Festive Spiced Pears a divine idea for Thanksgiving side

Although today’s feature, Spiced Pears, resembles the recipe in Friday’s blog, it’s definitely not the same. This dish was so amazing and was such a great idea for a Thanksgiving side, I just had to include it even though it, at first glance, looks as though it might be a re-run of that marvelous Cranberry Orange Relish from last week.

Spiced Pears was included in my Taste of Home Thanksgiving recipe cards in which I’ve found all sorts of treasures. The description (by recipe contributor Ruby Williams) stated that this was a change of pace from the typical Thanksgiving sides and that it was easy to fix and looked festive on the table.

It consists of six pears, two oranges, and a can of whole berry cranberry sauce. I had a bag of fresh cranberries on hand, however, so I boiled them until they were soft and measured 14 ounces of them in a cup (same amount as in a can of cranberry sauce). So everything in my recipe was fresh.

The sliced, cooked pears taste absolutely wonderful aswirl in the cooked cranberries and oranges. Added spices give the mixture a nice perk-up. Hubby wouldn’t get near these Spiced Pears at first because he thought they contained strawberries, his nemesis, but when I assured him of the contents, he waded in for a bite . . . and then more and more. And our little grandmunchkin, while he was staying with us over the weekend, went nuts over this dish, so if you’re looking for a Thanksgiving dish that will appeal to the kiddos and all other ages as well at your table, look no further!

Spiced Pears

1 (14-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce (or fresh cranberries

cooked to measure 14 ounces)

1/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 medium pears, peeled and sliced

2 medium navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

In a large saucepan combine the cranberry sauce, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in pears and oranges; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until pears are tender.

Cranberries brighten up carrot salad and circumvent "pickiness"

Where carrot salad is concerned, the case for "Do as I say, not as I do" never could have been more apt.

Our girl-child was (and still is) a picky eater. When I say picky, I mean the type of eater who practically sits at the table with tweezers and, morsel by morsel, plunges into every serving of food to separate out what she chooses to ingest and what she doesn't.

Repeated parental efforts to dissuade this habit didn't go very far. One day after a not-so-gentle reprimand she countered, "It's the same thing you do with carrot salad."

She had stopped me in my tracks. Horrified, I realized her words were true. Much as I loved to order carrot salad at any cafeteria (an earlier blog discussed how I grew up dining on carrot salad while eating at the old Wyatt's cafeteria in Dallas' Casa Linda shopping center), I steered clear of the raisins in the salad and always picked around them to eat only the shredded carrots and dressing.

I had modeled an annoying behavior that my child had picked up. Ooooh, how little eyes are always watching. Lesson learned.

That's partly why I was delighted when I stumbled on this recipe for Ginger-Carrot Salad with Cranberries. After I read it, I knew that no watching eyes surveying me as I dined on this dish could nail me for being picky, since this recipe subs dried cranberries for the less-than-desirable regular raisins. The contrast of the red cranberries to the orange of the carrots makes this a beautiful holiday offering. And of course you can't get any more healthy than with a mixture such as this one (sliced, cholesterol-lowering almonds represent a terrific addition.)

With Ginger-Carrot Salad with Cranberries I could practice what I preach and for sure eat every morsel on my plate--with no picking!

Ginger-Carrot Salad with Cranberries

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon freshly grated or finely minced ginger

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

2 cups grated carrots

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

In medium bowl whisk together lemon juice, honey, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and yogurt. Toss with carrots and cranberries. Garnish with sliced almonds. Chill before you serve. Makes 4 servings.

Hug-in-a-bowl stew contains all the flavors of the holidays

Calling it a "hug in a bowl" is not far from wrong. We needed a big hug; this meal filled the bill.

Having emergency eye surgery definitely wasn't on our to-do list for the week before Christmas. But when a specialist told Hubby "do not pass go" until you get a retinal tear repaired pronto, those seemingly urgent to-do lists became nonessential very quickly. We rearranged our schedules, spent two straight days sitting in out-of-state doctors' office waiting rooms, and got it done.

Bottom line: Hubby emerged from some hellacious surgery pain-free, side-effects free, and with a potentially dangerous eye problem eradicated without a minute to spare. Thanks to the miracle of lasers which performed a retinal spot-weld, his vision should experience no further difficulties. Side bonus: all the waiting-room sitting on my part gave me plenty of time to finish stitching a Christmas stocking for a new grandboy. I certainly got the better end of that deal.

Once back home, we feasted on a soothing meal I earlier had ready to start in the slow-cooker: Turkey, Sweet Potato, and Cranberry Stew. The headline on this recipe from Prevention magazine tub-thumped this by saying, "Conjure up the holidays! Cranberries and ginger give this turkey stew a sweet-tour tang." We felt hugged as we dined on this absolutely marvelous concoction that was a Christmas dinner in miniature. And since Hubby loves nothing better than ANY recipe containing sweet potatoes, the trauma of the past few days was totally assuaged as this stew went down.

