What to eat when your fridge is filled with nothing but bits of leftovers? Saturday Soup! It's my family's proven forumula for using up lots of bits of leftovers. It's rarely pretty but it's usually surprisingly tasty – and best of all, food waste drops to nil. Thanksgiving leftovers are the best! But if a week’s gone by and your fridge still holds turkey bounty, chances are, everyone’s ready to move on. SATURDAY SOUP is a terrific way to use up leftovers all year round. Make it regularly and you’ll find yourself saving tiny bites of leftovers (sometimes in a designated container in the fridge or freezer) that might otherwise go to waste. As a kid, we threw a batch together for Saturday lunch, cleaning out the fridge before Mom headed to the store to pick up the next week’s groceries. Because the leftovers changed every week, two pots rarely tasted the same, except for being both reliably delicious and completely unrepeatable! ALANNA's TIPS Bacon

Talk about a bowlful of fall color! This healthy, colorful soup is one of my oldest recipes, often made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey but also with the last of a rotisserie chicken, some leftover roasted chicken or, wow, chunks of smoked chicken. And it's extra easy to make, there's no need to even sauté the onion and celery before adding the rest of the ingredients. Just chop 'em up and cook 'em! The results? A very tasty, satisfying soup, a great way to return to "normal eating" after an indulgent holiday. Real Food, Fast from Scratch. Another Quick Supper , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Hearty & Filling. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly.

When picturing a Thanksgiving meal, my mind’s eye moves straight to the pumpkin pie, its crust golden and flaky, the filling tawny orange flecked with spicy brown. But some years, it’s good to part with tradition! Treat your family to this luscious bread pudding, if not for Thanksgiving then before or after. While it’s a bit homely looking, you’ll be licking the dish clean! The original recipe is what makes America obese: the portions were enormous and laden with fat and sugar! Even with half the calories and a third the fat, you’ll find the revised recipe generous and rich. ALANNA's TIPS Use fresh rather than stale bread – it will more easily soak up the pumpkin-infused egg and milk mixture. If the bread is crusty, think about removing the crust before tearing into cubes. For texture contrast, top with a few toasted pecans. If you bake ahead of time, reheat the pudding before serving. The sauce can easily be made in advance, then reheated. If you’ve wanted to expe

Close your eyes and imagine-taste deep-dark decadent chocolate cookies laced with espresso, then imagine-taste deeper, bits of melty chocolate inside . It's a chocolate lover's dream cookie, right? It's also one of my oldest cookie recipes and a "must-make" for a Christmas cookie tray and all the chocolate lovers in your life. If you crave chocolate cookies that are almost like brownie cookies or fudge cookies or flourless chocolate cookies, here you go, get to baking! Super Chocolate-y, Contains Almost 1.5 Pounds of Chocolate! Crackly on Top, Chewy Inside. Delicious with Cold Milk. Freezes Beautifully.

How to make applesauce from scratch, offering control over the apple varieties, the texture, the amount of sweetness (we like it best without added sugar!) and added flavorings like lemon or vanilla. It's plain in appearance but vibrant in flavor. For a festive bright-red homemade applesauce for the holidays? Add cranberries! Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Budget Friendly. Just One Ingredient! Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Easy DIY. No Added Sugar. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free.

For all my fellow molasses lovers, here is an old-fashioned cookie with that classic molasses flavor we adore. It's my forever-favorite recipe for Molasses Cookies, all crinkly and cracked on top. For a real treat? Spread a little Molasses Ice Cream between a couple of Molasses Cookies: instant Molasses Sandwich Cookies! Homemade Old-Fashioned Cookies Made from Scratch. Great for After-School and Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies. Ships Well.

For all my fellow molasses lovers, here is an unexpected but not to be overlooked recipe, a most surprising and alluring no-cook ice cream made with, get this, molasses! It's a big surprise, you'll never once find it in a grocery store! For a real treat? Spread a little Molasses Ice Cream between a couple of old-fashioned Molasses Cookies for instant Molasses Sandwich Cookies! Homemade Ice Cream, an Unusual Flavor Made from Scratch. Just Four Ingredients! Great for After-School and Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies. Pairs Well with Fall Desserts.

What a wonderful way to cook a pork roast! The meat, even an inexpensive cut, is oven-roasted and turns out moist, tender and flavorful. And the sauce – oh, the sauce – is deep and dark and yet slightly sweet, thanks to rich spices, wine and aromatic vegetables. Wonderful with Garlic Mashed Potatoes! Real Food, Fresh & Comforting. Hearty & Filling. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

The recipes: My dog's favorite cookie recipe, All Natural Dog Treats. Plus, just in time for Halloween, "Black Cat Bites" for kids, they masquerade as "Reindeer Rations" at Christmas, "Bunny Pellets" at Easter. Plus, Homemade Fudgesicles, so easy! Let’s be clear: The first recipe is for dogs, not people. Repeat: Dogs. But are they good cookies for dogs? Or are they cookies for good dogs? Both, I’d say, since the good dogs I know chew ‘em up and beg for more. Make up a batch for your favorite canines. Woof! Yummy-woof! Woof! In contrast, Dog Chow for Kids is definitely people food, well, kid food anyway. With just a tad of imagination, it’s amazingly versatile. At Halloween, Dog Chow transforms magically into Black-Cat Bites. At Christmas, surprise, out comes Reindeer Rations. At Easter, whip up a batch of Bunny Pellets. The recipe remains the same. Only the name is changed to entertain the innocent. HOMEMADE FUDGESICLES are de

Two recipes to make good use of the colorful bell peppers that show up in early fall. The first is a quick sauté. The second is a pickle which may be canned or kept for a few weeks as a refrigerator pickle. Both add so much color to a table! COMPLIMENTS! "...it was so good!" ~ Carol The farmers market is bursting with garden produce. There’s no resisting the baskets of sweet peppers in bright summer skins of red, yellow and orange. Here in the Midwest, August and September are when savvy shoppers purchase peppers in the farmers market. They are often smaller and misshapen and the flesh is thinner. But they are often quite inexpensive: I've seen ten for $1. PIED PIPER PICKLES Clean 2-1/2 pounds of red and yellow sweet peppers. Cut each into six pieces. Place in boiling water for three minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups tarragon vinegar, 2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, 2 cloves crushed