Today is the first day of fall 2013 and the weather here in beautiful Northern Michigan felt quite fitting. The sun was beautiful but the cool breeze made the 60 some degree air smell and feel like a perfect fall day.
We started the day by celebrating with family for my great niece's first birthday. My daughter and I had spent a good part of yesterday making a special cake for the occasion. I don't often get to make cakes for client orders with my children so this was a fun way to spend yesterday afternoon. Here is a picture of the finished product. I just love the colors!
I used a homemade marshmallow fondant to cover the cake, create the flowers, leaves, name, and the number 1. This is the method and frosting I prefer to cover most of my cakes. More on my baking adventure & the making of marshmallow fondant later.
After the afternoon's festivities, the family and I headed home to process and preserve some of the bountiful fall harvest we've been fortunate enough to be given. Here in Northern Michigan, the fruit trees are absolutely loaded and those with gardens have had an extremely successful year.
We have 2 pear trees that have branches hanging to the ground with the weight of the fruit, the concord grapes are more plentiful and juicy than I've seen, and family & friends have shared large, flavorful tomatoes from their gardens.
Tonight we made a batch of pear sauce which is simmering in the crockpot now. The whole house smells amazing. It was quick & easy and will provide a healthy snack for months to come. Here's what we did!
Pear Sauce
Clean, peal, core, and dice your pears into 1/4" - 1/2" chunks. We did a small batch, using approximately 6 cups of fruit.
Place in crockpot and cover with 1 cup of water. I added 2Tbs of ground cinnamon, and a couple of dashes of ground cloves. Set the crockpot to high and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Once fruit is soft, remove any access liquid and mash. At this point you can choose to can or freeze the sauce.
Did I mention that the whole house smells amazing?
If you're interested in the cutting board and knife I used in this project, they're both great products.
The Kuhn Rikon paring knives are great. They're a perfect size, easy to clean, and stay sharp forever! You can purchase a set of 3 now through Amazon for just $24 and free shipping on orders over $25! I paid $12 per knife so this is a great deal!
The cutting board is by Epicurean and is natural wood fiber based, dishwasher safe, and maintenance free. It is a great cut and serve piece. You can get this through Amazon for only $24.99 and free shipping on orders over $25.
Remember that Amazon prices are subject to change without notice.
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