Aisle Twelve

My husband doesn't understand how I can eat sweet baked goods for breakfast.  I say why not?  Donuts are acceptable morning food, why not cake and cookies? But this vanilla bean pear crisp is totally breakfast food.  There's fruit, oatmeal, an egg beaten in and ok, a bit of sugar and butter but morning is the time to have that, when you have the rest of the day to work it all off.  That's my philosophy anyway.  If I could, I'd have pear crisp for breakfast everyday. Vanilla Bean Pear Crisp 5 large pears, peeled and cubed 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup oatmeal 1 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/2 cup butter, melted Preheat oven to 350. Put pears in bottom of 8x8 inch pan (or individual ramekins.)  Sprinkle vanilla over pears.  In a bowl, mix flour, oats, sugar, spices and egg.  Sprinkle over pears.  Pour melted butter over the top.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until top is gold

Pumpkin spice is nice, but my new fall jam is apple chaider.  In case you haven't heard of it, it is half apple cider, half chai tea.  I have seen it as pictured here, more of a mulled cider drink; or with steamed milk, more of a latte type drink.  Either way I think would be lovely, but I made it this way.  And to spice it up even more, I added a glug of red wine.  It is the picture of fall; everything I love in the season in one glass.  Well, except pumpkin.  I'll have to work on that.  Apple Chaider 1 part apple cider 1 part chai tea (I used a box mix, or you could brew a cup of chai and add it to the pot) 1 cinnamon stick 2 or 3 cloves good splash of red wine Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Simmer on medium/low heat for about 10 minutes.  Pour fall into a glass and melt.