pear-ly there

I've never been the biggest fan of pears.  I've always found them to be a little too mealy and the skin is always so thick and they're either sickeningly sweet or boring and bland and, worst of all, they look like a lady with a fat butt which reminds me too much of myself!  Sure, when you cover them with caramel and brown sugar and nuts they can be delicious, but in a masked sort of way.  I think what bugs me most about pears is that they aren't apples.  That's right, I said it - pears are kind of like the lame cousins of apples, and frankly, I'm not too fond of them.  Or at least I thought I wasn't.  Then, I saw this itty bitty, teeny tiny pear.  I'm a sucker for all things adorable and this may be one of the cutest pieces of fruit I have ever seen!  It's like a teacup pig in pear form... and it doesn't even make me feel bad about my giant ass!

I ate the tiny pear for breakfast this morning and guess what - it was still thick-skinned and mealy.  But it was also sweet and juicy and crisp and tart, like an apple but not an apple.  Truth is, I'm still not convinced that I could love pears, but because of its cuteness and tastiness this baby one has weaseled its way into my heart and belly; enough to make me believe that I could learn to enjoy all pears as something other than an ingredient.  But it might take some time.  So until then, help me out and tell me your favorite ways to enjoy this other orchard fruit, darlings.