Cranberry Rhubarb Apple Pie

My farm delivery box allows me the liberty to be creative with recipes- it's always fun to think up recipes (outside of soup, pasta or risotto!) with whatever comes in it. This week I received my delivery right before Thanksgiving and even though I was totally inspired, I was also so busy and swamped!  But today inspiration and time were finally on my side!  Mind you that my hubs doesn't like either ingredient in the title aside from "Apple" and "Pie" but I'm going to make him try it out anyways!  I just had my first slice and it was D-lish!



(2) pre-made refrigerated pie crusts- room temp
1 pint of fresh cranberries
1 bunch of rhubarb (approximately 1/4 cup finely chopped)
4 medium apples- preferrable Fuji or other sweet apple- coursely chopped
1 orange- zest and then squeeze the juice and reserve
cinnamon
vanilla
1 c. of splenda or sugar, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 stick of butter

Heat oven to 425.  Coursely chop the cranberries and rhubarb and place in a microwave safe bowl and add enough water to cover.  Add 1/4 cup of sugar or splenda to the mixture, along with 2/3 of the fresh juice.  Microwave on high 5 minutes or until tender.  Set aside to cool.
Place one pie crust in a deep-dish pie plate and form against sides.
Strain cranberry mixture and add apples, mix and then spread into formed pie crust.  Sprinkle with your preferred amount of cinnamon and vanilla. Mix together the remaining sugar and flour and add over filling.  Dot filling with butter and pour remaining orange juice prior to covering with top crust.  Add top crust, pinch edges to seal.  Cut slits into crust and brush with a little melted butter.  Sprinkle with some sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crusts are brown and mixture is bubbly.  Enjoy with some ice cream or fresh whipped cream!

Commentary: What to do with leftover Halloween candy?

http://www.mercurynews.com/los-gatos/ci_16462558?nclick_check=1

Well, this is sure a sweet idea, in more ways than one.




Just as I was getting ready to head to Safeway last weekend to pick up the Halloween candy for the load of trick-of-treaters we expect in our neighborhood on Oct. 31, I checked my e-mail to find a short note from my son's girlfriend, Kelly, wanting all of our leftover candy.



No, Kelly didn't suddenly develop an insatiable sweet tooth. She has a higher purpose.



Kelly is collecting leftover Halloween candy to donate to Operation: Care and Comfort, a local organization dedicated to supporting our troops overseas.



What a great idea, I thought. So I figured that just to be sure we'd have some leftover candy, I'd buy a couple of extra bags.



"Oh, right!" said my wife. "Like you need an excuse to buy more candy."



"No, really," I said. "This sounds like a great cause. We'll give Kelly all of our leftover candy this year."



"Yeah," said Natalie. "Like we ever end up with any extra candy with you in the house."



"OK," I said, "so maybe in the past I've had a couple of pieces of candy when I was passing it out to the kids."



"A couple?" she screeched. "I think 'a couple' means two. You have more like two dozen! If you want to make sure we have some leftovers, you'd better change your 'one for you, one for me' method of handing out the treats."



"Very funny," I said, somewhat offended. "I don't do that "... at least, not anymore. Dr. Oba





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won't let me. He's watching my weight closer than a dog eyeballing a pork chop!"



"Well, if that's the case, you might want to get your weight checked before this weekend," she suggested. "Because with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I think it will be more than just the goose getting fat through the holidays."



"OK, I get it," I said. "We'll just make sure we have candy left after this weekend to give to Kelly to donate to Operation: Care and Comfort. I'm going to get the kinds of candy that she says the soldiers like the best--Twizzlers, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles, Life Savers, Sweet Tarts, lollipops, Tootsie Pops "... "



"Why do I think that you added Tootsie Pops because that's what you like best?" said Natalie.



"No, seriously," I explained. "That's what she said. And they also like chewing and bubble gym, mints and breath strips."



Kelly knows something about this. Her brother served in Iraq and she said, "He loved the care packages he received from friends, family and Operation: Care Comfort."



So Kelly, sweet as the candy she's collecting, said, "I'd like to keep the positive feeling going for the troops serving overseas and I appreciate your help in doing so by donating your goodies."



In addition to the other items, she added, "Bring on the chocolate as it can only be sent October through February due to the extreme heat in the summer months."



Chocolate? Now, giving up our leftover chocolate may be a little more complicated.



"Oh, yeah," said Natalie. "What would Dr. Oba have to say about that?"



You know, she's right. I'll make an appointment to get my weight checked this Friday.



Anyone interested in donating items for our troops, check out the "shopping list" at www.operationcareandcomfort.org/occshoplist/index.html.

