The past few days have been crazy at my house...between new windows being installed and replacing the dryer that just up and died, all I have to say is thank goodness for lazy Sundays! There are no chores to be done today as I gave the new dryer a workout yesterday.   Soon enough, the madness of Christmas will be here bringing with it the shopping and baking and unreasonable expectations we all seem to put upon ourselves.  Plenty of time to stress about that later! 

Sunday is a day to regroup, recharge and refuel.  A couple pots of coffee and scrambled eggs to start the day with and sharing the Sunday paper leads to watching a few shows on the Food Network (because sadly there are only a few decent, actual cooking shows left on that network) and then back to reading.  Time to catch up on what I missed through the busy work week.  Husband has the Eastern Final on tv and I have been mindlessly surfing Pinterest and Instagram guilt-free.  Bliss! 

Something nice to nibble on is mandatory on a lazy Sunday.  In keeping with the easygoing order of the day it cannot be labour intensive.  It's a rule.  My rule.  Even better if it pairs nicely with a glass of wine.  It will make easing into Monday mode much easier.  Trust me. 

Some of my favourite flavours include balsamic vinegar, cheese and fruit.  Add some nice bread and I'm in heaven.  Today's afternoon nibble included all of the above.  Crostini topped with Parmesan cheese, pears and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.  Sweet and savoury all at the same time.  In 15 minutes flat.  Checks all the lazy Sunday boxes, Dear Reader.  I think you need this in your life.

Parmesan Pear Crostini with Balsamic Drizzle

2 pears, finely diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2  to 3/4 cup white wine
1/2 Baguette, sliced thinly
Balsamic glaze
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat broiler setting on your oven. Wash pears and finely dice, leaving skins on.  Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add pears.  Sauté until slightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Season with pepper and transfer to small bowl. Set aside. 

Next, thinly slice the baguette and arrange on a baking sheet.  Drizzle each slice with olive oil and place under the broiler to toast.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn!  Remove from oven when golden and set aside.

Meanwhile, over medium heat add the Parmesan cheese to the skillet.  Slowly pour in the white wine (I used an Ontario Reisling) and stir until combined.  Continue to stir until warmed through until it reaches a spreadable consistency, similar to ricotta cheese.  Remove from heat.

Arrange toasted crostini on a nice plate or platter.  One by one, spread each one with the Parmesan wine mixture.  Next, top each one with the diced pears.  Finally, with your best artistic flair, drizzle each crostini with balsamic glaze.  Enjoy with a glass of wine and your favourite person.  Makes 10 crostini.

So as lazy as today has been I must admit that I am not in total denial.  Christmas is coming!!! I'm starting to think about what I will be baking and making.  Mulled wine, cookies and hand made ornaments are on my mind.  I would love to know what you're making....leave me a comment Dear Reader! 

The clocks went back an hour today, a sure sign that Fall is upon us and Winter isn't far behind.  Three cheers for that extra hour of sleep!  Dark mornings and early nights are here for a while Dear Reader.  Time to dust off the cross stitch project, the knitting and the stack of books that have been piling up while the sun shone.  Bring out the candles too!  Leaves are falling from the trees, leaving behind a colourful blanket of orange, gold and brown.  Summer was fun, but for me, it's all about the Fall. I love this time of year and the flavours it brings with it.  I'm preparing to hunker down for the long cold winter so it's not weird that I am craving rutabaga is it?   If you are anything like me, your body feels the change coming and and starts to crave stews, soups and earthy root vegetables.  

I love Autumn's overcast skies and the shadow it casts over the house.  The homebody in me gets to let her introverted self exist in her natural state with no judgement.  It's getting colder - perfect excuse to stay home and have a proper Sunday dinner.  An afternoon spent in the kitchen, in yoga pants, hair in a ponytail, puttering about in slippers and peeling potatoes for dinner is heaven to me.  Today was a day just like that.

Our dinner is nearly ready, but it is the dessert that I am excited about today.  Yesterday, I bought a raisin Challah loaf with the idea that I was going to turn it into bread pudding as a perfect foil for the beat up McIntosh apples that have been lurking in the fridge.  Bread pudding is an easy dessert to make.  Cubed bread and an eggy custard baked to puffy perfection.  Add some warm créme anglaise over the top and it is some serious comfort food.  The spiced rum probably has something to do with that too!

Apple Maple Bread Pudding

For the custard:
6 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup 
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp spiced rum
1 1-pound Challah bread cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (6 1/2 to 7 cups)

For the apples:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 LB McIntosh apples, peeled, quartered and sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar

Prepare the custard:
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the milk, whipping cream, and spiced rum and whisk until well blended. Next, add the bread cubes and press to submerge into the  custard. Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally gently stirring and pressing on bread cubes to submerge and soak up the custard mixture.

Prepare the apples:
Preheat to 350°F. Next, butter a 13 x 9 inch pan. Melt the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until golden and beginning to soften, stirring, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Next, mix half of the apple slices into bread-custard mixture and transfer to prepared pan.  Scatter remaining apple slices atop bread pudding. Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills during baking.

Bake bread pudding until puffed and apples are deep brown, about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spoon pudding into bowls and drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired.   Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8