PEAR WALNUT BREAD WITH QUICK APPLE BUTTER

One of the most enjoyable things we did

while living in Maine, was taking

weekend jaunts around the New England states

seeing the sights, visiting Bread and Breakfast Inns

and photographing seaside towns.

There are hundreds of B&B's all over

this area, and they welcome you to visit and take a tour

of their beautiful homes.

There will often be coffee, tea and breads on

display in the dining rooms and this recipe

comes from Ludlow, Vermont!

The apple butter makes this bread simply divine! 

Pear Walnut Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup coarsely chopped cored pears

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter, gradually beat in sugar, and add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in pears, vanilla, and nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Cool. Slice and serve plain, with Quick Apple Butter or with cream cheese.

Quick Apple Butter

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch each of ginger and cloves

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer 30 minutes.

 Cool and spread on Pear Bread.

PEAR COBBLER ...MISS ROBBIE'S IN THE READING CORNER

My, oh my.....y'all simply must try Miss Robbie's Pear Cobbler recipe!

I have been waiting with bated breath for

the Sweetie Pie's Cookbook

and

I must have been very, very good....

because Santa left this under our tree last year!

Are you a fan of Sweetie Pie's?

I have watched it from the beginning on the O network.

I adore Miss Robbie Montgomery...

she is one tough cookie and her love for soul food

has served many over the years! 

I adore the way they divided the types of recipes

according to her singing days from the past.

Very, very clever! 

Her cookbook is chocked full of delicious recipes

to grace your Southern table.

Now, my Daddy loved, loved, loved

cobblers and I know this one would have 

been one of his favorites!

I did add a "little somethin' somethin'" of my own......

even better! 

It's Sweetie Pie's y'all!

PEAR COBBLER

6 Bosc of Bartlett Pears

1 Granny Smith Apple (Estelle's sweet tip)

4 cups water

11/2 cups, plus 2 T. sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 T. orange zest

2 pie crusts, (I used Pillsbury)

3 T. vanilla

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1 T. flour

2 T. butter, cut into pieces

2 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel, core and quarter the pears (and the apple, if you are adding one). Place in a large saucepan along with 4 cups water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange zest.. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer until mixture becomes syrupy and pears are fork tender. Allow this mixture to cool.

While the pears are cooling, pat one pie crust into a greased 9" x 8" square baking dish. Drain the pears, reserving 1/3 cup of syrup. Discard the cinnamon stick. Stir the vanilla into the reserved syrup. Pour the pears over the pie crust. Pour the syrup over all. Sprinkle with sugar, nutmeg and dot with butter. Sprinkle the flour over the fruit. You can place the entire second crust over the pears or make a lattice topping. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon, sugar and melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

AT HOME WITH ESTELLE and REMEMBERING WINTER AT THE MAINE HOUSE

Every so often,

I like to take a trip down memory lane of life in Maine.

This was a view out of our office upstairs of the early

morning hours one January morning.

The house you see right next door was empty.

The family moved to England shortly after

we had moved in and lived there for two years.

They decided to keep their home as they planned to come back

to Maine after the husband's tenure was up in England.

They came back home every Christmas.

The snowplows came nightly and also around 2 AM and 5 AM.

Those yellow stakes outlined our driveway so Kurt, 

our snowplow guy, could locate the pathway everyday.

Greg and Jenn had never experienced such winter days!

I think he will always be glad he had the experience to snowplow

an icy driveway in the dead of a Maine winter.

That's the darling and Greg at the end of the driveway.

Good lord, how do people survive these long winter months?

This proved to be quite the job! 

This is the entryway to the front door.

Our deer would come up through

the woodlands in the evening.

We left apples and crushed acorns out for them

to help them survive these cold months.

It was my "gift from heaven" when I saw them.....

These were our woodland views from our deck.

I have never seen anything so beautiful and magical

when it snowed right here.

Like a winter wonderland....

but it was also six months of this!

We're glad to be home in Texas, yet so thankful for the experience

of

Maine life! 

Now....a few snippets of what's going on here....

First and foremost....

soft surroundings....

New Lip Color.....

Tropical Coral

Preparing dinner....

freezing individual stuffed peppers from Costco!

