All-day Apple Butter

5 1/2 pounds apples, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups sugar
2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Place apples in crock pot. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Pour over apples and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. If not freezing, cover and refrigerate.
Yield: 4 pints

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Applesauce Sandwiches

Great for the fall! A slight twist on the ordinary grilled cheese!

1 cup applesauce
8 slices bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Spread applesauce on four slices of bread; top with remaining bread. Lightly butter the outsides of sandwiches. Toast on a hot griddle for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over hot sandwiches. Serve immediately.

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Italian Pineapple Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I use a balsamic style dressing, too)
2 T olive oil
1 can (8 oz.) sliced pineapple, drained
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese or Parmesan cheese, optional

Flatten chicken to 1/2 in. thickness. Pour salad dressing into a shallow bowl; dip chicken in dressing. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add chicken. Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clean when pierced. Remove and keep warm. Add pineapple slices to skillet. Cook for 30 seconds on each side or until lighty browned. Place a slice on each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Sweet and Sour Chicken Casserole

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1 jar (12 oz.) apricot preserves
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Transfer to a greased casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot white rice, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

--Delena
Kansas City, MO

Chicken Marinade

My husband thinks this is especially good on portobello mushrooms.

soy sauce
hot sauce
olive oil
crushed garlic
splash of lemon juice

Combine in gallon ziploc baggie. Add chicken. Marinate overnight. Cook chicken as desired.

--Rae
Leavenworth, KS

Greek Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 packages grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/3 oz. mint
4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbly
1-2 T olive oil

Mix together and serve.

--Rae
Leavenworth, KS

Baked Steak

Very easy!

2 tenderized minute steaks
1/4 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
ground pepper to taste
flour
2-3 T. water
oil or shortening

Dredge steaks in flour and pepper and fry in a small amount of oil or shortening on medium/high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. Fry just long enough to get the steaks browned, then drain on paper towels. Mix the dry onion soup mix, water and can of soup in a covered baking dish. Place the steaks in the baking dish and spoon the soup mixture over them. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Check the steaks after about 30 minutes and adjust water, if needed. If the steaks are small and thin, they are almost done by the time they are fried - it's hard to overcook them so long as you keep the steaks covered in the soup mixture and a tight lid or foil on the dish. I find this to be a very easy main dish to fix with baked potatoes. They will be done at the same time!

This can be prepared on the top of the stove also if you don't want to heat up the oven. Just drain the fat - save the crunchies if you like, cover the pan and simmer on low until you have the rest of the meal prepared. Again, check to see if you need to add any water or adjust the temperature and keep a tight lid on the pan.

This recipe is also easy to adjust the number of servings. Just double or quadruple the number of steaks and onion soup mix. You will probably only need 1 can of soup for up to 4 steaks. You do not need to add salt because there is plenty of salt in the onion soup mix.

--Jeanette
Kingman, KS

Pineapple Whip

1 large pkg. miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 C. milk
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 – No. 2 can crushed pineapple (drained very well)
graham cracker crumbs

Melt marshmallows and milk over low heat. Cool completely. Whip cream and fold into marshmallow mixture. Fold drained pineapple into the mixture. Cover the bottom of a large serving bowl with graham cracker crumbs. Pour the mixture into the bowl gently and sprinkle with more crumbs. Keep refrigerated.

--Jeanette
Kingman, KS

Chicken Nuggets

2 cups crushed sour cream and onion potato chips
1 egg
2 T milk
6 chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crushed chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: can be frozen after baking
--Delena
Kansas City, MO