Tortellini Sausage Soup

1 lb italian sausage 4 cloves pressed garlic 1 onion diced 1/2 cup water 2 cans chicken broth 1/2 cup apple cider 1 16oz can diced tomatoes 1 8oz can tomato sauce 1 cup sliced carrots 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 2 medium zucchini, grated 1 8-10oz package cheese tortellini 2 Tbs dried parsley In a soup pot, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If the sausage is pretty fatty, drain off the fat about half way through cooking. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic. Add to sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Add water, chicken broth, apple cider, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil and oregano. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until tender. Servie with bread and freshly grated parmesan.

Harvest Pumpkin Brownies

1 16 oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice (or use a mixture of cloves, nutmeg and ginger)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:
6 T butter softened
1 3 oz pkg cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
2-3 cups confectioner's sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-mixed. Combine dry ingredients; still into pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 15 inch x 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until brownies test done with a wooden pick. Cool.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and salt until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar; mix well. Frost brownies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield 5-6 dozen.

Dutch Apple Pie

1 uncooked pie crust
2 quarts apples (or you can slice up some fresh apples)
2 Tbsp. tapioca
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Crumb mixture as shown in the Apple Betty recipe

Line pie plate with crust. Mix together apples, tapioca, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Let stand together for 15 minutes. Fill crust with the apple mixture. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. You may need to cover lightly with aluminum foil during the last part to prevent over browning.

Stuffing

1 loaf french bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can chicken broth
1 tsp sage
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning (or rub mix)

Slice french into cubes. Let it dry out overnight. Melt butter in saucepan, add vegetables and saute onions begin to look transparent. Put dried crumbs in a large bowl, toss in the cooked vegetable mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth. Add seasonings to taste. You do not need a lot of salt because the soup already has salt in it. I just sprinkle in a few pinches of McCormick French Herb roasting rub. Toss the soup mixture with the bread/vegetable mixture. Do not stir too much. Spread it in a cake sized pan. Cover and cook at 400 deg for 30 minutes. Take of cover and cook for 5 more minutes if you want to add a slight crisp to it.

Chicken and Pasta

12 to 14 chicken tenders
2 8oz pkgs Cream cheese
1 packet Dry Italian dressing mix
2 cans Cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk

Penne pasta or Fettucine

Soften cream cheese by setting out for a couple hours or soften in microwave for a few seconds. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together cream cheese, soup, Italian mix and milk with a mixer. Place chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 pan. Spread the mix over the top making sure there aren't many open spots. Bake for one hour. Cook pasta. Serve chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Buttermilk Waffles

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs oil

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs; add remaining ingredients in order given and beat until smooth. Cook in waffle iron.

Ham and Cheese Calzone

2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 cup (250 mL) fresh broccoli florets (about 2 oz/60 g)
1 8-oz (250-g) slice smoked deli ham (about ½ in./1 cm thick)
1/2 small onion
8 oz (250 g) Swiss cheese, grated, divided
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Combine mayonnaise and mustard in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Cut broccoli into small florets; dice ham. Coarsely chop onion. Grate Swiss cheese. Combine broccoli, ham, onion and half of the Swiss cheese in batter bowl; mix well.

2.Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil. Unroll one package of dough onto bottom of bar pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese to within 1 in. (2.5 cm) of edges; spoon ham mixture over cheese. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling, matching edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim 1/2 in. (1 cm) off sides of dough. Press edges to seal. Brush remaining oil over dough. Make 12 slits, in three rows of four each, into top crust.

3. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over calzone. Return calzone to oven; bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is deep golden brown. Slice with Pizza Cutter.

Yield: 8 servings