pears

Just because it's cooler doesn't mean you have to stop having hearty salads for dinner. Fall's fabulous flavors, like pears, dark greens, and nuts, are excellent ingredients in dinner salads.

In this recipe, the cinnamon-spiced pears are roasted in a bath of orange juice. Parsley leaves add freshness and toasted pine nuts provide a delicious crunch. Creamy goat cheese and salty Parmesan cheese finish off the salad. This dish is also a perfect starter for a fancy dinner, so get the recipe and read more

Wow your family midweek with this delicious chicken dinner. Flavorful chicken thighs are topped off with a scrumptious leek and pear pan-sauce. Currant jelly is the secret ingredient that gives the quick sauce a smooth texture and rich taste.

If you dislike chicken thighs, feel free to use chicken tenders or breasts, but note that the cooking time will differ. To check out this tasty recipe that highlights some of Fall's fabulous bounty, read more

It's only Tuesday, but I'm already looking forward to the multitude of festivals this weekend.

There are so many in the Bay Area alone that I can't decide whether to hit up the Santana Row Pear Festival, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, or the Monterey Wine Festival. I suppose I might just rock them all!

Have we left something out? If so, please drop us a line in the comments below!

• San Francisco, CA: Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting — Oct. 14
• New York, NY: At the Table: New York — Oct. 14
• Torrance, CA: Oktoberfest at Alpine Village — Oct. 14-20
• Circleville, OH: Circleville Pumpkin Show — Oct. 15-18
• Monterey, CA: Monterey Wine Festival — Oct. 16-18
• Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Oktoberfest — Oct. 16-19
• Crowley, LA: International Rice Festival — Oct. 16-19
• New York, NY: 6th Annual Gourmet Institute — Oct. 17-19
• Paso Robles, CA: Harvest Wine Weekend — Oct. 17-19

To see the rest, read more

On Friday, I caught a quick glimpse of Nigella Lawson on the Today show. She featured a Fall fruit fondue recipe so delicious looking I had to try it! Seasonal fruit (apples and pears) served with a delectable caramel fondue make for a simple but stunning dessert. This unconventional caramel sauce is quick, easy, and doesn't require sugar chemistry knowledge or a candy thermometer! All of the ingredients are kitchen staples except for the golden syrup. Since I was unable to find this common British product, I substituted a mixture of corn syrup and molasses.

Don't be disappointed if initially the cooked sugar and butter have a grainy consistency. Once the cream is added the caramel's texture will become smooth, rich, and sheeny. To try something new with fondue, read more

A great thing about Fall fruits, specifically pears, is that they can be used as an ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes. In this case, the pears are a crisp addition to a scrumptious salad. The classic pairing is pork and apples, but pears complement the peppered protein as nicely as their crunchy counterpart. A drizzle of a quick honey-mustard sauce finishes off this hearty and delicious dish. To start your weekend with this salad, read more

Lately, I've been stocking up on all the great-looking Fall produce that's at the farmer's market, but sometimes I run out of creative ideas for cooking with it. This entrée is just the solution to my quandary, as it incorporates a flavorful topping with in-season fruits. It's also perfect if you have chicken thighs on hand. To get the hassle-free recipe, read more

Finding the perfect wedding favor is not an easy task. A good wedding favor should spark the memory of the wedding, be representative of the couple, and be somewhat useful. To inspire our blushing brides, I asked you to help me find the internet's most fabulous favors. You bookmarked the favors in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Wedding Favors.

My favorite favor was this pear shaped kitchen timer. It's ideal for a foodie fantasy wedding because it encourages guests to get cooking! Serenityspeaks discovered this timer that's functional and fabulous. Take a look at all of the favors below and let me know which one you love!

Don't know how to use the bookmarking feature of TeamSugar? Have no fear, geeksugar has created an easy how to. More ideas for your big day can be found at IDoSugar.

If the trendiness of the PataPri Pear Tablecloth ($68) weren't enough to make me swoon, it's also well designed, modern, cheerful, fun, and cuter than buttons. Its pear pattern is hand silkscreened onto light-blue, 100-percent linen, and at 60-x-90-inches, it'll fit most rectangular dining tables. Paired (excuse me) with some Danish modern chairs, it would be a show stopper, which will surely lift your spirits during the dreariness of Winter.