You will need:
1 can salmon
2 tsps butter
2 tsps flour
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of cayenne
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp parsley
1 egg
Crushed crackers
Olive oil

Instructions:
After removing the skin and bones from the salmon; mash it and mix together with the softened butter, flour, salt, a dash of cayenne, the lemon juice and parsley.  Form into cakes and chill on a plate in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour, but longer if you wish.

When ready to cook, cover the cakes with the well-beaten egg and then coat with crushed cracker crumbs.  Fry in olive oil until brown on both sides.  Do not press down on cakes while frying and flip gently.  Makes 2 salmon cakes.  Serve with a green salad and rice or crusty buns.

Making applesauce and freezing it is a great way to preserve your apples for enjoyment all Winter long as well as into the Spring. This ensures you and your family can continue to receive the goodness of "an apple a day", without resorting to buying apples at the store, when they are out of season and more expensive.

Here are some of the many uses for applesauce:

1. Makes a healthy addition to kids' school lunch boxes
2. Mix into plain or vanilla yogurt for extra flavour
3. Add to the top of oatmeal & sprinkle with cinnamon 
4. Use to make applesauce cake or muffins
5. Add as a yummy side to pork dishes or sausages
6. Warm and pour over vanilla ice cream ​

You will need
(for the salad):
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 cups spinach leaves
2 cups iceberg lettuce
8 cherry tomatoes
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1 cup deli meats (chicken, turkey or ham)

You will need
(for the dressing):
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 glove garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch salt
pinch of crushed red pepper
pinch of dry mustard

You will need:
2 1/2 cups small white beans
1/2 package of bacon
1 can crushed tomatoes (281  oz / 796 ml)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (or 3 tbsp
  dried minced onion)
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup fancy molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

... start around 10 am to have ready in
​time for the evening meal.  ​

Cranberry Apple Chutney
2 medium apples, chopped
1 lemon, peeled and quartered
1 bag (12 oz / 340 g) thawed cranberries
1 cup raisins
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brandy
1 box powdered fruit pectin

How can we apply this axiom to the hunt for Christmas prezzies?  By visiting your local thrift stores of course, but expand that search at this time of year to include Christmas Markets, Craft Sales and Bazaars!  Often the seniors centers and churches have the best sales and selection of vintage items.  Since they are volunteer-run, they usually sell items at a much lower cost than thrift stores, who have to pay their employees; and the hand-crafted items are generally of exceptional quality.

Take a look at who's on your Christmas List

Book lover:
As long as you know the genre they enjoy, you really can't miss by buying 1/2 dozen paperbacks - there is sure to be one they haven't read - and your outlay is low, low, low.  Insert a hand-made bookmark.

Music lover:
There is a huge sub-culture of music lovers returning to vinyl records.  These types of venues often have stacks of old records.  Again, as long as you know their preference, you can pick out several records for just a few dollars - make sure you take a good look at them and avoid any with obvious warps or scratches.  Your audiophile will appreciate the superior sound quality of vinyl records versus digital reproductions and you can't beat the artwork / photography on some of those old album covers.  If they don't fancy the recording, they might find the cover is worth framing - especially if it is kitsch!

Foodie:
Back to the books! Always lots of old cookbooks at your local Christmas Bazaar. Pair one with a vintage Pyrex mixing bowl, a couple of wooden spoons or potholders from the handcrafted aisle, and you'll still come out spending less money than buying some trendy new gadget at your local cooking store.  Or buy a couple of bags of spices that are mentioned in some of the recipes.  Don't forget to take a good look around - sometimes you'll find kitchen items from trends that have come and gone and come back in again.  Like a fondue pot or an ice bucket ... okay, maybe don't buy the fondue pot but try to resist that retro ice bucket - if you can!

Pet Lover:
Look for hand-made catnip bags and doggie "poop bag" carriers.  They are significantly cheaper than those available at the over-priced pet stores that are cashing in on your love of the fur babies!

Ladies:
There is always lots of vintage china at church sales.  Find a pretty teacup and saucer (if you're lucky, a vintage tea strainer/ball) - buy some tea to go with it and you have a wonderful gift.  Don't forget the jewellery!  You might find a wonderful aurora borealis necklace from the 1950s or funky vintage Avon sets from the 1970s.  You'll be amazed at the well-made costume jewellery from the past ... and amazingly low prices too! And so much more unique than purchasing new.  Don't worry about used earrings - just give those posts a good clean with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or even plain old white vinegar! Buy some little organza drawstring bags from the dollar store and you now have beautiful presentation for your jewellery gift or pack up the tea things in a re-usable decorator cardboard box - also at your local dollar store.