Cranberries and Gooseberries Month on April, 2024: how to make the perfect mince pies for christmas?

April, 2024 is Cranberries and Gooseberries Month 2024.

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well... i have 2 recipes for mincemeat pie......

one is from my grandmother and one is from my hubbys grandmother...............

MINCEMEAT PIE (makes 2 pies)

INGREDIENTS.........

1 1/4 pounds of beef round or leftover roast

1/4 pound beef suet (coarsely ground)

1 1/2 pounds apples

1 cup raisins or currant

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon clove

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1/4 cup brandy

2 cups cider or apple juice

Double recipe for Pie Crust

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

DIRECTIONS....

If uncooked meat is used, simmer beef 2-3 hours or until very tender, adding suet for last 1/2 hour of cooking.

When cooked, chop beef and suet very fine, into about 1/4-inch pieces.

Pare, core, and chop apples to make 3 cups.

Mix beef, suet, apples, raisins or currants, white and brown sugars, spices, brandy and cider or apple juice.

Prepare pie crust.

Line pie plates with pastry, fill each with half of meat mixture. Cover with top crusts, seal edges, slit holes on top for steam to escape. If desired, spread a thick layer of butter on pastry for flaky upper crust.

Bake 3/4 hour in 400°-425° oven.

MINCEMEAT PIE

INGREDIENTS...........

3 pounds pork butt roast

2 (12 ounce) packages fresh cranberries

3 cups water

1 quart chopped apples

1 large orange

1 lemon

2 pounds raisins

3 (16 ounce) cans pitted sour red pie cherries

3 (16 ounce) cans gooseberries

2 cups brandy

2 cups distilled white vinegar

4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground allspice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place meat in a roasting pan and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove meat when done, but do not turn off oven.

While meat is cooking, place cranberries and water in a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat until cranberries begin to split open.

When meat is done grind it together with chopped apples and set aside.

Grind up orange and lemon, peel and all, and place them in a large ovenproof pan. Add cranberries, raisins, cherries, gooseberries, brandy, vinegar, sugar, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. Combine thoroughly then stir in meat mixture.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in oven. Heat mincemeat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sterilize enough canning jars and lids to fit all mincemeat.

Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large stock pot and fill halfway with water. Bring water to a rolling boil.

Pack mincemeat into sterilized jars, ensuring that there are no spaces or air bubbles. Fill jars all the way to the top and screw on lids. Carefully lower jars into boiling water using a holder. Make sure jars have at least 2 inches of space between them. Pour more boiling water over jars if necessary, so that they are covered by 2 inches of water. Cover pot and process for 30 minutes.

Carefully lift jars out of water using a holder, and place on a wooden or cloth-covered surface, at least 2 inches apart. Allow to cool, then check seal by pressing on jar lid. A properly sealed lid will not move up or down at all. Mincemeat should be aged for 2 or 3 months before using.

Good Eating.............. = )

why did i keep turning to crap food?

1700 calories a day? The most likely reason I can think of that you get these urges (beyond the fact that everyone gets them to some extent) is that you are not feeding your body enough of the food it needs!

I want you to understand this: you are not eating enough food to healthily sustain your body!

Being on a diet or eating healthy isn't about modifying how much you eat, its about modifying what you eat.

realistically you should be eating anywhere between 2700-3500 calories a day for the average person. If your more active the numbers should go up. So instead of keep track of how many calories you ingest, you should be more worried about what type of calories you ingest.

If it comes out of a freezer, or you see adds for it on tv, or if it costs four dollars or less, AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE. And don't use a microwave or eat anything that requires it. SODA is also a killer.

If you want to eat properly and lose weight, your meals should consists of meats, vegetables and fruits. Carbs should mostly be avoided (small amounts are fine, you don't have to completely stop eating them), but as a general rule avoid pizza, pasta, etc. Also when eating bread, don't eat white bread (case study fed it to rats and the rats died of malnutrition). Whole grains are better, but that does not mean eating cereal just because it says it has whole grains, its healthy.

I am going to say it again. Cutting calories out of your diet WILL NOT help you lose weight faster. The less you eat, especially in the morning, the more your body slows your metabolism, and when your metabolism is slower your body stores more fat because it feels like it is in starvation mode (so always eat breakfast!).

