A foggy night of ghostly streetlights was followed by another frosty morning. There was little time for photography walking the dog as we needed to visit the shop early this morning. This leads us away from the fields and means I need my hands on the leash, while madam sniffs the news from the canine denizens of the village. As usual, however, I threw the camera on the seat beside me as I headed into work.
For once the traffic moved at a steady crawl… the once when it could, for me, have quite happily ground to a halt. It would have been nice to have had the chance to snap the fox hunting in the field, his fur bright against the rimed grass. Traffic could have remained gridlocked as I watched him stalk and pounce… as it was, at least I got to watch.
Work over, I headed with great reluctance to the supermarket. I go there as seldom as possible at the best of times… and the run-up to Christmas does not constitute the best of times by any stretch of the imagination. It was packed but not manic; even so, and head down, I charged to the pharmacy aisle with as little looking around as possible.
And then I saw them. Mince pies.
Oh dear.
I don’t tend to eat a lot of sweet stuff, but mince pies are a weakness.
And a dilemma.
Obviously pastry is bad enough. Add that particular confection of fruits in the centre and they should probably not be allowed within my vision. Definitely not within my reach.
Somehow a pack of four managed to follow me to the checkout.
I love mince pies. I bake the best good mince pies… or I used to when I had a house full of boys. I could bake two dozen every day and have nothing but crumbs before they were cold. Of course, living with just the small dog, I don’t bake any more except for special occasions. I couldn’t justify baking a dozen just for me… especially as I would only eat them.
On the other hand, there is a tradition that says you should eat mince pies for good fortune through December… that for every one you eat you will have happiness and luck for … now …was it a day, a week or a month? I could use some good fortune… and a fairy godmother if one is looking for work too. And herein lies the dilemma.
No, not the fact that it isn’t December yet… I’m in training. How’s that for reasoning?
The thing is, while I am a firm believer in asking the universe , then allowing things to happen, I am also aware we need to do our part too. So if I want good fortune for the next twelve months, I obviously need to eat enough mince pies.
I’m liking the logic of this.
They only count in December, but that’s okay. A little practice never hurt…
But how many do I need to eat?
If the ratio of tradition is 1mince pie:1 month good fortune, I have no problem. If it is a weekly ratio, then 52 between here and Christmas seems do-able. Even I, however, would struggle with eating a dozen a day for a month…
On the other hand, it can’t all be sweetness and light… there have to be darker days against which the light can shine… so maybe the dozen a day isn’t necessary…
Meanwhile, I could have sworn there was a pack of four, freshly baked mince pies around here somewhere…
Well, what’s left of them…
Hmmm…If a mince pie (or three) is consumed, leaving no trace of its presence, did it ever exist in the first place and can you called a hog for eating it?
perhaps you need to buy more pies leave them in the freezer and have them in January, after all, it’s really Christmas all year round, thanks for the post
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Ah but tradition says the magic only works in December 😉 However… I like your thinking 🙂
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does it work in november, thinking of getting some nice pies,
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You could call it practice 🙂 I did …
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LOL…. I love mince pies too but they don’t make them here…. what a lucky escape.
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I could bake and send some…;)
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Ahhhh Nooo I mean yes, No. Discipline. I am trying to lose weight.
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*chuckles* Terrible, those symbolic little pies…
*finishes fourth*…
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I’ve never heard of a mince pie before, having lived in the States my whole life. Is it something that is mostly seen in the Commonwealth?
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It is a small pastry associated with Christmas that is mainly found in the UK, Noah. Once upon a time it contained meat fruit and spices. These days it is a sweet confection minus the meat, though suet is traditionally used in them stiil. You can get vegetarian ones though.
They are an old, old dish that has evolved with changing tastes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mince_pie
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Thanks. Even though I am Jewish, I am aware of Christmas delicacies in the USA, but that sounds pretty tasty too. Nothing says that you have to be a part of the culture in order to enjoy their food!
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Absolutely… I have a feeling that food makes bridges between cultures better than most things.
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go for it! and a practice run in November could well be in order! After all, you want to ensure the good luck part so a bit of trial and error this last week of November seems in order!!
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My thinking exactly, Joss!
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The plants wrapped in frost look velvety. 🙂 Enjoy your mincemeat pies. 🙂
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They look like velvet, but the bite is as purposefil as mine with a mince pie 😉
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🙂 🙂
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Im loving your reasoning, Sue! I never heard that tradition before, but if you say it I believe it must be true. I’m up for that, any excuse lol!
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Break ’em out, Ali…. 🙂
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Oh I intend to! Been deprived all year, nothing’s gonna stop me now! Roll out the Xmas pud too, while you’re at it!
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Oh… hadn’t even thought about the Pud yet….
That’s done it…. Wonder if the off licence sells them… ?
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lol I have resisted thus far… but now I have a craving…
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I now have indigestion 😉 Be warned… 😀
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Garry too has a weakness for mince pie. It is one of the pleasures of the holidays for him, along with the much maligned fruitcake, which I used to bake until the cost of the ingredients got so obscenely high. I think dried fruit now costs more per ounce than gold!
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I have an old recipe of my grandmother’s that I use… cuts the cost hugely and still makes a lovely fruitcake…not quite as darkly rich as the traditional one I use for wedding cakes, but much cheaper.
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Ah, Sue, I love mince pies, but usually buy a commercial brand of filling to make one for Christmas. Would love your recipe. I’ve made a Christmas pud before, love that, too. If I weren’t Irish, I’d swear I was a Brit.
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Many of the commercial fillings are really good.Mincemeat is easy to make though. The 13 ingredients are traditionally said to represent Jesus and the apostles.
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 oz chopped almonds
1 large cooking apple, finely chopped
4 oz sultanas
4 oz raisins
8oz currants
4 oz candied, mixed peel
6 oz shredded suet (beef or vegetarian). If you can’t get suet, you can use butter in small pieces.
8 oz dark brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbsp cognac
Mix all ingredients except cognac in a large ovenproof dish. Cover tightly and leave to stand at least 8 hours. Cook in a very gentle oven for 2 ½ hours to melt everything together. When cool, stir in brandy and seal in sterilised jars.
Keeps for a year.
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Sue dear, thank you so much. I am downloading this and will try it for either Christmas or New Year’s. Will you make pies this year or a Christmas pudding?
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I have a guest for Christmas…and sons… so ther ewill be mince pies… and a Christmas cake and pudding too 🙂
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I saw your sophistry tag, lol! Well that’s true, but pies and such should be forever exempt from falicies. 🙂 I’ve often wondered about the metaphysical existence of a food once it’s eaten, too.
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Busted 😉
Another example of how many things can occupy the same space, perhaps. Therefore in eating we demostrate a spiritual principle…
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Your frost photos are superb! No worries about the pies – it is all in the spirit of the holiday, after all!
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Thank you… I can usually find a good reason to eat mince pies 🙂
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12 mince pies on each of the twelve days of Christmas, each in a different home for good fortune throughout the year. I’d best get baking then.
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Yep…I’m sure that was it 🙂
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