I'll make mincemeat of you!

We had lots to eat over Christmas. Most people do I guess.

Christmas dinner was Lobster, then Goose with trimmings, and Christmas pudding and cream laced with Brandy to finish.

We had dinner in the evening. We generally do anyway, but this year we had no choice as we had to muck-out Chester, my daughters horse, on Christmas morning. Very enjoyable - no it really was. My daughter Holly (apt name for this time of year) is quite often asked if she was born at Christmas. She wasn't. We tell her that we named her Holly because she was conceived whilst we were wrapping Christmas presents in November. It isn't true but it grosses her out.

As usual Gaynor made mince pies, but this year I made the mincemeat. It's a bit of a cheat but it is delicious.

Cheats mincemeat:

1. Take a jar of mincemeat and empty into a bowl.
2. With a sharp knife quarter about 20 glacier cherries.
3. Mix into mincemeat.
4. Roughly chop 10 walnut halves and 12 almonds and add it to the mix.
5. Grate the zest from the skin of a tangerine.
6. Add to mix.
7. Grate the zest from the skin of a small lemon.
8. Add to mix.
9. Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder and another 1/4 of nutmeg powder.
10. Pour an egg-cup full of Amaretto and add to the mix.
11. Stir vigorously.
12. Taste.
12a. Add another egg-cup full of Amaretto if you wish (I did).
14. Give mix to chef to make pies crowing constantly about how fantastic the mincemeat is.
15. Eat when cooked with thick double cream.

Our freezer is still bulging with food and this wasn't helped by the supermarkets reducing all their meat on Christmas Eve - I just can't resist a bargain.

Try the mince pies you'll love them.