and a bowl full of these... (from the ex-husband's garden no less!)
It would have been silly not to use them. And so I consulted my book of preserves and found the perfect recipe that used both pears and walnuts.
A pear and ginger mincemeat, which I have to say is a wonderful concoction with no fat but full of fabulous fruit and fragrant spices... so good I could eat it by the spoonful from the jar.
And although I'm trying hard to ignore the fact that December isn't really that far away, I really couldn't help myself... I had to try it out!
But there were still lots of pears left so I also made a pear and cardamon tart tartin (last week's Sunday Times Style Magazine). I confess it took a couple of attempts as I burnt the caramel first time round but it was worth the effort.
Very good with ice cream for pudding tonight.
Lest you think I've been neglecting my homework... just more of the same but with hopefully more movement.
Lots of cut out shadowy stuff which means I'm ready to move on to the next assignment. 
But not tonight. I'm going to crash out on the sofa with a glass of wine and my knitting! Have a good weekend!
Pears, walnuts, yummy mince meat and tarts - what a feast Gina!
ReplyDeleteThose dancers have got great rhythm...
Have a lovely weekend
Celia
So did you eat any?
ReplyDeleteI thought Tarte Tatin was always burnt?
I can taste the spiced pears. Lovely.
Ooooooh! Yummy! And your new dancing art work is fantastic! I'm not surprised your tutor was pleased! I love how it all looks on the newspaper. Lucy x
ReplyDeleteI really admire the way you just knock out a few jars of mincemeat and then make mince pies AND a dessert all in the same day! I'd have to psych myself up for a fortnight, by which time the pears would have gone off.
ReplyDeletehmm hmm hmm. my mouth is watering over that mincemeat recipe. care to share it? and wow those dancers. they got rhythm and you do too.....
ReplyDeleteMince pies in October? Scandalous! (and yummy :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, you have been so creative! Everything that you've made just looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteRelax and celebrate all of it! xo
Yum -- those little mince pies look delicious! Can't wait to see what you're knitting Ms. Gina!
ReplyDeleteHI Gina
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say how great your drawings are. And I love how honest you are about the degree course. I am SO behind myself.
Now who's thinking of christmas! Your drawings are spectacular and you sound a little more relaxed about it now.
ReplyDeleteOh those mince pies look gorgeous and the chutney sounds lovely - where do you get the time to do everything
ReplyDeleteFabulous cooking!Funnily enough, my history also holds an ex with walnut trees.......... My present also includes knitting and wine :O)
ReplyDeletePears and walnuts - yum! I've been trying for ages to leave you a comment but this silly laptop just won't play nicely sometimes. Now I can say how much I like your studies of dancing figures on the newspaper background and and all the other wonderful things you have posted about recently. I am so pleased your tutor is beginning to appreciate your work! Good luck with the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
ReplyDeleteJust a thimbleful....
ReplyDeleteI'd love your walnut mincemeat recipe - we've just come back from the Dordogne where the walnuts were all over the place, in the roads being crushed by passing cars even... I stopped to pick some up (on a road miles from anywhere) and was attacked by a harridan of a woman in a wrapover pinny and orange rubber gloves who roared up in an old van and screeched at me. George said watching the struggle for the plastic bag was quite a pantomime!
Yummy! (I think 'My ex-husbands walnut tree' sounds like a novel- or at least a short story from Womans Weekly!)
ReplyDeletei loooove mince pies and yours look scrumptious!!! well to be honest all your pics look yummy! we have a walnut tree but this -no walnuts!!!
ReplyDeletexxx
I wish I'd read this yesterday, I would have put in a request for mince pies, forget the cookies!
ReplyDeleteOh Gina! Do you have to make my mouth water constantly. I love both pears and ginger and just enjoy Xmas, just for the mincemeat! Have you tried a toasted sandwich full of mincemeat? What you have done with those figures is brilliant! Have I told you how good it was to see you at the K&S show?
ReplyDeleteOh such a fabulous post, a feast for all the senses!! The food and stuff you make just looks wonderful ... we don't get any of that here because I'm always on a diet and I'm just wondering if I could just sample a little bit of those mince pies, would you notice a bite out of one of those?
ReplyDeleteYour artwork is wonderful and very inspiring ... and the sound of a glass of wine with knitting ... heavenly!
Bye for now
Lots of love
Carolyn x
Wow!! what a wonderful mincemeat, and those mince pies look divine, as does the pear tart, made me really hungry.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you moving on with the drawings.
Wow!!! I LOVE those pictures - what you;ve done to them, the whole ensemble ...
ReplyDeleteAs for the pears ... YUMMY stuff you've made with them!!! I am salivating!!! xx
I have peeped at the delicious things in this post several times and been called away as ever! Wow, despite me feeling rather scrooge-ish about the 'c' word your mince pies have made my mouth water!
ReplyDeleteYour drawings are just wonderful - as I think I've said before. There's so much movement they're dancing off the page.
Gosh, you've busy, and now my tummy is rumbling!
ReplyDeleteOh that pear and cardamom tarte tatin looks heavenly! Cardamom is my very favorite baking spice. And you're far too organized trying out holiday recipes all ready! K x
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteI do like the dancing figures against news paper. Very good.
jenny