FALL RECIPES

THE GREAT CAT LITTER CAPER!

A fun and easy "cake" to make for all occasions.

Ingredients:

chocolate or spice cake mix

vanilla pudding mix

vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs

green food coloring

small ( not mini) Tootsie Rolls

a clean new cat litter tray and
pooper scooper

white, kitchen sized trash bag

MAKE cake.

Make pudding according to directions. When cake

cools, crumble it into the pudding (it will be a heavy mixture.)

Line litter tray with trash bag, letting it extend over sides.

Put cake mixture into tray.

ADD a drop or two of the food coloring to the cookie crumbs and mix ( these are your chlorophyll bits)

Put crumbs on top of cake in tray and stir A LITTLE to get the green bits into the cake as well as on top.

SOFTEN Tootsie Rolls in microwave, then bend into realistic (disgusting) shapes. You KNOW what these represent.

Put the candy into the cake, some at the edges and bending over, etc.

Serve with pooper scooper.

APPLE PEANUT BUTTER SLAW

1 bag cole slaw mix

½ cup chunky peanut butter

½ cup salad dressing ( like Miracle Whip)

3 apples, cored and chopped.

1TBLSP sugar

Mix the peanut butter, salad dressing and sugar until creamy. Add apples to cabbage mixture and then blend in peanut butter dressing. Refrigerate

TURKEY/DRESSING CASSEROLE

2 cups cubed cooked turkey meat

I package cornbread stuffing mix.

1 small onion--minced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can mild chiles—chopped

1 small package cream cheese--softened

1 can corn—drained.

Shredded white cheese such as Monterey Jack

1 small can chicken broth—or the broth off the chicken cooked for this recipe.

Margarine

Make the stuffing mix according to package directions using broth and the margarine.

Add the onion, cubed turkey, soup, drained chiles, cream cheese and corn. Top with shredded cheese and bake in a casserole dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

Let stand about ten minutes before serving.

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MILD CHILI

2 pounds ground beef

1 large can chili beans in gravy

1 small onion

1 can black beans

1 can red beans

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 TBLSP sugar

cheese such as Velveeta

brown beef and onion in skillet. Drain and transfer to Dutch oven.

Add chili beans.

Add drained black and red beans, tomatoes and sugar.

Bring to boil and then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Add a little water if too thick

Add cheese to taste and melt it into the chili.

MARSHMALLOW SWEET POTATOES

Lisa Weinstein, from Schererville, Indiana, says that her three-year-old son, Nicholas, doesn't miss an opportunity to make these "marshed" potatoes, although she's not sure what he likes more: dumping in the ingredients or stealing from the stash of marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large sweet potatoes, cooked until tender, or 1 29-oz. can of sweet potatoes

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups mini marshmallows

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sweet potatoes, egg, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Empty the mixture into a 2-quart ungreased baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Top with the marshmallows and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie: from http://www.doityourself.com/stry/fallrecipes

A lighter version of the classic pumpkin pie, perfect to serve as dessert on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
- 9-inch graham cracker crust
- 1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh or canned sugar pumpkin
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups non-dairy whipped topping
- 1/4 cup crushed gingersnaps (optional)

Directions:
1. beat pudding and milk in a large bowl until well blended about 2 minutes.
2. blend in pumpkin,cinnamon,and nutmeg.
3. fold in whipped topping,and pecans (optional).
4. spoon into pie crust.
5. chill for 3 hours.
6. sprinkle with gingersnaps if desired before serving.

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APPLE CRISP ( from About.com)

INGREDIENTS:

5 tart (like Granny Smith) apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg,
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup apple cider or juice

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray coat a baking pan ( 9x9). Put half of the apples in pan. Mix everything else except juice or cider. Crumble half the sugar mixture over the apples. Cover with remaining apples and sugar mixture.

Pour juice over top. Bake 35 minutes.

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APPLE YAM CASSEROLE from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

· 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

· 2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

· 1/2 cup water

· 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/2 cup raisins

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 3 slices lemon, thinly sliced

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

2. In the casserole dish, alternately layer the sweet potatoes and apples.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together brown sugar, 1/3 cup water, cinnamon, raisins, butter and salt. Cook 5 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, stir together remaining water and flour. Combine with the brown sugar mixture. Pour over the sweet potatoes and apples. Place the lemon slices on top.

5. Bake covered in the preheated oven 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and apples are tender

CUTE TURKEY PLACE MARKERS

For each turkey you need: two chocolate-striped cookies, one chocolate bon bon, a piece of candy corn and chocolate icing.
Using the icing, attach the cookies to one another at a right angle. Add
the bon bon and hold or prop until they stay together. Then attach a candy corn piece for a beak.
SEE PICTURE AT TOP OF PAGE

The kids in our family crave tradition now and we do too. Sometimes we cling to it. This is a neat way to involve children, to keep hold of the past
while starting new traditions.

