Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving table centerpiece was inspired by some stunning Fall leaves that my daughter found this morning as she and my husband were on a hike. 

Found items from nature make for perfect inspiration!

Blessings,

Diana

Cranberry Pear Recipe - Great for Holiday Entertaining

Our family has always loved cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. We used to just open a can, slice it and that was it. However, one year my mom made cranberry pears and we all loved it so much that now it makes a regular appearance each Thanksgiving!

There are two ways to make cranberry pears and I will share both of them with you. One version takes about 5 minutes of preparation (this is the way I used to make them) and the other (healthier version) takes 15 or 20 minutes to prep (depending on how fast you can peel pears).  Either way, most of the work is done by a slow cooker (Crock-Pot).

Last year I started eating Paleo which in short meant no more processed or refined food of any kind.  So for us I make a healthy, free of refined sugars (but still sweet) version of cranberry pears. 

Note: canned cranberry sauces main ingredient (depending on brand) is sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  So, using canned berries is not an option for our family... Fresh cranberries is what I choose to use.

The recipe I make is simple using only three ingredients:  Fresh cranberries, 100% pure maple syrup (from a tree, I like Grade B), and pears (I used fresh organic).  

Directions: (Healthy version)

Turn the crock pot on Low then add the following:

12 ounces of fresh cranberries

1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

4 ripe pears (peeled, cored and cut into slices)

Stir and let simmer on low for three to four hours (sample taste at about two hours to see if more sweetener. Keep in mind that fresh cranberries can be quite tart depending on their ripeness, so you can add extra maple syrup if needed.  

As the cranberries cook they will soften and split open spreading their flavor throughout the pears. Depending on how many people you are feeding you can adjust the recipe size. We like to serve them warm but they can also be made in advance and served chilled. They taste excellent either way. You can substitute the maple syrup with agave, honey and/or a combination of the three. Whichever sweetener you prefer will work.  

Now for the super simple five minute version (3 minutes if you are fast with a can opener)...  

Directions:  (quick and easy)

Turn crock pot on low:

Open a can or two of pear halves (or slices), quickly drain them and pour them into crock pot,

Open a can of whole berry cranberry and pour/spoon it into crock pot...

Simmer on low for three hours.  

Yep, that's it.  Serve warm or chilled.  

It doesn't get any easier than that folks!  We made it the simple way for years... The pears absorb the cranberry flavor and taste amazing :)

Whichever way you choose, cranberry pears will be a hit with your family!

Blessings to you and yours,

Diana


More Crock Pot Thanksgiving Ideas

Holiday Entertaining Made Simple - Crock Pot Thanksgiving

Last Thanksgiving I decided I wanted to make the our Thanksgiving dinner simple. I wanted to actually enjoy the holiday visiting with our family and friends rather than working in the kitchen the entire time.   

I got this awesome Crock-Pot Hook Up System. I absolutely love this thing! Each unit can be purchased separately and you can plug in as many as six units into just one outlet. The units push together side by side and connect each other. They come in different sizes, different colors and with different temperatures they make for super easy entertaining!   

I got the double one quart unit (shown on the left),  2 of the two quart units (center) and one three quart unit (on the right). I use them often. You only have to turn on the units that you want to use (as each one has it's own on/off knob and adjustable heat settings). You can cook your entire meal right in these crocks and then turn them to the warm setting until you are ready to serve.  Each unit came with it's own serving spoon and a spoon slot in the crock (so your lids sit on them tightly) while the spoon is in them.  

I originally had one huge crock pot,that I found too heavy so I rarely used it because I didn't like cleaning the heavy beast. These unit being smaller are much lighter and easier to clean. Another great feature is that the units stack for easy storage. I'm surprised how many meals I've been able to make in them. Since buying these I've turned into a crock pot chef.

Last year I made a completely Paleo Thanksgiving in these Crocks.

I have made both seasoned turkey breasts and a full size chicken in the large crock. I'd never even tried sweet potatoes prior to getting these Crock-Pots and now I make sweet potato mash often!  I also made Cranberry Pears in a crock (Recipe Here)

For a healthy dessert I cut apple slices with my Apple Corer Peeler Slicer (that also Peels potatoes) and put them into a crock pot with cinnamon, honey and chopped pecans.  

After a few hours the apples were tender, flavorful and oh so yummy!  I've had my apple slicer for about 14 years and still use it all the time.  They have made improvements on it (like adding a suction cup), but it is still the same amazing tool.  It works great for peeling potatoes and for when I  make homemade apple pie.  

This year Thanksgiving will be a little more traditional. Everyone wants real mash potatoes and stuffing, but again I will be making several items for our dinner in this great Hook up System.  

These little units are also great at Holiday parties for keeping h'orderves and appetizers warm. They'd make a great Christmas gift.

Time for some entertaining.

Blessings,

Diana