Welcome to our annual food edition! Our friend and former co-host Lisa Salinger joins us to share in all things delicious. Get ready for fun, laughter, and easy recipes to love both during the holiday season and throughout the year. All recipes can be found below.

First, though, a couple quick event-related announcements. Our phone comparison event is being made available as a download rather than a live event. Registrations were very low, so we made the decision to just put this up as a free download as soon as possible. I'll send an announcement to our free Events mailing list as soon as the audio is available. If you had hoped or intended to join us live, and you had questions, please send them to us via email and we'll do our best to answer in the audio.

And speaking of events, we will be holding our annual open house on Friday, November 24, between 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM eastern time. You must register to join us at the event. To do so, please visit:https://www.mysticaccess.com/openhouse

This is an annual event, and is always so much fun. Feel free to come for 20 minutes or stay for the entire time, it's all up to you. And no, you don't need to talk if you'd rather not. This event is never recorded, and we look forward to it every year.

To make this episode even better, Kesel Wilson, editorial director with National Braille Press comes by the castle to talk about 2023 holiday picks. Is there much better to celebrate all things festive than books and food? We think not!

Hope the start to your holiday festivities is simply wonderful! Now, on to the recipes!

Citrus Rainbow Carrots(Excerpted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/citrus-rainbow-carrots/)Makes6 servingsPrep/Total Time: 25 min.Ingredients2 pounds medium rainbow or regular carrots, diagonally sliced3 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons sugar1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest2 tablespoons orange juice3/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper1/8 teaspoon ground clovesDirections1. Place carrots and enough water to cover in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; return to pan.2. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat until carrots are glazed, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.Test Kitchen TipsRainbow carrots can be deep burgundy, golden yellow, jeweled orange or creamy white in color.Be careful to only zest the outer layer of orange peel. The white part underneath is bitter.One medium orange will yield about 4 teaspoons grated orange zest.Nutrition Facts2/3 cup: 132 calories, 6g fat (4g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 445mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 4g fiber), 2g protein.

Lemony riceOne and 3/4 cups chicken brothor1 3/4 cups of water and two bouillon cubes or the equivalent1/4 cup lemon juice1 cup white rice, not instant or minute rice.Bring the broth and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, turn to low, cover and cook for about 18 minutes. If you normally cook your rice for 22 minutes, cook it for 20 instead. The acid in the lemon juice breaks down the rice a bit, and if you cook it for the normal amount of time, it will be too mushy.

Applesauce Sweet Potatoes(Excerpted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/applesauce-sweet-potatoes/)Makes8 servingsPrep: 15 min.Cook: 4 hoursIngredients3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and sliced1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce2/3 cup packed brown sugar3 tablespoons butter, melted1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 cup glazed pecans, chopped, optionalDirections1. Place sweet potatoes in a 4-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix applesauce, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon; pour over potatoes.2. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender. If desired, sprinkle with pecans before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon.Nutrition Facts3/4 cup (calculated without pecans): 303 calories,