Much Maligned Christmas Accoutrements

[Cin]

Such as fruitcake.

Everybody has a fruitcake joke.

It makes a good doorstop, paperweight, boat anchor, shot-put, anvil...
You can get in shape lifting fruitcake.

Well, I happen to love fruitcake and I’m tired of hiding my feelings. There is no shame in openly indulging my desire. I’m stepping out of the closet with my fruitcake.

I really do love me some fruitcake. Every year I buy one of the fruitcakes with frosting and enjoy pieces throughout the holidays. Yes, partly it is an excuse to eat frosting. And I would probably eat mud if you frosted it, or at least I’d lick the frosting off. But I actually like the fruitcake part too. And I love a good homemade dark fruitcake. I enjoy a slice with cream cheese. Delicious.

I guess I’m really in the minority when it comes to fruitcake. I’ve heard people comment how nobody actually eats the stuff. Well then, I wish they would give them to me instead of letting them go to waste. I eat the stuff.

Speaking of stuff, I also love stuffed dates. And figs. And prune pie.

Does anyone else have some sharply criticized, judged or otherwise vilified aspects of Christmas that they secretly (or not so secretly) love? Perhaps some adornment, decoration, tradition, food, trapping or trimming that is oft maligned that you really enjoy despite public opinion and all the bad press? Do share.

Or maybe you would like to malign some aspects of Christmas that you think aren't getting the traducement they deserve. Nothing like some good natured aspersions to get in the spirit. So please have at it.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

Fruitcake, I agree is maligned and although, I’m not a cake and biscuit eater, I like a little, and I mean a little Fruitcake. A friend sometimes makes me a vegan Fruit-cupcake; only it has an inch thick of Marzipan covered with a foot thick of solid Icing….ugh! I’ve ALWAYS hated the taste and textures of them….Icing so overly sweet with its powdery texture that grinds against my teeth and Marzipan, again overly sweet with an Almond taste that is almost alcoholic, and a gritty texture that along with the icing gives me the same sensation as nails do down a chalkboard! *Shudders* ….So, I will malign those, lol!

[midwest chick]

I like sugarplums, but a little goes a long way!

[Truly Scrumptious]

Okay, I admit to being a fruitcake maligner from way back, but I may have to change my tune.

The Great Fruitcake Recycling Project (http://www.fruitcakerecycling.com/)
has some fabulously crafty ideas for unwanted fruitcake. My favourites are:

hollowing it out and using as a festive picture frame
making a kitchen untensil caddy
making a Christmas wreath (beats the one we made out of trash bags)
http://www.fruitcakerecycling.com/images/stories/2wreath.jpg
I will definitely try this one:
Take out those bits of candied fruit nobody wants to eat and arrange them on foil. Spray them with Crystal Clear Acrylic to crystalize them. Then pour a clear casting resin over them and let it set. I'm going to make a mosaic with them.

[Cin]

I will definitely try this one:
Take out those bits of candied fruit nobody wants to eat and arrange them on foil. Spray them with Crystal Clear Acrylic to crystalize them. Then pour a clear casting resin over them and let it set. I'm going to make a mosaic with them.

Not with my fruitcake you're not!!:shocking:

[Cin]

I like sugarplums, but a little goes a long way!

What are sugar plums? I always thought they were linked to fairies in some way. Popular misconception I guess.;)

[Liam]

I like fruitcake, I've never had any with frosting, so perhaps I should qualify that and say I like fruitcake without frosting. The gelled texture of the candied fruit combined with the crunchiness of pecans makes some good candy in my opinion; fruitcake is super sweet, a little goes a long way.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

What are sugar plums? I always thought they were linked to fairies in some way. Popular misconception I guess.

Candied dried fruits made famous at Christmas time from the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.

I love dried fruits, but, not when they are sugared (candied)....Chocolate is as sweet as I'll go, add fiery ginger to it and I'm one VERY happy Kiwi, lol!

[The JD]

I'm not a fan of fruitcake, or any Christmas food, even the good stuff....not turkey, not ham, not sweet potato pie. So I can't confess any weakness for holiday food, maligned or no....but there's one holiday standard that I'm fascinated by, in a horrified kind of way: Jellied cranberry sauce.

You know the image. It's the quivering red unappealing mass on the plate that nobody reaches for. It still bears the shape of the can it plopped out of, even after being sliced into half-inch thick medallions. You can even see the ridged indentations on the sides.

Since I've never actually seen anyone EAT this stuff, I'm not sure how it's used. Do you layer it on top of potato salad, slice off chunks and eat it by itself like a steak, or use it as a garnish to cleanse the palate? Can someone please explain this to me?

