Preheat oven to 350. Quarter, core, and thinly slice pears. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and cornstarch and toss gently. Spread slices in an even layer in a shallow 12″ baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Stir brown sugar, oats, oat bran, flour, baking powder and cardamom together in a bowl. Finely chop butter and rub into oat mixture with your fingertips until mixture is crumbly, or process mixture in a food processor until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake until golden and crisp, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm, scooped into bowls and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

1 Onion, minced

Salt

1 Pound hot or sweet italian turkey sausage, casings removed (can use pork drained)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped fine

8 ounces penne

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 5 ounce bag  baby spinach

1 ounce parmeasan grated

Pepper

Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and 1/2  teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat until no longer pint, about 4 minutes

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrent, about 15 seconds.  Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne evenly over the sausage.  Pour the broth and milk over the pasta.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes

Stir in the spinach a handful at a time andd kook until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Stire in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

4 teaspons of vegetable oil

2 Onions, chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, minched

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup apple cider

1 cup pitted prunes

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons minched fresh time or dried

1 lb carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup minced parsley

Dry the roast with paper towels, then season with salt and peper.  Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium high  heat until just smoking.  Brown the roast on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begines to smoke, about 10 minutes.  Add the roast to the slower cooker

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering.  Addd the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook about 15 seconds.  Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.  Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.

Add the broth, cider, prunes, bay leaves and thyme to the slow cooker.  Nestle the carrots inthe the slow cooker around the edges.  Cover and cook on low until the port roast is tender and registers between 165 and 175 degrees about 5-6 hours.

Transfer the port to a carving board and let sit for 5 minutes.  Use a wide spoon to skim off the fat from the surface.  Discard the bay leaves.  Set the slow cooker to high.  Whisk the flour with the cream until smooth, then stire into the slow cooker.  Continue to cook unitl the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15-30 minutes.  Sti in the mustar,l lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Pour 1/2 the sauce on the sliced meat and pass the remaining sause separately.

Preheat oven to 400. Separate biscuits,in half, so you now have 20 biscuits. On round baking stone or cookie sheet, arrange 6 biscuits in a circle with edges touching. Arrange remaining biscuits around outside ring, forming another ring, with edges touching. Gently press biscuits together with fingers to seal, leaving outside edges scalloped for a petal effect. Lightly spray biscuits with olive oil. Press garlic over biscuits, spreading evenly. Sprinkle chopped veggies evenly over biscuits along with basil and oregano. Bake 15 – 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately grate cheese over warm biscuits. To serve, pull biscuits apart.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll sugar cookie dough into a 14″ circle and place on a 15″ round baking stone or round pizza pan. Bake 10 – 15 minutes or until cookie is lightly browned. Let cool 10 minutes, then loosen cookie from pan or stone. Cool completely.

Blend peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread on cooled cookie. Dip apple slices in lemon lime soda to prevent browning. Arrange apple slices on cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Heat caramel topping and drizzle over apples. Cut into slices and serve.

Oh, so GOOD!

Vanilla Wafer Crust

1 3/4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup butter or margarine,melted

In a small bowl, stir together crushed wafers and melted butter. Stir till well combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the ottom and up the sides of a greased 9″ springform pan. Set aside

New York Filling

32 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
5 eggs
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and flour. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in whipping cream, orange peel, lemon peel, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200 and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove the cake from the oven.

Stir together sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread over warm cheesecake.

Return cheesecake to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Do not chill cheesecake

Sour Cream Topping

1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread sour cream mixture over warm cheesecake. Bake at 350 for an additional 15 minutes. Chill, uncovered, overnight. Makes 12 – 18 slices.

Combine sausage, spaghetti sauce and water in a 12″ skillet; simmer for 5 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, add ricotta cheese, chives, oregano and egg; mix well. Set aside. Spread 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 13″ x 9″ baking pan; top with half the noodles. Spread with half the ricotta mixture; sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Pour remaining meat sauce over the top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil; refrigerate overnight.

Uncover dish; bake at 350 for 50 minutes to one hour or until noodles are tender. Cover; let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6 and is EXCELLENT!

30 oz pkg frozen shredded hashbrowns
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1 c sour cream
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c potato chips, crushed
2 to 4 T. butter, melted

Mix hashbrowns, soup, onion, mushrooms, and sour cream together; spread in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Top with cheese; sprinkle with chips. Drizzle butter over top; bake at 350 for 45 minutes to one hour, covering with aluminum boil if chips begin to brown. Serves 8

Everyone will want seconds!

1 box yellow or white cake mix
1 stick butter
1 large can peaches (or any other fruit of your liking)
Cinnamon or cinnamon sugar to taste

Grease 9×13 inch baking pan with butter. Sprinkle 1/2 dry cake mix evenly in pan, pour peaches with syrup on top of cake mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and other half of dry cake mix over peaches. Melt remaining butter and drizzle over top. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350.

Great topped with vanilla ice cream!

Yum!!

1 baked pie shell
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 eggs, separated (beat yolks) (save whites)
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix first 5 ingredients in large saucepan. Scald 2 cups milk in smaller pan and add small amount to dry ingredients in large saucepan and stir to make a smooth paste. Add rest of milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in coconut, sliced bananas, or drained pineapple. Pour mixture into aked pie shell and cool in refrigerator for 1/2 hour before adding meringue topping.

For coconut meringue topping, beat the 2 saved egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Spread on top of pie, sprinkle coconut on top of meringue, then bake at 375 for aout 10 minutes until coconut is toasted.