Butternut Squash Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 apples, diced
6 slices wheat toast, diced
2/3 c. walnuts or pecans
Directions:
1. Microwave squash for 5 minutes.
2. Cut in half, scoop out seeds, and microwave for 5 more minutes.
3. Let sit, cooling in microwave for 5 more minutes.
4. Blend with seasonings.
5. Dice apples & toast & stir in.

Strawberry Pretzel Jello

1st Layer Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. crushed pretzels
1/4 c. sugar (or 2T)
1/2 c. butter (or applesauce)
2nd Layer Ingredients:
1/2 c. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. cool whip (or sour cream + 2T sugar))
3rd Layer Ingredients:
2 c. boiling water
1 large strawberry or raspberry jello package (6 oz)
2 1/2 c. strawberries (fresh, sliced- 1 lb)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Microwave 2 c. water for 3 min and whisk into a bowl with jello.
3. Crush pretzels (I put them in a bag and smash with a rolling pin)
4. Place in a bowl and stir in sugar and butter
5. Press onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan and cook for 10 min. THEN COOL.
6. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar in a bowl.
7. Spread onto cooled pretzel crust... all the way to the edges. REFRIGERATE 30 min.
8. Stir the strawberries into the jello and CAREFULLY spread onto the cream cheese layer.
9. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate 2-4 hours- until jello sets.

Canned Applesauce & Apple Butter

Applesauce

Ingredients:

8 c. apples, peeled and sliced

1/2-1 c. water 

Directions:

1. Boil while peeling another batch

2. Drain and blend with a little sugar 

(1/4 c. per 4 c. blended apples)

3. Clean jars and fill with applesauce. Wipe edges clean.

4. Place lids in hot boiling water, then screw on tight.

5. Process in a hot water bath for 30 min.

(Makes 9 pints)

Apple Butter

Ingredients:

9 quarts of applesauce (fresh or canned)

2 T. cinnamon

1 t. cloves

1/8 t. nutmeg

2 c. sugar (omit if using sweetened applesauce)

Directions:

1. Make applesauce if needed (leave out the sugar)

2. Place 6 quarts of applesauce into a large crock pot

3. Stir in seasonings and place lid on loosely so water can evaporate

 (I used a wooden/metal spoon to make a gap)

4. Heat on low for 10 hours.*

5. Add remaining 3 quarts of applesauce and cook down until thick

(I had to cook mine for 8 more hours until it was thick enough to be a spread)

6. Place into clean pint jars (It makes about 9 pints)

7. Clean rims, place lids in hot boiling water, then place on jars.

8. Screw lids on tightly and process in a hot water bath for 30 min.

*You can place it all in a large stockpot and cook off the water faster instead,

just stir it constantly to pevent burning on the bottom.

Large Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns

(Makes 8 large cinnamon buns)
Dough Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 T. wheat gluten
5 T. powdered milk (1/3 c)
2 1/2 T. sugar
2 1/2 T. canola oil
1 c. wheat flour
1 T. saf instant yeast
1 1/2 t. salt
2 c. wheat flour

Dough Instructions:
(Start 2 hours prior to serving)
1. Beat ingredients up to the yeast and let sit or "sponge" for 5 minutes
2. Knead in remaining ingredients for 7 minutes.
3. Let sit or rise in bulk for 10 minutes. (loosely covered)
4. Roll out into a rectangle on a greased counter top.
5. Spread 1/4c. butter, 1/42 c. brown sugar, 1 T. cinnamon, 1/2 c. raisins, 3/4 c. nuts (opt)
6. Roll into a long bun, then cut into 8 even buns.
7. Grease a 9x13 pan and place 6 rolls in it. Put remaining 2 rolls in a greased bread pan.
8. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
9. Bake at 375* for 14 minutes, or until just brown on top.
10. Stir up topping, then drizzle: 1/2 c. powdered sugar +1 T. milk + 1/4 t. vanilla

(or cream cheese topping: 4oz cream cheese, 2T butter, 1 c. powdered sugar, 1/2t. vanilla)
*You can 3 times this recipe to make 24 rolls= four 9x13 pans, 6 in each
(Each roll is 1 1/2 servings of grain)

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 c. oat flour

1/2 c. oats

1t. Cinnamon

1t. Pumpkin spice

1 t. salt

1t. baking soda

3 T. sugar

1/4 c. chocolate chips    

2 c. pumpkin puree     

4 eggs

½- 1c. Milk (½ c. if homemade, 1 c. if store bought pumpkin)

2t. vanilla

Directions:
1. Stir dry ingredients, then whisk in wet ingredients
2. Pour onto greased skillet (1/4c. batter per pancake)
3. Flip when bubbles form (Makes 24 pancakes)

*To make pumpkin puree, bake a carved pumpkin for 1 hour at 400*.
Scrape off the outer hard orange shell, chop and blend the insides.