These are divine!

Thank you Miss M for the suggestion! 

A new hobby,,,

I joined the bandwagon of coloring for adults...

why didn't I think of this?

It's what's for lunch.....

The new read....

what's on your reading list?

This is what I love about cats...
so very chic without even trying....

What's going on at your house?

ROASTED PEAR AND APPLE SAUCE

I have always been a huge fan of Ina Garten!
When I was in Atlanta visiting
the Divine Miss M, I picked up her latest cookbook,
"Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?"
This book is chocked full of marvelous ideas
and recipes that are simplistic, yet
incredibly delicious!

This is one that I made and was featured
on our Christmas dinner table.
She stated that this is a perfect side dish
with roasted chicken or turkey, but it's also
good served warm with a drizzle of half-and-half
or on a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Divine!

ROASTED PEAR AND APPLE SAUCE
Zest and juice of 2 large navel oranges
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 sweet red apples
7 Bosc pears
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 T. butter
1 t. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg (~Estelle's sweet tip)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon
in a dutch oven. Peel and quarter the apples
and pears and toss them in the juice.
Add the brown sugar, butter and spices.
Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until
the pears and apples are tender.
Mix with a hand blender until portions
of the mixture are smooth, but
at least half of the mixture is still chunky.
Serve warm.

Yoga in a sunbeam

OUR PEAR COBBLER......WRAPPING IT UP!

Here it came......a cold, rainy weekend here in Texas! I think the weather always fits your mood! The grand Christmas celebration was over and it always leaves one feeling a bit tired. But then we replay all those wonderful moments of joy and family smiles in our minds and we are once again, happy and thankful. It's good to have a day of rest and reflection. We watched a few good movies, wrapped in blankets and comfy clothes. We sipped hot apple cider in big white mugs! We talked about what books we were going to read next. I suppose we need to get ready for 2015 (sounds so futuristic to me) and make a vow to ourselves to do better! See that divine Pear Cobbler? It's heaven! I have never made a Pear Cobbler and am ever so glad I did. It's one of those quick and easy basic southern cobbler recipes, so it will take no time at all to prepare. But first....here are a few moments in review!

My dear sister, Miss Judy, sent me a few additional pieces to my new

 Better Homes and Gardens Christmas china! 

How adorable! Christmas tree salt and pepper shakers! 

And this darling relish tray! I am over the moon happy with this!

 I think this is going to be such an heirloom pattern for one of my children 

to be used for many, many years to come! 

We had a marvelous Christmas brunch! I made a slow cooker breakfast casserole, fresh baked croissants with assorted Sara Beth Jams and added a marvelous cinnamon roll treat from O and H Danish Bakery! This was our first time to try their baked goods and oh my......these are on my top priority from now on! Excellent products!

http://www.ohdanishbakery.com/home

Some of you may be wondering about the Williams-Sonoma saga regarding the candy Christmas tins! Well, it turned out to be ALOT of trouble actually! It took four phone calls from me, explaining the dilemma to the customer service reps and them promising me to straighten out the order. The first order received involved a crushed carousel tin, along with an empty tree top. Four phone calls!!!!!
I received three carousels, all packed well and packaged as they should have been in the first place. THREE! No tree! I gave up. I thought I simply cannot call and explain this situation again. Well, lo and behold, the day after Christmas, I received a package with the replacement tree, complete with the candy! Am I a satisfied customer? Yes and no! It took me four phone calls, it cost WS to keep resending the wrong replacements and their CS department was pretty much lacking in being proficient! I'll have to think about ordering from them in the future! 

The day after Christmas, Miss M and her family had to fly to Ohio. Luke's Nonno had an episode a few weeks before Christmas and was hospitalized and is currently recovering. We wish him a speedy get well and hopefully, all will be right in their world again. I know Miss Irma was very, very happy to sneak in a visit from her Atlanta family! We wish them safe travels and a very Merry Christmas! 

Now! How about that Pear Cobbler recipe! 

ESTELLE'S PEAR COBBLER

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup milk

1 (29-ounce) can sliced pears in heavy syrup, undrained

Dash of Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put butter in a 8” x 8” baking dish and place in the oven to melt. Stir sugar and flour together and mix well. Slowly add milk and continue stirring to prevent the batter from lumping. 