And if you really want to see results, you will have to get serious about exercising. Its all about priorities. Do you want to be happy with the way you look, and feel confident? Or would you rather sit around and watch TV for that extra hour or two?

"Nothing rewarding is ever easy."

Here is a list of stuff that is healthy to use in food and what you should eat, and some to avoid.

Excellent Protein Sources:

Almonds, Almond Milk, Avocado, Beans (kidney, Soy, Anasazi, Lima)

Eggs (preferably duck eggs because they have more nutritional value than eggs from chickens who are cooped in small cages all day), Cheeses, Mushrooms, Red Lentils, Red potatoes, Rice Milk (organic), Sprouts (alfalfa, wheat, sunflower, broccoli:especially good, has the same amount of protein as its weight in meat), Soy Milk (organic only), Tofu (organic only), also cashews.

Those are all good sources of protein and Fatty Acids.

Cook with:Safflower oil, and sunflower oil.

Don't cook with olive oil, but it is full of essential fatty acids and is also great for your skin and hair.

AVOID these oils: Canola, Palm, Peanut, Vegetable, Hydrogenated, and shortening.

Other good foods by Category:

vegetable:Artichoke, asparagus, arugula, avacado, Beets (red) Broccoli, Capers, Cauliflower, Yellow Squash (or also known as Crook Neck), cucumber, eggplant, fennel, green beans, horseradish, Leek, Lettuce (not iceberg, it has no nutritional value), kale, mushrooms, Olives, red onions, red potatoes, spinach, swiss chard, tomato (roma, plum), Watercress, Yams.

Grains: Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn (organic) Kamut, Millet, Brown Rice

Berries: Bilberries, Blackberries, boysenberries, cranberries, gooseberries, hawthorn berries, Juniper berries, mulberries, raspberries, red currants, shisandra berries, strawberries.

Fruits: apricots, Bananas, Cantaloupe, Cherry, Coconut, Date, Fig, Grape, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemon/Lime, Mango, Mandarin Oranges, Nectarine, Papaya, Passion Fruit, peach, Pear, Persimmon, Pineapple, Plum, Star Fruit, Tangerine

Nuts: Almond, Brazil nut, caraway seeds, cashews, fennel seeds, flax seeds, pine nut, sesame seed, sunflower seeds

Meat/Fish: Orange Roughy, Buffalo/Bison Meat, Jumbo Shrimp, Salmon, Lake Trout

Natural Sweeteners: Brown Rice syrup, Date sugar, fructose (unrefined), Raw Honey, Maple Syrup Grade B

Dark chocolate (healthy : D )

I know, tons of info, but if you work out regularly, and eat right, you can eat the proper amount of food without gaining weight, all while watching yourself change for the better, As I said, all it requires is some conscious food choices (once again, THAT DOES NOT MEAN EAT LESS) and having a workout plan that you stick to consistently.

Stick with it And I guarantee you will see results. I used to be in a similar situation, now I'm healthy, In shape, and happy every time I look in the mirror (it didn't always used to be that way and its a great feeling to see your hard work paying off).

Go to your local farmers market, a great way to get fresh, healthy food, and save money while your at it. And if you can afford it, try to only eat organic.

Good Luck.

-Brendan

Guinea pig food question?

I also have a guniea pig. They are very picky eaters and there are numerous things that you shouldn't feed them. Here is a list that will help you figure out what he can and can't eat.

Recommended Feeding:

•1 cup of mixed veggies per pig per day.

•Unlimited hay.

•Unlimited pellets.

Alfalfa based Pellets should be fed to Guinea Pigs < 12 months, pregnant & nursing sows, slim or sick pigs;

Timothy based Pellets should be fed to healthy pigs > 12 months or for younger chubby pigs

DO NOT feed Rabbit Pellets or any pellets designed to be fed to other animals

Some Rabbit Pellets contain deadly antibiotics, hamster food contains chocking hazards and other rodent food often contains animal products

NOTE: Only provide fresh Guinea pig pellets with stabilized vitamin C

DO NOT rely on pellets being the sole source of vitamin C, the Vitamin C in pellets deteriorates after time, any food over 6 months from date of manufacture should be considered devoid of Vitamin C

Vitamin C must be provided in a daily vegetable intake and through supplementation in the form of Vitamin C tablets crumbled on the food or given directly to the Guinea Pig to eat.

