who ever it was ...

...that is willing to lay claim to inventing fruit cake needs medical attention. Or being politely shut away, making the rest of the world safe from the Invading candied fruit concoction. It has never been one of my favorites. Even though it has been offered as a tasty holiday sweet for as long as I can remember: Thanks, but no thank you.

I can't say why I don't care for it. But will be perfectly content with never putting another morsel in my mouth. It might be the fact that it is so heavy on the fruit part and so short on the cake aspect. The name is spot on, if we follow the USDA labeling guidelines for listing in order of quantity included: there are only the barest traces of the few cake-like ingredients that hold it all together. Mostly fruit, fruit and more fruit, with pineapple, cherries, citron, etc as the primary contents.

My brother must have had a really weak moment when they were shopping in Sam's Club recently, seeing as how he bought a box that had four (4!) one pound fruit cake bars in it. Offering, then persuading and finally insisting that I would take one home to The Man Who Lives Here. I said I was sure he would enjoy it, as it would be oh-so-very good with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. My brother said: 'Really?' My reply: "Of Course! Everything is good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!" To which he said: "Oh. Ok."

When I unpacked last night, and unearthed that one pound fruit cake log, I left it in the kitchen for him to find today. He asked what it was for, hoping, I expect I would say: you. I told him my brother sent it (trying to farm out half of what he had bought as I expect it is reproducing there in the original box, and he now has about twelve logs/bars), and suggested he have some with vanilla ice cream. So then I had to make a run to the store for the icecream, and came home $114 lighter, wondering why I did not have anything in all those bags we could have for the next meal.