cranberry pear crisp

Hello friends! I hope that your Monday is going well! We got in late last night after a weekend trip home to Kentucky. It was so nice to visit with our parents, family, and friends. Saturday was Dustin's 27th birthday-- what a blessing he is to so many, especially me. We made sure to celebrate his day with some of his favorite things: Cornfields, Camo, Carhartts, and his dog Cabela. The Curtsingers like their C's y'all! All in all, I think it is safe to say he enjoyed his day! 

The time always passes so quickly when we are home but we try our best to soak up every moment. I know that technology and social media can be frivolous at times, but I am so thankful for ways to document and remember these special moments. I am so glad to have photos of special people, places, and things in my life. I also love being able to connect with people via social media and see the things in their life that bring them joy. Whether it is a recipe, a new accessory, a sweet baby, a great test score, a baseball game, a new verse that speaks to them, a loved one, a fresh bouquet of flowers, a deal at the thrift store, a beautiful view, a cute puppy, a cup of Starbucks- whatever it is, social media allows us to display what we value in our lives. You can learn a lot about a person based on their posts and photos. I try to keep that in mind when I post something. Ultimately, I want my life to be an overflow of the love Christ gives to me. I want to be living a life full of thankfulness. Lately, I have been trying to think of photos as the way to capture the gifts we are given. I used to not care for photos-- I liked to look at them,  but not really take them or be in them. Now, as I try to soak up every moment and gift, I catch myself reaching for my camera more and more. I don't want to forget the way the sun looked shining through the trees. Or how beautifully the dish was prepared. Or even the seemingly mundane tasks such as washing the dishes or doing the laundry. There is beauty all around us. We just have to open our hearts and eyes to receive and see it. 

Dustin's Nana loaded us up with some fresh pears before we left home. I wanted to use them in a recipe this time, rather than just eating them plain. Cobblers, crisps, and crumbles are my favorite ways to prepare fruit besides eating it fresh. I love the rustic coziness to them, as well as the simplicity. I decided to throw in some dried cranberries for extra flavor and a pop of color. I was pleased with how this recipe turned out! I basically combined ingredients I had on hand, so the ingredient amounts are estimated. I intended for it to be a bit more crumbly rather than crispy but I still enjoyed it. The natural sweetness of the pears with the mild tartness of the cranberries was a great combination. I could eat the crispy topping all by itself! 

Cranberry Pear Crisp 

5-7 small pears, peeled and sliced

2 handfuls of dried cranberries

1 handful of chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, macadamia) 

3/4 cup gluten free flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of ground nutmeg

dash of salt

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

juice from 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375*. Place pears and cranberries in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Squeeze lemon over the fruit and toss to fully coat in the juice. Combine flour, oats, nuts, and spices in a separate bowl. Stir in melted oil or butter and syrup. Spread the topping over the fruit. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and fruit is tender. 

Notes: I love simple, tasty recipes. Next time I may increase the amount of oats in the topping just to make it a bit more crumbly. Also, feel free to use apples or any other fruit that you enjoy. Your house will smell heavenly as this bakes in the oven! Enjoy!

Have a blessed day!