DO NOT put Vitamin C drops in the water, this not only deteriorates, tastes nasty, is un-quantifiable, has additional vitamins and additives that are not needed, but can also cause skin complaints.

Most of the values for Vitamin C and Calcium content, where known, are taken from the USDA’s Database , foods high in Oxalates have been attributed to kidney and bladder stones, oxalate content increases as the vegetable ages, therefore younger vegetables are generally thought to contain less oxalates.

Vegetable / Fruit / Grass / Herb Vitamin CCalciumComments

per 100g

Alfalfa - green or dried02200

Anise

Apple 4.44.4Seeds Poisonous

Apricot1014

Artichoke1045

Asian Pear4

Asparagus1728

Banana 96Feed in great moderation - can cause

constipation

Basil18154

Beet greens30119

Beets516

Belgian Endive

Bilberries1

Blackberries2132

Blueberries136

Broccoli Rabe / Rabe / Rapini

Broccoli, Broccolini (stems are liked better than flowers)9348

Brussels Sprouts8542

Cabbage (Green)5147

Cabbage (Red)5751

Carrot tops / leaves

Carrots 9.327Feed in moderation, Vitamin A in carrots said

to cause liver problems

Vegetable / Fruit / Grass / HerbVitamin CCalciumComments

per 100g

Cauliflower / Broccoflower46.422

Celery leaves

Celery Root / Celeriac843

Celery stalks740Cut into small pieces - string choking hazard

Cherries 715Remove stones / pits

Chives 5892Feed in moderation

Cilantro / Chinese Parsley / Coriander greens2767

Collard greens35145

Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)6.82

Crabapple818

Cranberries (whole fruit, not concentrate or juice)13.57

Cucumber 5.314Not pickled

Currants - (Black) 18115Leaves also edible

Currants (Red)4133

Dandelion greens35187

Dates032High in Sugar when dried

Dill85208

Feijoa / Pineapple Guava2017

Figs 235High in Sugar when dried

Garden Cress6981

Gooseberries2825

Grapefruit 3715Acid may cause sores around mouth

Grapes414High in Sugar when dried

Grass - wheat, winter rye (grown in pots from seed)

Green Beans in pods / String Beans 16.337Not Dried

Green Endive

Green Leek tops 1259Feed in moderation

Green Onion tops 18.872Feed in moderation

Guava18320

Hay (Alfalfa)02200High calcium & calories

Good for youngsters, pregnant & nursing sows

Hay (Orchard)0320

Hay (Timothy)0400Feed freely to Adults

Kale - curly or plain120135

Kiwi Fruit9826

Kohlrabi bulbs6224

Kohlrabi leaves6224

Lemon5226

Lettuce (Arugula)15160

Lettuce (Bibb)832

Lettuce (Boston)832

Lettuce (Butterhead)832

Lettuce (Cos)2436

Lettuce (Dark Green Leaf)2436

Lettuce (Romaine)2436

Lime2933

Vegetable / Fruit / Grass / HerbVitamin CCalciumComments

per 100g

Mango2810

Melon (Cantaloupe)42.211

Melon (Honeydew)24.86

Melon (Watermelon)9.68

Mint

Mustard greens / Leaf Mustard70103

Nectarine5.45

Orange 5340Acid may cause sores around mouth

Papaya / Paw Paw / Tree Melon6224

Parsley - curly or plain 133138

Parsley root

Parsnip1736

Passion Fruit / Granadilla3012

Peach75Pit / Stone poisonous

Pear6.618

Peas in pods, Pea Shoots 6043Not Dried

Peppers (Sweet or Bell) Red899

Peppers (Sweet or Bell) Green1909

Peppers (Yellow)18311

Persimmon - American or oriental6627

Pineapple - fresh 157Acid may cause sores around mouth

Plum, Prune 104High in Sugar when dried

Pumpkin921

Radicchio / Italian Chicory819

Radishes (if mild)2221

Raspberries2522

Rosehip1500

Rutabaga2547

Spinach 5199Feed in moderation, linked to forma