How fantastical,
how stickily droll,
Christmas lights
in mixing bowl!
No treasure chest
of royal bling
could be more saucy,
more nose-beguiling.
In glint of ruby,
emerald, gold,
its riches twinkling
manifold,
with storied kitchens
thus entrusted,
memories soon
to be encrusted.
I had a Christmas wish list which included mincemeat pie for Christmas, and didn’t my daughter-in-law decide to make her own mincemeat! I am in awe of how beautiful it is, and I am even more in awe of her ambition!
There is nothing about mincemeat that doesn’t take me back to my Grandma O’Hern’s dining room. I endeared myself to everyone then by eating the filling and leaving the crust, but I’m better now.
All our traditions come with wishes, hopes, dreams. We are very aware this year of all those whose dreams and hopes have been shattered by violence, whether by words or by other weapons. I know how fortunate I am to be able to wish for mincemeat pie while others wish for survival.
May your traditions bring you beauty and hope, dear reader. May you and your loved ones be safe.
With thanks to Kelley Wilson Mesterharm for photo
and for visions of mincemeat dancing in my head!
Oddments 
December 24, 2023 at 11:29 am
I remember eating mincemeat pie as a child that my grandmother made. It was my mother’s absolute favorite pie. I don’t believe I’ve eaten it since, and it certainly isn’t found on your typical pie menu. Applause to a special daughter-in-law who would make it for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Thanks, Judy, and a merry Christmas to you too! I agree that mincemeat pie isn’t on many pie menus. I’m very happy that it will be on my Christmas menu! Applause for the daughter-in-law indeed!
December 24, 2023 at 11:59 am
Mincemeat pie was my dad’s favorite. I never acquired a taste for it myself, but from the age of twelve I made it for him every Christmas. Funny how looking at a pie, or pie filling, or the aroma of something baking or roasting or cooking on the stovetop can bring back a flood of warm memories. Your daughter -in-law is a treasure Maureen. Enjoy every forkful, including the crust!
I join you in your good wishes and prayers for those who aren’t even thinking about Santa or Christmas…..they’re just trying to stay alive. And in some cases it’s not violence from humans, it’s Mother Nature. We should really count our blessings more often.
Treasure every moment with your loved ones Maureen, and perhaps phone calls with friends. We all hold our traditions close to our hearts. They fuel the future while they honor the past.
Stay well and stay safe. Ginger
Sent from my iPad
>
December 24, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Yes, I totally agree about traditions: they do fuel the future and honor the past. And we have to pass them along when we can. It is absolutely true that tastes and kitchen smells take us back to people and places; that’s one of the wonderful things about Christmas. Christmas tastes and smells are so personal in a family.
A very merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Ginger!
December 24, 2023 at 12:27 pm
There was always a mincemeat pie at our holiday table, but I think my father was the only person who liked it. I tried, but I didn’t acquire the taste. I’m happy that you have someone who decided to make one from scratch for you. A Christmas tradition topped with love. It doesn’t get any better than that. Merry Christmas, Maureen.
December 24, 2023 at 1:44 pm
Exactly so: it doesn’t get better than that! Homemade with love is the best flavor (though it did not apply to the first batch of pierogi I made). Mincemeat is a thing of strong persuasions, I think. Either you dig in or you run from it.
Thanks, Dan, and a very merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! Including your four-footed extended family, of course!
December 24, 2023 at 6:38 pm
My wife makes delightful pierogi. She says they’re Italian pierogi because she uses potatoes and ricotta cheese.
December 24, 2023 at 6:41 pm
Italian pierogi? That hurts my head. That’s like saying Polish pasta. But it sounds delicious. Homemade pierogi is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but not that first batch that I made. Leather was easier to chew.
December 24, 2023 at 6:43 pm
It’s the way her mother made them. Italian and Polish are two of my favorite foods. Along with the Syrian food I was raised with.
December 24, 2023 at 8:53 pm
I cannot argue. I don’t know much about Syrian, but I can imagine!
December 24, 2023 at 10:26 pm
Stuffed grape leaves, baklava, kibee and other Mediterranean delights.
December 24, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Wonderful poem Oddment. I have not had mincemeat pie in ages. Thank you for the delightful journey…”memories …encrusted”
Merry Christmas and peace to you!
December 24, 2023 at 4:16 pm
Thanks, Suzette! A very memory Christmas to you too, and, yes, with peace. I am looking forward to my mincemeat Christmas!
December 24, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Thank you! Enjoy!
December 24, 2023 at 5:25 pm
You’re a delight. Merry Christmas.
December 24, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Thank you, Teagan, and a very merry Christmas to you too!
December 26, 2023 at 6:34 am
Loved the poem and the visual — what a loving gift. I didn’t enjoy mincemeat pie until husband’s aunt served up her raaaaather strong hard sauce to go with it!! 😁Yum, lol! Merry Christmas weeks, Maureen, to you and yours.🌷
December 26, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Thanks, Carol, and Merry Christmas Week to you and yours too! Now it’s The Day After, and so I can report on the mincemeat, which was one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever tasted! There was no meat in it, and perhaps that was part of all the amazing fruit flavors, but whatever the secret, it was like Christmas fireworks. I’ve had a small experience of hard sauce, and I can easily imagine how it could have tuned you into mincemeat! YUM indeed! You remind me that I have an old recipe for hard sauce, so, if I can maybe talk Kelley into making more mincemeat next year…..well, maybe I’ll wait until she recovers from this year! I’ll have to play this carefully.
December 26, 2023 at 2:48 pm
😊 Oh, VERY carefully — homemade pies are hard work!