Vegetarian Mince Pies

from here

"When I started vegetarian cooking, you couldn't buy mincemeat that didn't have meat suet in it; the same applied to bought mince pies. If vegetarians wanted mince pies, they had to make their own using vegetable suet. Recently, however, I've come to the conclusion that this extra fat isn't really necessary at all; it's just a hangover from when mincemeat actually contained meat. You can make a wonderfully juicy, spicy version without any added fat, or even sugar - the sweetness of the dried fruit alone provides enough.

The only disadvantage of this fresh, light mincemeat is that it doesn't keep for ages - it will last up to a week in the fridge, no longer. This amount of mincemeat is enough for 36 pies, though the pastry is only enough for 12, so you'll have plenty left over to make more.

125g currants
125g raisins
125g sultanas
50g unsweetened cooking dates, chopped
50g candied peel, chopped
50g natural glace cherries, sliced
50g flaked almonds
half a tsp each ground ginger, grated nutmeg and mixed spice
1 ripe banana, mashed
4 tbsp brandy, whisky or rum
375g shortcrust pastry (or pastry made from 250g flour and 125g fat)

Mix all the ingredients except the pastry in a large bowl. Thinly roll out the pastry, cut out rounds to fit your tartlet tins, fill each with a good spoonful of mincemeat, cover with a smaller pastry disc and prick. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7, then bake the pies for about 10 minutes."

Perfect Apple Pie

From http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6239.0

Perfect Apple Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

6 cups of thinly sliced apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 pie crusts
9 pie pan

Directions:

Heat oven to 425°F, in large bowl combine all filling ingredients; mix lightly. Prepare pie pan by placing one crust into the bottom on the pan. Fill pie pan with apples and place pie crust on top. press edges of crust together and cut 3-4 slits in the top.

Bake in oven at 425°F for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 20 min to prepare, 40 min to cook.

Liverpool Lullaby

My mum used to sing this to me!

Liverpool Lullaby
 by Stan Kelly

Oh you are a mucky kid,
Dirty as a dustbin lid
When he finds out the things you did
You'll get a belt from your da
Oh you have your father's nose
So crimson in the dark, it glows
If you're not asleep when the boozers close
You'll get a belt from your da

You look so scruffy lying there
Strawberry jam tats in your hair
Though in the world you haven't a care
And I have got so many
It's quite a struggle everyday
Living on your father's pay
The bugger drinks it all away
And leaves me without any

Although we have no silver spoon
Better days are coming soon
Now Nellie's working at the loom
And she gets paid on Friday
Perhaps one day we'll have a splash
When Littlewoods provides the cash
We'll get a house in Knotty Ash
And buy your dad a brewery

Oh you are a mucky kid,
Dirty as a dustbin lid
When he finds out the things you did
You'll get a belt from your da
Oh you have your father's face
You're growing up a real hard case
But there's no one can take your place
Go fast asleep for Mammy