Pear Sauce (like applesauce but with pears)

10 Pears, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
red hots or cinnamon to taste
water

In a crock pot put in all the pears and about a cup of water.  If using cinnamon sprinkle the pears with cinnamon and bake on low for about 3-4 hours.  Take out some of the water after it has cooked add the red hots if using these instead of cinnamon and let it cook for about 1-2 hours more, or until the pears are soft enough to mash.  Once cooked remove some of the excess water if the sauce is really watery.  Mash the pears and refrigerate.  This mix will last about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze some of it for about 3 months.

Roasted Chestnuts

1 Pound Chestnuts
1/4 Cup Butter (I use Earth Balance fake butter)
Salt to taste
Cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut a 1/2 inch crisscross on the flat side of each nut.  If there isn't a flat side then just make sure to cut the crisscross or the nuts will burst in the oven/  Be sure to make it a clean cut through the shell.  Place the nuts in a shallow baking pan with the cut side up and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow them to cool then peel off the shells.  If you let them cool too much it makes the shells difficult to take off so make sure they are warm just not too hot to hold.  Place the nuts in a skillet with the butter.  Once the nuts are evenly coated with butter sprinkle salt and cinnamon over them.  Place the skillet in the oven and bake until they are golden on top.  You can also add the cinnamon and salt after they are baked but the way I did it they came out with a little bit of a candy coat.

These were really hard to peel and I am not sure I will make them again, but I have to admit they were very delicious.