SURPRISE, SURPRISE!! COME AND SEE!!

IF I HAD TOLD YOU I WAS SHARING MY FRUITCAKE RECIPE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE COME OVER.

SO!!

I HAD TO TRICK YOU!

Most of you know I have just recently gotten home from a wonderful cruise with my oldest daughter, Kim.

Since I got home I have been doing laundry (I will tell you about the lost luggage later), planting tulip bulbs, dividing and transplanting other bulbs and plants and cleaning house.  
I have made a futile attempt to catch up with blogging.  I love you guys so but you are a prolific bunch. I think I will just start now and try to keep up instead of catching up. 

 When Miss Goosey puts on her fall apparel it is time to make the annual FRUITCAKE, around here.

I know, I know!! Fruitcake is a time honored joke this time of year. I know we have all heard that there is only one FRUITCAKE on earth. It just gets mailed around the globe each year.  

WELL, let me tell you, those people have never eaten my FRUITCAKE!

The recipe states that you must use only "Bargain Corner's" especially prepared fruit cake material.

Bob sold the same thing to all his customers. Bargain Corner purchased in bulk and made a large annual display of the product with Mrs. Oglesby in pioneer dress.

This wrinkled and stained recipe is as least forty years old. Bob was a food broker and sold the glace` fruit to this large grocery market each year. Back then the art of making FRUITCAKE was a big deal. 

I had never really liked the store bought FRUITCAKE that I eaten as a youngster. Sorry Claxton, Georgia. Since Bob sold the main ingredients, we got ours free,  we tried Mrs. Susie Oglesby's recipe. Afterward we were hooked and the annual FRUITCAKE became a tradition.

The ritual starts at the end of October. Bargain Corner no longer exists. That is not the location of the Days Inn on Bay Street in Savannah. So,  Bob goes out and purchases the FRUITCAKE material - glace` fruits of pineapple and cherries. We don't use mixed fruits. that has citron in it and is a no no here. Of course we have  the new season's pecans.  Fresh moist coconut rounds out the extras for the recipe.

Isn't he just too cute. Another pic was clearer but I liked his smile here.

Sweet Ole Bob chops the cherries and pineapple into smaller pieces and breaks the pecans. It is less expensive if you can find the broken nuts. 

I gather the remaining ingredients and prepare the tube pan.

A major ingredient for now and later as you will see!

Miss Goosey watches over the process.

While Bob is chopping I prepare the batter.

While I am doing this I thought I would show you a little about how my kitchen works for me. This is the area I use for most recipe preparation. I can move easily back and forth to the island.

 My dishwasher is here so that I can easily place dishes straight into the dishwasher as I am finished with them.

My trash receptacle is just below me, for discarding butter wrappers, egg shells and etc. Handy, right? I know I did not invent anything but this works well for me.

The ingredients make a stiff cake batter that is then transferred to the fruit, coconut and nut mixture. 

 Back at the island.

This was a subsequent dose of Brandy.

Open and add additional Brandy about once a week until Thanksgiving and then enjoy. Just Remember ~ After one slice you shouldn't operate machinery.

If you are interested, Mrs. Susie Oglesby's recipe will be on my recipe page, with my minor adjustments.

Even if you don't like FRUITCAKE I hope you enjoyed joining us for the ritual. I pray that you and your loved ones have a great holiday season.

My daughter, Kim, and I will have a surprise announcement soon. Please stay tuned! 

NO! Neither of us is pregnant!

 One last picture of Sweet Ole Bob. Just cuz I think he is cute!

Join me for the following fun parties:

Pink Saturday

Saturday Nite Special

Show and Tell Saturday

Sweets For A Saturday

Seasonal Sundays

Sunday Showcase
Metamorphosis Monday