Overdosing on Chocolate Bunnies

**Thank you East-ah Bunnie**  (for the 4 pounds of chocolate that you left in your wake!) So, what to do with all of that leftover candy?   Yes, in my household (so far) there is leftover candy (grandma gave BabyK a bunny the same size as her- and I think weighs as much too!)

• 1 Peep + a choice bunny part + 2 crunchy graham crackers = mmmm s'mores!
• Put in a resealable bag and crush and add to brownies, cake batter, or cookie dough as an extra "homemade" touch
• Got milk?  Pour melted bunny into your milk for yummy choc-milk or hot cocoa, or even your morning java jolt
• Random mini bunnies make for a great cordial- cut of the tip of the ear(s), pour in a shot of your fave liquor and make a toast to EB Bunny
• Melt down the chocolate in a double boiler and use for:
• chocolate covered strawberries (they're in season right now!)
• chocolate covered Peeps (umm, I like those nasty marshmallow-y things!)
• chocolate covered pretzels (heck, sprinkle these with any other leftover candy- perfect salty/ sweet snack!)
• dip plastic spoons into melted chocolate, wrap with plastic and save for your morning mochas! 
• 're-purpose' your chocolate and pour into plastic candy molds and 're-gift!'
• Fondue- who says you can't have chocolate for dinner (forget the cheese!)
• ice cream topping
• ... need I go on?  What DOESN'T chocolate go yummy with?

I was thinking that I should do an entry for the leftover eggs, but that's so not as much fun!  Besides, the picture of the cute baby and two dozen eggs isn't as cute as the one above!

Enjoy your chocolate!

Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

2- 16 oz (450 g) sourdough bread rounds (about 6-in./15-cm diameter), divided
Vegetable oil
4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1 can (14 oz or 398 mL) artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 1.4-oz (40-g) envelope or one 1.8-oz (51-g) box (2 envelopes) vegetable soup mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 lemon
8 oz (250 g) sour cream
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Using Color Coated Bread Knife, slice off top of one bread round to create a lid; set lid aside. Carefully remove center of bread round to form a 4 1/2-inch-wide (12-cm) and 2-inch-deep (5-cm) well for dip. Slice center of first and entire second bread round into 1-in. (2.5-cm) cubes. Place bread bowl on center of Large Round Stone with Handles. Arrange bread cubes around bowl; spray with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer.


In Classic Batter Bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth using Stainless Whisk. Add milk to cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Chop artichokes using Food Chopper. Add artichokes, soup mix and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to batter bowl; mix well using Small Mix 'N Scraper®. Microwave on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until hot (do not boil). Juice lemon using Juicer to measure 2 tbsp (30 mL) juice. Stir juice and sour cream into artichoke mixture; pour into bread bowl.


If desired, grate Parmesan cheese over bread bowl and bread cubes using Rotary Grater. Lean lid against bread bowl. Bake 13-15 minutes or until bread cubes and top of dip are golden brown. Remove from oven; serve immediately.


Yield: 12 servings (about 2 cups/500 mL dip)


Nutrients per serving: (about 2 tbsp dip/30 mL and 4 bread cubes): Calories 220, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 7 g, Sodium 610 mg, Fiber 2 g


Cook's Tip: To soften cream cheese, microwave on HIGH 15-30 seconds or until very soft. Whisk until smooth.

Chilaquiles with Homemade Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

12 tomatillos, husks removed and washed

8 serrano chilies, stemmed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 large white onion

1/2 cup chopped epazote or cilantro

Salt to taste

Chilaquiles and Toppings

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

6 cups tortilla chips

2 cups cooked shredded chicken (optional)

1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

4 ounces queso fresco or feta cheese, grated

For salsa verde, cut tomatillos in half using Utility Knife. Cook tomatillos in (10-in.) Skillet over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until blackened around edges. Add serranos and garlic; cook 6-8 minutes or until caramelized. Remove Skillet from heat; cool slightly. Meanwhile, finely chop onion and epazote using Food Chopper.

Finely chop tomatillo mixture using Food Chopper. Combine tomatillo mixture, onion, epazote and salt in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well using Mix ‘N Scraper®. To make chilaquiles, place salsa verde and chicken broth into Skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring with Nylon Spoon. Reduce heat and simmer 5-8 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add tortilla chips. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes or until chips are slightly softened.

Divide chilaquiles evenly among serving dishes; top with chicken, if desired, and sour cream. Grate queso fresco over chilaquiles using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 270, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 580 mg, Fiber 4 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 4 cups of your favorite store-bought salsa verde can be substituted for the homemade salsa verde.