Made the mincemeat...

[gardener]

Having a burst of festive enthusiasm here! So I made some mincemeat, and then (mostly because I forgot that I had bought organic lemons for it and bought a second bag) I made some lemon curd. And I cut some fir branches which my daughter is supposed to be using to make a door wreath (only I think she just went out to hit the nightlife instead). And I put a couple of hyancinths in the front window so they should be nice an smelly in a couple of days. And now I am relaxing witha hot whiskey

[SRD]

MrsSRD always makes our our mincemeat as the ready made usually contains wheat; it's used to dust the suet to make it run more easily, odd that the vegetarian suet is usually dusted with rice flour - why can't they do that with the beef suet? But we buy fresh suet from the butcher for our puddings and mincemeat.

[gardener]

I use a recipe from what was probably my first ever cookery book, by Margaret Fulton. It has melted butter instead of the suet, which is great here because I can't get suet and I don't think that lamb suet (available in plenty every autumn) would taste very nice.

[Teifi]

Oh no - I'm feeling so guilty - have only just bought the Christmas cards and have still to write them.

[gardener]

Oh no - I'm feeling so guilty - have only just bought the Christmas cards and have still to write them.

I am doing well if I get mine in the post on the 24th so you have loads of time for that!

[snoopysue]

I use a recipe from what was probably my first ever cookery book, by Margaret Fulton. It has melted butter instead of the suet, which is great here because I can't get suet and I don't think that lamb suet (available in plenty every autumn) would taste very nice.

What do you do with the butter - we can't get it here either, so I don't put any fat in mine?
Must admit I don't follow a recipe, just bung in what I feel like, as long as there are loads of currents it always seems to taste about right!

[snoopysue]

Oh no - I'm feeling so guilty - have only just bought the Christmas cards and have still to write them.

I am doing well if I get mine in the post on the 24th so you have loads of time for that!

Sending the last one today, complete with a letter with genealogy questions for my great aunt! Can't believe the price of stamps though - about £1.20 to the UK, got my first card from home yesterday, it only cost half the price! And is still cheaper than the 80p I spent last year. I've sent all my Danish cards 2nd class and that costs about 60p - no wonder people don't send much post these days!

[gardener]

I use a recipe from what was probably my first ever cookery book, by Margaret Fulton. It has melted butter instead of the suet, which is great here because I can't get suet and I don't think that lamb suet (available in plenty every autumn) would taste very nice.

What do you do with the butter - we can't get it here either, so I don't put any fat in mine?
Must admit I don't follow a recipe, just bung in what I feel like, as long as there are loads of currents it always seems to taste about right!

Just melt it and stir it in along with the brandy. Then it is supposed to mature in the fridge for a couple of weeks but really a couple of days is enough.

[snoopysue]

I use a recipe from what was probably my first ever cookery book, by Margaret Fulton. It has melted butter instead of the suet, which is great here because I can't get suet and I don't think that lamb suet (available in plenty every autumn) would taste very nice.

What do you do with the butter - we can't get it here either, so I don't put any fat in mine?
Must admit I don't follow a recipe, just bung in what I feel like, as long as there are loads of currents it always seems to taste about right!

Just melt it and stir it in along with the brandy. Then it is supposed to mature in the fridge for a couple of weeks but really a couple of days is enough.

I've already got it made, so I'll try adding the melted butter!