Stewed Cinnamon Pears -or breakfast in bed on a lazy Saturday.

Let's get one thing straight. I am not a breakfast person. I think I stopped eating breakfast somewhere around the tender age of ten. I have started in recent years to bring this supposedly important meal back into my day but honestly, first thing in the morning is a little too early to be chowing down on the sweetness that is cereal or the bloat that is toast. I usually like to eat fruit or a muesli bar. Something that you can grab and run with. Even then, I'm glad I work nights so I can have breakfast as the last meal of my day.

This morning I awoke at 5am. This is mainly due to the siren of an alarm clock belonging to the lover with whom I share my bed. Good on ya, Gordy. I'm not being mean. The boy works hard.

I had been laying in bed for about an hour wondering if it's too early to play drums, when the desperate need for a cup of tea took over. I have a long day ahead and there is no chance for an afternoon nap today. Must get stuck into the tea early.

Then my belly began to rumble. I remembered I bought a packet of all natural cereal about a month ago. That in itself is crazy. Best of all, I remembered the stewed cinnamon pears that I had previously made in the fridge. Best.

Ingredients:

• As many chopped pears as you can fit in your slow cooker. I used about 8-10 medium pears.
• 2 cups of water.
• One cinnamon or cassia stick.
• 3 cloves.
• Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
• Half a cup of coarsely chopped almonds.
• Half a cup of walnuts.
• Half a cup of chopped dates.
• 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup.
• A small pinch of good salt.

Method:

Place all the ingredients in your trusty slow cooker. Cook on high for between 4-8 hours. In other words, check them at the four hour mark and if they don't look as sexy or smooshy as you'd like, cook them for another four.

Keep them in a jar or air tight container in the fridge. They should keep for a couple of weeks.

In the photo, I've served them on top of the cereal and placed some chopped brazil nuts on top. Brazil nuts help regulate blood sugar. I like nuts.

One note on slow cookers. I plug mine into a timer so as not to overcook it if I'm not home to turn it off. I do this for my dehydrator as well. Works a treat.

Also, a note to fill everyone in on my little cook book adventure and the proposed you tube cooking show. It seems someone spilled some sort of liquid on my beloved computer. It's costing between $600- $1000 to fix and I'm not sure that when I get it back my work will still be on it. I'm trying to remain positive. I don't really know how I'm remaining positive but I just remind myself that this is a first world problem and it's not life and death, even if I am minus a grand. Maybe I'll just hit my drums a little harder today.  I also have wine brewing and I realised that I used actual fruit juice instead of fruit juice concentrate and it's probably going  to taste like crap. My attention to detail is lacking at the moment. Focus, Brain. With the bad comes the good. I just gotta remember to see the little miracles in the everyday.

Long live the optimist. xx