Taffy Apple Salad

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ Tbsp. vinegar
3 red apples
3 green apples
4 cups honey-roasted or dry roasted peanuts

Separate pineapple from its juice. In a saucepan, combine (with whisk) pineapple juice, flour, egg, vinegar, and sugar. Heat slowly on low heat until consistency is custard-like. Chill completely.

Fold in whipped topping. Then fold in apples, marshmallows, and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving, fold in the peanuts.

Fall Apple Pear Salad (From Jill)

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 ½ cup oil
¾ cup raspberry vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 yellow medium onion, quartered

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Salad:
Romaine lettuce, torn
Field greens lettuce
1 tart apple, diced or sliced
2 ripe pears, diced
feta cheese, mild, crumbled
1 bag crasins
Pecans (As many as you like.)

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add dressing. Toss.

Shauna's Citrus Salad

1 large red leaf lettuce, washed, dry, and chill (It really makes a difference)
1 medium red onion
2 cans Mandarin oranges, drained
1 small Jicama, sliced thin
4 oz. sliced almonds
3 Tbsp. sugar

Put almonds and sugar in small pan on medium heat. Add almonds. Cook until coated and toasted. Cool on flat pan so they don’t stick together.
Dressing:
½ tsp. orange peel
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
½ cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix.

Sumi Cabbage Salad

1 big head of cabbage, finely shredded
6 to 8 green onions, chopped using tops
8 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds
8 Tbsp. Slivered almonds
2 pkgs. Top Ramen noodles, dry
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained, optional
red pepper, diced, optional

Toast almonds and seeds under broiler until they become a light tan color. Set aside to cool. Mix together cabbage, onions, almonds and seeds. Discard the seasoning package that comes with the noodles. Crumble noodles over cabbage. Pour dressing over the cabbage and mix.
*This recipe is easy to half. I always use a bag of prepared cabbage. Add cooked chicken breast slices to use as a main dish.

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt and pepper


Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake until well blended.

Holiday Baked Brie

One 16 oz. brie round
One 16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Trim rind from top of brie leaving 1/4 inch border on top. Put brie in baking dish, top with other ingredients (pre-mixed together), except nuts. Top with nuts and bake at 350 about 30 minutes.

Indiana Corn Casserole

Ingredients
· 1 pound bacon
· 1/2 cup butter
· 1/2 medium onion, chopped
· 1/2 cup chopped celery
· 1 red pepper, chopped
· 1 green pepper, chopped
· 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 2 cups sour cream
· 2 pounds fresh corn (or frozen corn, thawed)
· Salt and pepper
· 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon, then chop it into bite-size pieces and set it aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and peppers until soft. Stir in the flour, then the sour cream, until well combined. Add the corn and most of the bacon bits and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle on the remaining bacon bits and the parsley. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until lightly browned. (Note: for a lower-fat version of this casserole, use half the bacon, butter, and flour). Serves 6 to 8.

Zesty Taco/Chili Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 8oz can El Pato Sauce**
2 14oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 16oz can corn (I use frozen corn for it's freshness. Just fill up the empty chili can to measure)
1 16oz can chili with beans
1 16oz can kidney beans (optional)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix


Toppings include:
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Cheese

**El Pato sauce is a spicy tomato sauce, and can be found in most grocery stores in the "ethnic" food section. If you can't find it, or want a milder substitute 1 8oz can Tomato Sauce and add 1/4 teas each of chili powder, cayenne, garlic, and onion.

Fry hamburger in a large saucepan, and drain. Put hamburger back in the pan, and add the rest of the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with grated cheese, corn chips, and sour cream.
Don't use a spoon! Use chips!

This soup also freezes well. Place soup in individual serving ziplock bags and freeze!


(I couldn’t find the El Pato spicy tomato sauce. I could only find the El Pato Hot Sauce. So I used the suggestion of substituting the 8 oz. tomato sauce and adding the spices. Then I also added ¼ cup of the El Pato Hot Sauce. We loved it!)