It's apple season, what about canning a batch of applesauce to share? Lot's of apple ideas around...

Nancy

Nancy, I was thinking the same thing. We just made and froze a batch of this:

HOLIDAY APPLESAUCE

4 lb. sweet apples (Red or Golden Delicious, Empire, Winesap, etc.), cut into chunks (don�t peel or core)
3 cups cranberries (12 oz.)
1 cup unsweetened apple cider
Two 3-inch strips lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

In covered pot, simmer apples, cranberries, cider and lemon peel, stirring occasionally, for 1/2 hour or more, until apples are very tender. Add sugar and cinnamon. Simmer, covered 10 minutes. Discard zest. Pass mixture through a food mill. Add honey, sugar, or brown sugar to taste. Makes about 2 quarts. Can be frozen.

If she'll have her own place, you could make a variety of things for the freezer.

Home made soups or chili.
Pumpkin muffins.
Granola.

Put them all in a basket or colander with a big bow!!

Deanna

Use those habs in this hot cranberry raspberry jam....

Hot raspberry jam
2 large packages of frozen raspberries (cost about $4 each)
1 10 oz bag cranberries ( rinsed and picked over)
6 1/2 cups of sugar
5 or 6 habanero peppers�seeds and ribs removed
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 pouch of Certo

Put raspberries and cranberries and sugar into large pot start to cook. Put the habaneros and the vinegar into a blender and process about 30 seconds until the peppers are thoroughly mixed with the vinegar and no pieces remain.pour into the cooking pot.
Cook at a slow boil until all berries have popped stir often. Turn heat up until jelly comes to a hard foaming boil and add the pouch of Certo.boil hard for 1 1/2 minutes after mixture comes to a hard boil again.
Pour into sterile jars and either immediately seal with paraffin or BWB for 5 minutes.

My first thoughts were cookies or brownies. There's a cookie or brownie for everyone!

How about some jellies & jams with scones?

Lyra:

If she is Greek, maybe you could impress her by making,
" Soulvaki ".
If she is not, make it anyway.

Or you can make a simple " Apple Upside Down Cake "

Being apple season and all that.

Both are easy. If you want the recipes let me know.

LOU

How about homemade spiced nuts?! I tried a couple diff recipes I found on-line last year and they were a huge hit with my friends. Unfortunately I don't have those links anymore. I recall their favorite being more 'savory' -- I think it had garam masala and cayenne pepper in it. :)

Or homemade marshmallows?! :) That's still on my "to try" list. lol.

Ha! I had emailed the recipe and my notes to someone and found it:

Toasted Spiced Cashews

4 cups unsalted cashews (about 1-1/4 lb.)
1 large egg white, beaten slightly
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp. garam masala
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325ðF.

In a large bowl, toss the cashews with the egg white, coating the nuts evenly. Add the sugar, garam masala, salt, and cayenne. Toss again to combine.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet and roast, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes and breaking up clumps if they form, until nicely browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Break up any clumps again while the nuts are still warm. When the nuts have cooled, put them in a serving bowl, and cover if making ahead. Makes 4 cups.

MY NOTES: I used salted cashews, so skipped the additional salt. My garam masala is hot, so I only used an additional 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. I frothed the eggwhite with a fork, added the spices to mix well, then dumped in a bunch of (unmeasured) nuts and mixed to coat. Poured it out onto aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and proceeded from there. The texture was perfect... crunchy, slightly sweet, and slightly spicy. We couldn't stop eating it!!!!!!

ruthanna's Holiday applesauce sounds like my apple cranberry chutney...great as a gift.
Use it on pork, chicken and even turkey; although it's really taste right out of the jar. LOL

Linda

Since you say you're making something pumpkin, I have to imagine that pumpkin recipes would be ok? From last year (do you want any recipes):

Pumpkin Swiss Roll
Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Squares
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese
Pecan Pumpkin Dessert by Sue Williams

Pumpkin Ravioli with Hazelnut and Sage Sauce
Spicy Sausage and Pumpkin (Winter) Soup

Although I have never made my own, I'd like to try someday. How about homemade pastas?

Or a variety of soups for her freezer.

Do you grow any herbs? A nice jar of dried herbs or a dried herb mix would be good.

Or some potted herbs that she could harvest fresh throughout the winter.

Homemade caramels?

Sorry...I have reached the limits of my brainstorm!

Linda

About time I had a new potted Rosemary plant. I like that idea. Have to buy some seed and start one for both of us. Probably not enough natural light to do that until February.

While I had lots of pumpkin vine only one pumpkin grew. Either something was eating the flowers or there was no pollinator for them. Certainly try again this year so I may be able to do more of the pumpkin things next fall.

I've done the brownies! That can be repeated anytime.

Be awhile before I do anything fancy. Work looks to have me on 7 day work weeks for a couple months just to deal with a current order. On the forum right now because I can't sleep... broke something in my shoulder and waiting for the pain killers to kick in before attempting a couple more hours sleep. Cold, windy, rainy day making me feel much older then I am.

I appreciate all ideas. I may come back to them or they may spark something else. Probably make chili but few eat my habenera laced bowl of fire... that and I'm using cow hearts that I get free for meat.

: )
lyra