Happy Sunday everyone!   Here are some fabulous recipes you can add to your Thanksgiving menu if you want!  AND I have bolded all the ingredients that you can find at Lapacek's Orchard during our Extended Hours for our last week open of the 2011 Apple Season. 

A Thankgiving Feast using Produce from Lapacek’s Orchard

I’m going to assume you all know how to cook the main portion of your Thankgiving Feast – the Turkey so I’m going to just give you some appetizer, side dish, dessert and drink ideas to help create a meal to remember!   All of these great recipes can be found in our Farm Fresh Recipe Cookbook - stop by the store to get your own copy or you can purchase it from my etsy shop HERE. 

Appetizers
Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Betsy Meeuwsen

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ c. pureed pumpkin
1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pkg. (2 ½ oz) dried beef, finely chopped
1 T. finely chopped onion
celery leaves
crackers and/or raw veggies
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, pumpkin and pineapple.  Stir in cheddar cheese, beef and onion.  Shape into a ball; place on a serving platter.  Score sides with a knife to resemble a pumpkin and add celery leaves for as tem.  Serve with crackers and/or raw veggies.

Apple Raisin Loaves
Linda Finn
3 eggs
1 ½ c. vegetable oil
1 ½ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
2/3 c. chopped nuts
2/3 c. raisins
2 c. chopped, un-pared apples
Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients alternately with nuts, raisins and apples.  Stir until mixed, do not over beat.  Pour batter into greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350-degrees for 55-60 minutes. 

Side Dish
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Kerry Blondheim

6 acorn squash (about 1 lb each)
1/3 c. Hedmark’s maple syrup
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise.  Discard seeds and membranes.  Cut each half crosswise into 1-inch slices and peel.  Combine syrup, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl, stirring well.  Add squash and toss to coat.  Place squash in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake 25 minutes or until tender, stirring every 10 minutes.  Yields 9 servings. 

Dessert
Kelly’s Favorite Apple Pie
Kim Lapacek

1/3 c. sugar
3 T. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 T. brown sugar
¼ tsp. allspice
6 c. apples - sliced (recommend our Baker's Mix)
1 pkg. Pillsbury rolled pie crust
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch cinnamon

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and allspice together.  Mix in apples until they are evenly covered with dry mixture.  Put the mixture into the Pillsbury crust.  Put second crust on top and pinch sides together.  Cut slits in the top of the pie (I like to make my slits look like a tree).  Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and sugar over the top of the crust.  Bake 50 minutes at 425-degrees.  Cover the edges with foil for the last 10 minutes if top browns too quickly.

Hot Drink
Hot Pirate Cider (must be 21 or older to consume)
Jared Lapacek
1 c. Lapacek’s Apple Cider
1 ½ shot Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 cinnamon stick
Microwave cider in coffee mug on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until steaming. Add liquor.  Serve with a cinnamon stick.  Enjoy!

FINAL WEEK HOURS ***EXTENDED***!
Sun, Nov 20th - 10am to 5pm
Mon, Nov 21st - Wed, Nov 23rd: Noon to 6pm

I'm also going to continue to post great recipe's for your Thanksgiving meal on my blog for the rest of the days leading up to Thanksgiving so be sure to keep an eye on it!

Hope you all have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving if we don't see you at the store before then!