Roasted Pears for Puds!

Ok - so you HAVE to try these! It's basically following the fabulous recipe from Healthy Food Guide and is easy as pie. Well pie is actually quite hard I think, so let's say it's easy as toast!

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Wash and dry 4 nicely ripe brown pears - not too soft though. Slice into quarters and take out the core. Mix in a bowl with 6 tbsp of maple syrup (you could use golden syrup instead), 2 tbsp soft brown sugar and half a tsp of cinnamon. Place in a shallow dish (I used a flan dish) lined with baking paper (helps the clean-up). Roast about 20mins (depends if you have a fan bake oven) until maple syrup and sugar is caramelised (mine was bubbling up!!) and pears are tasty soft when you put a fork in them.

Give it a few minutes to let the caramel harden then plate up. AND from personal experience I can say don't under any circumstance as think that lovely gooey caramel in the dish should go on your finger and in your mouth! Nope it's still hot!

Now you could go the french vanilla icecream or mascarpone cream (the latter seasoned with brown sugar/maple syrup and cinnamon) route here BUT that wouldn't be too healthy would it now!

So I used greek yoghurt mixed with lemon zest, maple syrup and cinnamon. Just a bit of tartness still came through to offset the caramelised pears. I served 4 people with 4 pears.

Blooming nice folks! And if you used the baking paper it's not that hard to cleanup afterwards!!

A day off!

I am sitting here sipping soy hot chocolate and eating golden syrup on toast. And it's 3pm on a Friday. Aaah I love a day off work!

List of things to do today have been some sewing - here is my little case to hold my ipod and phone earpiece in my handbag - it's got 2 pockets and used on this old tie I had in my fabric bin.

And some gardening has been done - putting in some lovely native grasses KM gave me.

So much of the afternoon to come - I think I might go back to crafting - fixing my DK Smoothie cardi so it's wearable. Maybe a bit of painting even.

(Photo from www.cleverbastards.co.nz)

Check out these cool gals - making button necklaces - I love em! What legends.

I did a bit of cookin' last week, something that's been missing with all my work trips - I will have to share my roasted pear dessert with you!

Monday

I don't have any knitting to show you - taking photos in the dark evenings is not easy on my point and shoot. Nevertheless I did have a few things to tell you about this week.

Absolute fa-fa-favourite new zine:

PEPPERMINT - cool eco-fashion-craft Aussie publication. Lots of great interviews with designers, crafters, DIYers and loads of great businesses to peruse. I'm seriously considering a subscription!

Favourite websites for today:

Healthy Food Guide - awesome healthy recipes - I'm keen to make the Braised Lentils with Feta and Lemon salad. And I found an easy muesli recipe too!

Ecostiletto - what a great resource for freaks like me with all my do-good but impractical theories that I never seem to put in place enough to save the world while being a consumer. Like using a thermos mug instead of takeaway cup, taking the train to work and making my own muesli ...

deargolden - the stylie end of op-shopping - VINTAGE!!

New sewing project I'm thinking of:

Fabric hanger cover - for my old ball dresses, bridesmaid dresses and mother-in-laws hand-stitched, Japanese silk, antique cocktail dresses (she actually wore them in Japan in the 1950s - so gorgeous!).

It comes from this book - a naughty buy 6 months ago in the Dymocks closing down sale.

I think I might do some winding for the rest of the evening!

Handmade Nation - the movie

Check out the Handmade Nation movie folks - I'm going to miss the Auckland one as I didn't find out until too late but there are 2 screenings in Wellington.

Woodbox Beasties

Look out for these blokes in your woodbox - they give a good nip even if they are only babes. I don't know if I can say me and Mr Weta are friends but we certainly shared "a moment"!!