JD

[Liam]

I'm not a fan of fruitcake, or any Christmas food, even the good stuff....not turkey, not ham, not sweet potato pie. So I can't confess any weakness for holiday food, maligned or no....but there's one holiday standard that I'm fascinated by, in a horrified kind of way: Jellied cranberry sauce.

You know the image. It's the quivering red unappealing mass on the plate that nobody reaches for. It still bears the shape of the can it plopped out of, even after being sliced into half-inch thick medallions. You can even see the ridged indentations on the sides.

Since I've never actually seen anyone EAT this stuff, I'm not sure how it's used. Do you layer it on top of potato salad, slice off chunks and eat it by itself like a steak, or use it as a garnish to cleanse the palate? Can someone please explain this to me?

JD


Some people like ketchup on their meat, others like gelled cranberry sauce; personally I prefer the whole berry kind.

[Cin]

Candied dried fruits made famous at Christmas time from the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.


That's why they are dancing in the heads of the kids in "The Night Before Christmas".

And there are actually sugar plums. But they're not plums at all. I'm sure I would like them. I like anything sweet. It is very hard to have something be too sweet for my liking. As a matter of fact, I don't recall that ever happening. I might not like the taste of something, but it's never because it's too sweet.

[ButchEire]

Every year growing up, we'd receive a homemade fruitcake from cousins in Ireland. These were, and are, like no fruitcake you will ever buy in the states, because they soaked it in pure Irish whiskey for weeks (perhaps months) before packaging it off to us. I'd regularly get loopy as a child, from eating said fruitcake, which was more like pieces of fruit and nuts barely pasted together with bits of dough. Dense is an understatement.

[LeftWriteFemme]

I don't care what anyone says or thinks about Peeps these are my new holiday tradition.
If you haven't yet, please try these peppermint peeps!!!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wZ1_2Akf4YE/R1uCGcQORiI/AAAAAAAAA3g/dR71UmfPV3o/s320/peppermintpeeps-741961.jpg

[Cin]

I gotta agree with you there JD. What is the point of jellied cranberry in the shape of a can? Although I have seen people eat the stuff. And maybe like me and fruitcake there are people who really enjoy an occasional slice of what looks like cranberry flavored jello to me.

And I suppose why not, people seem to have a strange attachment to jello. People i know have even thrown it (jello I mean, not cranberry sauce, though that might work for all I know) together with fruit placed it in a mold and then put cool whip on top of it and tried to serve it to me as dessert.

Maybe jellied canned cranberry sauce should be placed in the dessert category as it's so sweet.

Personally I like my cranberries mixed with caramel and dipped in chocolate. They're called cranberry bogs. hmm good.

[Cin]

I don't care what anyone says or thinks about Peeps these are my new holiday tradition.
If you haven't yet, please try these peppermint peeps!!!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wZ1_2Akf4YE/R1uCGcQORiI/AAAAAAAAA3g/dR71UmfPV3o/s320/peppermintpeeps-741961.jpg

Peppermint peeps. Yay!

I haven't seen these around yet. Awesome. I love peeps. Sometimes I put them in the microwave.

[Cin]

Another thing about Christmas is Christmas music. Which I love. And I can't wait to start listening to it. So I have to take some of the blame for what happens. I start hearing it in malls right after Thanksgiving and then as soon as December rolls around I find myself listening to stuff online. By the time it's a week before Christmas I've had it with Christmas music.

[The JD]

Peppermint peeps. Yay!

I haven't seen these around yet. Awesome. I love peeps. Sometimes I put them in the microwave.

Oooh, check out the "scientific" research on Peeps: http://www.peepresearch.org/ Be sure to click on Fear Response for the experiments on Peeps in microwaves... :D

[DapperButch]

I gotta agree with you there JD. What is the point of jellied cranberry in the shape of a can? Although I have seen people eat the stuff. And maybe like me and fruitcake there are people who really enjoy an occasional slice of what looks like cranberry flavored jello to me.

And I suppose why not, people seem to have a strange attachment to jello. People i know have even thrown it together with fruit placed it in a mold and then put cool whip on top of it and tried to serve it to me as dessert.

Maybe jellied canned cranberry sauce should be placed in the dessert category as it's so sweet.

Personally I like my cranberries mixed with caramel and dipped in chocolate. They're called cranberry bogs. hmm good.

