Preparations
Christmas preparations are underway. A few days ago I made the fruit mince and I have just finished typing up our annual family newsletter - with lots of good news and celebrations this year. My darling has been away on camp and just dropped in briefly complete with bus, boys and boat on trailer.
As I looked up from the keyboard I was greeted by this.
Our dogs are not indoor dogs but they were very disappointed by the very brief, aforementioned visit, so being kind-hearted ...
This is so typical of our mother and son duo. When we travel to the cottage Roger finds a comfy spot and settles down for a sleep, Jess is constantly on the lookout and once we leave the freeway is driven crazy with delight by the country smells as she hangs as far out of the window as possible.
Anyway, back to Christmas.
Here is my bowl of freshly made fruit mince for mince pies. I make it every year, the same way. It actually starts in February when I bottle the roadside apples that we pick. I always save at least one bottle as the base for the fruit mince (I'm sure freshly stewed or a bought tin of apples would do just as well).
FRUIT MINCE
1 jar bottled apples (about 1 lb)
4 oz butter
2 lbs mixed fruit (any but include some cherries and dates)
8 oz brown sugar
grated rind and juice of a lemon
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 heaped teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons brandy
Mix the butter into the apple (it helps if the butter is softened or even melted slightly). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep in fridge.
***
This morning I decided to make some plum jam. It is early for me to do this as I usually make it from the plums picked by the roadside near our cottage - and they always ripen later than in the city. However we do have some little plums, that I have always ignored, right in the backyard of our city home. After watching the birds eating them, and the dogs licking away at the fallen ones, I decided to try one. They don't have as much flavour as the wild ones but I thought if I added some cherries it may help. I made half the amount of my normal batch and here is the (unlabeled) end product ...
As I looked up from the keyboard I was greeted by this.
Our dogs are not indoor dogs but they were very disappointed by the very brief, aforementioned visit, so being kind-hearted ...
This is so typical of our mother and son duo. When we travel to the cottage Roger finds a comfy spot and settles down for a sleep, Jess is constantly on the lookout and once we leave the freeway is driven crazy with delight by the country smells as she hangs as far out of the window as possible.
Anyway, back to Christmas.
Here is my bowl of freshly made fruit mince for mince pies. I make it every year, the same way. It actually starts in February when I bottle the roadside apples that we pick. I always save at least one bottle as the base for the fruit mince (I'm sure freshly stewed or a bought tin of apples would do just as well).
FRUIT MINCE
1 jar bottled apples (about 1 lb)
4 oz butter
2 lbs mixed fruit (any but include some cherries and dates)
8 oz brown sugar
grated rind and juice of a lemon
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 heaped teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons brandy
Mix the butter into the apple (it helps if the butter is softened or even melted slightly). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep in fridge.
***
This morning I decided to make some plum jam. It is early for me to do this as I usually make it from the plums picked by the roadside near our cottage - and they always ripen later than in the city. However we do have some little plums, that I have always ignored, right in the backyard of our city home. After watching the birds eating them, and the dogs licking away at the fallen ones, I decided to try one. They don't have as much flavour as the wild ones but I thought if I added some cherries it may help. I made half the amount of my normal batch and here is the (unlabeled) end product ...
posted by Kathy at 1:46 pm
1 Comments:
I always put grated apple in my fruit mince and it's yummy. Your little dog looks very happy on the back of the chair.
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