Wordless Wednesdays... Apple Pear

What is it?........   

Pyrus pyrifolia or better known as "Asian Pear"
 

Where does it grow?......... 

They are native to China, Japan, and Korea, but are grown here and in New Zealand.

How do you prepare it?....

They are commonly served raw and peeled. The fruits are generally not baked in pies or made into jams because they have a high water content and a crisp, grainy texture, very different from the buttery European varieties.

What does it taste like?..... 

The ones that we tasted didn't have much flavor.

Have you ever tried it?......

Yes

What recipe would you suggest using this mystery Ingredient?.....

besides eating them raw, I added them to our Fall Medley. (See the recipe on Saturday, 10-8-11)

Toss Together Tuesday's ---- Cereal Bars

If anyone is familiar with FlyLady, she is my hero! Next to my hubby of course. Anyway, if you are a flybaby then you will know that our mission today, if we choose to accept it, is the counter tops. It is also a free day so I choose to clean out one set of cupboards. In doing so, I came to the cereal section and you know all those little bits of cereals that nobody seems to like, or is that just my house? Well, I decided they would make a great after school treat... So I tossed them all together with melted marshmallows, just like rice crispy squares.

• 6 cups of assorted cereals from pantry
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups mini marshmallows (we use 6 cups for extra mallow, as my son calls it)

melt marshmallows and butter together until melted and runny, pour over cereal and mix well. pour onto greased cookie sheet and cool. Cut into bars and serve. These make a great breakfast treats too.

Toss Together Tuesday's

As most everyone knows "Tuesday's with Dorie" has come to the end of the book, but not the end of some fabulous recipes, friends or cooks. So in the interim, here at the Pantry, we have decided that we are going to dedicate Tuesdays as "Toss Together Tuesday's". Because of our busy schedules right now, our time in the pantry on Tuesday's is very short. We have found ourselves feasting on yummy left-overs or in-taking the quick grab and goes from the freezer. Sometimes yummy, but not good for those of us who are trying to lose weight or eat healthy.

So starting next week we will be featuring a new week day special... We would love to have everyone play along. These are the rules:

• You can't think about or plan the meal or food item ahead of time.
• You have to use what you have, you can not go to the store. 
• Using fresh stuff from your outside garden is okay.
• The whole meal or food item can only take 30-40 minutes to prepare from start to finish
• Try to make it as low-cal as possible.
• Post each Tuesday in comments with a link back to your post.

New Beginning....

        It has been a long time since I posted anything here. Now that I am done being angry that someone stole most of my recipes and printed them in a new book that seemed to have got her rave reviews and an earned short stay in the lime light... I have once again found the desire to SHARE!!!

       But in the event that someone tries to once again beg, barrow or steal my recipes for anything other than personal enjoyment..I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN and BLEND YOU WITH MY green HANDLED SPATULA! :)  And I WON'T BEG to DIFFER with YOU!!!!

With that being said... I would love to share with you (starting tomorrow) another one of my awesome blogs. It is entitled "A RUN ON THE BEACH". It is my new quest for self improvement and well deserved adventure. Here is the Link... www.arunonthebeach.com

Happy New Year!!!

Wordless Wednesday.... Rhubarb

What is it?........................ Rhubarb

Where does it grow?......... All over the United States

How do you prepare it?... There are several ways, but it is mostly used in desserts.

What does it taste like?..... Tart and tangy

Have you ever tried it?...... Yes


What recipe would you suggest using this mystery Ingredient?.....

Rubarb Cherry Crisp

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING: 1 1/2 cups white sugar 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup cold water 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1/2 cup grated coconut 4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CRUST: 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup margarine, butter or coconut oil 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the rhubarb, cornstarch and sugar. Stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the cherry pie filling, coconut and vanilla extract. Set aside
2.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press 2 cups of this mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. (Needs to be a glass baking dish, not metal) Spread the rhubarb mixture over the crust. Stir the chopped nuts into the remaining crumb mixture, and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.
4.	Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

Make-Over Monday... Mixed Greens & Pear Salad

Since we will be celebrating "Earth Day" this week... We thought that here at the Pantry we should dedicate this week to all the wonderfully eatable things that we enjoy from the Earth itself. So to start the week off we thought we would offer you a salad... (Everything in it comes from the Earth!)

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• 10 oz. bag mixed baby greens
• 1-1/2 cups frozen baby green peas,  (thawed- not cooked)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 cup fresh ripe pears or apples (thin sliced)
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (whole halves)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients in glass a large salad bowl. In small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and whisk to blend well, pour dressing over salad, toss gently to coat and serve immediately. Serves 4-6