On Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 5:14:02 AM UTC-5, Ophelia wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Tue, 10 Nov 2015 17:43:53 -0500, Dave Smith
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>It's that time of year. It is a really crappy fall day here. That makes
> >>it a good day to spend in the kitchen. It is also the time that we have
> >>to start working on Christmas fruitcakes. We picked up the ingredients
> >>for ours on the weekend. I made two batches today. I started one this
> >>morning and it was done in time for me to get out to the gym for a
> >>while. I came home, mixed up the second batch and got it into the oven.
> >>It should be cooked soon. That gives it about 6 weeks to set up in time
> >>for the holidays.
> >
> > You better be careful, I mentioned I was making mincemeat a couple of
> > weeks ago and Kuthe came out with a diatribe about China, Walmart,
> > mammon.
>
> It always makes me smile when I read here that people have started making
> fruitcakes. Many years ago I was making mine, and an American said to me,
> 'Do you all make these and give them to each other?' )

That is funny. Most Americans' experience with fruitcake is this (or
something similar):

<http://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Cake-Boxed-Claxton-Fruitcake/dp/B000YGMK1W/ref=pd_bxgy_325_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=152DFBXMGF7VK BRBWZ6K>

Those crummy things are often purchased as gifts for people one doesn't
know very well, or as hostess gifts when visiting at the holidays.

I favor light fruitcake made with dried rather than candied fruit. I
haven't made any in more than a decade. Since fruitcake is such a
joke around here, I have a hard time getting people to take them,
even though they're quite tasty.

Cindy Hamilton