My mother always has a can of the cranberry stuff sliced on the Thanksgiving table. I never really cared for it until the last couple of years. I take a small slice, eating only about half of it, small bites eaten throughout the meal. Somehow it fits in inbetween bites of turkey, stuffing, etc. It just fits somehow. Can't explain it. My mom has always been the only other one that has eaten it. It is the one and only time of year I have ever seen it on our table.

The quality cranberry stuff (the one with real berries), I don't care for. Go figure.

[Kobi]

I love homemade dark fruitcake - is more cake-like than regular fruit cake. Pop in the toaster or oven to warm it, spread a healthy dose of cream cheese, top with another warmed slice and devour.

I also like jellied cranberry sauce. Good on Kobi sandwiches - whole grain toasted bread with little cream cheese on it, some fresh sliced turkey breast, and top with thinly sliced room temperature cranberry sauce. Flavors blend well.

The whole berry cranberry sauce, to me, looks like something that belongs in an emesis basin.

[ButchEire]

*Looks at watch*
Hmm, that looks to be just about...

NOW!

*runs*

By the time it's a week before Christmas I've had it with Christmas music.

[willow]

I love fruit cake. My fruit is soaked in brandy not whiskey. Cake baked weeks in advance and 'fed' a teaspoon of brandy every week to keep it moist. Iced with a layer each of apricot jam, marzipan and royal icing (icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice) and decorated with a penguin scene because I wuvs penguns. :)

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/dancing/penguin.gif (http://www.sherv.net/penguin-emoticon-143.html)

Really not the worlds no.1 cranberry fan but I do like a tiny bit of the jellied kind on my turkey and am especially partial to a little spread on the bread when having the obligatory boxing day 'turkey dinner' sandwich.

The other Christmasy sweet stuff I can take or leave. My Christmas night chill time snack/supper will be a small mixed cheese board, crackers and fruit.

[Greyson]

I love mincemeat pie. My father loved this pie and every year at our big Christmas Eve dinner at his house, we had mincemeat pie. I did have to learn to acquire a taste for this pie when I was a child but once I did.

I have been unable to find a mincemeat pie for most of my adult life. Then this year, I befriended my personal trainer who is an only child and his parents had him late in life. His father was a professional baker and my friend/trainer bakes home made pies for the holidays. My twin sister and I enjoyed mincemeat pie with our Thanksgiving dinner. Again for Christmas dinner I will savour mincemeat pie.

I do have a question, why is this pie called mincemeat? There is no meat in this pie. It is all fruit.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

I love mincemeat pie. My father loved this pie and every year at our big Christmas Eve dinner at his house, we had mincemeat pie. I did have to learn to acquire a taste for this pie when I was a child but once I did.

I have been unable to find a mincemeat pie for most of my adult life. Then this year, I befriended my personal trainer who is an only child and his parents had him late in life. His father was a professional baker and my friend/trainer bakes home made pies for the holidays. My twin sister and I enjoyed mincemeat pie with our Thanksgiving dinner. Again for Christmas dinner I will savour mincemeat pie.

I do have a question, why is this pie called mincemeat? There is no meat in this pie. It is all fruit.

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, alcohol and spices, and vegetable shortening….originally, in medieval times mincemeat always contained meat. In the UK, NZ and Autralia they are called Mince pies. I'll have one small one every few years, lol!

[Dean Thoreau]

claxton fruitcake dark is the best.
sugar plum wine is great to wash down the fruitcake with
gingerbread houses dont get delcious till the week before easter....u need at least an inch of dust on them
my gran daughter just handed me two cookies she made..with so much frosting and red and green sprinkles that the sugar high should last till july.
real peppermint candy canes are the only kind to have.....and they have no expiration date....so u can eat them and the leftovers use year after year....
I love xmast crap food......and the best fruitcake i ever had was when some of my old parishoners gave me some they had soaked in brandy.......for a year or so i think....I dont remember much from that xmas eve till about umm good friday :)
Ok I need to go now,,,sugar plum wine...heritage winery new jersey......only way to eat sugarplums ;)

[Cin]

Tinsel is somewhat problematic. It’s not so much that I don’t like it. It’s more that not everyone can be trusted to use it properly. I think you need to be tad OCD in order to decorate a tree with tinsel. Often people just clump the shit on. That’s not acceptable. My mother always put the tinsel on one strand at a time. I don’t have the perseverance to do it exactly like that, at least not a whole package, but I do it as singularly as I can. To me that’s the only way it looks good. I’ve never been with anyone who had the patience to do this. People seem to think if you put a clump on the end of a branch it’s adequate. Clumping tinsel is an incompetent way to decorate a tree. It just doesn’t look good. No matter that it’s a pain in the ass you have to take it a couple of strands at a time. Either one should use tinsel correctly or one should just eliminate it from the repertoire.

