online. That way, you can enjoy their health benefits all year round.

General Instructions:

1. Clean out the pumpkin, rinse the seeds and put on a paper towel to dry.
2. For all of the recipes, use a baking sheet and bake in an oven set at 250 degrees. You can cook faster at higher temperatures, but you may lose some of the essential oils.
3. Either spray the baking sheet with a non-stick spray, or mix a couple teaspoons of oil in with the seasonings and seeds before placing them on the sheet.
4. Check and stir seeds every 10-15 minutes. Let roast for 45 minutes, or until the seeds are crisp and golden. Remove them from the baking sheet and let them cool.
5. Store roasted seeds up to 1 month in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Seasonings: There are so many flavors you can add to pumpkin seeds. Think of popcorn and all the flavors you put on that. In fact, you can sprinkle popcorn seasonings on pumpkin seeds – especially flavors that are hard to make like dill pickle and bar-b-q.

You can make the pumpkin seeds spicy by adding crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper or hot chili powder. Try adding some seasoning blends from your cupboard, like Cajun, Tex-Mex or Italian. Add in some garlic powder, sea salt or salt replacement blend for added flavour in your mix.
A sample combination for 3 cups of seeds would be: 2 teaspoons of oil (like canola), 4 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. You can add more or less seasonings to taste. Seasonings like cayenne pepper and cajun blends add nice color to the seeds as well.

Let your kids help with cleaning and roasting the pumpkin seeds. Easy recipes for kids will encourage them to learn how to cook and teach them important life skills.

The pre-baked kits are great if you want to put your own house together. You get all the house pieces, along with icing and candies to decorate it. The key to making a gingerbread house that actually stays together and holds its shape is all in the icing. If you make the icing too thin, the walls will separate and won’t support the roof. The key to good icing (for all baking) is to have a proper stand mixer and beat for at least 10 minutes. Remember that the icing needs time to dry – usually an hour. Make the house ahead of time so it is ready when you want to decorate.

If making the house sounds too difficult, the pre-assembled house is probably the best choice for you. The gingerbread pieces are already put together with the icing and ready to decorate. All you need to do is make the icing that comes with the kit. Use the icing to decorate and as glue to attach the candies.

Several types of candy come with each kit, but you can also add your own. Candies can be cut in halves or thirds to change the shape. You can also add black licorice to look like snakes on the lawn (support board) in front of your house or on the roof. There are great sparkle gels available in black glitter or orange goo that you can use to add details to your haunted house. You can also add crushed chocolate cookie crumbs to the front lawn or roof.

When you are doing lines or an outline with icing or gel, hold the bag or tube at a 45 degree angle and touch the tip to the surface where you want to begin. Raise the tip and guide it with one hand as you squeeze the icing bag with the other. To end the line, stop squeezing and touch the tip onto the surface where you want the outline to stop. Icing must be the correct consistency to get a good flow. If you get breaks in the outline, the icing could be too thick or you are moving too quickly. If icing becomes runny as you work, put the icing bag in the freezer for several minutes to firm it up.

Haunted Halloween gingerbread houses are fun to make, great as decorations, and delicious to eat once the holiday is over.

Kids love baking, especially during holiday time. Halloween is particularly fun because you have so many spooky, creepy, scary themes to choose from. You don’t have to be a master baker to be able to make amazing sweets that the kids will love. By using a box of cake mix and muffin tin, you can create many different and ‘spooktacular’ Halloween cupcakes.

Make the cake according to box directions. Devil’s Food is most appropriate, but you can make white cake for a ghostly look, or add in food color to change the look. Orange is the color of fall, with the leaves, pumpkins, and halloween. Whenever you want to make a dark, halloween orange, you will need to add a lot of red and yellow food coloring to the cake mix or icing. Cake supply stores also sell a multitude of colors, including a dark orange, so you don’t have to try to mix the color.

Pumpkin faces: Make orange icing and spread it over the cupcakes. Take chocolate chips and make a pumpkin face: 1 chip for each eye and the nose, and a line of chips for the mouth. You can make the pumpkin, happy, sad, or experiment with other expressions.

Spiders: Cover cupcake with white or orange frosting. Use a gel tube or a an icing bag with a tip to make a big dot of icing in the middle of the cupcake for the spider’s body. Make a smaller dot in front for the spider’s head. You can either make legs by drawing 8 lines coming out of the body, or make a web around the spider.

Worms in dirt. Put some baking coconut in a small plastic bag. Add a few drops of black food coloring. Knead the color into the coconut, then remove it to dry on some wax paper. Spread icing (black, orange, purple or green) on the cupcake and then put the coconut on top. Place the gummy worms on to finish. (If you don’t like coconut, you can also use grated chocolate or chocolate cookie crumbs).

Watch kids making pumpkin face cupcakes to get you inspired. Nothing is better than art you can eat!