Mr P's Christmas Tarts

Every year since we have been married --23 years--I have made Mr P mince meat tarts for Christmas. I don't eat these things but he loves them.  The first step happens usually in October when the mince meat is made. This is NOT that stuff you can find in the pie filling aisle of your grocery (maybe) but homemade with real meat.  Originally mince meat was a way of preserving the small meat from game such as deer and elk that could not be butchered into steaks and roasts. Usually it was meat scraped from the carcass--waste not, want not. Mixed with sugar, candied fruit, spices ( allspice,cinnamon,cloves,coriander,mace,and nutmeg) ,rum, and brandy, it can last several weeks and should be made ahead of time so it can "set up."  I don't use game your can't pick up mince elk and deer in the supermarket and substitute good quality ground sirloin, then mix with fresh grated apple, candied citron, lemon, orange, brown sugar, the spices, and the alcohol which cooks off and but still functions as a preservative..

Soooo, yesterday I made enough pastry dough for four pies.  Let me tell you right up front that I hate making pastry dough because it always is a mess. Every year I am tempted to buy the frozen mini pie crusts BUT, I put a decorative top on each and so would have to make pastry dough in addition. Yes I know that you can make it in a Cuisinart but my fav recipe really would not work there as you will see in a minute. Mr.P likes it made with lard not Crisco or any other vegetable oil based shortening and a butter pastry crust just would not do in this situation.  So, 4 cups flour, 11/3 cups lard and 12-14 tablespoons cold seltzer water make two double crust pie crusts. I make the four in two batches just for ease in handling. This usually take over an hour not counting cleanup of flour and lard everywhere.  Baby Girl always gets involved by trying to lick up the flour/lard combo bits that hit the floor. This year I shouted her and Mr P to stay out of my way. Sorry about that. I usually do this when Mr P is gone so he can't see how annoyed I get until it all comes together which always eventually does. Once made the dough should be chilled for 24 hours before being rolled out. Before going to bed I got out the tart making kit which I have put together over the years which include pastry cloth, rolling pin, cutters, silicone mats, cup cake papers, and three cup cake tins. These are kept together in a drawer specific to this activity.
    This morning prepped and ready go I lined up everything and started rolling out dough and cutting the bottom crusts.

The blue is the silicone mat which is supposed to be used for cookie sheets. I find they really work well if lightly dusted with flour for rolling out the dough.  Less use of flour and little to no sticking. The cutter is actually the lid to a deflunct drip coffee pot of Mr P's. It works well with the handle and is just the right size.  Since I can only estimate that I will be making close to three dozen tarts I complete on pan before starting the next. Over the years I have learned to use three muffin pans which can all go in the oven on two racks at the same time.  Really saves on baking time since it takes nearly and hour per batch.  I fill one pan with bottom crusts.

Mr. P likes his crusts thick as you can see.  He really likes pastry dough and tells me he used to eat it raw as a little boy.  Once I have all of one pan filled I added the mince meat. One large serving spoon is just the right size per tart. Overfilling is a no,no since the juices will tend to flow out onto the top of the pan,turning into hard candy, making tart removal and cleanup a pain.

The tart down in the right hand corner is a little too full. I had to take some out and push the rest back in the shell. Next comes the cutting of the decorative tops. I use metal Christmas cookie cutters for this that I have probably had for about 40 years. It is best to use ones that are not to narrow and to use cutters that are just the edges in order to easily poke the cut crust out if it sticks.

Here you see stars and hearts on tarts ready to go into the oven. I also cut trees and bells.  The mince meat ended up making 33 tarts or three shy of 3 dozen. I have some pastry dough left over that may become a meat pie which Mr. P also loves. Maybe New Years day. The baked tarts really do look nice. I assume they taste good although I have never actually eaten one. Mr P always seems happy

 So here you are Sweetheart. Merry Christmas. I love you.



The Little Candle That Couldn't

I saw this Energizer glass LED votive at Target, read the label which said four hour timer and fell in love with it but did not buy.  Thought about it for a week and went YES !!! I'll get several. Perfect for several places in the house over Christmas.  Sorry I know its supposed to be the holidays but inside my house its Christmas and we know its Christmas. No, I don't think there is a war on Christmas and I fully understand public sentiment against religious displays--although that seems to be the atheists not non-Christian religions.  But, back to the candle. Went to Target and could not find the candle. Display had been moved and I just could not find it.  Within a few days we had to go to Roanoke for some eye surgery for Chris which went quickly and smoothly--a laser clean up of cataract surgery.  Had Googled the item to order and found a list of various Energizer LED votives but none like this so went to big Target in Roanoke and YES !!! there they were.  Got three and left.  After a bit I realized three would not do what I wanted and went back to our Target, found them and got a third. The following week they went on sale down to $10 from $13. Quite a savings. But too late.  Argh.
          In the meantime we were getting it together to go to CDuckster's for Thanksgiving.   She had three LED  glass votives in cranberry on timers on her bar and they really did work. I got them for her from www.batteryoperatedcandles.com in the spring for her birthday.  I decided to get some of the silvers above to go with them.  We had to hit Target anyhow on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving --a whole nother blog.  Saw some plain silver LED votives and grabbed up three of those for her and two more of the silver like mine.  That night we set up the silver in between the cranberry and they looked great. The LED light casts a strong light and thus is more dramatic. However it does not flicker like other flameless candles. The next morning CD tells me they never went off. We both fool with them and conclude there is no timer function. The labels have been tossed and they are outside in the garbage so no checking labels to see if these are different.
Sooooooo, we get home and I take out one candle to test. Yes, the label clearly states four hour timer. I set it up and nope it does not go off after four hours, five hours, or six hours. Check the little instruction page and look at how to set the timer. Check candle. Nope, there truly is no timer function.  So, now I have 6 of these candles bought in three different cities and none of them are what I want. Back all but one go to Target. Fortunately, there was no issue with the return. Clerk agreed there was not timer function and I got over $60.00 back on the VISA. 
I love this candle and if it did as promised it would have been a major find but NOOOO. Energizer, check your products and your labelling.

Hello, hello !!!

Well we haven't posted for over a year because the proverbial manure just kept hitting the fan for both MDuckster and then CDuckster. In November the Great HB had two massive strokes, was in ICU for 10 days and finally ended up in a rehab facility where he stayed until moved to a nursing home and final back on his own in a one room apartment in May. He was initially paralyzed on left side, Never lost his speech or mentall capability. Now he walks with a cane but his left arm and hand are of little use. HB was only 46 when all this happened. In April while we were all supposed to be at OBX CDuckster's dad had a heart attack followed by open heart surgery.  Probably also a stroke. Recovery and rehab has not gone great. He is 86 and tries to do all the work to get back but its hard.  CD bought a new four bedroom house in order for her dad to live with her.  This meant closing up his house in Florida and disposing of or moving all his stuff. She also has a live in care giver since he needs some real basic nursing care. CD is only 33.  Heavy load. He got out of the facility at the end of September. A few days later MR P, my husband, had congestive heart failure. This was caused by fluid retention, a side effect of the prednisone he is taking for his COPD. Got him home and three days later a heart attack. Does have some blockages but too scattered to use a stent. The first three weeks he was back home he was a mess. They've adjusted meds and now he is back to his old self of playing golf every chance he gets. 
For Thanksgiving the Ducksters united in Charleston where CD showed the out of town Ducksters--us--a fantastically great time, including a carriage ride of the historic French Quarter. She also turned herself inside out to make us a comfortable haven.  We love you CD.
Hopefully things are going to calm down now for both of us and we will resume our usually blogging activity of non events.