Opa's Strawberry, Banana Freezer Punch

5 lg. bananas, pureed
2 (12 oz.) frozen strawberries or 4 c., pureed together
1 (46 oz.) pineapple juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
4 c. sugar
7 c. water

Mix together; freeze. When you take out of freezer, pour 1-2 liter 7-UP over frozen punch and stir together. Delicious! Serves 50.

Comments and adjustments:

1.  It really takes this much sugar. In addition to being a sweetener it keeps the frozen concoction soft. 

2.  Adjust the fruits up or down for your preference. I sometimes toss In a can of crushed pineapple to provide a little more substance to the drink. 

3.  I use a blender for everything. No reason to purree the fruit in advance. No sequence to mixing or assembly. I put some of the juice or water in the blender then one of the fruits. Dump that portion In a large bowl or pot, then put the next couple items in the blender with some liquid, etc. 

4. You can substitute frozen OJ for the lemon juice. 

5.  I typically store this in freezer ziplocks. 

6.  For beverage, Sprite 7 Up and ginger ale all taste good. 

Sausage, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing

1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread

3 3/4 cups cubed white bread

1 pound ground turkey sausage

1 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped

3/4 cup Crasins

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup turkey stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1.            Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.

2.            In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

3.            Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly.

4.            Bake at 350 until heated through (around 30-40 minutes).  Check frequently to make sure it stays moist (since not baking in turkey you may need to add more stock).  This can also be made in the crockpot—less checking is needed since the crockpot helps retain the moisture.

Hint:  To make ahead, combine all ingredients EXCEPT liquids.  Refrigerate then before baking add butter and stock.  I will often make this using packed stuffing mix (bread only).  Fresh herbs taste best, double amounts if using fresh herbs.

Candy Cache

Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• White Candy Melts® (3 ounces needed per each set)
• Primary Candy Colors Set
• Garden Candy Color Set
• Favorite crisped rice cereal treat recipe
• Cherry Sour Balls
• Candy-coated chocolate candies

Makes:

Each treat serves 1.

Tools:

• Mini Muffin Pan
• Standard muffin pan
• Cooling Grid
• Decorator Brush Set
• White Mini Baking Cups
• White Standard Baking Cups
• Parchment Triangles

Instructions:

Step 1

In advance: Make 1/8 in. thick candy shells in baking cups. You will need 1 mini and 1 standard shell for each treat. Chill until firm, then carefully peel baking cup off candy shell. Level top edge with knife or place on warming plate if necessary.

Step 2

Prepare cereal treats. Shape into small (2 x 1 1/4 in. high) and large (3 1/4 x 1 in. high) mounds for icing tops. Cover with melted white candy. Attach cherry sour to top of small mound and mini candy cup to top of large mound. Let set. Using melted candy in cut parchment bag, pipe swirls; let set. Fill cups with chocolates and stack.

Thanksgiving Oreo Turkeys

7 Candy Corn

2 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies

1 Whopper

1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

1 Tube of black piping gel

1 tube of white icing
1 Yellow and red food coloring

1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 plastic Ziplock bag
1 sharp knife

1 pair of scissors

1 bowl

Prep:Put your Peanut Butter Cups in the fridge to cool. If you have cold hard chocolate to work with it makes it a lot easier.Squeeze some of the white icing into a bowl. This will be your orange. Mix red and yellow food coloring with the icing to create your desired orange. Then put that into a plastic bag and set it aside for later.

Creating:First you will be creating the tail using 1 Oreo cookie and 6 Candy Corns. Gently, with one candy corn pull apart just one side of the Oreo. Don't don't break about the entire thing. Put a good amount of icing in between the two sides. This will help the Candy Corn stay. Place 6 Candy Corn (white side down) in between the cookie. See picture.

Take your white icing and squeeze a generous amount onto the top back of an Oreo cookie. Take the other Oreo and put the bottom into the icing to have it stand up. If it doesn't stand, add more icing! Once you have it stand put it up against something so it doesn't fall until the icing is dry. I use a thick book.

Remove your Peanut Butter Cup from the fridge. Take your knife and cut off the very bottem so you have a flat surface. Put icing on the bottom of it the bigger flat. Bump it up against the bottom and back of your Oreo cookies. See picture.

Next take your Whopper and squeeze more icing on it on one side. Place the whopper on top of the Peanut Butter Cup to make your head.

Find a piece of Candy Corn that has a nice big white end. Using your sharp knife cut the color off leaving you with the white end. Place some icing on it and stick it on your whopper as the beak to your Oreo Turkey. Hold for a moment.

Take your icing and place two white dots as eyes. Get your tube of black piping gel and place a black dot on each eye to make them come alive.

Grab your bag of already created orange. Cut a very small hold in the corner of the bag. Now, pipe feet.

Now you are done! It is that simple!!

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7313404@N06/2056437398/

Thanksgiving Turkeys

These turkeys come from this website.

What you need (for each turkey):

7 Candy Corn
2 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies
1 Whopper
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
1 Tube of black piping gel
1 tube of white icing
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 plastic Ziplock bag
1 sharp knife
1 pair of scissors
1 bowl

Prep:
Put your Peanut Butter Cups in the fridge to cool. If you have cold hard chocolate to work with it makes it a lot easier.

Squeeze some of the white icing into a bowl. This will be your orange. Mix red and yellow food coloring with the icing to create your desired orange. Then put that into a plastic bag and set it aside for later.

Creating:
First you will be creating the tail using 1 Oreo cookie and 6 Candy Corns. Gently, with one candy corn pull apart just one side of the Oreo. Don't don't break about the entire thing. Put a good amount of icing in between the two sides. This will help the Candy Corn stay. Place 6 Candy Corn (white side down) in between the cookie. See picture.

Take your white icing and squeeze a generous amount onto the top back of an Oreo cookie. Take the other Oreo and put the bottom into the icing to have it stand up. If it doesn't stand, add more icing! Once you have it stand put it up against something so it doesn't fall until the icing is dry. I use a thick book.


Remove your Peanut Butter Cup from the fridge. Take your knife and cut off the very bottem so you have a flat surface. Put icing on the bottom of it the bigger flat. Bump it up against the bottom and back of your Oreo cookies. See picture.

Next take your Whopper and squeeze more icing on it on one side. Place the whopper on top of the Peanut Butter Cup to make your head.

Find a piece of Candy Corn that has a nice big white end. Using your sharp knife cut the color off leaving you with the white end. Place some icing on it and stick it on your whopper as the beak to your Oreo Turkey. Hold for a moment.

Take your icing and place two white dots as eyes. Get your tube of black piping gel and place a black dot on each eye to make them come alive.

Grab your bag of already created orange. Cut a very small hold in the corner of the bag. Now, pipe feet.

Now you are done! It is that simple!!