Sunday Moments From Home

Believe one who has proved it. Believe an expert.
— Virgil

Dad has been home from the hospital for about a week now. He drove for the first time today and he is getting back to his old self. I didn't think Mom and I would have time for any of this. I originally had leave planned to come out and make fruitcakes. We did it last year and I thought I had fun. This year was even better. Mom thought we should go into business.

Is this not the coolest pan you have seen in a while? It belongs to my Mother and you can bet I will be looking for one like it at the thrift stores and garage sales. It was perfect for mixing large batches of fruitcakes.

We chopped cherries and dates and mixed dried fruits, mixed them with walnuts and soaked the whole darn thing overnight in the very best Brandy from my Father's closet. Yes, he was aware we did it and we bought him a replacement bottle. I can tell you VSOP is much less expensive in Washington State than it is in South Dakota!

We made 21 fruitcakes. Yes, I meant to type 21. Mom has a home for each one. She does this every year. I can tell you I had the best time doing this with her. We talked and laughed until our stomaches hurt.

My Mom had a lot of good tips to pass along, so I will share them with you, too. Bay leaves in your flour canister will keep bugs at bay (no pun intended) without imparting flavor. Always line your pans with foil for these little cakes, since they are hard to remove without it.

She wanted me to take a picture of the mess we were creating. I preferred to think of it as a production line. I believe so far we have cookie dough made for at least 52 dozen cookies.

The house has that incredible smell of baking...spices, fruit, brandy. I am sorry the rest of my sisters weren't here for this! They don't have a clue what they were missing. Maybe next year.