Maggie's Farm

What are you doing today? Heavy rain here, so the Mrs. and I eschewed our usual Saturday morning horse fun and are making enough mincemeat for 8-12 pies, using Grandma Myers' recipe but doubling it and backing off on the sugar a bit: I do not care for an overly-sweet pie of any sort. I am adding dried cranberries and dried currants, and I am using Canada Goose and beef because I have no venison this year: it's been too warm to hang one, so it makes no sense to shoot one. I will age the mixture until close to Thanksgiving. I used rum in it last year, brandy this year. Also, to sip a little for a bracing brunch while cooking and chopping meat, suet, and apples.

I am, at the same time, making my special beef bourguignon for dinner, so the kitchen smells of spices, molasses, raisins, vinegar, apples, wine, brandy, bacon, and cooking meat. The smell is a hearty meal in itself.