Don't let the weather fool you, it's time for fall

A friend of mine sent me this recipe and I thought it sounded good. I remember when we were small children, my grandma made popcorn balls every year for Halloween. She made more than 100 each year, and as children would trick-or-treat, she kept tally marks of how many she had. That was in "the good ole days" when we could give out homemade items to the children and we could take homemade baked goods to school parties.

Caramel Apple Popcorn Balls

1 (3.5-ounce) bag plain or butter-flavored microwave popcorn

2 cups apple-cinnamon-flavored cereal rings

1/2 cup chopped dried apples

1 (14-ounce) package caramels, about 48, unwrapped

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 nontoxic wooden craft sticks

Pop popcorn according to package directions. Carefully open bag and pour 6 cups popcorn into a large bowl; discard unpopped kernels. Enjoy remaining popcorn separately. Add cereal and dried apples to bowl with popcorn. In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the caramels, water and butter, uncovered, on high (100 percent power) for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until melted and smooth, stirring every minute. Mix in the cinnamon, then pour over the popcorn mixture; stir until evenly coated. Let cool for 5 minutes. With lightly buttered hands, shape mixture into balls around each craft stick. Place on lightly buttered wax paper to set and cool.

8 servings

I keep thinking that fall will come eventually. My mind tells me that even though it is still hot outside, it is October and we need to be celebrating fall with apple and pumpkin recipes. Trying to get myself in the mood, I have pulled out some dreaming of fall recipes for you.

Apple Pudding Cake

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

3 cups chopped apples

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream sugar, shortening and eggs; add apples and nuts. Add sifted dry ingredients and spread in 14-by-10-by-2-inch pan; bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool.

Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons margarine

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients; spread on cake. Place under broiler until brown.

Applesauce Doughnuts

1/4 cup shortening

3 cups brown sugar

2 cups applesauce

4 eggs

8 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend shortening and sugar. Stir in applesauce and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into applesauce mixture. Shape by rolling and cutting then deep fry. Remove from grease and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Apples with Maple Cream

4 big cooking apples

1 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 teaspoon flour

1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half

Julienne peel of 1 lemon

Pare apples and core with an apple corer. Combine syrup and water in a saucepan that will just accommodate apples. Boil uncovered for 3 minutes. Add apples. Cover. Simmer until tender, about 3 minutes. Lift apples with slotted spoon into individual dessert dishes. Boil syrup down to 3/4 cup, which takes about 2 minutes. Melt butter in wide 2-quart pan and blend in flour. Blend in cream, then syrup. Boil uncovered until reduced to 1 cup, which takes about 3 minutes. Pour over apples. Serve warm or cool, sprinkled with lemon peel. Note: Use McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Melrose, Winesap, Jonathan, Rome Beauty or other similar apples.

Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

6 pork chops

1 small apple, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 cups bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons melted butter

Have a butcher cut a pocket in each pork chop or carefully do it yourself, making a pocket along the edge of the chop. Mix remaining ingredients. If mixture is too dry, add a small amount of water. Stuff dressing into pork chops using your hands, or by putting it in a plastic bag and snipping the corner to make a filling bag. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Another Apple Stuffing

1/2 cup diced salt pork

5 tart Byrd apples, diced (or substitute Winesap, Stayman, Rome, or other variety)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

Parsley

1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup sugar

Salt and pepper

Fry pork until crisp. Remove pieces. Cook celery, onion and parsley in fat 3 minutes. Remove. Place apples in fat. Sprinkle with sugar, cover and cook slowly until tender. Uncover and cook until glazed. Add crumbs, salt pork, cooked vegetables and seasonings. Good with duck, goose and wild game.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.