Combed

Another clear but chilly day. We are going away for Christmas, so I have no excuse to do any Christmas cooking, but I couldn't resist making some mincemeat with the packet of suet I found in the larder -- well, it was left over from last Christmas and needed using up. I use Delia's method and proportions, but I always ignore her specifications of fruit, and use whatever I fancy. I always fancy sultanas, dried cranberries and chopped dried apricots; this time I added a few figs, some prunes, random glace fruits and candied peel that were hanging around in the cupboard, and some chopped crystallised ginger. Then I poured a generous glug of Pedro Ximenez sherry over the fruit and left it to soak, because what isn't improved with a spot of PX? I didn't have any oranges, so I decided replacing some of the brandy with Cointreau was probably a good idea ... we'll see!

Later I went out, in the car luckily, as the wind was icy cold. I'm afraid this is a bit similar to yesterday's, and hasn't turned out quite how I wanted due to the sun uncooperatively being in the wrong place in relation to the clouds. But I was drawn by the lines of green shoots marching towards the regimented rows of vines silhouetted against the sky. Sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to take a landscape photo around here that doesn't have power lines in it, but here they seemed to fit with the theme, so I left them in. It's almost but not quite mono ... does that count?