Preheat oven to 425°. In a small bowl, stir together warm water, yeast and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, mix salt and flour with a large spoon. After 5 minutes, stir yeast mix into flour mix. With well-floured hands, shape dough into 6-inch rods, initials, animals or traditional twisted pretzel shapes. Brush them with the beaten egg and place on a greased cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle them with extra salt or cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 12 minutes at 425°.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to combine the shortening, 1 ½ cups sugar and eggs. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. In a separate, small bowl, stir together the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to use later. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about an hour. With well-floured hands, pinch bits of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes at 400°, being careful not to over bake. Makes about five dozen. Store in a covered container.

Put cake mix in a large bowl. Make an indentation in the center and pour in the oil and one egg. Mix using mixer at medium speed, then add the rest of the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add pumpkin, sugar, spices, then water. Bake in greased and floured tube pan in 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Makes a moist and delicious cake—no frosting required.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9”X13” pan, spread sliced apples. Sprinkle with the water and cinnamon. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and margarine with a pastry cutter or fork, until mixture becomes fine crumbs. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°. Cover with foil while warm to soften topping. Makes about eight servings.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients using an electric mixer until well blended and creamy (about 1 minute). Using a tablespoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 9 minutes at 350°. Makes about 4 dozen. Store in a covered container.

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two muffin tins with 24 cupcake papers. In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbs and margarine. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each paper. Press down the mixture firmly with the bottom of a small juice glass. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together egg whites and the salt until the mixture forms soft peaks. Set aside. In a large bowl, use the mixer to beat together the cream cheese, sugar, food coloring, lime juice and flour, until fluffy. Add the yolks until well mixed, then use a spoon to fold in the whites. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the lime mixture into each paper. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool on the counter for 20 minutes, then keep refrigerated. Makes two dozen.

Using cocoa powder instead of melted baking chocolate is one of the secrets to baking soft cookies (another is using shortening instead of margarine or butter). If you’re looking for a change from brownies, this is a great melt-in-your-mouth alternative.In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla, using an electric mixer and beating until smooth. Add eggs and mix until blended. Mix flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder slowly into shortening mixture, using low then medium speed.

Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about three dozen. Store in a covered container to keep the softness.

Wash and drain strawberries. Remove stems and slice. Put lime juice in blender, and then add batches of strawberries, about a half-cup at a time, blending until liquefied. Strain the strawberries through a fine sieve to remove most of the seeds and some pulp. Place back in blender, and blend with the crushed ice. Pour into a 2-liter pitcher and stir in club soda, vanilla syrup and sugar. Serve in six tall glasses with a swish of whipped cream on top.

In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into 8 (3-1/2 oz.) paper cups. Put cups in freezer. When partially frozen, insert a wooden stick in each cup, then continue to freeze until firm. If you have leftovers you can store them in plastic bags.

You can use pureed fresh fruit or frozen fruits instead juice. Use a vessel with a pouring lip to mix the ingredients for this recipe. Combine yogurt, fruit juice concentrate and milk. Pour into popsicle molds or into small paper cups, and insert a popsicle stick in the center of each. Freeze until firm, about 2 - 3 hours. To serve, peel off paper cups.

Prepare the fruit by washing the grapes, washing the apples and cutting them into small squares, peeling the bananas and cutting them into chunks, and cutting the pineapple into chunks, if it's fresh. Put the fruit onto a large plate. Spread coconut onto another large plate. Slide pieces of fruit onto the skewer and design your own kabob by putting as much or as little of whatever fruit you want! Do this until the stick is almost covered from end to end. Hold your kabob at the ends and roll it in the yogurt, so the fruit gets covered. Then roll it in the coconut. Repeat these steps with another skewer. Serves 4.

Note: The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that the fruit is pulled off the kabob to avoid potential bracket and/or wire damage.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix in blueberries. In another bowl, break the egg and use a fork to beat it just a little bit. Then add the milk and vegetable oil, and mix. Add this mixture to the first mixture in the large bowl. Using a mixing spoon, mix about 25 or 30 times. Don't mix too much! Your muffin mixture should be lumpy, not smooth. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with nonstick spray. Spoon in the muffin mix. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for about 20 minutes. When muffins are finished baking, remove from muffin tin and cool them on a wire rack. Enjoy your berry tasty muffins. Serves 12.

Note: The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that you do not bite directly into the muffin, but rather tear it into bite size pieces to avoid potential bracket and/or wire damage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam. Measure out 2 cups of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside. Take the 2 cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan! Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam on top of the mixture in the pan. Spread it evenly all over. Take the mixture that was left in the bowl, and spread it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share! Serves 12.

Note: The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that you do not bite directly into the bar, but rather tear it into bite size pieces to avoid potential bracket and/or wire damage