And if you have pets you might want to just forget tinsel altogether. It’s bad enough that one ends up finding this stuff clinging to furniture and out of the way places way past July, but if your pet eats it you will pulling it out of their ass for months. Nothing more delightful than a strand of tinsel sticking out your Fluffy’s A-hole.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

And if you have pets you might want to just forget tinsel altogether. It’s bad enough that one ends up finding this stuff clinging to furniture and out of the way places way past July, but if your pet eats it you will pulling it out of their ass for months. Nothing more delightful than a strand of tinsel sticking out your Fluffy’s A-hole.

I laughed so hard I've just spewed my tea down my nose and across the room, AGAIN! ....With 5 furbabies, tinsel is up high on the walls and the tree is demolished within minutes of it going up! LOL!

[ButchEire]

I always begin with the appropriate tinseling intensions, placing one or two carefully chosen and gently pulled strands for each branch. After ten or fifteen of these however I want to cut out my eyeballs with an ornament hook. At that point, I become reckless and grab fistfuls of the no longer shiny, but agonizingly gleaming strands, casting them in the general direction of said tree. Many make it to the tree, in random clumps that I invite guests to identify as their favorite manger animal. The strands that don't make it to the tree are deemed not worthy of a holiday and are relegated to the vacuum bag in shame.


Tinsel is somewhat problematic. It’s not so much that I don’t like it. It’s more that not everyone can be trusted to use it properly. I think you need to be tad OCD in order to decorate a tree with tinsel. Often people just clump the shit on. That’s not acceptable. My mother always put the tinsel on one strand at a time. I don’t have the perseverance to do it exactly like that, at least not a whole package, but I do it as singularly as I can. To me that’s the only way it looks good. I’ve never been with anyone who had the patience to do this. People seem to think if you put a clump on the end of a branch it’s adequate. Clumping tinsel is an incompetent way to decorate a tree. It just doesn’t look good. No matter that it’s a pain in the ass you have to take it a couple of strands at a time. Either one should use tinsel correctly or one should just eliminate it from the repertoire.

And if you have pets you might want to just forget tinsel altogether. It’s bad enough that one ends up finding this stuff clinging to furniture and out of the way places way past July, but if your pet eats it you will pulling it out of their ass for months. Nothing more delightful than a strand of tinsel sticking out your Fluffy’s A-hole.

[Cin]

I always begin with the appropriate tinseling intensions, placing one or two carefully chosen and gently pulled strands for each branch. After ten or fifteen of these however I want to cut out my eyeballs with an ornament hook. At that point, I become reckless and grab fistfuls of the no longer shiny, but agonizingly gleaming strands, casting them in the general direction of said tree. Many make it to the tree, in random clumps that I invite guests to identify as their favorite manger animal. The strands that don't make it to the tree are deemed not worthy of a holiday and are relegated to the vacuum bag in shame.

You are a riot!

[Gemme]

Such as fruitcake.

Everybody has a fruitcake joke.

It makes a good doorstop, paperweight, boat anchor, shot-put, anvil...
You can get in shape lifting fruitcake.

Well, I happen to love fruitcake and I’m tired of hiding my feelings. There is no shame in openly indulging my desire. I’m stepping out of the closet with my fruitcake.

I really do love me some fruitcake. Every year I buy one of the fruitcakes with frosting and enjoy pieces throughout the holidays. Yes, partly it is an excuse to eat frosting. And I would probably eat mud if you frosted it, or at least I’d lick the frosting off. But I actually like the fruitcake part too. And I love a good homemade dark fruitcake. I enjoy a slice with cream cheese. Delicious.

I guess I’m really in the minority when it comes to fruitcake. I’ve heard people comment how nobody actually eats the stuff. Well then, I wish they would give them to me instead of letting them go to waste. I eat the stuff.

Speaking of stuff, I also love stuffed dates. And figs. And prune pie.

Does anyone else have some sharply criticized, judged or otherwise vilified aspects of Christmas that they secretly (or not so secretly) love? Perhaps some adornment, decoration, tradition, food, trapping or trimming that is oft maligned that you really enjoy despite public opinion and all the bad press? Do share.

Or maybe you would like to malign some aspects of Christmas that you think aren't getting the traducement they deserve. Nothing like some good natured aspersions to get in the spirit. So please have at it.

You can keep your figs and stuffed dates and prune pie.

I'll be more than happy to share some fruitcake with you, though.

Love the stuff!!!