Remove hot baking dishcontaining melted butter from oven; pour batter directly over butter in baking dish. Do not stir.

Spoon fruit on top of batter, then gently pour syrup on top. Do not stir. Sprinkle nutmeg on top of batter. 

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Your batter will rise above your fruit, producing the most wonderful of buttery crusts! Serve with vanilla ice cream!

HOT FRUIT CASSEROLE..A SOUTHERN SIDE SPECTACULAR

The True Meaning of Christmas

Indeed!

Christmas Gift! Christmas Gift Everybody!

~Ferrol Sams 

 

 

 

"Christmas morning did not begin at daybreak but at least two hours before. It began with the thump of children across the bare floors of a hundred year old farmhouse. No adult can sleep through that, no matter how accustomed to the regular night noises, the groans and creaks and sighs of such a house. At first we talked in whispers. "Did he come?" Finally a permissive mother would light a lamp and all Christmas would break loose."

 

"Sometime in the week before Christmas Miss Mildred bundled us all into her square Chevrolet with quilts to wrap around our legs against the cold and we careened merrily off to Atlanta. If it was bitterly cold, Papa Jim heated bricks on the hearth and gave all the children one as a foot warmer. This added to the excitement, the frenzy, the urgency."

"For my grandfather, I bought the same thing every year. He was such a favored friend that I had absolutely no doubt at all what he liked or how to please him; he got a pound box of chocolate-covered cherries. They cost a quarter and could be found at the Fayetteville drug store."

"Not a single menu for supper of Christmas Eve stands out in my memory. I remember everyone gathering in the parlor before the tree, from Mr. Jim and Miss Sis on down to the smallest child, while we listened to the first sixteen verses of the second chapter of Luke. Then we sang, our mother valiantly trying to keep us all on pitch. "All is Calm, All is Bright." There was a temporary moment of peace, of total tranquility. "Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child." We believed."

"In the daytime, light through the windows reflected the balls and tinsel with the chilling wink of winter. Night was the real time of the tree. That was when it lived completely within the room. For the week Before Christmas, we were allowed to build a fire in the parlor grate every night and at least knock the chill of refrigeration off the tall old room. The mystery of Christmas filled our hearts."

 

My memories cover six decades and again I am a little child at Christmas!

 

There are certain traditional recipes that can be served at every Christmas gathering in the South. Hot Fruit Casserole is one of those delicious side dishes that is perfect to serve at both breakfast, along with Sweet Potato Waffles or the holiday dinner along side the smoked ham! My mother-in-law would sometimes add a teaspoon of curry to this recipe to make it her own merry masterpiece. You will want to add this southern classic to your current favorite recipes!

 

 

 

Hot Fruit Casserole

1 (16 ounce) can pears, cut into chinks
1 (16 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (16 ounce) can sliced peaches
1 (16 ounce) can plums, whole
2 small bananas, sliced
1 small bottle Maraschino cherries
1/3 cup butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 (16 ounce) can applesauce
3 t. brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

 Drain pears, pineapple, peaches, and plums and let stand. Cut bananas and add cherries and bananas to fruit mixture. Combine butter, brown sugar and applesauce. Melt in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a boil and stir constantly. Place drained fruit in a 2 quart casserole dish and pour the hot cooked sauce over the fruit. Sprinkle with the 3 t. of brown sugar and chopped pecans. Bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes at 300 degrees F.

Estelle’s wishes you all a

Very Merry Christmas and

Blessed New Year

 

BUTTERMILK PEAR PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Christmas Memories

 

"Granny used to make homemade biscuits for our family breakfast each Christmas morning. One year, we decided to save her the work and bought store bought biscuits at the fast food restaurant the day before; however, not everyone in the family was in our little secret. As we ate breakfast, my cousin said, "Granny, these are the best biscuits you ever made!" My how we all laughed. For the record, although she didn't use a recipe, Granny made the best biscuits in the world!"

~Robin Wilson, Altamonte Springs, FL.

