Joy~

December~...is Joy..

No matter what.. one just seems to find it somewhere deep inside oneself~

Be it the now..the past..with nostalgia..  without..somewhere we can scoop up a serving  of inner joy~

It can be hard..

But if you look deep enough..a small corner has a reserve for you..it can even be in the future if one has hope:)~

I have to  admit some of my most peaceful..lovely moments..are in the kitchen~

OK..and in the living room at night once the tree is lit~

My mom..I still have memories of her..sitting in our living room..in the dark..amidst the lit tree..just relaxing~ Smoking her last of maybe 3 cigarettes in a week:)..(1960's)...

She didn't have the easiest life..and could make most of us  weep at her loss..But her spirit never gave in..

And I loved watching her relax this way.

It was like magic for me..all of 6 was I in 1960~..it lasted quite a few years:)

My little angel mom:)

She loved to bake  Christmas treats..not many..not fancy..but delicious..

Wish I had her recipes~:)

I do have my own now though..and I bet she ..and my dad are smiling..looking at how much I love to be in the kitchen:)

Today I started with the traditional Tourtières..

There are so many variations~  and here~and so many more!

Unbaked..I freeze them this way..

I made 7..

The recipe is very easy..

Your favorite dough..

For 7 ..I used

 13 lbs of mixed..minced low fat pork and beef

10 minced onions

4 cloves of garlic

special tourtière spices I buy here in QC

added Cinnamon..cloves..s and p..

and some flour..very little..just to make the meat mixture creamy:)
Saute onions and garlic until soft and clear
Add meat
Brown until cooked through..while adding the spices..add just a bit of flour..once done:-)
If you can't find this special spice mix..
There are many variations..
Cloves,cinnamon,savory..salt and pepper..Google and find the mix you like..last year I found the perfect..already mixed spices:-)
We still add cinnamon:-)

I put a bottom crust and top..

Freeze..thaw overnight in fridge..

Bake at ap 375 for 1 hr

We like our tourtières golden...

My husband loves to add sugar on top:) His family tradition..:)

His maman made it that way~

They are really good..they are part of our Christmas Eve dinner..  le Réveillon..this year at one of my daughter's homes..

Santa..has already been to our house..and has left a letter..

That vintage typewriter is coming in so handy:)

Teeheehee:):)

I read it to Noah..but he has The Elf On The Shelf living at his house so this was far from exciting..and our other 3?

Well they have a CHRISTMAS ROOM:)..so we will see:)2 of our illuminated animated 1986 Christmas dolls made it there today..:)  Too funny to tell you the truth:)

I also tackled our "Pets De Soeurs"...pinwheels..  aka,, nun's poufs(farts)..I promise that's what they are called!

These too are very easy..

Your leftover dough..or your dough...

Roll it out into a rectangle..dough ap 1/8 thick..spread brown sugar all over..press in..roll up jelly roll fashion..  slice ap 3/8 inch.. dot with butter..place on parchment sheet..

Bake ap 375-400 until golden..

I could have sealed my edges..Just too much going on..You cannot have just one of these..SO GOOD SO SIMPLE...

I've had those skinny veiny hands since I am 30:)  and have worn all those rings day in day out for almost 40 yrs:)  The bump on the index..is in the last 5 yrs..it used to be on the other side  of my finger where I held my pen..it migrated I guess..

My daughters have such beautiful hands:)

It was a glorious sunny day to get my baking started..so grateful to be able to do baking..to buy the items..

I know we are all not in that place.

So for now..

I am grateful~

Happy Holiday Baking to you..

I am enjoying reading all your posts and gleaning:)

Thank you for everything you share..

I have pinned quite a few:)

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.