Baked Pears with Butterscotch Sauce–Save Room for Dessert

Baked Pears with Butterscotch Sauce
4 ripe but firm pears
1/2 lemon
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Scotch whisky (optional)
  • Heat the oven to 375°F.
  • Cut pears in half lengthwise and, using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the cores.
  • Rub them all over with the lemon half to prevent browning.
  • In a large (10-inch), heavy-based, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
  • Arrange the pears in the pan, cut side down, in a single layer.
  • Bake the pears uncovered, basting occasionally with the liquid in the pan, until they begin to soften and color slightly. Depending on the pears’ ripeness, baking time can range from 20 minutes to 1 hour (mine only took about 25 minutes).
  • Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Transfer the pan to a burner and boil the mixture left behind over medium-high heat until it reaches a rich, golden-brown color and smells like caramel, 2 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk the cream into the caramel until smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and Scotch, if using. Serve the sauce over the warm pears.

COLD WEATHER FOOD

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
Monday 1/2 CEREAL SANDWICHES TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP
Tuesday 1/3 TOAST LEFTOVERS SWEET CORN SOUP
Wednesday 1/4 YOGURT SOUP TUNA MELTS & TOMATO BISQUE
Thursday 1/5 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT FRIED EGG SANDWICHES
Friday 1/6 OATMEAL SANDWICHES TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
Saturday 1/7 BACON & EGGS LEFTOVERS CHILI & CORNBREAD
Sunday 1/8 PANCAKES & BACON C.OR.N. CRAB CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE

TAILGATING TIME 2.0

IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
 
 We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR…

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR…
I see good things looking ahead, but based on the year I’ve had, there is no other choice, but to think positive! 
I see happier times. 
I see more family times. 
I see more productive times. 
I see more volunteer times.  
I see more creative times.  
I see more down time.
I see more day to day, less hectic times…

TAILGATING TIME

We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.


It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!


If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can.
We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Easy Chicken and Dumplings
1 (32) oz of chicken broth
5 cups of shredded cooked chicken
1 10 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 10 1/2 oz can of jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
frozen peas

Directions:  I always toss in some frozen chopped onions and season with a little pepper or Mrs. Dash. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil over med. high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to med. high : return to a low boil.
Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness: cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.;
Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add peas and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 min. stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.

Here’s what you’ll need:
  • Cut up 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to help them cook.
  • Put the chicken pieces in boiling water and let them cook for about 20 minutes.
  • Once the chicken is cooked through, drain them and then shred it with 2 forks.
  • Combine the chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup and cooked chicken in a dutch oven.  Bring it to a boil, turn it down and cover it and let it simmer for a bit and then turn it back up to a low boil.
  • While the chicken is boiling in the stock, throw some flour down on the cutting board.  Open the biscuits and pad them down until they were about 1/8 inch and then cut them into 1/2 inch strips.
  • Drop them into the pot and let it cook, cover, for about 20 minutes.  Stir it every once in a while so they biscuits didn’t stick.
  • Put about 1/2 bag of green peas in the pot, too.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:

This recipe is so good and easy.  The peas added a sweetness to the dish. I only added green peas but you could also add some carrots or whatever veggies you want to it.

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE~CRAB or SALMON

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
CAKES
12 ounce can all white albacore tuna, drained well**
1 large egg
1/8 cup mayonnaise
panko crumbs
sea salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce

SAUCE
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg until golden and consistency is smooth.
  • Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and green Tabasco sauce, whisking until well blended.
  • Add enough panko crumbs to make a paste.
  • Add tuna and blend well.
  • Form 6 cakes or logs.
  • Set cakes on paper towels and chill 30 minutes.  The paper towels will draw out excess moisture
    • In a cast iron pan melt butter.
    • Roll cakes in panko crumbs.
    • When butter is frothy, add tuna cakes.
    • Brown each side until golden.
    • In a food processor mix together all the sauce ingredients until well blended.
    • Microwave 1 minute until hot.
    • Pour over tuna cakes and enjoy.

    **Crab or Salmon works well too.

    Submitted to:

    photo

      EPIPHANIES CAN LEAD TO RESOLUTIONS

      I too like the idea of having even one epiphany, especially as the New Year begins. Epiphanies can lead to resolutions and one of my resolutions is the follow through it takes to bring those Epiphanies to life.  While I don’t make a specific resolution list as I believe that can be a key to failure, I do make lists of the things I need to accomplish as a whole!


      Here’s an very incomplete, but great beginning to the list of resolutions/epiphanies/ultimate goals I want to address in 2012:

      • Make most, if not all of next year’s Christmas gifts by hand and tailored to each person’s likes/dislikes

      • Get my kitchen in order ~ I used to (before the nightmare of the house came to life) make my menus a month in advance. This was really helpful to our budget also. If a recipe called for half of an onion on Monday, I’d make sure to follow it with a recipe on Tuesday that called for the other half. During that time we tried at least 1 new recipe per week so I could try to empty the shoebox (my husband just reminded me that there 3, not “1” of these) FULL of recipes that I’d cut out from newspapers, magazines and such. That never worked because I always filled it right back up, but now it’s overflowing and desperately needs thinning out!!!!!!

      • Limit my craft & fabric purchases to ONLY the items I need to make things using mostly materials that I already own and finish ALL the quilts that are already started.

      • Take a walk daily (weather permitting or not) OR AT LEAST use the treadmill, it’s already here after all!

      • Force myself to eat breakfast ~ today was a bowl 1/2 Cheerios & 1/2 Special K with  bananas.

      • Continue my volunteering efforts, even if it’s just a home project for something I already support.

      • Write some freelance newspaper/magazine articles

      • (Here’s the big scary one I’ve avoided for more years than I care to admit) I will write the novels that have been swirling in my head and doodled on paper for years. I have the plots, characters, synopsis and the settings. I’ve conversed with the characters like they are old friends and family, I’ve developed the towns, supporting characters and walked through the houses and buildings like I built them myself. I know everyone’s likes, dislikes, personality traits and idiosyncrasies. I know all the dogs in town and who rides their bike to work or walks. I know how deep and blue the lakes are and how clear the night sky is so much so that all the stars sparkle bright and appear as if you can reach up and pull them down. All I need to do now is capture it all on the blank pages between the colorfully bound covers that I can see so vividly

      • Try to sell my screenplay (inquiry letters are written and the 1st couple dozen rejection letters are making for a great book).

      • Find a publisher for the cookbooks I’ve written.
      • Try a New Recipe each and every day.
      So… I scared myself a little (okay ~ a lot) with this list. But remember, the age-old question truly is:
      “How do you eat an elephant?” And the answer will always be ~ “One bite at a time!” Some bites will be smaller than others, but that’s okay too!
      Happy New Year, one and all, and may you too see the light to your epiphany!