Serves 6                    Serves 8
Dry:
2 1/4 c. oat flour        3 c. oat flour
3/4 c. oats                  1 c. oats
2 1/2 t. cinnamon      1T+1t cinnamon
1 1/2 t. salt                 2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking soda    2t. soda
1 1/2 t. ginger             2t. ginger
1/4 t. nutmeg             1/4 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves               1/4 t. cloves
1/4 c. sugar                  6 T. sugar
1/4 c. chocolate chips    1/3 c. choc chips
Wet:
*3 c. pumpkin puree      *4c, pumpkin (1 large can)
6 eggs                          8 eggs
3/4c- 1 1/2 c. milk         1-2c. milk
1 T. vanilla                   1 T. +1t. vanilla

Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Thick Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pie Crust 
Ingredients:
1 c. wheat flour ("white wheat" is preferable for pastries)
1/2 t. salt
2 T. canola or coconut oil
2 T. applesauce (or mashed white beans for a non-sweet pie)
(this is what makes it low-fat. It replaces additional oil)
3-4 T. ice cold water

Thin Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pie Crust 
Ingredients:
3/4 c. wheat flour ("white wheat" is preferable for pastries)
1/4+ 1/8 t. salt
1 1/2 T. canola or coconut oil
1 1/2 T. applesauce (or mashed white beans for a non-sweet pie)
(this is what makes it low-fat. It replaces additional oil)
2-3 T. ice cold water

Directions:
1. Stir flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in oil and applesauce with a fork until flour resembles small peas
3. Stir in ice cold water- start with 3 T. and add an extra tablespoon if needed
(just enough to be able to gather the dough together in a ball without it crumbling apart)
4. Cover with plastic wrap and put in freezer while you make the inside of the pie.
(fridge if it is going to be longer than a half hour)
(*Cooling it is a key step. It helps relax the dough so it is elastic as you roll it out)
5. Roll out on a flowered towel. Push from the center out to the edges.
(This is way easier to transfer than rolling it out on the counter)
6. Transfer/Flip onto a large pie tin.
7. Seal up cracks and cut off extras around the edges.
8. Decorate the edges (press down with a fork or pinch curves with fingers)

2 Wheat/White Flour LowFat Pie Crusts 
Thin:                                 Thick:
3/4 c. white flour              1 c. white flour
3/4 c. wheat flour             1 c. wheat flour
3/4 t. salt                          1 t. salt
1/4 c. oil                          1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. applesauce             1/4 c. applesauce
4.5 T. ice cold water         6.5-7T. ice cold water

4 Thin Crusts for Hosting 
Ingredients:
3 c. wheat flour ("white wheat" is preferable for pastries)
1 1/2 t. salt
6 T. canola or coconut oil
6 T. applesauce (or mashed white beans for a non-sweet pie)
(this is what makes it low-fat. It replaces additional oil)
1/2- 3/4c. ice cold water

Traditional White Flour Pie Crust 
Thin:                                 Thick:
3/4 c. white flour              1 c. white flour
1/4+ 1/8 t. salt                  1/2 t. salt
3 T. shortening                 1/3 c. shortening
(can replace half the shortening with applesauce)
2.5 T. ice cold water         3- 3.5T. ice cold water

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

4 heaping cups of peeled & diced butternut squash

2 c. water

2 t. chicken bouillon

1 ½ c. skim milk

¼ c. greek yogurt

¼ c. wheat flour

1 ½ t. dry mustard

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

1 ½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 box whole wheat macaroni noodles (13.25 oz)

Directions:
1. Boil squash in water and bouillon until soft (15 min)
2. Boil macaroni noodles in a separate pot of water for about 8 min, then drain.
3. Blend squash and water in blender with milk, yogurt, flour, mustard, salt, & pepper
4. Return to pot and heat until thickened.
5. Stir in cheese and cooked macaroni noodles