Brandie Valenzuela

"Caramel Marshmallow Apples"

1 package (14 oz.) caramels

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 tablespoon water

5-6 small apples

Wooden skewers

Line a baking sheet with buttered wax paper; set aside. Combine caramels, marshmallows, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stiring constantly, until caramels melt. Cool slightly while preparing apples. Rinse and dry apples. Insert skewers into apples. Dip each apple in caramel mixture, coating apples. Place on prepared sheet. Refrigerate until firm. For a fun change, roll apples in crushed peanuts or drizzle with melted chocolate.

"Pumpkin Pie Squares"

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

FILLING:

2 cans (15 oz. each) pumpkin

2 cans (12 oz. each) evaporated milk

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

TOPPINGS:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Combine the first four ingredients until crumbly; press into a greased 13"x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, beat filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth; pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes. Combine brown sugar, pecans, and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

"Dinner In A Pumpkin" - 3 Versions!

"Dinner in a Pumpkin" (version #1)

1 medium pumpkin

2 lbs. ground beef, cooked

1 chopped onion

3 sliced carrots

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can sliced mushroom, drained

1 tablespoons garlic salt

1 celery stalk, sliced

2-3 potatoes, diced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Bring all ingredients (except pumpkin) to a boil in a pot. Boil 10 minutes. Place pumpkin in sturdy baking pan. Fill pumpkin with hot mixture. Bake at 350 degrees, for approximately 45 minutes, until pumpkin is tender and brown.

"Dinner in a Pumpkin" (version # 2)

2 lbs. ground beef

6 oz. ground sausage

6 oz. can tomatoe sauce

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. vinegar

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup chopped stuffed green olives

1tsp. pepper

Brown ground beef and sausage. Combine meats with all other ingredients. Fill in a medium cleaned pumpkin. Bake in 1 inch of water of 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve in pumpkin, scraping sides for the vegetable.

"Dinnner in a Pumpkin" (version # 3)

1 small-med. sized pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

10 3/4 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 8oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained

Cut off top of pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Add meat and brown. Drain drippings from skillet. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into cleaned pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin with filling, on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hour or until inside meat of pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a plate. Remove lid and serve. Scoop cooked pumpkin from sides for vegetable. Serves 6.

"Pumpkin Cake in a Jar"

2/3 cup shortening

2 2/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups canned pumpkin

2/3 cup water

3 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts

8 pint-size wide mouth canning jars with lids and rings

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar together, adding sugar slowly. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water; set aside. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir well. Stir in nuts. Grease jars well and fill each jar about half full. Place jars on baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes. When done, remove jars, and wipe the sealing edge of the jars. Place lids on jars and close tightly with the ring.

Notes:

Proper sealing of cakes in a jar: After the cake is cooked be sure to wipe the sealing edge of the jar clean. Place the lids on and close them tightly with the ring. You should here a "plinking" sound as the jar cools, meaning that they are sealed. You can also press on the lids after the jars have cooled -- if they are properly sealed, they should not move at all.

How to serve a cake in a jar: Open jar and slide knife around the inside of the jar to loosen the cake, and then slide the cake out. Slice and serve alone, with whipped cream, or even some ice cream! A 1-pint jar equals approximately 5 slices.

How long they keep: A cake in a jar that has been properly sealed will keep for up to a year.

"Easy Caramel Apple Pie"

1 frozen 9" pie crust

10 caramel candies; quartered

1/3 cup flour

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 cups Jonathon apples; unpeeled; cut into 1/2" cubes

2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup pecans; chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, combine caramels and flour. Add apples, caramel topping and lemon juice; mix well. Pour mixture into crust; top with pecans. Bake on baking sheet at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until crust has browned. Cool.

"Autumn Noodle Bake"

1 16-oz. package egg noodles, cooked & drained

1 16-oz. sour cream

1 16-oz. cottage cheese

1 16-oz. jar of your favorite salsa

2 lbs. turkey or chicken, cooked & cubed

1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together sour cream, cottage cheese, salsa and meat. In a 13"x9" baking pan, layer cooked egg noodles, then meat mixture, and then a layer of shredded cheese. Continue with layers until near the top of pan -- top layer must end up with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

"Snicker Bar Salad"

6 full-sized Snickers candy bars, cut into small pieces

6 apples, cored & cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small container whipped topping

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding (do not prepare)

Mix dry pudding into whipped topping thoroughly. Add Snicker and apple pieces to whipped topping/pudding mixture. Chill.

"Crockpot Apple Butter"

7 cups applesauce, unsweetened

2 cups apple cider

1 1/2 cups honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

In a crockpot, mix all ingredients. Cover and cook on low heat for 14 to 15 hours, or until the mixture is deep brown. Pack while hot into 4 hot pint jars. Process in hot-water bath for 10 minutes, counting the time after the jars have been immersed and the water comes again to a rolling boil. Makes 4 pints.

About The Author:

Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children, who also works fulltime from her home designing custom scrapbook albums and teaching scrapbook classes. For more information, visit brandievdesigns.4t.com