It’s irony, that’s what it is. Kids who come from homes where there is drug abuse are used to eating out a lot. And they have lots of “things.”

We’ve seen children placed with us who had no clothing to speak of—a pair of holey socks and some briefs, jeans with more air than fabric, and a dirty tee shirt several sizes too big—but they had a Playstation and two skateboards. When you fix a meal for them, these kids turn up their noses at vegetables and roast. They want burgers and hot dogs, fries and soft drinks.

But that’s what they are used to. I asked a case worker why this was and she told me it’s partly because people who use and sell drugs trade a lot in merchandise and not cash. And they don’t cook in their kitchens—at least not food. They eat out most of the time—when they eat.

Beyonders are used to cooking. We’re the generation who heard so much about the starving kids in India. (“You should be ashamed of yourselves for not eating that. Don’t you know kids in India are starving?). And we equate food with love.

So we want to feed these kids. We want them to eat green beans and lettuce, to drink milk and juice and WATER. (I have a question. Most of the children who come to us from drug-abusive homes don’t drink water. And they don’t bathe in it. So what do you suppose they think it is for? )

How do you get kids to eat foods they may not like?

What can you fix that won’t do you in?

Here are a few ideas, and some great websites to visit.

Casserole

Submitted by: LUNCH*LADY

"A simple meal to whip up in less than an hour that even the kids are sure to love. Layers of seasoned ground beef, corn, tortilla chips and cheese are baked under a layer of Colby cheese. Monterey Jack is also good in place of the Colby cheese."

Original recipe yield: 6 servings.

Prep Time:

15 Minutes

Cook Time:

20 Minutes

Ready In:

35 Minutes

Servings:

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 pound ground beef

· 1 1/2 cups chunky salsa

· 1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

· 3/4 cup creamy salad dressing (e.g. Miracle Whip)

· 1 teaspoon chili powder

· 2 cups crushed tortilla chips

· 2 cups Colby cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. Drain grease. Remove from the heat, and stir the salsa, corn, mayonnaise and chili powder into the beef. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer the ground beef mixture, tortilla chips and cheese twice, ending with cheese on top.

3. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and dish is thoroughly heated.

This recipe is from an awesome site that features hundreds of recipes, gives nutritional information about them, and even calculates the changes needed to customize the recipe for more or less servings. It also gives ideas for full meal offerings with the featured dishes. For more recipes like this, visit:

http://kid.allrecipes.com/directory/2733.asp

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Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Originally submitted by italianclassicscookie and modified by Kaboose.com

Generous scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream are sandwiched between homemade chocolate cookies, warm from the oven, for this melt-in-your-mouth dessert that kids adore.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 quart mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Mix cake mix according to package directions, omitting the eggs. Drop by large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, mixture should be about the consistency of brownie batter.

3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely.

4. To assemble, put a scoop of softened ice cream in the center of a cookie. Top with a similarly-sized cookie, wrap in plastic wrap, and gently press down to flatten out ice cream scoop. Freeze until serving.

Nutrition Facts Servings per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 753cal

Total Fat: 38.6g

Cholesterol: 139mg

Sodium: 850mg

Carbohydrates: 97.3g

Fiber: 2.7g

Protein: 10.4g

Preparation Time: 10
Cooking Time:30
Ready In: 40
Servings: 6

Kaboose.com is a kids site that offers educational games for toddlers to grade schoolers and great tips for parents.

http://www.kaboose.com/food

Quick, Easy -N- Fast Burrito Casserole Recipe

For the filling:
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 1-pound cans black, pinto, or pink beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. tomato sauce
2 t. ground cumin
4 fresh or pickled jalapeño chilies if desired, seeded and chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh coriander if desired

twelve 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas warmed
1 1/2 C. grated Monterey Jack (about 6 oz.)
guacamole and tomato salsa as accompaniments

Make the filling:
In a large heavy skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the beans, and mash about half of them coarse with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, the cumin, the chilies, and salt and black pepper to taste, simmer the mixture, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly, and stir in the coriander.

Working with 1 warmed tortilla at a time and keeping the others covered, spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center of each tortilla and roll the tortillas, enclosing the filling but keeping the ends open. Arrange the burritos, seam sides down, in one layer in a baking dish, sprinkle them with the Monterey Jack, and bake them, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the burritos with the guacamole and the salsa.

Makes 12 burritos, serving 6.

This recipe is from Razzle Dazzle Recipes—the “quick and easy” page at:

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/quickneasy/cass/index.htm