Merry Christmas.

passing on Icebox Fruitcake tradition.

We are full on Christmas holly jollying in my house.  (The reason I haven't posted much lately).  Christmas, in this house, is a full time job.   From ducktape wrapped fruitcake* and iced cookies to decking the halls and walls, ceiling to floor with a life-long accumulation of seasonal decor and Hallmark ornaments (a three Christmas tree extravaganza) to thoughtful shopping and my den full of wrapping supplies,  I love every single thing about Christmas.  And crafting.  I'm very sad to say that I didn't get much crafting done this year (blast you Facebook for sucking up my time and Pinterest for making me feel guilty that Facebook sucked up so much of my time).    I did take some time yesterday to make these:

... and made my first New Years Resolution:

1) be more crafty.  

I am thinking that if I work on one specific craft every month for 12 months, I'll have a sweet collection of gifts for next Christmas... and it may give me an excuse to leave a Christmas tree set up in my guest room all year long.  Judging by webs starting to adorn my current tree, I might have to exterminate said tree mid year so it doesn't become a haven for the giant wooly spiders that creep about our house once in a while, but why let the Christmas season end?  I am totally glad Jesus was born all year long... right?! 

and a resolution carried over from last year:

2) Be more sexy.  

I swore I would get rid of the granny panties last year.  I would exercise more.  Well I did exercise more, and it totally made me want to get rid of the grannies, but then packed on ten lbs again in preparation for power outages and ankle deep snow storms (no one wants to be cold) and I dug out the few pair I didn't get rid of (just in case) and put them back in rotation.  Well, I'm back at it in January... Zumba and walking in hopes my husband will take me somewhere worthy of a bathing suit after tax season... and I still hope to someday run a 5K... and that would be a little easier thirty lbs lighter, eh?

While I ponder my continued list of resolutions, which I'll post closer to 2012,  I thought I'd share with you the ducktape wrapped fruitcake story* (aka MaMa Plumblee's Icebox Fruitcake).  So once upon a Christmas, for reasons I do not know, my MaMa Plumblee started making Icebox Fruitcakes.  She bought graham crackers, wrapped the box with ducktape for reinforcement, crushed the graham crackers, mixed them with candied fruit, nuts and sweetened condensed milk, mushed it all together and packed it into the wax-lined graham cracker box.  Shut the lid, wrapped it with ducktape and threw it in the freezer.  Cool, right? My friends make fun of me for this wacky tradition, but I remember going to her house and making fruitcakes with her in the tiny kitchen.   When my hands are covered in sweet graham cracker goop, it's like she's right there with me and my Dad loves nothing more than a ducktape wrapped fruitcake for Christmas. 

I won't be around much for a week or so.  I'll be back in January with pictures and recipes and reviews.  I'm picking up gigs at Fete Magazine and the TR Tribune in addition to my Gvlle Bus Mag and Gvlle Journal articles... and December 21st check out Greenville News if you're in town.  Yours truly will be in an article about food memories.  Love to all!  

And Merry Christmas!!!!!!!