Well I gotta’ tell ya folks.  Candy apples  are my weakness.  Took a long time to come up with a good recipe so thought I would share. Only other tip other than the recipe is when it reaches 300 degrees on the candy thermometer, get to dunking your apples, and make sure you butter your cookie sheet that they will be sitting on.  What a great old way to enjoy Halloween and the kids love them.

Makes 4 good size apples.

2 Cups Of Sugar

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup light or regular corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon red food colouring, (optional) Better than Food Colouring, Buy Bright Red Apples
• 4 medium apples good size apples

Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with butter really good.  In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 cup water, corn syrup, and food coloring, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high. Insert candy thermometer and continue to boil until temperature reaches  300 degrees  (hard crack stage) takes about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, pushing about halfway through; set aside. When mixture reaches temperature, immediately remove from heat. Working quickly, dip apples in sugar mixture until completely coated and then move to  cookie sheet and let cool.  Now the best part comes into play.  A lot of slurping.

When eating any meal, start with the most bland-tasting foods first, and only move to sweeter or more savory foods later in the meal. This is a great way to train yourself to eat less of the more filling sweetened foods and more of the food basics like salads and vegetables which may not taste quite as exciting. Don’t make the mistake of eating a bite of dessert before the meal, because it really does “recalibrate” your taste and make non-sweetened foods seem ho-hum

Food For Thought:

Tuna is one of the most toxic fish that we can eat.

All large fish fall into that TOXIC category! Tuna is one of the larger varieties and lives longer so it has more time to absorb mercury from the over abundant supply in our oceans.  And with all the junk that is in our lakes and oceans today, well lets just say we shouldn’t be eating to much tuna anymore.  No one to blame but ourselves either.

Here is a few places it comes from: Body powders, broken thermometers, burning newspapers and building materials, calomel lotions, cereals, congenital intoxication, cosmetics, dental amalgams, diuretics, fabric softeners, felt, floor waxes, fungicides, germicides, grains, industrial waste, insecticides, laxatives, lumber, manufacture of paper and chlorine, medications, mercurochrome, paints, paper products, pesticides, photoengraving, polluted water, Preparation H, psoriasis ointment, seafoods (especially tuna and swordfish), sewage disposal, skin lightening creams, soft contact lens solution, suppositories, tanning leather, tattooing, (contaminated water), wood preservatives.

Here is what it does to you: Adrenal dysfunction, allergy, alopecia, anorexia, anxiety, birth defects, blushing, brain damage, cataracts, cerebral palsy, poor coordination / jerky movements, deafness, depression, dermatitis, discouragement, dizziness, drowsiness, eczema, emotional disturbances, excess saliva, fatigue, gum bleeding and soreness, headaches (band type), hearing loss, hyperactivity, hypothyroidism, forgetfulness, immune dysfunction, insomnia, irritability, joint pain, kidney damage, loss of self- control, memory loss, mental retardation, metallic taste, migraines, nervousness, nerve fibre degeneration, numbness, pain in limbs, rashes, retinitis, schizophrenia, shyness, speech disorders, suicidal tendencies, tingling, tremors (eyelids, lips, tongue, fingers, extremities), vision loss.

Kind of makes one think huh?

Now is the time to pick them too and so good for ya.

1 3/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1 c White sugar
1 c Raspberries
1 ts Baking soda (dissolved in 1/2 cup milk)
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c Shortening
1 ts Cinnamon  (Optional)

Sift together, flour, salt sugar, cinnamon. Cut in shortening. Then mix in soda, eggs, and raspberries. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 325F. for 1 hour.

For those that can’t afford or get out to buy real maple syrup this spring.  Hers is a substitute.  Myself, I am in the process right now of making real maple syrup.  Tapped a few trees around my property, so shouldn’t be to long before I am having some of my wife’s home made pancakes covered with natures best.

1 c Brown sugar, Best to use raw sugar cane, tastes better and better for you.
1/3 c Water
1/8 ts Salt
1/4 ts Vanilla extract

In saucepan dissolve sugar in water. Add salt and boil for 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix well. Serve warm. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Hm………Good,can’t wait till summer.

2 c Acorn squash (cubed)
2 ts Butter
1 ts Orange rind
1/4 c Orange juice
2 tb Sugar replacement

Cook squash in small amount of boiling water until crisp-tender; drain. Melt butter in saucepan. Add orange rind, juice and sugar replacement. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add squash; cover. Continue cooking until squash is tender.

