I call this the eternal breakfast because I don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon, and that is mostly because the recipe is flexible enough to change as the seasons and the cravings and palates do.  Yes, it’s the same breakfast oatmeal bake idea I shared not too long ago when we first arrived in Oregon, but this one has been vamped and altered to fit the changing mentality that happens when it gets cold all of the sudden outside.

Now, here’s where I greatly hesitated to share this recipe. It has a bit of pumpkin puree in it. Let me explain. I have a thing, it’s called “anti-sheep-mentality.” That’s the official name I’ve given it. In short (and NOT because I’m better smarter or cooler than anyone out there–because that’s obviously not the case) I can’t bring myself to do anything that seems to be the group mentality movement of the moment. I don’t like to do something just because it’s expected, everyone else loves it, or it’s all the craze. For example: I was obsessed with the idea of putting a feather in my hair two years ago because secretly inside I think I’m a Native American, and then it became the trend and the idea died for me; I used to do my nails all one color except for my thumbs a contrasting one, now it’s the craze and I can no longer bring myself to do it; being fantastically “intimate” on V-day or Birthdays makes me barf because it’s expected; I don’t even like following sidewalks or paths, I usually look for an alternate route that cuts across some obscure different way.  Whatever is selling like hot-cakes and making people go ga-ga at the time, I’ll look the opposite way to make sure I don’t get trapped. My husband tells me I’d be a terrible businesswoman.

Every recipe that has ever existed is being transmogrified into a “pumpkin pie version” of that recipe across blogs and pinterest like the plague, and even though they all sound heavenly to me and I’m as much a fan of pumpkin as the next squash lover, I’ve made a conscious vow to NOT pumpkin-ize this blog so that it blends with the movement.  I ain’t no hater, and it’s not pride — I don’t think — it’s that feeling of being one of crowd that is hard for me to jive with. I wouldn’t feel like it was genuinely my idea.

But the human body senses the seasons changing, and the ground gives us larges gourd-like squash in order to thrive during the winter, and try as I may I will surrender and give in to this one pumpkin spiked meal. It’s not overpowering and it doesn’t taste like pie, but it’s thick and moist, deep and rich the way a pumpkin recipe should be.    And it’ still healthy.

Pears are the other quintessential fruit of the changing seasons, even their variety in color seems to resemble those exactly of the falling leaves. Pairing them together was a no-brainer. As by now I’ve done enough typing for one day, I give you the altered-ego of my “Basic Oatmeal Bake Brekkie” in the form of Pumpkin & Pear Oatmeal Bake.