Now, it could be the pears and syrup that are keeping me a little buzzy. Or it could be all the running around, filling out, proof-reading, labelling, stuffing, de-linting, packaging, double-checking, scheduling, waving bye bye….. and then realizing that two sheets of paper didn’t get into the package! eeks! Oh no! OK, it can still get there. No prob.
Certainly the appeal of some Schadenfreude Pie while laughing at my own foibles. Naomi thinks my next incarnation will be as a pastry chef to the dark side. :-) Or you can enjoy my stress of getting the quilt and all the paperwork out, and my missing it already and I’ll eat the pie. I’m thinking really dark chocolate here. Hello – checklist anyone?
Friends – if not, GET red pears!
You know I love them, and it’s so rare to get them that they’re really good. But friends, you can have a true heavenly experience even if your pears aren’t squeezably ripe, so long as they have real pear aroma. Beware pears that have been juiced-on by squished pears in transit.
OK, got pears? Make a sugar and water syrup. Not even as sugary as a normal simple syrup (equal amounts of water and sugar). Maybe a cup and a half of water and a couple TB of sugar? You judge. Depends on how many pears you want to cook and the shape of your pan too. And how crazy you go about the resulting syrup! the pears should be mostly covered with syrup later on.
Bring that to a simmer, throw in some powdered ginger. You can use fresh, but no need. We’re talking comfort food. Add a dollop of port if ya’s got. Red wine will do in a pinch. Just a splash. Fill the wonderful syrup with pears that you’ve washed, and then cut into 6 or so big pieces, taking out any core-bits. Leave that wonderful red skin on. Cut straight down on opposite sides of the core. Cut down the remaining two sides. Cut the first two big pieces in half. Done.
Simmer until the pears are firm but cooked all the way through.
Sit down and try not to eat the whole pot and try not to drink all the syrup. Best served warm.
Repeat as often as possible. Don’t say you weren’t warned. If asked, you can say this is a pear compote. It would work with good apples, too. I’m done.
For those unafraid of loooooong skinny things, I offer links to photos (and for those afraid of loooooong skinny things, you can thank me for not just posting the images here).
* Both of these have been identified via herp-loving friends and photos as being garter snakes. The first one is specifically an eastern variant. Apparently the longer one is another variant. The more common variety can be seen here.
I am not afraid of long skinny things, although when the first one changed from a cold-slowed, dead-looking thing to a coiled-up, hissing thing, I paused to reflect. And having just walked into a woods, over a stone wall in late afternoon, I paused a few more minutes to carefully scan the ground for more. That’s when I saw number 2. I looked some more and then I carefully walked out, leaving them to soak up the last few BTUs of the day.
OK, I’m still pretty excited by this week’s news re Quilt National, but hey, there’s paperwork to do, threads to snip, labels to make (could you tell I wasn’t really planning on having to send it anywhere?), shipping to arrange.
But here’s something even more exciting: I have an idea for a new quilt! What great timing. Not sure when I’ll start it, but I’m got some plans.
Not that I was really concerned, but don’t we all sometimes have that moment of doubt after finishing something big, something that’s a bit beyond us – what if that’s all there is?
OK, not this time anyway!
I have known war as few men now living know it. It’s very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes.
