A Very Peary Christmas (Pear Smoothies)

For the past week I have been drinking a banana smoothie for breakfast everyday.  I found this great, easy recipe and tried it.  A total winner.  But this morning when I went to get my banana to throw in the blender I came to a big block in the road: there were no bananas left.  This wouldn't have been a problem but I already had all the other ingredients in the blender, ready to be whirred together.  So I looked at my fruit basket:  oranges, tangerines, limes, and a tomato.  Nothing that would go well with milk, peanut butter, oats, and honey.  Quite a problem.  Until I remembered that I had a special delivery yesterday: a box of pears.

Not only did I get a box of pears from family, I received this beautiful pear ornament from one of my students.  I don't think I have had more than three pears in my house -- not "at a time" but ever.  I have never really been a pear person, but between that pear h'orderve dish I made up yesterday (I am starting to drool just thinking about it...) and all these pears sitting on my table and hanging on the tree, I guess this was the Christmas that I was destined to become a pear person.  So, I grabbed a pear and dropped it in the blender. 

Want one?  It is simple.  Take two tablespoons of oats (like Quaker Oats) and blend them until they become a powder.  Add one cup milk, one pear (cut up), one and half tablespoons of peanut butter (I do half Skippy/half healthy junk), and a smidgen of honey.  Blend.  Enjoy.  And share with a friend because it makes two servings.

There we have it, another winning pear recipe.  I think I have to blame The Cheesecake Factory for my sudden love of pears.  Have you tried their pear/blue cheese/arugula flat bread?  Oh.My.Word.  To die for.  Last time we went I ordered two of them.  Yes, two of them.  That was it, nothing else.  I could only eat one, but I had a great lunch waiting for me the next day.  You will probably be seeing my attempt to recreate that sometime soon.  After all, I have a lot of pears to get through!

To you and yours, I hope you... well, see for yourself :)  (Yes, I am a corn-dog sometimes.)

COST: $1.30          COST PER SERVING (2): $0.65