Uses For Leftover Fruit

Those poor, lonely single pieces of fruit that end up left over in the basket...I have one right now. A wilting mango, whose ripeness had peaked a day or two ago. Hate to see them go to waste? Here's a few ideas to use them up:

1. Cut apples or pears into thick slices and saute' with pork chops or chicken and thinly sliced onion.
2. Slice peaches or nectarines, top them with crumbled oatmeal cookies and microwave. Instant fruit crisp!
3. Juice oranges, lemons, tangerines, etc. Add a little bit of sugar to the juice and freeze in ice cube trays. Use the cubes in water or club soda for a tangy kick.
4. Freeze brown bananas (whole, peel on) and use them for muffins, breads or smoothies.
5. Crush kiwis, add olive oil and spices to your liking to make an awesome meat marinade. (Kiwis are a natural meat tenderizer)
6. Dice several lonely fruits, add a spoon full of marmalade or jam and you have a great fruit salsa! Serve with graham crackers, ginger snaps or homemade cinnamon and sugar pita chips.
7. Dice fruit (apples, pears, peaches). Lay out individual uncooked refrigerated crescent rolls (in the triangles). Put a spoonful of the fruit on the triangles, sprinkle with sugar and cinammon and bake according to instructions on cresent roll package. Taste like turnovers!
8. Add fruit to a green salad, along with nuts and cheese. Yummy!
9. Dice apple or pear and add to your favorite chicken salad recipe. Gives it a great new taste!
10. Puree' strawberries or kiwis with a little vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil to make a fruity salad dressing. (Adjust ingredients to your liking)

11. Fruit salad for one or two people!

Whatever you decide, please remember that if the fruit is past the stage that you can eat it, you can still compost it! Waste not, want not!