A special make-ahead breakfast for Christmas morning. Thick slices of panettone or another bread are soaked overnight in eggnog, then buttered and baked, sprinkled with powder sugar and then, spooned with a delicious apple and cranberry sauce. One year, an Italian fruit bread called panettone [pan-uh-TOH-nee] appeared beneath the Christmas tree. Ever since, it’s been an essential holiday ingredient. Panettone makes lovely toast, lightly textured and barely sweet. It has replaced lady fingers in our Christmas trifle. Last year, we made Eggnog French Toast on Christmas morning and this year, by popular demand, it will return, the new family tradition. Panettone comes in large festive boxes and is easy to find before Christmas, if you look. The Italian groceries on The Hill sell panettone and I’ve also seen it in local groceries and even stores like Home Goods, World Market and Trader Joe’s. UPDATE Use panettone to make Christmas Trifle too! APPLE CRANBERRY COMPOT

Festive-red cinnamon apples. Simple to make, easy to serve. Perfect for a light holiday dessert. How old is this recipe? Well, let’s just say it came from Gov, who next year will attend his 70th high class reunion. But then again, Gov got the recipe from Mae, his own mother! Here’s what Gov wrote when he shared the recipe. “The red cinnamon apples were a family favorite and Mom always had them at Christmas. My wife and I follow the tradition and often make them for our own family. Of course, they can be improved with a dollop of whipped cream on each apples. Sprinkles of red and green sugar also add a festive touch!” Thank you, Gov and Wilma! Your mother’s cinnamon apples are so simple to make and the color so festive. Let’s hope her tradition is passed onto many families, thanks to sharing her recipe! Cinnamon apples are as healthful as dessert can get. The apples are poached in a syrup of cinnamon candies, sugar (or a sugar substitute like Splenda) and water. But only a

The Quaker Oats easy meatloaf recipe made with lean, low-cholesterol, protein-rich ground elk meat and heart-healthy whole-grain rolled oats, topped with a tomato-onion sauce. No bread crumbs! No elk? No problem. :-) Make this meatloaf without elk by substituting ground beef, venison, bison and even turkey. Meatloaf Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fresh & Comforting. Weeknight Easy. Weight Watchers Friendly. High Protein. Naturally Gluten Free. Great for Meal Prep, Especially for Meatloaf Sandwiches.

A special pie perfect for fall and Thanksgiving tables. It's a "two-fer", that is, two pies in one. It's a combination of both pumpkin pie and pecan pie, in separate but somehow almost-melded layers. Dare I say, this is one spectacular pie? And yet, it's super-simple to make, including a No-Roll Oatmeal-Cookie Crust. Two Thanksgiving Favorites in One Pie. Pumpkin Pie, Made from Scratch & Pecan Pie, Made from Scratch, Just Together. Way Less Sweet Than Typical Pecan Pie. Budget Friendly. Party & Travel Friendly.

The Recipe: Cheesecake bars with four pretty layers, one cheesecake, one pumpkin and one whipped cream, all atop a graham cracker crust. Positively addictive! COMPLIMENTS! "It's very yummy." ~ Anonymous "... now a family favourite." ~ Anonymous "Made for Canadian Thanksgiving dessert four years in a row." ~ Michelle Oh dear, this is gonna date me. Who else remembers that layered concoction of pudding mix, cream cheese and Cool Whip? As a teenager in the 1970s, it felt naughty to call it "sex in a pan" cake and "better than sex" cake. Even the more polite "Robert Redford in a Pan" warranted a titter or two. The cake was a favorite at church suppers – take that, church elders! – and neighborhood potlucks. Well, this is the very same cake, just gussied up a bit with fresh ingredients. It’s not complicated to make but does have several moving parts. Diet alert: it’s positively addictive. The recipe