Grandparents, parents, and family members of all ages can enjoy the fun of cooking together. These cookbooks, with easy and fun recipes, help make working together in the kitchen go smoothly.

Food, Football, and Fun (Capstone Publishers) offers a collection of more than 70 Sports Illustrated Kids’ football recipes interpreted by Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, Katrina Jorgensen. There are family-friendly instructions for football-themed favorites like Football Bacon Cheeseball, Tangy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas, and Grilled Fruit Ice Cream Sundaes. Vegetarian and lower-fat options are presented with each recipe. The book is great for tailgating parties, Sunday game days, and introducing kids to football and cooking with their parents.

Find kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are quick, fun and simple to make in The Forest Feast for Kids by Erin Gleeson (Abrams Books). The 40 recipes for meals, parties, snacks and beverages, give step-by-step, easy-to-follow visual directions. Also included are an illustrated utensil and technique guide, a glossary of culinary terms, and ideas for crafty table decorations.

In celebrating the flavors of fall, adults might want to sample a 2016 seasonal release, Apple Pie wine from Indiana’s Oliver Winery and Vineyards. For decades Oliver has made apple wine and cider, and since its founding, has been known for wines that capture the flavor of high quality fruit. This new wine is a blend of Midwest apples that varies from batch to batch but generally includes Ida Red, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Empire and Gala. Oliver Apple Pie, made from the juice of freshly pressed apples, features tart, crisp fruit flavors with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Available through November in stores in Connecticut,, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin, as well as at the Oliver Winery Tasting Room in Bloomington, Indiana and online at www.oliverwinery.com.

Peach BBQ Meatballs

(Courtesy of Food, Football, and Fun, Capstone Publishers). Prep time: 45 minutes. Cook Time: 4 hours (inactive – in a slow cooker)

Makes about 25 2-inch meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 & ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons oil

For the sauce:

24-ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

8-ounce jar peach preserves

In the saucepan, combine the barbecue sauce and peach preserves. Over medium heat, stir the sauce until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, pork, eggs, bread crumbs, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mash the mixture with a fork to combine the ingredients. Using the 2-inch scoop, portion out scoops of the meat mixture onto the first baking sheet.

Shape them into balls by rolling them in a circular pattern between your palms.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add a handful of meatballs with about 1 inch
of space between each one. Carefully brown all sides of the meatballs. Use tongs to place them on the second, clean baking sheet. Finish browning the remaining meatballs in batches if necessary. Don’t worry if they aren’t cooked inside. They will finish cooking in the slow cooker.

Turn the slow cooker on low. Place the meatballs in the slow cooker and pour the prepared sauce over them. Stir gently until all the meatballs are coated.
Cook covered for about 4 hours. Stir occasionally.

Place the meatballs on a platter and serve. Poke toothpicks or mini skewers in each one to make them easy to grab.

Pumpkin-Carrot Cupcakes

(Courtesy of Food, Football, and Fun, Capstone Publishers). Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes 12 cupcakes

4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 & ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 medium carrot

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the frosting:

1 8-ounce container cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place 12 cupcake liners in a standard muffin pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to blend for about 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Add the egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and milk, and mix well.

In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.

Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir using the hand mixer set on medium.

Using a box grater, shred the carrot and add to the mixing bowl. If you want to include walnuts, add them to the mixing bowl as well. Stir to combine.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend with the electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.

When the cupcakes are baked, carefully remove them from the muffin tin and allow them to cool completely before frosting. Spread 2 tablespoons of frosting on each cupcake using a spatula. Store in an airtight container until serving.

Complement these cupcakes’ autumn flavors by crumbling ginger snap cookies on top after frosting.

Butternut Quesadillas

(Courtesy of The Forest Feast for Kids, Abrams Books)

Peel, remove seeds, cut into cubes and spread 1 small butternut squash onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until fork tender.

To make 4 quesadillas, you’ll need 8 tortillas. Mash the butternut squash and spread about ½ cup on each of the 4 tortillas, then sprinkle with ½ cup grated cheese and a few thyme leaves.

Top each with another tortilla and pan-fry for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Cut into wedges and enjoy hot!

Ann Hattes has over 25 years experience writing about both travel and food for publications both in the US and internationally. A senior living in Wisconsin, she’s a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the Midwest Travel Writers Association.

Meet Ann