Some trees are at the best when you look at them from far off – like oak and cypress – but I think poplars are best viewed from underneath when they’re back lit by the sun.
I love the ones that line our drive. The leaves dance and rustle like petticoats when the wind blows while the silvery trunks shimmer in the sunlight and glow in the moonlight.
They never fail to make me happy to be alive.
Spring is coming early this year and is nearly here. We can see it in the prematurely budding trees, the asparagus shooting up overnight, and the chooks laying eggs almost every day.
It’s so warm that Bear and I get to eat our lunches out on the veranda, basking in the sunshine streaming in.
Instead of coffees and teas we’re sipping mango juice and maple cream sodas and starting to crave salads instead of soup.
It’s lovely.
This weekend we were able to start on a few wood-working projects, sanding down the wood we found last week so we can turn it into shelves.
This week I continued the theme by refinishing a few more old wooden chairs. I cleaned and sanded them then painted each one a rich, cherry red. They’re all different styles and shapes but the color unites them. They’re so glossy and cheerful I can’t help but feel happy when I see them.
For the past week we’ve finished off each dinner with maple roasted pears topped with whipped coconut cream. They are such scrumptious little desserts without a hint of sugar, gluten or dairy. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the pears and caramelizes them beautifully while the richness of the coconut cream balances the sweetness.
How was your weekend? Do you have a favorite project you’re working on?
Maple Roasted Pears with Coconut Cream
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 pears, washed, halved and cored
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).
- Line baking tray with baking paper.
- In medium bowl, gently toss pears with 1 Tbsp maple syrup.
- Place pears half side down on baking tray.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes until pears are well caramelized.
- Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes.
- Top with lightly whipped coconut cream and drizzle of maple syrup.
The pears look delicious. Lovely!
Thank you, El. 🙂 They’re definitely our favorite healthy dessert of the moment. 🙂
omg this looks awesome!
There us a feminine quality to poplars that make them quite lacy and beautiful. Almost as beautiful as that dessert. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Such gorgeous photos looking up through the trees, I love taking photos at this angle as well. 🙂
Oh I so love the sunlight through the trees. . .all trees, any trees! Maybe it is coming from Seattle and craving sunshine – whatever, these photos are beautiful!
The pears look absolutely delightful Krista and yummy too. I love the angle of the photo that you have taken looking up through the trees 🙂
That looks like heaven in a bowl (and in the trees!)
Those maple roasted pears look AMAZING! Where do you get the coconut cream, are you whipping coconut milk or ??? On another note, a house we owned years ago in the Seattle area had poplars that lined the driveway and we loved them EXCEPT when they dumped all their leaves into our front yard and circular driveway. They are amazing and beautiful though and the writer in me loved your description of them: “The leaves dance and rustle like petticoats when the wind blows…” Actually, this whole post made me smile. Hugs to you, Miss Krista!
Oh yum, the pear looks totally divine! What a lovely afternoon you had 🙂
More beautiful photos and those maple roasted pears are gorgeous!
Lovely, lovely dessert! Perfect flavors together. I adore the change of season in either direction. It is like rediscovering something, sensations long forgotten. And the change of fruits and vegetables on the market is always exciting. I also have to say that I have started looking up at trees, through the leaves and find something very magical about it.
Aaah, roasted pears are one of my favourite desserts – so simple and so good! Love the sound poplar trees make when the wind rustles their leaves…