Greetings from the Taste of Home Test Kitchens! Start tomorrow with a hot, hearty breakfast...the easy menu below is sure to satisfy. And if you're trying to "dig up" a few new recipes to add variety to meals, we can help! We also share some time-saving shortcuts, tasty trivia and more. Read on to discover...

2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup unsweetened grapefruit juice
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
apple slices and cinnamon sticks, optional

In a saucepan, combine juices, sugar and allspice; bring to a boil. Serve in mugs. Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
French toast gets special treatment from Edna H. of Hebron, Indiana.

8 slices French bread (1-1/2 inches thick)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 package (8 ounces) brown-and-serve sausage patties, cooked
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Maple syrup, optional

Cut a pocket in the crust of each slice of bread. Butter the inside of pocket. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces; toss with cheese. Stuff into pockets. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar and cinnamon; dip both sides of bread. Cook on a greased hot griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve with syrup if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

SPICED HOT FRUIT
Irene H. of Shenandoah, Iowa shares her recipe for a crowd-pleasing compote that takes advantage of convenient canned fruit.

2 cans (one 20 ounces, one 8 ounces) pineapple chunks
2 cans (15-1/4 ounces each) apricots, drained and quartered
1 can (29 ounces) sliced peaches, drained
1 can (29 ounces) pear halves, drained and quartered
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In an ungreased shallow 3-1/2-qt. baking dish, combine the pineapple, apricots, peaches and pears; set aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger and reserved pineapple juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Pour over fruit. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 10 cups. Nutritional Analysis: One 1/2-cup serving (prepared with margarine) equals 131 calories, 38 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol, 29 gm carbohydrate, 1 gm protein, 2 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fruit, 1/2 fat.

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Shortcuts Worth Sharing

THIS regular feature gives readers a chance to share favorite kitchen tips.

To keep cut apple slices from turning brown, dip them into or sprinkle them with lemon-lime soda. --Melinda L., Raymond, Mississippi

I use kitchen shears to make quick work of many projects. They are great for easily cutting foods like canned fruit and cooked meat for our young children, and they also work well for cutting bread cubes for bread pudding. --Katie F., Alamogordo, New Mexico

For snacks and lunches, I make zucchini bread and other quick breads every week. To save time, I pre-measure four batches of salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and store them in small containers. When I make a loaf, all I need to do is grab a pre-measured mix and add the remaining ingredients. --Kathy S., Huntingtown, Maryland

I can't stir up anything without making a mess, so I set my mixing bowl in the sink. Besides easy cleanup, I get better leverage with the bowl lower than counter level. --Suzi R., Bassett, Nebraska

SWEET POTATOES AU GRATIN
From Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Patti K. writes to recommend this rich sweet potato casserole.

2 large uncooked sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 egg
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch pepper
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a bowl, beat egg. Add cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper; mix well. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups shredded peeled uncooked sweet potatoes
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; blend until smooth. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, apple, pineapple and pecans. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yield: 6-8 servings.

SWEET POTATO TURNOVERS
"My family refused to eat sweet potatoes as a side dish, so I decided to serve them in tempting turnovers," remarks Doreen K. of Roslyn, Pennsylvania.

FILLING:
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (without added milk and butter)
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, allspice and cinnamon
PASTRY:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
5 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Milk and additional sugar

In a large saucepan, combine filling ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat for 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool. For pastry, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide into 12 portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-in. circle. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits in top. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

According to Steve Uelner, Director of WWCT, “You’ll see the ruins of old Panama City, the majestic mountains of El Valle, the rainforest on the edges of Lake Alajuela, and more--including an incredible coast-to-coast crossing of the Panama Canal!”

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Looking for Lighter Fare?

HALLOWEEN goblins will gobble up these yummy molasses cookies from Kim V. of Mendota, Illinois...don't be afraid to enjoy them yourself, because they're low in calories!

LO-CAL MOLASSES COOKIES
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

In a mixing bowl, beat oil, molasses, 1/4 cup sugar and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; add to molasses mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set and surface cracks. Yield: 5 dozen. Nutritional Analysis: One cookie equals 41 calories, 44 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol, 5 gm carbohydrate, 1 gm protein, 2 gm fat. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 starch.