Baked Pear Recipe

I stumbled upon this recipe today and it looked so yummy I thought I'd share it with ya'll. I can't wait to try this one!

Baked Pears with Vanilla Yogurt and Granola

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients

• 2 medium pears (Bartlett or D'Anjou pears)
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 (6-ounce) containers low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat granola
• mint leaves, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove core with a melon baller or small spoon. Place pears, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them.

Pour apple juice and water over pears; drizzle with honey. Cover pan loosely with foil and bake about 35 minutes or until tender. While pears are baking, place granola in a shallow baking pan or pie plate and toast in oven 10 minutes; set aside.

When pears are done, pour baking liquid into a small saucepan and reduce over medium heat until about 1/4 cup of syrup remains; set aside to cool.

Line a colander with paper towels and place over bowl to catch drips. Pour yogurt into colander and allow to drain about 30 minutes. Divide yogurt among 4 shallow bowls. Place warm pear half, cut side up, over yogurt. Top with toasted granola and drizzle with syrup. Garnish with a mint leaf, if desired.

Yield: 1/2 pear plus 1/4 of yogurt mixture, per serving

Recipe created by 3-A-Day™ of Dairy

Tools of the Trade

A scrub brush like this one is almost a necessity for any homemaker. It is so useful for cleaning and makes some yucky chores a whole lot easier. I purchased two of these at Wal-Mart (next to the dish detergent) for about $1.80 each and I've used them for cleaning my bathtub and wrap-around, the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and even the motorcycle! It scrubs away the dirt and grime without scratching surfaces (be sure to test it on a small area first just to be safe.) If you're using sponges or rags to do your cleaning now you'll be amazed at how much nicer using a scrub brush is.

Cake Decorating

I made this cake for my in-laws' 30th anniversary. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Frosting roses can be intimidating to try, but they're really quite easy once you get the hang of it. check out the Wilton website for instructions and a video showing how to make these roses.

I was able to make the roses a few days ahead of time and then I froze them until I needed them. It really helps to have a good, thick frosting to work with. This is the recipe I used:

Decorator Frosting

Ingredients
7 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup all-vegetable shortening
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla extract instead)

Instructions

Combine sugar and shortening in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed until ingredients start to come together. Beat in almond extract. Gradually add milk as you increase mixing speed until frosting is smooth and creamy. If necessary, beat in a few more drops of milk until it reaches the desired consistency, which should hold firm but pliable peaks.

I torted both layers and filled them with raspberry jelly. Yum!

Does anyone else have any cake decorating ideas? I'd love to know if someone has had success using fondant.

Removing Stains

Hydrogen peroxide can help remove blood stains. Just pour it on the bloody spot and watch it foam up and remove the stain. Repeat as necessary.

To paraphrase something Jerry Seinfeld said about laundry detergent commercials , "If your shirt is covered with blood I think you've got more to worry about than a couple of stains."