Gooseberry Patch Christmas

Savor the joys of Christmas Morning

with Buttermilk Pear Pudding

 

BUTTERMILK PEAR PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 t. cinnamon, divided
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup pear preserves
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened

Beat 1/3 cup butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 t. cinnamon and next 2 ingredients. Stir well and set aside. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir in pear preserves.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch baking pan. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and remaining 1/2 t. cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 cup butter with pastry blender until you have coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter and bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Cool completely. Cut and serve with warm caramel sauce.

CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Sprinkle sugar into a small  skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until sugar melts and turns light brown. Remove from heat and add the butter, stir until blended. Return to low heat and gradually add the whipping cream. Continue to cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Mixture will be thickened and creamy when done. Serve warm.

AUTUMN FRUIT COMPOTE

Around autumn, make the most of the

ripe, soft fruits that abound

at this time of year by preserving

them as gorgeous compotes.

AUTUMN FRUIT COMPOTE

 1 cup apple cider

3 Bartlett Pears

3 apples (Fuji or Macintosh)

1 cinnamon stick

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pure Maple Syrup

Peel and dice the fruit into 1-inch pieces. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes until slightly thickened.

~Add a dollop of natural yogurt and the
 compote to a bowl of oatmeal for a beautiful autumn breakfast.

~Serve the compote warm with crème fraîche or 
extra-thick cream as an instant pudding, 
or whisk cooled compote into whipped sweetened cream 
with crumbled biscuits for a delicious sweet treat.

~Serve warm compote with French toast and warm maple syrup,
 my grandson’s favorite.

~Serve over vanilla bean ice cream in a beautiful parfait glass.

SUMMER'S RUSTIC FRUIT TART

I am a girl of many moods! Aren't we all?

Do you ever wish you could change your décor to match your mood?

How about extending Southern Hospitality with a rustic French County flair?

 

 

Mother had a dear friend who lived about five minutes away from us who lived in an exquisite log cabin style home, which was set on about ten acres of wooded property. Of course, when you mention "log cabin" a little house comes to mind that would be something you would normally find on a lake. Oh no, not this house. Miss Becky was a socialite in Jackson and her house was large and stunningly decorated. I would be invited for play dates with their son, Will and oh, the fun we had. I remember her daughter's bedroom had a huge fireplace that seemed like a room straight from Gone With The Wind. Their kitchen was so elegant and we would be right under her apron strings watching her bake some divine dessert. Her husband was involved with the Jackson Symphony and they often played this magnificent grand piano situated near large picture windows in the living room.

 

 

Do you ever feel like you could handle living in a

ranch style home on hundreds of acres?

I would love mixing rustic with a touch of elegance!

 

 

I think it's a good thing to stretch our imaginations and try a new look on for size. A place where you can enter the front door, throw yourself down on a large shabby chic sofa and talk for hours with a bottle of wine....no need to worry about keeping the carpet pristine. It would be rather fun to just tour about to flea markets and estate sales and find little treasures to place about. I think I  am enjoying this mood!

 

RUSTIC FRUIT TART
1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
4 cups thinly sliced peeled fresh pears
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14-in. circle.Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the pears, cherries and vanilla. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and ginger; sprinkle over pear mixture and stir gently to combine. Spoon over pastry to within 2 in. of edges; sprinkle with walnuts. Fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered.    Beat egg white and water; brush over folded pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Using parchment paper, slide tart onto a wire rack to cool.

THE STYLISH PEAR

Did You Really Go To All This Trouble Just For Me?

 

 

Would you like to impress your family with an elegant ending to a celebratory dinner? I love preparing tarts, rather than pie just to make something different and actually, easier! Not to mention the welcoming aroma that it creates throughout the house. My darling always comments with "oooo's and aaah's" when the fine china is brought out and this beautiful pear tart is set before him. Little secrets of success are to slice the pears, thinly, use Bosc pears and ensure they are ripe when using them in pies or tarts. Bosc Pears will be ripe when they are brown, rather than green. No one will even realize how easy this was to prepare. How elegant!

 

 

AN ELEGANT PEAR TART

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 extra-large eggs,  room temperature

6 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons pear brandy

3 firm but ripe Bosc pears

Confectioners' sugar

Creme fraiche

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 10" x 3" x 1 1⁄2" round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Beat the eggs and 1⁄3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche!