"I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on the hearth on a winter's evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot....." ~ Mark Twain

Another BITE night! Happily, I was able to make this one. Tierney chose apples as our theme, and aside from a mixup on my part, it was all perfect! My mistake was that I thought that I had side-dish. Actually, I had appetizer! So - we had no appetizer and two side-dishes - no worries!

I knew that I was going to be occupied the few days before (and of) BITE, so I made a soup that could be frozen and reheated right before our dinner. I prepared Apple - Butternut Squash Soup, and it was the perfect "prepare ahead and freeze" dish. I did make a couple of modifications to the recipe. Because of my time crunch, I purchased peeled and chopped squash at the grocery store. Additionally I used apples that I had at home, and since they were small, I threw in an extra one for good measure. At the end of preparing it, I also added some dried sage. I must say that I think it was a good addition. I have had squash and apple soups before, but this one was much more savory, which really appeals to me.

Our second side-dish was prepared by Ellen. Now I confess to not being much of a brussels sprouts fan, but this was truly delicious (I suspect that the pancetta had something to do with winning me over!) Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta was delicious - and beautiful!

Tierney's main dish of Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts was a wonderful departure from the "ho-hum" that I have come to find plain white meat. Cheese and apples - a wonderful combination!

And finally, Chris's dessert - Salted Caramel Apple Crumble - I love salted caramel - love it! And this was just wonderful!

Next month - Italy! And this time I really do have the side-dish!