APPLES ARE REALLY GOOD FOR YOU!
Remember the saying…
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? There’s great truth in it. Eating fresh apples is always good for you, but to get the full nutritional benefits associated with eating apples you should eat at least one fresh apple every day or 1 1/2 – 2 cups natural applesauce. The average American eats about 19 pounds of fresh apples a year — about one apple per week.

HEALTH BENEFITS TO YOUR WHOLE BODY!
The disease-fighting profile of apples provides a multitude of health benefits, including a potential decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. Several recent studies suggest apples may provide a “whole-body” health benefit. A number of components in apples, most notably fiber and phytonutrients have been found in studies to lower blood cholesterol and improve bowel function, age-related memory improvement, and may be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma. Preliminary research from Finland indicates diets with the highest intake of apple phytonutrients were associated with a 46 percent reduction in the incidence of lung cancer. Findings indicate that two apples a day or 12 ounces of 100% apple juice reduced the damaging effects of the “bad” LDL cholesterol.

HEY, GIRLFRIEND… APPLES HELP IN WEIGHT LOSS! Apples are a delicious source of dietary fiber, and dietary fiber helps aid digestion and promotes weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, more than most cereals. Also, apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol, so they are a delicious snack and dessert food that’s good for you.

RECIPES
CHEESE & APPLE SPREAD
Cream together:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup salad dressing
Add:
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped apples

Serve with apple wedges, crackers, or party rye slices.

MOLDED APPLE SALAD
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jell-O
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup salad dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 large shredded carrot
1 large apple, cut up
1/2 cup celery

Beat cream and salad dressing in Jello and lemon juice. When cooled, add carrots, apple and celery. Let set.

FROZEN CRANBERRY APPLE SALAD
4 cups raw cranberries (32 oz., or about 2 1/2 (12 oz.) bags)
2 cups raw apples (peeled – about 4 medium size apples)
1 lb. miniature marshmallows
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups cream, whipped

Grind cranberries and apples together. Add marshmallows and sugar. Let set for at least 1 hour or overnight, refrigerated. Mix in nuts and whipped cream. Place in lightly greased muffin tins and freeze. Short on muffin tins? Freeze first batch and transfer to a freezer Ziploc bag. Once frozen, keeps for months. An attractive way to serve on individual salad plates with a lettuce leaf.

APPLESAUCE MEAT BALLS
2 cups corn flakes (not crushed)
2 Tbsp. onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sage
pepper
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
2/3 cup strained applesauce

Mix all ingredients together well. Form into balls and put in an oblong Pyrex (9×13) baking dish. Mix 1 can tomato rice soup with 1/2 can water and pour over meat balls. Bake uncovered in 350° oven for 45-60 minutes, or until done. After 45 minutes, cut a meatball in half and check for doneness (no pink center).

BAKED HAM SLICES WITH APPLES AND RAISINS
2 large slices ham, cut 1/2 inch thick
3 tart apples, sliced into apple rings
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup natural apple or pineapple juice
cornstarch for thickening

Cut ham slices in several places around the outside to prevent curling. Place one slice of ham in baking dish. Cover with apple rings (cut 1/2″ thick.) Fill centers of rings with raisins. Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Cover over slice of ham over the top. Moisten with juice, thickened with a little cornstarch (can add some raisins to this mixture). Bake in 350° oven until apples and ham are done (about 45 minutes.) The remaining liquid can be thickened for a sauce to put over the ham.

ONE PAN APPLESAUCE RAISIN COFFEE CAKE
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup natural applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup oil or pureed prunes (healthier)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins

Mix first 9 ingredients in ungreased 9” square pan. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Top with Streusel Topping (below). Then, bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Topping: 1/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp. Bisquick, 2 Tbsp. margarine (firm), 2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix all until crumbly.

APPLESAUCE BRAN MUFFINS
2 1/2 cups flour
6 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups All-Bran cereal
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil or pureed prunes (healthier)

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in bran. Combine egg and milk, applesauce and oil. Add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring only enough to moisten. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.  Favorite frosting optional.

SWISS APPLE PANCAKES
1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs (or 8 egg whites) well beaten
2 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
3/4 cup applesauce

Sift flour and salt into bowl. Combine milk, eggs, butter and applesauce and add to dry ingredients. Drop onto hot greased griddle and lightly brown on both sides, as for pancakes. Serve with favorite syrup or for a different flavor, try the Apple Syrup below.

APPLE SYRUP
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup apple cider or juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Combine dry ingredients in a 4-cup glass measure. Add apple and lemon juice. Microwave for 3 minutes; stir. Microwave 1 minute; syrup will be boiling. Stir in butter and serve.

CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar (or substitute)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each of: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
1 1/2 cup applesauce
1 square melted chocolate

Cream sugar and shortening and add eggs and chocolate. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with applesauce. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes in 9×13 oblong Pyrex baking dish.

COCONUT APPLE BETTY
6 apples, sliced
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Arrange ingredients in layers in baking dish. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake 40 minutes at 350°. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

APPLE CIDER PIE
Heat 3/4 cup apple cider. Melt 2 Tbsp. red hots in cider. Remove from heat. Stir in one 3-ounce package lemon Jello until dissolved. Add 3/4 cup more apple cider and chill until firm. Whip with electric beater until frothy and about double in volume. Fold in 2 peeled and grated Delicious apples. Fold in 1 cup Cool Whip. Pour into baked crust (or already prepared store-bought crust) and chill for several hours.

APPLE CRISP
3 pounds tart apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Peel, core and chop the apples; toss in a bowl with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add to the apples and toss to combine.

In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats. Cut butter into 8 small pieces, and cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts.

Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread apple mixture in bottom of baking dish then sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of frozen topping, if desired.

SOUR CREAM APPLE IMPOSSIBLE PIE
5 cups sliced, pared apples
1 cup raisins
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup margarine, melted
ground cinnamon

Grease a 10” pie plate. Mix apples, raisins, sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; put in pie plate. Beat all remaining ingredients until smooth (15 seconds in blender on high or 1 minute with hand mixer). Pour over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes until apples are tender and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

SAUSAGE AND APPLES
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. flour
3 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced
4 individual Polish sausages (good: 1 lb. Hillshire Farms) or another favorite, healthy sausage

Combine brown sugar and flour in 2 quart casserole. Add apples and toss to coat. Arrange sausages around outer edge of dish. Cover with wax paper. Microwave on HIGH for 4-8 minutes, or until apples are tender and sausages are heated through, stirring apples and rearranging sausage half the way through. Serves 4.

APPLESAUCE COOKIES (good for diabetics)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup margarine (or pureed prunes)
2 Tbsp. artificial sweetener
2 eggs (or 4 egg whites)
2 cups no-sugar applesauce (or 15 oz. jar)
2/3cup raisins
2 cups All-Bran cereal

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder. Mix margarine, sweetener and eggs until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture and applesauce alternately, mixing well after each addition. Fold in raisins and All-bran. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet; bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

JELLO WALDORF SALAD
3 oz. package raspberry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup diced, peeled apple
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
2 Tbsp. raisins
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Ad cold water and lemon juice: chill until thickened. Stir in apple, celery, raisins and nuts. Pour into bowl or mold. Chill until firm.

RED HOT JELLO
3 oz. box red Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup red hot cinnamon candies
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup natural applesauce

Dissolve Jell-O with 1 cup boiling water and stir well. In separate cup, dissolve the red hots in 1/2 cup boiling water. Remove undissolved particles and pour liquid into Jell-O. Pour into dish or pan. Stir in applesauce. Refrigerate until set. Serves 6.

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Source of Information: http://www.bestapples.com/healthy/index.html