What's better than a plain grilled cheese sandwich? A grilled cheese sandwich with three kinds of cheese and caramelized pears and onions! This amazing recipe is another one from the book I'm currently obsessed with, Grilled Cheese Please! The thing that makes this sandwich so special is the butter: it's mixed with blue cheese before being slathered on the outside of the bread. I've made it Read more

When it's cold out, I crave hot soups, but sometimes, a crunchy salad with a warm component can be just as gratifying. Take this easy lunch salad for example. It's got piles of healthy spinach, salty almonds, and roasted pears. Instead of tossing in croutons and blue cheese, this delicious combination is served alongside the salad in fresh-from-the-oven toasts. I had planned on using dried Read more

You shouldn't be afraid to take a recipe and make it your own. Here, Annie Scudder proves how easy it is to adapt a pizza dish. I came across this pear and bacon pizza on YumSugar and decided to make a vegetarian version. I ended up making up my own recipe! On top of a Boboli crust (perfect for a weekday meal!), I spread a mixture of feta, ricotta, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Read more

Cranberries are a staple for this time of year, but I always like to try something different from the traditional cranberry sauce. My suggestion? Skip serving them in a bowl and use them in a stellar mostarda-topped crostini appetizer. Mostarda is a traditional Italian condiment that combines sweet cooked fruit with a savory mustard sauce; it's often served with meat, which would make it perfect Read more

For your best Thanksgiving ever, be sure to end your meal on a high note with a memorable dessert. As an alternative to pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pies, offer up a pear tart as well. Unlike other structured fruit cakes and tarts, this pastry — pleated in a free-form manner that's commonly seen in France — is beautiful in an unfussy way. It's also incredibly easy to make, requiring Read more

In the Fall, when the pears are plentiful, I enjoy experimenting with new pear preparations. Doesn't this one for a pear pizza sound scrumptious and interesting? It's not a sweet dessert pie, but a savory entree that makes for a delicious dinner. The other toppings include brown-sugar-coated bacon, cream cheese, green onions, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Each ingredient provides a different Read more

When I was little, my mom used to make me child version grasshoppers. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's heaven in a glass. Imagine a mint chocolate chip ice cream blended to perfection and served up cold and frosty. Now imagine that same smoothie gives you fiber, iron, manganese, potassium, and all sorts of powerful vitamins. I've got one that can do just that. OK, OK . . . it Read more

Can't beat healthy yogurt toppings: reader livewell360 uploaded this photo of Greek yogurt topped with pears to the Snack Attack: Healthy Snack Ideas group in the FitSugar Community. Filling, fresh and simple! Do you have an image of something healthy and delicious that you recently made or enjoyed? Upload it and we might highlight it here on FitSugar! Read more

Below, OnSugar blog Fresh Tart makes the most of leftover pate brisee — and the end of the season's apples and pears — by rolling out a rustic galette. You can thank the asparagus & leek tart for this treat.  The original pie crust (pate brisee) recipe makes two crusts (I halved it for the posted recipe), so I had extra dough sitting in the fridge.  I brushed over it a couple of Read more

A crisp is a deep-dish fruit dessert that's topped with a crumbly oat, butter, and flour mixture. It's a fabulously easy and versatile finish to any home-cooked meal. Once you know the basic topping ingredients, you can use whatever fruit is in season. Apple crisp is my dad's favorite, but when I made this, I decided to use pears. As the crisp bakes, the topping browns and the fruit caramelizes. Read more