TGIF!

"Eating pears cleans the teeth."
-Korean proverb

Hello! As a SAHM I don't think TGIF really means anything, however any reason to celebrate sounds good to me. Today I have a yummy recipe to share - make it a part of your weekend celebration. A friend of mine recently received a package full of pears and does not know what to do with them, so this post is for her! ENJOY!

"It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption."
-Edward Bunyard


Sauteed Pears w/ Clementines & Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

* 1 cup orange juice
* 1/2 cup real maple syrup
* 4 medium pears, peeled and diced large
* 1 Tbsp non-salted butter
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 3 Clementine tangerines, peeled, divided into segments
* 3 cups small curd cottage cheese
* Mint sprigs

Directions:

1.) Mix orange juice and maple syrup together in medium bowl.
2.) Add pears; toss well with mixture to keep pears from turning brown.
3.) Melt butter in saucepan on medium-high.
4.) Using strainer, drain juice mixture into pan; simmer 5 min to reduce by 1/2.
5.) Stir in cinnamon.
6.) Add drained pears; simmer 5-8 min. (pears should be somewhat soft, not mushy.)
7.) Add in tangerine segments; heat 2-3 min.
8.) Place 2 scoops cottage cheese on each serving plate.
9.) Surround with pear/orange mixture.
10.) Garnish cheese with sprig of mint.

Thought of the Day:

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice."
-Steven D. Woodhull

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

“Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable.”
-G.K. Chesterton


Sangria
Servings: 17

Ingredients:

* 3 bottles Rioja (Spanish red wine)
* 1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
* 1 cup brandy
* 1 cup Triple Sec
* 3 lemons, finely sliced
* 3 limes, finely sliced
* 3 oranges, finely sliced
* 2 pears, finely sliced
* 2 peaches, finely sliced
* Ice
* 1 liter sparkling water

Directions:

1.) Mix wine, limeade, brandy, liqueur, & fruit in large pitcher
2.) Stir well.
3.) Chill at least 2 hours.
4.) Place ice into tall glasses.
5.) Pour sangria over ice, until glass is 4/5 full.
5.) Top off with sparkling water.
6.) Garnish with more fruit.

“Drink nothing without seeing it; sign nothing without reading it”
-Spanish Proverb



Watermelon Martini
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

* cocktail sugar
* 4 oz (1/2 cup) vodka
* 8 oz (1 cup) Watermelon Margarita Mixer
* ice
* 2 watermelon wedges

Equipment Needed:

* 2 margarita glasses (chilled)
* Shallow bowl
* Shaker

Directions:

1.) Pour cocktail sugar into a shallow bowl.
2.) Moisten glass rims with water.
3.) Invert glasses and dip into bowl filled with sugar.
4.) Set glasses to the side.
5.) Add ice to shaker (fill 3/4).
5.) Pour vodka and cocktail mixer over ice in shaker.
6.) Shake vigorously and strain into glasses.
7.) Garnish with fresh watermelon wedge.

Wine is sunlight, held together by water.
-Galileo

Silly Joke of the Day:

What's gray, eats fish, & lives in Washington, D.C.?
......The Presidential Seal.

Have a great day and remember:
Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

"A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting."
-Abraham Maslow

Hello! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I know the weather is warming up, but soup is good year round! Enjoy!

"Anyone who tells a lie has not a pure heart, and cannot make a good soup."
-Ludwig van Beethoven



Squash & Pear Soup

Servings: 9

Ingredients:

* 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
* 1 cup cleaned & chopped sweet onions
* 3 cups cleaned & cut butternut squash, 1/4-inch dice
* 3 medium Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
* 32 oz vegetable stock
* 1 Tbsp minced thyme
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Pumpkin Oil


Equipment needed: Handheld or conventional blender

Directions:

1.) Heat oil on medium-low in large stockpot.
2.) Add onions and squash to pot.
3.) Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 min.
4.) Add pears, stock, and thyme.
5.) Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low.
6.) Simmer about 25 min until squash and pears are tender.
7.) Puree until smooth with blender.
8.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9.) Ladle into warm bowls.
10.) Drizzle with some pumpkin oil prior to serving.

Tip:

For the smoothest consistency, use a conventional blender. Ladle small batches (about 2 cups at a time) into blender, being careful as you handle the hot soup. Puree until smooth. Return soup to pot; reheat on low.

Bad Joke of the Day:

What do you call a chicken in a hot tub? Soup!


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Salivation Sunday!

Hello!

This is a little late - but I guess better late, than never!
Enjoy the sights - please don't drool everywhere!

Have a wonderful day everyone!


Heirloom Michigan Apples



Tree ripened, extra sweet.
These are some of the best apples I have ever eaten!

From: Zingerman's




Royal Riviera® Pears



Very large and juicy!
One pear will feed two people!

From: Harry and David




Scarlet Navels




Sweet, juicy and delicious!
These navel oranges are gorgeous!

From: Florida Orange


Don't forget to get your servings of fruit in today!

Until tomorrow:
Go Ahead and Indulge!