Holidays!

Now that Halloween has come and gone (pictures of the little Lucy girl to come in another post), I'm in a sickening mood for ANYTHING Christmas. I am already listening to Christmas music. Yes, yes I am.

I can not wait to decorate the house for the holidays and smell the scent of Christmas (i.e. Baking, candles, turkey cooking, you name it, I want to smell it!)
I came across this YUMMY recipe on msn's "Healthy Holiday Recipes" that sounds sooo delicious. The photo speaks for itself. YUM!!







Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle(s) (750ml) Shiraz or red Zinfandel wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 star anise
• 8 Medium bosc pears with stems

Directions:

1. In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat wine, water, sugar, and star anise just to boiling on high, stirring to dissolve sugar.
2. Meanwhile, peel pears, leaving stems on. With melon baller or small knife, core pears through blossom (bottom) end.
3. Place pears in wine mixture; heat to boiling. Cover and simmer on low 10 to 15 minutes, until pears are tender but still hold their shape, turning occasionally.
4. Remove pears to platter; discard star anise. Heat wine mixture to boiling on high. Cook 20 minutes, uncovered, to thicken liquid and reduce to 1 1/2 cups
5. Cover pears and syrup separately; refrigerate 6 hours or up to 3 days. To serve, spoon syrup over pears.

YUM!!!