Today is cold and dreary. Rain a steady heavy drizzle. Skies leaden.
The only lively spot is the leafless fig tree with birds waiting on the
rain-soaked branches for a turn at the feeders.
Three Eastern bluebirds attacked the suet feeder at once - a family
enjoying Sunday breakfast perhaps.
| Note my favorite vintage rolling pin and cookie cutters - and the baking tins I brought from England so many years ago. |
 My traditional English mince pies - ready for the oven. |
My weekend has included baking - mince pies, ginger crinkle cookies,
a delicious apple galette (shared with the new next door neighbor), and
then sitting and thinking about other traditional foods I will make in the
coming days and into the new year.
Sadly, no usual Christmas Eve party, but for some reason I still feel
the need to bake and cook like I always do . . . . . . . you just
know someone will eat the food!
A bit bedraggled this morning - but always a pleasure to see in the garden.
I'm struggling a bit learning the New PicMonkey - - there really are a lot
of differences but thankfully they have great tutorials - I just need to set
aside more to read them, and watch their videos.
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Hi Mary! Baking has filled a void of other Christmas activities. Somehow the smell of familiar recipes wrap around me and for a few minutes I remember the warmth of Christmas. The snow has helped also and last night we took our annual ride to view some neighborhood Christmas light displays. With the snow covering, they looked even prettier. It's the small rituals that will keep up our spirits this holiday season. May you be blessed with all that makes you happy.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used Pic Monkey in a long time but I think I need to go take a look at it just in case I need to use it. It's been grey and rainy here too but we need all the rain we can get so I am not complaining. Thanks for visiting and commenting. I have done quite a bit of baking too. I just enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteMary, your mince pies look so beautifully shaped. How do you do it! Mine come out looking decidedly wonky and with mincemeat oozing out of the sides! Sort of sticky!
ReplyDeleteHaha!!! You don't think I'd show you the wonky, oozing ones here do you? There were some! I recall buying those 'bun tins' in Torquay's old Woolworth shop years back, perhaps in the 70's when I realized the only way to get over my home sickness at Christmas was to bake the traditional foods I grew up with. Yes, besides mince pies I always used to make a Christmas cake with marzipan and royal icing and an authentic Christmas pudding. No longer though - I buy a Walkers pud (very good), and skip the fruitcake as I ended up eating most of its millions of calories!
DeleteYour mince pies, cookies, and apple galette are all so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely touches of Christmas, nature, and warmth of the season.
Rain can be so dreary, but your pictures cheer me.
Your baking all looks so good! I thought I was done but then I just ran across a recipe for butter pecan cookies and they look so good, I might make a batch of those, too.
ReplyDeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteYour baking is going very well and no doubt the new neighbors were delighted in receiving a share of that pie.
Here in the heart of Georgia it is also ugly weather. I was so lucky on Friday with sunshine as I had to drive back to the ophthalmologist for my post-op checkup. What a difference that was.
As a child I heard about the dark days before Christmas and I guess it proves to be true every single year. Except for those years we lived in the tropics, in Indonesia!
Hugs,
Mariette
If only I could reach in and take a mince pie. It looks so delicious. Your baking tins and cutters and rolling pin have been well cared for through the years. Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteYes, those mince pies certainly look like the ones my mother used to make, and she learned from her grandmother, who learned from her mother; so I guess that counts as traditional. I'd like to eat one now with my morning cuppa!
ReplyDeleteI think that its good to keep up your Christmas traditions Mary ..... we are now in the highest tier and now can"t see anyone at Christmas ..... but, I will never moan as we are so lucky not to have to worry about jobs or mortgages and I just think of those NHS workers wearing masks, visors and PPP for hours on end and know that we have it easy. XXXX
ReplyDeleteYour baking all sounds wonderfully yummy! Merry Christmas to you and Bob.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, Your cookies and all of your baked goods look super delicious. I'm coming over.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful assortment of baking you've shown us. I've been doing some, too, but not mince pies - I don't like them at all. Tim, however, does enjoy them, so on occasional years I'll make them for him.
ReplyDelete