Holiday Fruit Salad

6 - 8 apples
6 oranges
1 lb. grapes
3 - 4 cans fruit cocktail (store brand as good as brand-name)
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
optional:  coconut, pecans

      Peel fruit and chop into small pieces.  Cut oranges over apples so juice from oranges will stop apples from turning dark.  Pour fruit cocktail over fruit.  Drain juice from fruit into saucepan.  Add sugar and egg yolks.  Blend well.  Cook about 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.  Cool.  Pour over fruit.  Cover, refrigerate.  Will keep a week.  Make at least 24 hours ahead, so flavors can marry.  Coconut and pecans. 

Note:  Fruit salad will not last as long in refrigerator if bananas are used.

French Toast Casserole

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups corn syrup
1 loaf French bread, sliced
5 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
garnish: confectioners' sugar, maple syrup
Can add 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans to ours)    
        

 Heat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).  Melt brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat; pour into a greased 13x9" baking pan.  Arrange bread slices over mixture and set aside.  Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla; pour over bread, coating all slices.  Cover, refrigerate overnight.  Uncover, bake 30 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar; serve with warm syrup.  Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Italian Sausage Soup

2 lb. hot or mild bulk Italian sausage
3 carrots (12 oz.) peeled, chopped
1 onion (12 oz.) chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 qt. chicken broth
1 can (29 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained.
1 tbsp. dried basil
2 cups dried shell shaped pasta
4 qt. baby spinach
to taste: salt, pepper
1 cup grated parmesan 

      Brown sausage in an 8 - 10-qt. pan over medium-high heat.  Discard all but 1 tbsp. fat.  Add carrots and onion to pan.  Sauté until onions are limp.  Add garlic, sauté briefly.  Add broth, tomatoes and simmer until carrots are no longer crunchy.  Add beans, basil and pasta.  Simmer, covered, until pasta is al dente.  Stir in spinach and cook just until wilted.  Add salt and pepper.  Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.  Makes 12 servings.

Microwave Peanut Brittle Made At Home

 

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup salted nuts (can use any variety nut from almond to ??)
1 tsp. baking soda

      In a 1-1/2 qt. glass casserole, stir sugar and syrup.  Microwave on High 4 minutes.  Remove from microwave, stir in nuts.  Return to microwave 3 - 5 minutes, until light golden brown.  Remove from microwave, add butter (or margarine), vanilla to hot syrup and nut mixture.  Mix well.  Return to microwave 1 - 2 minutes.  Nuts will be lightly brown, syrup will be extremely hot.  Remove from microwave, add baking soda, gently stir until light and foamy.  Pour mixture onto a well-buttered cookie sheet.  Smooth and pull out to sides of pan as best you can.  Cool 30 - 60 minutes.  Break into bite-size pieces, store in air-tight container.  Do not double!