The House is Smelling Good! - Cooking

I haven't milked the last few mornings because Willow now has two babies to  nurse.  Once in a while I have to strip out a quarter but didn't this morning.

The calf is about a month younger and is a Jersey/Angus cross bull calf.



The good smell is coming from the mincemeat slowly cooking down.  It has cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in it and aroma is wonderful.  I used my exact same recipe from 2009 and 2010.  I did use more apples because they were so small.  I made my own candied orange and lemon peel.  I will add just a touch of brandy just before it is finished cooking down.

DIY Mincemeat

Glenda first made in December 2009

Second in November 2010

Third Time October 2012

2 lbs apples (8-10)

l lb dark raisins

½ lb golden raisins

¾ to l cup candied cherries

1 cup grated candied orange peel (I used food processor to grate)

2 cups peaches (used some darkened ones from frig been left too long)

2 oranges peeled – just pulp (no whites or seeds)

l cup sugar

¾ cup raw sugar (because I had it)

1 cup reduced cider (boiled down)

½ to 1 cup apple cider (hard or whatever)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

I ran all through the grinder attachment. Cooked down.

Let ripen at room temp for several days ; then stored in fridge.

2010-I froze; like it better just in fridge. The freezing caused it to

get slimy. Next year will just keep in jars in cool place.

‹Note: I made my own candied orange peel because I couldn't find any in the stores

Hard cider could be replaced with some brandy but I had let some cider get bad.

Reduced cider could be substituted with frozen undiluted apple juice.

See what I mean, I just taste along until I get what I want.

It lasts forever in the fridge without canning. Mine is the 2010 version from the fridge.

I think I have about a gallon; this should keep me and my Sis stocked for two years....maybe.  We love the little mincemeat pies/turnovers.  Our husbands aren't so crazy about them.

The pot is now resting in the kitchen ripening before I jar it up.  I can't resist eating a bite now and then.



Thursday, October 10, 2013

Around 6 AM I put on a pot of pinto beans to  cook.  They were done by the time
I went out to oversee the  nursing process. Willow gets impatient once in  a while and butts the new baby so we don't leave  them unattended yet.  They emptied her nicely so I just turned her out to pasture and came  back to the house.

I had an extra dozen eggs that my Sis brought down to me when she visited.  I wanted to use them up since our girls are now giving us 3-5 daily.  I made an angel food cake,  then used the 12 yolks to bake a Lemony Sponge Cake.  The oven is still hot, so I used  my last frozen pie crust (thawed) to make several of the little turnovers.  I am trying to use up the old mincemeat.  By now it is near lunch time and I took advantage of the hot oven to make a skillet of cornbread.  Whew done baking for some time ............until it is bread time  again.



Sorry about the premature publishing, Kris.  I guess the house smelled good two days.