Comfort Food

Saturday was a roller coaster of a day for me.  It started out on a high note (slept in a bit, josh made breakfast) and went down hill pretty fast.  For the past year or so we have been a one car family.  And for the most part, it has worked out so much better than I ever would have imagined.  It takes a bit more forethought, but with a little planning we save a ton of cash and feel like highly responsible, eco-conscious individuals.  But lest I get too carried away with flowery "green" speak, I should mention the one car we share is the car I've been driving since high school.  Yes, the car is old ( I am not).  And, it has almost 180,000 miles on it.  So it should have come as no surprise to us when upon pulling in to the Kingdom Hall parking lot Saturday morning, not 2 feet from intended parking spot, old faithful died.  Completely dead.  No sputter, no spurt, NOTHING.

Skipping, skipping skipping (highly monotonous details), Josh was able to determine we needed a new alternator.  Flashback to 3 years ago, when my sister and I, two country bumpkins new to the city, were suddenly stranded on the BQE when her alternator died.  Scary stuff.  Even scarier was the $400 plus she shelled out to have a new one put it.

Now, forgive me but I'm going to digress for a moment and explain a bit about my...ahem...my nature.  Josh has a special word for my unique ability to look at any mundane situation and envision the worst possible outcome.  This term "catastrophizing" (stolen from a popular TV show that shall remain nameless), explains my pattern of thinking quite well.  So come along with me on the journey my brain took in the parking lot that Saturday morning:
1) Car is unfix-able and or not worth fixing.
2) Josh can't get to work on Monday.
3) We can't afford a new car.
4) We loose everything and die a slow and humiliating death (which for some reason I always see happening back in Michigan)

Once again, skipping, skipping, skipping a few details, it turned out slightly better than I imagined.  After a bit of hassled and harried running around, we found an auto parts store that carried the alternator we needed and Josh replaced it pretty easily.  I know, mountain out of a mole hill right?  Right?  Well, as they say, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem...

So out of that somewhat stressful morning came this beauty.  Who needs therapy?  Try this instead...

Ginger Pear Crumble with Cranberries

Crumble

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 16 store bought cookies)

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

2 pounds (4 or 5) soft, ripe pears.

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  To make filling, stir together sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, ginger and salt.  Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form.

In a 2 quart baking dish, mix the fruit, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.  In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together then toss it with the fruit in the baking dish.

Sprinkle the gingersnap crumble over the fruit and bake for about 45 minutes, until the crumble is a shade darker and the fruit juices are bubbling through the crumbs.  You may need to cover it with foil to keep it from getting too dark. 

Eat, enjoy and take a deep breath.