Pear Crostini + a thankful giveaway!

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Is your belly still as full as my belly?

I sort of feel like a big roly-poly.

But a really happy one.  A full day in the kitchen with my mom, some unbelievable food, and a wonderful night with friends and family.  Everything that Thanksgiving is all about in my book.  How could I not be a big, fat, happy roly-poly?



Was your holiday just as wonderful?  I sure hope so.  And I definitely hope you ate as well as we did.  What all did you have?  What was your favorite?  Are you so excited for leftovers?  Because I am.



Alright let's get to the real point of this post.

I'm not one to get all mushy gushy.  Ask anyone.  It's just not my thing.  So this is going to be short and sweet.  Just the way it should be.



I'm super duper thankful for YOU.  I basically started this blog to log the recipes I was making and keep some Missouri friends and family updated on our Boston escapades.  But it's grown into something so much more.  This blog is so much a bigger part of my life than I ever expected it to be.  And there is a reason for that.  That reason is you.  It's almost mind blowing how supportive all of you have been.  Every time you visit, leave comments, or send me emails my heart sings.  Seriously.

So THANK YOU.  You don't know how much you mean to me.  And like I said...I'm not good with the cheesy stuff and don't usually whip it out so, I actually mean that one.



In spirit of the holiday, I decided there was no better way to truly say thank you than by doing a giveaway.  Well...the better way would probably be to give each and everyone of you a cookbook...but that seems a bit far fetched right?  Right.

Today I'm giving away a copy of Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty.  Have you seen this beautiful thing?  Yes?  Then you know how fabulous it is.  No?  Click {here} now.  Swoon.  Drool.  Swoon.  Drool.  You need this cookbook.  I promise.  I've been ogling over it at Shake The Tree (my super fabulous somewhat new workplace) and knew I had to share it.

To make this baby yours do the following:

1. Follow this blog by email or Google Friend Connect
2. Leave me a comment to tell me something about your Thanksgiving.  Anything.
3. Receive extra entries by sharing the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and then leave another comment telling me you've done so.
4. Cross your fingers and check back on November 30th to see if you've won yourself a cookbook!
5. And until then...please make these crostinis.  I whipped them up a few nights ago while no one was "that hungry" to find that they disappeared in minutes.  Scrumptious I tell you.  And they are only a small glimpse of what this fabulous cookbook has to offer!

pear crostini with goat cheese

from- Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

Makes: 4 generous servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• salt and pepper
• 4 large slices sourdough bread, cut 1 1/2 inches thick
• 3 semi-ripe pears (unpeeled)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4-5 ounces good-quality goat cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Place the pine nuts, 4 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and mix to a wet paste.  Use a brush to apply to one side of every sourdough slice.  Lay bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly colored.  Remove and allow to cool slightly.
2. While the bread is in the oven, prepare the pears.  Stand each pear on a cutting board and trim off a very thin layer of skin from each side.  Then cut each pear lengthways into four thick slices.  Remove the core with the tip of a knife.  Place the slices in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  Toss gently.
3. Take a ridged griddle pan and place on a high heat until very hot.  Lay the pear slices gently in the pan and leave for about a minute on each side, just to make char marks.  Turn carefully and then remove with tongs, trying not to break the pears.
4. To assemble the crostini, slice the cheese thinly and arrange over the toasts, alongside the pears.  You want to see both clearly, so allow them to overlap and rest on each other to create height.  Place the crostini in the oven for 3-4 minutes, just to warm up and for the cheese to partly melt.  Remove from oven and garnish each slice with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.

Thanksgiving Meal Plan Monday

Who's excited for the second annual Thanksgiving themed Meal Plan Monday?

You are!  Right?  Better be.

Did you miss last year's Thanksgiving Meal Plan?  Are you upset about it?  Don't be!  You can read about it {here}.

Finally this year's big feast is upon us.

And I actually feel so well prepared for it.

I've already made the initial grocery store run.  The turkey is ready for it's brine bath.  The stuffing bread is ready to dry out.  The next grocery list is made.  This whole organization thing is blissfully disgusting sometimes.