2 tb Vegetable oil
2 md Onions; minced
2 lg Baking potatoes; cubed
1/2 ts Dried thyme
1/2 c Turkey, fish or vegetable stock
1 lb Cod or haddock fillet
4 c Milk
1/2 ts Salt
Pepper; fresh ground
Paprika for garnish

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and saute for 10 minutes, or until golden but not brown. Add the baking potatoes (cut into 1/4-inch cubes), the dried thyme and the turkey stock. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Add the cod or haddock fillet, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the milk, salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thoroughly hot. Gently flake the fish with a fork into bite-sized pieces, then ladle the chowder into soup bowls. Sprinkle with paprika and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

2 c Sugar
1/4 c Light corn syrup
1/2 c Butter (1 stick) (use real butter only)
2 tb Water
2 tb Vinegar

Combine all ingredients in 2 qt. heavy saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and cook at a medium boil, stirring as needed to control foaming to avoid sticking as mixture thickens. If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off. Cook to the hard crack stage (300 degrees). Remove from heat and let stand 1 minute.

Meanwhile, butter 2 sheets of aluminum foil and place on 2 baking sheets. Quickly drop teaspoonfuls of butterscotch onto foil, making patties about 1″ in diameter. Space them 1/2″ apart. If candy thickens so that it will not drop easily, set pan in hot water until it is again workable. Makes about 6 dozen patties or 1-1/4 pounds of butterscotch.

4 Potatoes, sliced
4 Onions, sliced
4 tb Butter or margarine
10 oz Cheddar cheese, sharp
Salt & pepper to taste

Grease a large square of heavy foil. Arrange sliced potatoes on foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with sliced onions. Add chunks of butter or margarine. Wrap and seal foil. Cook over hot coals on a grill until done (30 or 40 minutes depending on fire). Open foil and add thin-sliced cheddar strips. Cover again and grill for a couple of minutes, until cheddar melts. Only thing left to do is to sit back and enjoy!

2 to 3 lb. chicken wings
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Place chicken in crockpot, then add remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove from crockpot with a slotted spoon and serve with hot Italian or French bread.

Serves 8 to 10.

/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg; mix well.
Beat in molasses. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and
ginger; add to creamed mixture and mix well. (The dough will be very
stiff.) Cover and chills several hours or overnight. On a lightly
floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut into 2-1/4-in.
to 2-1/2-in circles. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves on half of the
circles; top with remaining circles. Pinch edges together to seal.
Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes
or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Combine glaze
ingredients and frost cooled cookies.

So………………. Good To.

5 dried jalapeno peppers
3 onions, chopped
3 tbsp. oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup flour
2 lbs. cubed venison
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs. chopped green chili peppers

Simmer venison in oil for 30 minutes. Place in a crock pot with green chili peppers, onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and water to cover for 3 hours. Thicken the stew with flour, add lemon juice, and cook 15 minutes.

Here are some hints to make your next venison meal as delicious as it
should be:
Older deer will likely be drier and tougher than younger deer.
Cooking methods can be varied accordingly.
You can make almost any meat tender by cooking it in some water over
very-low heat until it is done. High heat toughens meat and may dry
it out.
Soaking meat in salt, vinegar and water for several hours will remove
the gamey taste.
To season venison, various combinations of marjoram, thyme, parsley,
garlic or onions may be used.
Marinades tenderize and enhance — and may disguise – game flavors.
The following can be used as marinades:
1. Vinegar, wine or wine vinegar (to cover a roast or steak.)
2. French or Italian salad dressing.
3. Tomato sauce, undiluted tomato soup, tomato juice (the acid of the
juice has a tenderizing effect on the meat).
4. Pickle, orange, lemon or grapefruit juice. Good hunting and
pleasant eating!

Some Good Tips Here

Bacon- Minimize bacon shrinkage by running bacon under water before
frying.

Beans -A tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a large pot of beans
while soaking them, the ‘flatulence’ caused by the beans is kept to a
minimum.

Boiling eggs- Add a little salt or vinegar to your boiling water when
cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

Boiling Over- Rub butter or margarine on the rim of a pot in which
you cook rice or macaroni and it won’t boil over.

Cakes-A cake will keep longer if you place half an apple in the cake
tin when storing.

Chocolate cake- Make a better chocolate cake by adding a teaspoon of
vinegar to your cake mix.

Corn- Don’t boil corn for more than 3 minutes. Place the corn
directly into boiling water, and do not add salt. You will find the
flavor is much better than cooking for 10 minutes or more. Corn will
never get soft, no matter how long you cook it-it will only lose its
taste.

Descaling fish- Soak fish in salt water before descaling and the
scales will come off easier.

Frozen Vegetables- A quick way to separate frozen vegetables is to
pour boiling water over them through a colander and then add them to
your casserole or pot to finish cooking.

