Common Cuisine |

• 1 C crushed pretzels
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 C powdered sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz whipped topping
• 1 can pie filling (cherry, blueberry, blackberry, etc)

In 9″ x 13″ pan, combine crushed pretzels, granulated sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into pan to form crust.

In medium bowl, cream together powdered sugar and cream cheese. Fold in whipped topping and spread over crust.

Spread pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving.

Makes 12-24 servings, depending how large you cut the pieces!

Somehow my children fell in love with blueberries. If anything has blueberries associated with it, they will eat it until their lips and fingers are purple-stained for two days.

I think it may have something to do with the sweet love Grammy whispers whenever she serves them up: You know, your eyes are so blue because of all the blueberries you eat!

There is just something special about the love Grammy adds to whatever she bakes.

• 1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 C Sugar
• 3/4 C Brown Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 C Sour Cream
• 1/4 C Milk
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 3 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C frozen blueberries
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 325.

In large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream, milk, and bananas, and make sure batter is well mixed.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture carefully to banana mixture, mixing just enough to moisten all the flour. Carefully stir in blueberries just before pouring into pans, overmixing will turn the entire batter grey.

Pour into 2 greased 9″ loaf pans. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp brown sugar on top of loaves.

Bake 70-80 minutes, checking carefully beginning after 60 minutes. When ready, a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for one hour or until completely cooled. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

This kind of bread loaf freezes really well. Wrap first in plastic wrap, then in foil, then put the wrapped loaf in a Ziploc freezer bag. Thaw on the counter for about an hour before slicing and serving with butter.

This kid-friendly treat is a beautiful jewel on a plate of homemade cookies, and is so full of fruit and nuts it could practically count as a serving of fruit.

• 1 C dried dates
• 1 C golden raisins
• 1/2 C dried cranberries
• 1/2 C dried apricots
• 1 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1/2 C white chocolate chips
• 1/2 C walnut pieces
• Granulated sugar

In a food processor, place dates, raisins, cranberries and apricots. Pulse several times until fruits are well chopped. Add Orange Juice to help with mixing.

Add white chocolate and nuts to mixture. Pulse a few more times until mixture has a slightly chunky consistency.

Roll mixture into 1″ balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar.

Serve in individual candy cups. Makes about 40 sugar plums.

Homemade applesauce is easy, and does not even require a recipe.

To make a lot:
Core and quarter as many apples as you can fit into the biggest pot you have. Skins are ok. Put about ½ cup water in the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about half an hour, until the apples get soft. Then put apples into a food processor or blender in batches until they are all pureed. Sprinkle a little cinnamon, a little less of nutmeg, and then add a couple tablespoons or so of sugar if you think it needs it, to taste. Eat up!

To make a little:
Core and quarter several apples (4 to 8). Core and quarter, don’t peel. Put a little water in the bottom of a medium sized pot. Cover and cook on medium-low for about half an hour, until soft. Puree, add spices as above, and serve warm or chilled.

To make it pink:
After pureeing, put applesauce back into the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in a handful of cinnamon “red-hots” candy pieces. Simmer and stir until candy dissolves into applesauce. No other flavoring needed. Serve warm.

To make it exotic:
When adding spices, stir in about a half-teaspoon of vanilla.

To keep it from getting brown:
Crush a chewable vitamin C tablet, dissolve it in a tablespoon of hot water, and stir it into the sauce.

• 1 loaf raisin cinnamon bread
• 16 oz. bag frozen or enough fresh raspberries to cover first layer of bread
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 C milk
• 1 C plain yogurt
• 8-10 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 1/4 C soft butter
• 1/2 C brown sugar

In a 9″ x 13 ” greased baking dish, place slices of bread to cover bottom. Arrange raspberries in a layer on top of bread. Spread cream cheese on an equal amount of additional bread slices, which will become the top layer. Place bread, cream cheese side down, onto berries. Mix milk, yogurt, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla together and pour over bread mixture so that it covers top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix topping and spread on top of layered french toast. Bake for about 50 minutes. Top will be slightly brown and a little crusty when done. Serve drizzled with raspberry sauce or syrup.

Trifle consists of layering four ingredients, usually into a clear bowl so you can best see the layers: cake, pudding, fruit or candy, and whipped topping. Here are two extremes and a fun variation. Feel free to invent your own combinations!

Just a Trifle

• 1 whole angel food cake
• 1 large package vanilla pudding, including milk to prepare pudding
• 1 package strawberries, sliced and tossed with 2 Tbsp sugar
• 16 oz tub whipped topping

Tear cake into bite-size pieces. Layer half the pieces in a trifle bowl, or other clear serving bowl. Prepare pudding according to package directions and layer half the pudding on top of cake. Layer half the strawberries, followed by half the whipped topping. Repeat layers.

Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Not to be Trifled With

• 1 box devil’s food cake mix, including ingredients to prepare cake
• 1 large package chocolate pudding, including milk to prepare pudding
• 4 Nestle Crunch bars, or Toffee Bars, broken into small bits
• 16 oz tub whipped topping

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Let cool.

Tear cake into bite-size pieces. Layer half the pieces in a trifle bowl, or other clear serving bowl. Prepare pudding according to package directions and layer half the pudding on top of cake. Layer half the strawberries, followed by half the whipped topping. Repeat layers.

Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Dirt (Just for kids)

• 1 box red velvet or chocolate cake mix, including ingredients to prepare cake
• 1 large package chocolate pudding, including milk to prepare pudding
• Gummy Worms
• 16 oz tub whipped topping
• Crushed Oreos

For this cake, make only one set of layers instead of the usual two.

Prepare cake according to package directions and let cool.

Tear cake into bite-size pieces. Layer cake in trifle bowl or other large serving bowl. Intersperse gummy worms throughout the cake layer and on top. Prepare pudding according to package directions, then fold together with whipped topping. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top.

Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition varies slightly between types of apples, but here is a general idea. A one cup serving of raw apple, with skin, contains about 3 grams of fiber and 14 grams of sugars. It has about 10% of your daily vitamin C requirement, as well as small percentages of vitamins A, E, K, B6, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, and Folate.

To get the best nutritional punch out of an apple, leave the skin on. Most of the fiber is in the skin, and about half of the vitamin C lies just beneath the surface. Also, since vitamin C is light and heat sensitive, the best way to protect that nutrient is to eat it raw and unpeeled. And raw apples are so portable! They make a terrific snack because they satisfy your sweet tooth, provide some nutrition, and even leave your mouth feeling fresh afterward.

There are more varieties of apples than you will probably be able to try in your lifetime (like in the thousands). They range in flavor from sweet to tart, and in texture from soft to crisp; and vary in color from green to yellow to red. They ripen at different times of the growing season and vary in their ideal climate requirements.

So how do you choose an apple? One way is to figure out what grows locally, and try those. Local apples are more likely to reach you in peak condition. And it never hurts to support the local economy.

Another way to choose is to just try something different each time and figure out what you like. A few years ago I would have told you that my favorite apple was a golden delicious. But then someone brought me a tart Pink Lady, and now I buy those whenever I can find them. Many people like Gala and Fuji apples for their sweetness, McIntosh for the crunch, and Granny Smith for pie.

The truth is that the best apple for your application is the one you like the best. My Golden Delicious tree showered me with so many apples this year, I am just preserving them and not complaining that they are not the Cortland or McIntosh that I usually prefer.

Good luck in your apple choosing! Any apple is a good one if you eat it.

Sources include:
www.NutritionData.com
University of Illinois Urban Extension
www.AppleJournal.com