Now all I'm missing is my parents.  But it won't be long.  Their plane arrives tonight and I couldn't be more excited.  For some reason the gap between seeing them in August this year to now seems far bigger than it did last year.  It's going to be a week full of feasting, shopping, sightseeing, card playing, and just a whole lot of fun.  Do any of you Bostonians have any hidden gem sightseeing spots up your sleeve?  You can only walk the freedom trail so many times you know.

So, now you know what I have going on for the week...but what are YOU doing for Thanksgiving?  Traveling to different family Thanksgivings?  Making your own feast?  Going out to dinner?  And for everyone not in the U.S., I still want to know what you are up to this week!  What's going on in your kitchen?

Just a heads up.  You might want to check back later in the week.  I might be....I don't know...doing a...giveaway...or uh...something like that.  Maybe to show you how thankful I am for you as a reader.  I mean...maybe. 

Have a great holiday!

The "J. Crew Cocktail" from Bookcooker

Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairings from YumSugar

Vanilla Pear and Vodka Cocktail from Two Tarts

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Yeast Rolls from A Spicy Perspective

Sweet Potato and Honey Dinner Rolls from How Sweet It Is

Cheesy Winter Squash Muffins from Scarborough Food Fair

World's Best Dinner Rolls from Our Best Bites

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad from 101 Cookbooks

Sweet Potato Soup with Buttered Cashews from Scarborough Food Fair

Momofuku Brussels Sprouts from House to Haus

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale from Ezra Pound Cake

Roasted Broccoli with Raisin Vinaigrette from Scarborough Food Fair

Garlic and Mushroom Mashed Potatoes from Give Me Flour via A Clove of Garlic, A Pinch of Salt

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes from Babble

Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks

Wild Mushroom Gravy from Oh My Veggies

Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potato from Cookie + Kate

Persimmon & Squaw Bread Stuffing from Spoon Fork Bacon

Dried Prunes and Chestnut Bulgur Stuffing from The Healthy Foodie

Sausage and Artichoke Stuffing from The Meaning of Pie

Skillet Stuffing from Georgia Pellegrini

Sourdough and Mushroom Stuffing from A Sweet Pea Chef

Glazed Ham with Guinness, Mustard, Marmalade and Pineapple Juice from Almost Bourdain

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Kale Pesto from The First Mess

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast from Heather's Dish

Vegetarian Pot Pie from The Curvy Carrot

Turkey Brine from Baked Bree

Vegetable Lasagna from Babble

Maple-Walnut Cranberry Tart from Hungry Rabbit

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake from Scarborough Food Fair

Pumpkin Filled Cream Puffs with Maple Caramel Sauce from Full Fork Ahead

Pear Cardamom Upside Down Cake from Eat, Live, Run

Single Crust Plum and Apple Pie from Smitten Kitchen

Pumpkin Pie from Scarborough Food Fair

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars with Vanilla Bourbon Whipped Cream

I'm going to go ahead and admit that this dessert is absolutely, positively over the top.



But let me explain.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner...10 days away to be exact.  And that means that my feast planning is in full swing.  Every single one of you (except for my mother) would question my sanity if you were to see the lists I've made.  There are different sections, arrows everywhere, things crossed out, random thoughts...you get the picture.  It looks like a little crazy bomb went off in my planner.  Crazy or not...I love that list.  It gets me all excited for the holidays and for the days of cooking that are about to begin.



But there's a problem. When I get to the "dessert" portion of the list I always run into a dilemma.  There are so many options.  So many staples.  So many things I think just have to be on the Thanksgiving dinner table.  But...our Thanksgiving dinner table is quite small these days.  Meaning that the number of desserts I deem necessary isn't exactly proportionate to the number of mouths there are to feed.  And never mind the full bellies that aren't willing to consume anymore food.

So...this year I decided to do a little consolidating.

In my opinion...Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie are two absolute must haves.  But two pies is a lot of dessert for 6 people.  And having two whole pies really stifles the making of any other dessert.  And I don't like being limited.  So, I thought why not combine the two necessities into delectable little bars, that can be cut into smaller than a slice of pie portions, creating more room in the belly and on the table for other desserts?  It's genius really.  Why didn't I think of this before?