Grating Cheese- To easily shred cheese, let sit in freezer for 30
minutes.

Icing Tips- Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to your icing and the
icing will stay moist and prevent cracking.

Jelly Mold- To easily remove a jelly from the mold, lightly brush
mold with oil before pouring in the mixture.

Meatballs- When making a lot of meatballs a fast and simple method is
to shape the meat mixture into a log and cut off slices. The slices
roll easily into balls.

Pancakes -Adding a little sugar to the batter of pancakes and waffles
will make them brown more quickly.

Pie pastry -For flakier pastry, substitute 1 teaspoon vinegar for 1
teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe.

Ripening Fruits and Vegetables- A lots of fruit and veg found in
supermarkets today look ripe, but are hard as a rock. Put them in a
brown paper bag and hide the bag away in a dark cupboard for a day or
two. Use This is great tip for items such as avocados, bananas, kiwi
fruit, peaches, nectarines, and many more.

Salads -Serve iceberg lettuce wedges instead of torn salad greens to
save time making a salad.

Spaghetti Sauce- Put a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in spaghetti
sauce to remove the acid taste from the tomatoes.

Speedy Sauce- Instant sauces can be easily created by heating a can
of undiluted condensed cream soup (i.e. cream of tomato cream of
mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery, etc.).

Soups -To remove some of the fat in soups by add a lettuce leaf to
the pot. Remove the leaf after fat removal. Place a raw potato in
salty soup. The potato will absorb the extra salt.

Tenderize meat- One to two table spoons of vinegar with your meat
help tenderize it while you are cooking.

Vanilla- Make your own vanilla concentrate by placing 2 split and
chopped vanilla pods in 1 liter of vodka or bourbon. Shaking the
bottle once a day, let sit for 2-3 months, or until desired color.

Vinegar- used as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon to water when
boiling ribs or meat for stews, and even the toughest meat will be so
tender you can cut with fork or will fall off the bone.

Vegetable colour- Add vinegar to the water when boiling vegetables to
retain color.

Wilted vegetables- Perk up wilted vegetables. Soak in 2 cups water, 1
tablespoon vinegar.

Wooden Skewers- When using wooden skewers for kebabs, soak in cold
water for 10-30 minutes to prevent them from burning.

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper, then place in a single layer on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes, then turn and bake another 20 minutes, until soft inside and crisp outside (if you cut the fries very thin, you will want to keep an eye on them to prevent burning). Serve hot.  Regular Potatoes work good too just something about the sweet potato that gets my mouth to watering.  Enjoy

Real Tasty

One can also use a nice roast of venison, even more tasty.

2 lb Chuck roast, boneless; cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 tb Oil
1 large Onion; chopped
4 c Water
1 ts Salt, seasoned
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Salt; optional to 3 ts.
5 md Potatoes; peeled & cut into 1/2″ pieces, to 6 potatoes
5 medium Carrots; cut into 1/4″ slice
1 medim Rutabaga; peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 c Celery; sliced 2/3″ pcs.
1/2 medium Cabbage head; finely sliced
1/3 c Flour
1 c Water, cold
2 tsp Sauce, browning

Place in an  oven over medium-high heat, brown meat in oil. Add onion, water, seasoned salt, pepper and salt if desired; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add the vegetables; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender. Combine flour, cold water and browning sauce. Stir into stew; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Real Good For Ya Too

Also gets one out of the house and into Nature picking the berries.

1 3/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1 c White sugar
1 c Raspberries
1 ts Baking soda (dissolved in 1/2 cup milk)
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c Shortening
1 tsp Cinnamon

Sift together, flour, salt sugar, cinnamon. Cut in shortening. Then mix in soda, eggs, and raspberries. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 325F. for 1 hour. Myself I don’t use  much Cinnamon.

Serving Size : 2 (increase as necessary)
–
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon real butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup blueberries, washed and drained
extra margarine for the pan

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Set the bowl aside. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Crack the egg
into a medium-size bowl, then add the milk and melted butter. Whisk until everything is well mixed. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk again until both mixtures are blended together. Put extra butter in the saucepan and heat it on the stove top on medium heat. It is hot enough when the butter starts to bubble. Use a measuring cup or a small ladle to spoon the batter into the pan to make 4 pancakes. Put some blueberries on top of each pancake or inside. Cook your pancakes on medium heat until small bubbles appear on the top. Use a spatula to lift the edge of the pancakes to see whether they’re light brown on the bottom. When they are, flip them over.
Cook for another few minutes until the pancakes are light brown on the other side. Remove your pancakes and put them on plates.
Enjoy!