I love everything about fall. The weather. It’s still warm enough to get some things done without suffocating in the heat. The gardening. The soil is still warm enough to allow a few more seeds to get started for a fall garden, and you can pick greens and other leafy vegetables all through winter. The holidays. Who doesn’t enjoy family gatherings around food and reminiscent conversation? I love the baking. Spicy and rich cakes like carrot, red velvet and coconut are all baked this time of year. And what better way to bake them than with and for family? I love my family! We are vast, but we were taught to value traditions and make time to spend together doing things we love. When we were growing up, our grandmother had everyone over to her house in the country for Christmas. Although her house was much too small to contain us all, the weather was mild enough in South Carolina that some of us could sit around on the inside while others played, talked and laughed outside. We continued to meet, rotating from house-to-house well after my grandmother smiled on us from heaven. Then, life changes caused the gatherings to become fewer and fewer. In spite of life’s obstacles, we still create ways to get together. One gathering, the Family Fruitcake Fellowship, began at my sister’s house back in 2014. Our mothers, sisters, cousins and aunts filed in around a huge cake batter. Each person who walked through the door brought something to add to the mixture- sugar, nuts, raisins, cherries, flour……Everything was measured out, poured in and mixed up. Each person brought their own baking dish to fill and take back home to bake. This fruitcake affair turned into an annual event that was nearly annihilated by the pandemic. But we are grateful for time and innovation. This year, we resumed the fruitcake fellowship- with a twist. Led by our cousin who is deemed the family baker, we each received a jar of starter for a 30-Day Friendship Fruitcake, along with a gallon-sized jar and a copy of the recipe. We started with a virtual call in mid-October where each of us got started with preparing the fruit. After thirty days of mixing, stirring and an occasional licking of the spoon, we met online once more for baking day. Some baked, while others logged in for the tips. I ended up baking my first two cakes five days after the thirtieth day, so I can personally attest that the preparation for this cake is fairly easy, and the recipe is truly forgiving. If you bake a few days early or late, the results are just the same. Click here to download the recipe.
I had two jars going, so I drained the fruit from both jars. I baked one cake immediately. Half the fruit from the batch was spooned into an air-tight container and placed in the refrigerator until it was baked a full month later. The second batch of fruit was placed in the freezer and used the same day- thirty days later. Dr. LeConte' R. Middleton
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AuthorI'm a wife, mother, daughter, educator, writer and hobby farmer. Welcome to my world of simply living. Archives
December 2023
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