• Place chilled watermelon in blender and blend for several seconds on medium speed.
• Pour watermelon puree into a pitcher. Add frozen orange juice concentrate and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Chill until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, add chilled lemon-lime soda to the watermelon liquid. Pour into champagne glasses and garnish with lemon or lime rings and mint.

To make the filling

• Do this the day before and store in the refrigerator.
• Simmer peaches and water in a small saucepan for 45 minutes to an hour until peaches are soft. Be careful, they tend to stick. Add water if needed. Add the sugar and cook 15 minutes more, stirring often. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight. You will have 2 1/2 cups peaches

To make the dough

• Stir together the flour and salt. Using two forks, cut in the shortening. Add milk and stir. Separate into 8 to 10 portions. Using the extra flour and a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a 6" round. Roll dough as thin as you can without tearing dough.
• If you are using canned biscuits, roll each biscuit on a floured surface or waxed paper. Roll as thin as possible; each round should be about 6 inches across.

To Cook the Jacks:

• Put 2 Tablespoons cooked peaches in the center of the rolled dough. Fold the edges over to make a half circle. Crimp edges with a fork. Trim off excess dough.
• Melt lard in a medium-size frying pan. Grease should be quite hot before you fry jacks. Fry jacks until they are golden in color. Turn and brown the other side. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Continue until all jacks are cooked.
• The sweet, tangy taste of Peach Jacks is a treat. They are good cold but, oh, so good when they are hot. Yum!

• Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer sugar syrup for five minutes, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Stir in the cranberries, grated orange rind and orange juice concentrate. Remove syrup mixture from heat and cool enough so that the mixture can be safely poured into a blender or food processor. Using the chop setting, pulse so that the berries are just slightly chopped.
  
• Allow the mixture to cool.
• Add vodka and stir.
• Pour into a large glass jar, cover and store in a cool, dark place for three weeks, stirring every few days. If this is made during the winter it can be stored in a cool, dark place. If it is made in warm weather, store in the refrigerator.
• After steeping for three weeks, strain the mixture several times using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth until the liquid appears clear red with no berry residue. Reserve the vodka-soaked cranberries for another use.
• Pour liqueur into glass jars. Cover and store both the liqueur and the reserved pulp in the refrigerator. (This reserved pulp is great for other things such as topping ice cream and sorbet)!

• Unwrap Brie and let stand at room temperature for several hours before serving; place in a warm spot so that cheese will be soft.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread slivered almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from oven, cool and reserve.
• To serve, place Brie on a serving plate and pour preserves over the cheese. Preserves will run over the sides and onto the serving dish. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top and serve with plain water crackers like Carr’s.

To make the red sweet potato soup:

• In a medium sized fry pan, heat 2 Tablespoons canola oil. Add ½ cup sliced leeks. Sauté the leeks on medium heat until tender, stirring often. Do not let the leeks brown. Remove from heat.
• Wash and peel the red sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Add the red sweet potatoes to the pan with the leeks. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 can of vegetable broth. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Repeat this procedure with the light-colored sweet potatoes.

• Working in batches of different colors, add the sweet potato and leek mixture to a blender. Add remaining half can of vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon orange zest. Pulse gently to make a puree. Add more vegetable broth as needed to achieve the consistency of thin pancake batter. Optional - For a perfectly smooth soup, run the soup through a kitchen sieve.
• Using two medium-sized saucepans, heat soups, using low heat and stirring often. Add more broth as needed. Gently pour about 1/2 cup of the red sweet potato soup into a wide, flat soup bowl, allowing soup to settle. Gently pour 1/2 cup of the light colored soup into the other side of the soup bowl. Repeat for each serving of soup.
• Garnish with a chive sprig and an edible flower.
• This soup can be made ahead of time. Heat each batch separately before serving. You may have to add more vegetable broth or water because the soup tends to thicken as it cools.
• Serve warm.

• Wash and drain the figs, handling carefully. Remove the stems and cut the figs in half. You should have 4 cups of cut or mashed figs.
• Measure 7 cups sugar into a large mixing bowl. Wash the lemons and grate the peel from two of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from the lemons. You will need a scant 1/2 cup of juice. Check the expiration date on the pectin. Don't use if it is out of date.
• Place figs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and butter into a large cooking pot (at least an 8 quart pot). Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the figs, leaving chunks. Stir and bring this mixture to a full, rolling boil; a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the liquid pectin and return to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for exactly one minute, stirring the entire time.
• Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized jars. Process according to your canning instructions.