As the autumn leaves have started falling and the pumpkins, squash and other fall delicacies fill the grocery store I once again feel like the season is already slipping away! As soon as Canadian Thanksgiving is over, it seems that the all the Christmas decorations start to make their way through. But wait! I’m still in full-on Fall-loving mode and I will hold on to the season for as long as I can. Blame it on long Canadian winters, but Fall always seems like a fleeting moment that can never last long enough.

I have a sugar pumpkin waiting to be turned into pie (I’m thinking it will be a salted caramel and gingersnap pumpkin pie), an update on a classic with this Pear and Cranberry Sauce, and a myriad of DIY Fall projects still in the works. I love cranberry sauce outside of the Thanksgiving-realm of things (I suspect that growing up in France far, far away from Thanksgiving celebrations has something to do with it). I love adding a spoonful on top of ice cream (it’s delicious with coconut ice cream) and it pairs beautifully with blue cheese or citrusy ricotta on top of crusty baguette slices for a quick bruschetta. A dollop on top of warm steel-cut oats is pretty fantastic too.

Pear and Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 strips orange rind
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tbsp orange juice

In small saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, water,  orange rind and nutmeg  to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in pears. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and sauce has a jam-like consistency, about 15 minutes. Discard orange rind and stir in orange juice. Cool completely and store in an airtight container  in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!