I love this time of year when the supermarkets bust out the big bins of deliciously fresh apples and fill one after another. Days become shorter, colder and our appetites change as well. We start to crave cozy, heartier, meatier, comfort food recipes, warming to both body and soul. So Smarty Had A Party has prepared a delicious recipe for you - Grilled Apples with Sweet Sausage Stuffing! Enjoy Smarties!

Ingredients:

• 4 large Gala, Rome, or other large baking apples
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons nut liqueur
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 4 small cipollini onions, peeled
• 3 large garlic cloves, skins left on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup walnuts
• 6 ounces loose sweet Italian sausage
• ¼ cup finely chopped celery
• 4 teaspoons poultry rub (recipe below)

Poultry rub

• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon rubbed dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (crushed)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:

Step 1: Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 350ºF

Step 2: Cut the onions in half through their equators, and then toss with the unpeeled garlic and oil in a bowl. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the onions, cut-side down, and the unpeeled garlic directly over the heat until the onions are tender and the garlic is charred in spots, about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Squeeze the garlic from its skins, and then chop along with the onions.

Step 3: Put a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-duty roasting pan directly over the heat. Add the walnuts and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes, shaking occasionally. Remove the walnuts from the pan and chop.

Step 4: Add the sausage to the pan and cook until lightly browned all over, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and set aside. Add the celery to the drippings in the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the onions, garlic, sausage, and the poultry rub and cook for 1 minute. Scrape the stuffing into a bowl.

Step 5: Cut the apples in half crosswise and remove the core from each half with a melon baller. Put the apples, cut-side up, in the skillet or a roasting pan. Fill the center of each half with the sausage mixture. Mix the apple cider, liqueur, vinegar, and sage and pour around and over the apples. Cover the pan with foil and put the pan on the grill away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the apples are tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Step 6: Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle the apples with the cider syrup from the pan and serve.

Complementary Smarty Disposable Party Plasticware:

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Why not toast to guest of honor by serving Kir Royals!? These are made with champagne and a splash of Chambord, a raspberry liquor, with a small lemon peel in a champagne flute. A fruit punch* could be the main drink which guests could serve themselves throughout the event. Smarty champagne glasses that match the punch bowl and cups that could all be displayed together on their own serving cart or table where guests will be gathered for most of the event. To make your guests feel even more pampered, how about adding a coffee and tea buffet, complete with several flavors of teas and coffees; complement them with brown sugar, white sugar cubes, honey, sugar substitute, chocolate shavings, cream, vanilla, lemon wedges - displayed in their own miniature bowls and miniature spoons along with a couple of bottles of Bailey’s Irish Crème and Kahlua on the side. Finish the meal with petit fours and/or cupcakes. Place this buffet in an out of the way area so that people can progress to it later. There are so many ways that you could decorate this party. I was at a wedding recently and they matched the flowers and aspects of the bridal party to the beautiful stained glass in the church. Since then, I have become a big fan of using purple and green together with touches of bright pink. I think these color combinations would look good at springtime brunch events too. On the tables, as well as buffets, you could use Smarty’s beautiful tablecloths and chair covers with the 3-ply napkins. A bouquet of purple and/or pink hydrangeas, lilacs, or even Gerber daisies with a little green foliage in the center of each table would be gorgeous! For the buffet tables, use the same color linens but make the centerpieces about 3 times the size as those on the dining tables. Remember you want the buffet centerpieces to include flowers or plants that contain a “thriller” (tall and showy), a “filler” (such as ferns, baby’s breath, small flowers), and a “spiller” (ivy or other hanging greenery). Some of your favorite soft jazz tunes or piano music playing in the background will complete the event. *A tried and true fruit punch recipe consists of a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale, a liter bottle of cranberry juice cocktail, one frozen concentrated sleeve of limeade and one frozen sleeve of lemonade (both without adding the water). Mix together and serve cold.

Tips for an affordable, late summer wedding

The final weeks of summer are sometimes a popular time for wedding celebrations. This time of year is ideal for outdoor nuptials, because the evenings are still beautiful but the oppressive heat of summer is likely gone. Theme colors are among the most important considerations for these events. According to the news source, spicy shades can especially complement summer ceremonies and their fading daylight. Fuchsia, paprika and goldenrod are examples of rich, seasonal hues. Flowers can also add a creative flourish to any wedding. Take advantage of local gardens or bouquet shops and hang colorful blossoms on tents and tables. They can be freely scattered across surfaces or placed in jars of water. Candles can serve as soft, gentle sources of illumination, or white wire lights, strung from ceilings and railings, can prove to be effective at making a whole tent glow. Surround your wedding cake with blossoms to continue the floral theme. The news source suggests adorning a chocolate cake with candy flowers that match the theme colors of your big day. Be sure to stock up on wedding party supplies and tablecloths, as it's difficult to predict how many dishes and decorations will be needed.