Yellowhead, here is a recipe for Praline Baskets using almonds. No reason why you couldn't substitute pecans. Ann Jim Coleman Recipes Carmel Praline Basket The Ingredients you will need are: 1 lb. Light Brown Sugar 2 1/2 sticks Butter 1 1/2 cup Corn Syrup 1 3/4 cup Flour, bread or all-purpose 1 1/4 cup, untoasted Almonds Melt brown sugar, butter and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and stir in the flour. Continue cooking and stirring approximately 2-3 minutes. Lightly crush untoasted almonds and stir into the mix. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Scoop desired portion size into a parchment lined baking sheet and bake approximately 10-12 minutes or until mix has stopped spreading and is bubbling. Allow to cool slightly and mold over desired shape to form a cup or basket.

Baked Vegetables with Basil Butter 6 cups mixed sliced vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, capsicum, beans, zucchini, broccoli etc) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil 2 tablespoons parsley pinch nutmeg Put vegetables through a processor until fluffy. Cut 6 pieces foil about 30cm square. Place vegetables evenly on each piece and top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons basil butter. Carefully bring up edges of foil and fold into packets securely, but leaving a little air space inside. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes until tender. Basil Beer Bread 3 cups self raising flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves 1 1/2 cups warm beer Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine flour and sugar, stir in the basil, then the beer. Mix thoroughly, then pour into a well-greased loaf tin. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. Slice thinly to serve. It is delicious toasted. Chicken with Basil Sauce 4 kg chicken fillets 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 125g bacon, chopped 90g butter 2 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley. Saute bacon and drain on absorbent paper. Add the bacon to the breadcrumb mix. This is the crumb topping for the chicken. In a pan, melt the butter, then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Mix and heat through. Coat the chicken fillets with the butter mixture by dipping them in the saucepan. Arrange in a shallow, ovenproof dish. Press the bread crumb mixture on top of the chicken pieces. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Basil Sauce: 1/2 cup oil 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/2 cup cream 1 egg yolk 1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped Combine all ingredients except the egg yolk. Stir until heated and then add the egg yolk, stirring until thickened. Do not boil. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken pieces just before serving. Tomato Basil Lasagna 300g no-cook lasagne noodles 2 tablespoons olive oil 500g shredded mozzarella cheese 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained well 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs olive oil Preheat oven to 200°C. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, combine the mozzarella, drained tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and 2/3 cups of the grated Parmesan. Cook several noodles at a time, cooking for 2 minutes. Drain well. Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with noodles and cover with a layer of the mozzarella mixture. Repeat layers until all noodles and filling are used, ending with a layer of pasta. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and a light drizzle of olive oil. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until bubbly and top is golden. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving. Tomato Basil Relish 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1/3 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes Chop the basil finely. Core and dice the tomatoes. Mix together basil, juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and tomatoes in bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with grilled chicken, or grilled vegetables. Basil Dressing 1/2 cup plain yoghurt 3 tablespoons cottage cheese 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh basil 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon herb vinegar salt and black pepper, to taste Place all ingredients except salt and pepper into a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Basil and Tomato Sauce for Pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g tinned chopped tomatoes 240ml water 2 tablespoons sweet sherry 2 tablespoons chopped basil 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon sugar salt and pepper Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, stirring from time to time. Add the tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper and sherry, bring to the boil then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened. Add the herbs, mix well and serve immediately. Basil Cream Sauce for Pasta 2 cups fresh basil leaves 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil 60g pine nuts 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 600ml light cream In a food processor, combine basil and garlic. Begin processing, and pour in olive oil in a thin stream. Process for about 40 seconds, or until mixture begins to emulsify. Add pine nuts and Parmesan, then blend for 1 minute. Heat cream in a saucepan over low heat until simmering. Pour half the hot cream into the processor with basil pesto, and pulse for 20 seconds to incorporate. Pour mixture back into cream, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over pasta.

The site below should be a good guideline. Scroll down for cantaloupe. Here is a link that might be useful: Dehydrating

You can (sorta) "create" low-lactose several ways.... #1. Our adult son and now our granddaughter are both lactose intolerant and have used a low-lactose whey-based milk substitute called Morning Moo's (www.moosmilk.com) for many years. I make homemade pudding mixes with it, use it as a substitute for evaporated milk by making it "double" strength. I use the dry powder in mashed potatoes for really extra fluffy mashed potatoes. I add the powder to potatoes boiled in a small amount of water to make potato soup. I make flavored cocoa mixes using the dry powder and flavored non-dairy creamer powders, but it also comes in a chocolate flavor. This particular whey-based milk substitute has the best flavor of these types of whey-based products - nearly like milk. It's inexpensive per gallon when you purchase it in large bulk quantities (24.25# bucket - or larger). Our son (almost 31) has used a whey-based milk substitute "milk" since he was 4 years old on the advise of a pediatrition. Yes, there is some lactose, but most people who are lactose intolerant can consume low levels of lactose without any problems. #2. Another point to know... There is a percentage of lactose in dairy products (see link below). As a general rule of thumb, the higher the fat content the lower the lactose. The longer a cheese has aged, the lower the lactose. That's why most people who are lactose intolerant don't have any problems with consumption (in low to moderate amounts) of things like butter (0.8-1.0%) or cream. There's very little lactose in it. #3. Fermentation also alters the lactose. I make homemade kefir (using almost any kind of milk), and it reduces the lactose to a very low, very digestible, level. I use homemade kefir as a substitute for buttermilk and use it in our smoothies everyday (along with some kind of 100% fruit juice - 50/50 and other additions like flax meal, etc.). The longer you ferment the kefir, the thicker the curd gets. You can drain the thick curd like you would yogurt for yogurt cheese, and depending on how long it drains, I use it as a substitute for plain yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, and even a cottage cheese type product. Do a Google search for - Dom's Kefir Insite - for more information about kefir. #4. Keep Coffee-Mate Single-Serve Portions (the size used for individual use in coffee/tea) on hand (I can get a box of 50 at Wal-Mart). They are lactose FREE and don't require refrigeration. Perfect for adding to oatmeal - as I found out during a recent ice storm when we were without electricity for an extended period of time. I could make instant oatmeal with water heated on our camp stove, and added the liquid from 2-3 creamers to the oatmeal. You can also mix the powdered non-dairy creamers with water and make "milk" for topping your morning cereal. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Lactose Percentages of Foods