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!

[Cin]

Originally Posted by midwest chick

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.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

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!

[Cin]

Originally Posted by 1QuirkyKiwi

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.

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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

[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)

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]

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

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!!

[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.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

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!!!