If snow slows us down, then ice stops us

 

                Cocooned by sunny, vapor-covered windows this icy Saturday morning, I see cobwebs on the shelf near a blue-glass pitcher. Farther up, I notice through an upper clear pane, that the few oak leaves are blowing in the wind (Bob Dylan stole that phrase, didn’t he?).

                Buttered cinnamon-sugared bread is toasting in the oven, mostly to heat up the kitchen a little.  And also because the local grocery doesn’t stock raisin bread any longer.

I’m not taking a chance on going out for the newspaper, though reading it while drinking freshly brewed coffee is my morning ritual. Mom went out in the ice once to check on their car and fell. I think she never completely recovered from it.

Oh, there’s lot to do with the extra time: decide where to put the Christmas tree, finish decorating the windows begun last night, clean the cobwebs, write greeting cards, wrap gifts, call the computer tech company to unlock my other laptop, file my ragged nails, divide the African violet . . . .

Since it took me so long to find it, I’d like to share the pear mincemeat recipe I used again this year. With the last batch of fallen fruit, I consulted a yellowed clipping on which I had written “September 5, 2001.”

7 pounds pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths. **

2 lemons, unpeeled & cut into eighths;

2 oranges, unpeeled & cut into eighths

2 cups raisins

6 cups sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground cloves

½ cup vinegar

Position knife blade in a food processor bowl. Add about 1 cup pears; process until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining pears. **

**Not having such, I cut (cutting board, serrated knife) the pears into plump-raisin-sized pieces—like the regular mincemeat. Later, after cooking, I fished out the lemon/orange pieces and cut them down, too.

Combine chopped pears & remaining ingredients in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Pour hot mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands until tight Process in boiling-water bath for 25 minutes. Serve as a relish or use to make Pear Mincemeat Pie (recipe follows). [I didn’t do this since I intended to make a pie and freeze the rest in 2-cup containers.]

Makes 7 ½ pints.

 

For a pie:

Pastry for a double-crust, 9-inch pie

2 cups pear mincemeat

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped pecans

 

Prepare pastry. Combine mincemeat, sugar, flour and nuts, spoon evenly into prepared crust. Top with remaining crust. Trim edges; seal & flute. Cut slits in top of pastry to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. If necessary, cover edges of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning.

My mincemeat-pie-loving son did eat a piece, but allowed as how he preferred “the real thing.” Which he will get for Christmas.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying the rest of it.