Making Your Own Holiday Treats - Good Feelings Included

Did you know that you can use sweet mincemeat to make cookies, energy bars, cakes, biscuits, pies and perhaps nearly anything else? To be honest, I have never ever eaten a mincemeat pie...and I haven't even been interested in eating one....

But, yesterday I made up some sweet mincemeat for the holiday season, so that I could give it a go - use it in a few things and see how they turn out. And I am really interested in trying out these new tastes. 

Perhaps this change has more to do with the fact that I have finally fully internalized that I can make anything. And therefore if I can make it myself, I can also make it to taste really good. I love the fact that it's all so easy to prepare as well.

Making mincemeat is as simple as throwing ingredients into a deep bowl and letting them sit for a day, a week or up to months according to some recipes. In keeping with the diversity, I did make up my own recipe as well - but I won't give it yet, because I want to taste it first! LOL

One of the things I am noticing as I am out and about these weeks before Solstice/Christmas is the amount of baking that people are buying. The simplest things are available for sale in the shops, and it seems almost criminal. 

Mostly because the fun of this season is to have the house smell of cloves, nutmeg and spices while something baking or cooking is eagerly awaited. Then the tasting, the sheer enjoyment of making your own festive treats and having everyone feeling good about their food. 

None of this arrives home in a package from a shop at any time of the year and certainly not during this season. The good feelings are something that gets added by the chef - and should be a personal touch for your family to enjoy. 

I think we are missing out on so much when we buy our holiday goodies in the shops. As I am having a completely unprocessed Solstice this year, I admit, it is a challenge to make it all ourselves...but not impossible and I don't want to miss out on anything. 

At the moment I even have a traditional Christmas pudding sitting steaming on the wood stove, it needs to steam for about 10 hours or so....this is going to be interesting... 

So bring it on!!

April

Mincemeat sealed in jars -- ready to mature