Pear and Apple Crisp

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m super excited because unlike last year, I’m not working nights! Even better, I’m on an elective (gastroenterology), so I have the day off! And best of all, B has Thanksgiving weekend off (Thanksgiving is B’s favorite holiday so he traded a lot of his weekends for this), so we’re spending it together in Connecticut.

Even with the ups and downs, we have lots of things to be thankful for this year.

Thankful for my family:
– My parents for everything. There have been some health events in the family this past year, one that needed surgery for mom and another with heart stents for dad. Fortunately, everyone is doing well so far.
– My sister who was accepted and started dental hygiene school, and my brother, who after a tough banking internship in NYC, got hired for an amazing job and will be coming up to the Northeast next year.
– My dog, S, who gave us almost 16 years of love, that he’s in a better place now.

Thankful for friends: 
– The residents who I get to laugh with and survive residency with. 
– For all the celebrated proposals, engagements, and weddings with friends ranging from high school to residency 
– For all the kind/fun/amazing things they did for me (too many to list!)

Thankful for my job:
– I’m at my dream residency program being a doctor. And still have a life and can cook/photograph/blog for OCD.
– I completed intern year.
– I published two papers this year (whoohoo), and just submitted another review.
– smart, awesome, and supportive residents / mentors / program director

Thankful for my little family
– B, of course, my biggest fan. That we got to see each other on days off and travel so much together despite our work schedules.
– Our new addition to the family, whom I’m can’t wait to share in a later blog post (she’s a cutie!).

With this surprise Thanksgiving day off, B and I spent our energy all in the kitchen baking/cooking up a storm (he’s got a 15 lb turkey right now as I type this)

One of my Thanksgiving desserts this year is an awesome pear and apple crisp adapted from Ina Garten. This is an easy dessert for a crowd and is one of the healthier dessert options, as it’s mostly fruit and no crust. I think all Thanksgiving fruit deserts must be served with ice cream ala mode to properly finish off dinner. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pear and Apple Crisp

Ingredients
FILLING
1 1/2 Bosc pears
1 1/2 apples
orange zest
lemon zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste

TOPPING
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut and core the pears and apples into even sized pieces (about 1 inch). In a bowl, combined fruit with the zests, juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, walnuts, and butter and mix until it forms large crumbles. Pour the fruit into a baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 50 minutes, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm and topped with ice cream. Enjoy!