Pear "Crisp"

I had pears about to go bad, so I quickly grabbed this recipe from Allrecipes to bake them up. I'm having a hard time not eating the entire thing Right. Now.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats: I used old fashioned (not quick cook)
  
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped crystallized ginger: I used 1TB
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon: I used slightly less
  
• 1/4 cup butter: I melted mine entirely
  
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped crystallized ginger: I used 2TB
  
• 8 cups peeled and sliced pears: I chopped what I had, and added an apple that needed baking, and didn't sweat the small stuff of figuring out if it was 8c exactly.
  
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream: I skipped this for calories (and I didn't want to go get ice cream; I know, shocking ;-)
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish or 9 inch square baking dish
   
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 Tablespoon crystallized ginger, and cinnamon. Stir in the (melted) butter until the mixture is crumbly with pea sized lumps. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 Tablespoons of crystallized ginger. Add the sliced pears/apple, and toss to blend. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Spread with the oat topping.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then switch that to broil/high for 3 minutes, until pears are soft and topping is golden brown. Serve, lick bowl clean.
   

what's in your smoothie?

I usually like to make smoothies in the morning when I have time, especially when I'm feeling the need for a boost. This morning's smoothie contains some pretty awesome stuff:

Strawberries: Heart protective, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, great source of Vitamin C

Mango: one of the best sources of betacarotene, quercetin and astragalin, another great source of vitamin C, and vitamin A

Pineapple: Manganese, Vitamin C and Thiamin (again with the anti-cancer)

Peaches: Tons of Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes!

Ginger: Digestive aid which also helps to clear out mucus

Wheat Germ: Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Fiber, Omega-3, Vitamin B, iron, calcium, zinc

Bee Pollen: vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids, enzymes and coenzymes, as well as antibiotic, antihistamine, and antioxidant properties; great source of energy

Local Honey: builds immunity against local pollen allergies, and tastes good :-)

Apple Juice: Good for your heart, good for the fight against bad cholesterol

Albert Heijn's Avocado Raspberry Walnut Salad

Albert Heijn is the standard grocery store in the Netherlands, much like Publix in the South, only shinier and more visually tantalizing (for me). I love Dutch design anyway, but Dutch design combined with Food puts me in ecstasy. Or at least like a kid in a candy shop :-)

I found this recipe on their website awhile back, and have translated to the best of my minimal Nederlands knowledge. I welcome corrections, though obviously you can wing a lot of it and still come out tasty.

Avocado-Raspberry Walnut Salad

Ingredients
* 12 walnuts broken up
* 1 dash/sprinkle sugar
* 125 g raspberries (fresh, or thawed from frozen)
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1 dash white wine vinegar
* 4 dashes walnut oil
* 2 chunks of lettuce (enough for your preference)
* 2 ripe avocados
* 2 dashes lime juice
* a few sprigs of mint, shredded

Caramelize the rapsberries with the sugar on low heat. Take two raspberries, crush and add the mustard, vinegar and oil... until it tastes right/good. Salt/pepper to the dressing for taste.

Tear up the lettuce in large pieces, cut up the avocado and sprinkle with the lime juice. Sprinkle dressing and ingredients.

Serves 4.

Note: Avocado and Raspberries
Avocados are amazing and tasty. Check out the World's Healthiest Foods website for details on avocados and raspberries. They pack nutritional punch that hits a gamut of health concerns.