Like I said before...this dessert is a little over the top.  But hey, it's Thanksgiving!  You're supposed to feast, right?  I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure that this layering thing would work out.  I was worried that the pecans would sink to the bottom and create some sort of weird texture thing.  But that didn't happen.  And these bars are everything you would hope for when combining two already scrumptious pies.  Top it off with a little bit of homemade bourbon vanilla whipped cream?  Oh my.  Prepare yourself.



P.S. Don't be concerned with the ingredient list...it looks long and scary...but it's not.  You probably have most things sitting on your shelf already!

Makes: one 9x13 inch pan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients: 
-for the crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

-for the pumpkin layer

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

-for the pecan layer

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped pecans

-for the bourbon vanilla whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.  Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, oats, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt until well combined.  Press firmly into the bottom of the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
3. While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin filling.  Combine all ingredients for the pumpkin filling in a small bowl (preferably the one you used for the crust to create less dishes!) and mix until everything is smooth and well combined.
4. Remove crust from oven and pour pumpkin filling evenly over golden crust.  Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. While the pumpkin layer is baking, prepare the pecan layer by combining 1 stick melted butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 2 cups chopped pecans.  Once the pumpkin layer is somewhat set (but still a bit jiggly) remove pan from oven and top pumpkin layer with pecan layer.  Return to the oven and bake another 20-25 minutes until completely set.
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
7. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat heavy cream until soft peaks begin to form.  Add sugar and beat until hard peaks form.  Fold in bourbon and the insides of one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon extract.
8. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Brendan and Kaston are trying to show you all how delicious this dessert is...unfortunately they just look like they are drooling all over it.  I think they need to work on their "deliciously satisfied" faces.

Meal Plan Monday

Seriously.

It's November already.  And 5 days into it at that.

How did this happen?

Last time I checked I was laying down by the pool, reading a book and enjoying the warm ocean breeze.  Maybe not the last time...since that would indicate a major gap in my sense of reality...but it just doesn't seem like that long ago.

However, I don't want you thinking that I'm complaining.  I love the fall/now winter.  There are holidays sprinkled about every couple of weeks which means months of traveling, cooking, being home, decorating, and no school...just a few of my favorite things.

*Please ignore how "Domestic Martha Stewart" those favorite things are.  I can't help it.*

Now if you are remotely like me in your obsessive list making habits...you've already started jotting down ideas for your Thanksgiving meal.  Oh...you don't do that?  Weird.  Anyway, it's highly possible that I've started this process.  I like to plan ahead okay?  Plus, I'm in a bit of a predicament this year.  My parents are coming to Boston to spend Thanksgiving with us.  My parents also eat meat...and we don't.  So do we take a little break and chow down on some ham and turkey to put a smile on my dads face?  Or do we introduce them to a few non-traditional turkey replacements?  Suggestions?  How do you deal with this delicious mess?

For those of you who haven't started your obsessive list making yet...I'm here to help.  At the bottom of the post I've linked to a few Thanksgiving recipe round-ups that look fabulous.  Ones that I have/probably will be drawing inspiration from when the feast rolls around.

Enjoy and Happy Monday!

monday

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

-from Love and Lemons via Camille Styles

tuesday

Grilled Citrus Tuna Steak with Avocado and Spinach

-from Bev Cooks

 

wednesday

Grilled Eggplant Subs with Fontina and Tomato Jam

-from Eats Well with Others

thursday

Toast with Classic Pesto, Shrimp, and Garlic

-from Everything Fabulous

friday

Rainbow Chard, Kale and Quinoa Salad

-from Fuss Free Cooking

Thanskgiving round-ups

Swooning over the Poppyseed Crusted Butternut Squash with Kale and Pomegranates and the Vanilla Pear and Vodka Cocktail

-from Mint

Hello...Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

-from Steamy Kitchen

I need the Sweet Potato Pie AND the Rum Raisin Apple Pie

-from The Bedlam of Beefy

Garlic and Mushroom Mashed Potatoes.  Yes please.

-from Turntable Kitchen

An entire round-up of Vegetarian deliciousness.  My favorite = Millet Pilaf with Herb Roasted Squash and Sweet Potatoes

-from Bliss Tree