As we feasted on it, we counted our blessings for the priceless and oft-taken-for-granted gift of vision.

Turkey, Sweet Potato, and Cranberry Stew

3 pounds turkey drumsticks, skin removed

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons flour

In large slow cooker combine turkey, onion, honey, vinegar, ginger, salt, pepper, and broth. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Add potatoes and cranberries. Cook until potatoes are tender, 45 minutes more. Remove turkey and pull meat from bones. Pour one-quarter of the liquid into small pot and whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in remaining liquid. Toss meat, potatoes, and cranberries with gravy and reheat if necessary.

"To-go" urge on December nights foiled with the ease of these Grilled Turkey & Cranberry Sandwiches

This was just about the greatest idea for leftovers I've ever run across—Grilled Turkey & Cranberry Sandwiches. Good for using up the turkey and cranberry sauce leftovers—even better for the December Ratrace Nights about which I have been muttering. Too many pre-Christmas evening to-do's, no time to cook, too much temptation to breeze through a to-go line somewhere and bring home unhealth in a bag.

In a recent article extolling the virtues of cranberries Prevention magazine furnished this recipe as one of its Fast Ideas. Prevention mentions the fact that cheery-hued cranberries represent a good source of vitamin C and fiber and are in season from October through December. Cranberries last two to four weeks in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.

The recipe involves heating a nonstick skillet, smearing on a little olive oil, placing whole-grain-bread slices in the pan, and topping with cheese and turkey. Add a thin layer of leftover cranberry sauce (can be a sliver of jellied sauce or a layer of whole-berry sauce); then more cheese and the remaining bread slice. Once browned, flip to toast the other side.

These clever sandwiches made a healthy, quick evening meal and left some remainders for the next day's lunch. Didn't I feel virtuous? Plus the last smidgen of Thanksgiving leftovers was re-purposed without wastage. Love it!

Grilled Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich

4 teaspoons olive oil

8 slices whole-grain bread

4 ounces pepper jack or mozzarella cheese, sliced

8 ounces roast turkey, sliced

1/2 cup leftover cranberry sauce (strained if runny)

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place 2 slices of bread side by side in pan and top each with one-eighth of the cheese and one-fourth of the turkey. Spread one-fourth of the sauce over turkey on each slice and top each slice with another eighth of the cheese and two bread slices. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan; add another teaspoon oil, then cook second side until toasted, about 3 minutes. Repeat for remaining 2 sandwiches. Makes 4 servings.

Heard of a birthday cake? Try a birthday crumble.

Birthday cakes were on the no-no list. My hubby was headed for his annual physical exam. We had to be pristine pure with our eating agenda until his bloodwork was finished. Only trouble was, his physical exam coincided with my birthday. No birthday cake for me while we worked toward his goal of lowered triglycerides and lowered cholesterol.

But nobody said we couldn't have a Birthday Crumble. A great recipe for Cranberry-Apple Bake was on my fall wish-list. I couldn't imagine a more divine, healthy combination than cranberries and apples. This recipe, which I tore out of a Family Circle magazine a few years back, was touted by its originator as a favorite when she took it to church potluck dinners. "I always return with an empty dish," this cook wrote in the commentary beside her recipe. "My family likes to eat it warm, but I am not above eating some straight from the refrigerator for breakfast." Well, bring some of that on! I can continue to enjoy Birthday Crumble the day after my birthday and even the day after that.

May I digress to say how thankful I am for another year of life and for the year that is just behind me? The year that just past brought the arrival of two beautiful baby grandsons (as well as continued enjoyment of our grandgirl), the publication of two new books, and the creation of a sewing/crafts studio as an amazing addition to my home. I'm more in love with my husband than ever; I'm so thankful for Hubby and that God gave him to me all those years ago (even if I have to forego cake on my birthday because of him!) Even beyond those blessings, the year just past has been one of improved physical health and overall wellness and an increased awareness of God's love for me and His everpresent help in times of trouble. I can't count all the times between birthdays #61 and #62 that God has shown up. He continues to demonstrate to me how He likes to interpose Himself in clever ways into situations that look as though they have no solutions—His creativity knows no bounds. As the psalmist wrote, His praise will always be on my lips (Ps. 34:1).

The Birthday Crumble? That scrumptious topping of oats, brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans, laced together with melted butter, plunked atop the apple and cranberry mixture, beat any sicky-sweet cake I could have bought or made. It was health personified—a terrific way to kick off year 62!

Cranberry-Apple Bake

3 Granny Smith apples, cored, unpeeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 cups whole fresh cranberries

2/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cook)

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar (if using brown-sugar substitute, use 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl mix together the apples (unpeeled), cranberries, and sugar. Spoon into prepared baking dish. In the same bowl mix together the oats, brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Stir in the melted butter. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture evenly over the top of the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly and apples are tender. Serve warm or cold with a scoop of ice cream or fat-free whipped topping, if desired.