This 'n That Thursdays: Fruitcake -- Friend or Foe?

From Atomic Books

This is National Fruitcake Day, so I must mention one other deep, dark secret about Christmas that I revealed in a previous post -- while I myself am not one, I come from a family of fruitcake lovers.  Yes, such people actually do exist, and they are among my nearest and dearest.  Despite the fact that I now live in a state with a town that claims to be the fruitcake capital of the world, I will never develop a taste for this heavy, candied fruit-laden concoction.  Still, I do consider it a good idea to "know thy enemy", so I may just have to pay a visit to the aforementioned fruitcake town of Claxton here in Georgia.  There are actually two fruitcake bakeries there -- the original Claxton Bakery and the newer Georgia Fruit Cake Company.  I could also check out the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, which has been making fruitcakes for over 115 years and also claims to be the world's fruitcake capital.  And for those of you who are looking for more convenient locations, there is even a map of fruitcake locations in the United States:

From MapMuse

For me, however, the most enjoyable experience would most likely be at the Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado.  This event features fruitcakes launched by a creative array of mechanical and pneumatic devices, all in the name of charity fund-raising.  The flying fruitcakes will become airborne soon, on January 12th, so anyone who wishes to be a part of the excitement had better make plans now.  I think I could even learn to like fruitcakes there, if only as flying objects!

From Sallan's Corner

Should you be one of the many who received but do not eat fruitcake, here is a list of alternative uses:

1) doorstop;
2) Yule log;
3) paperweight;
4) boot scraper;
5) computer stand;
6) weapon to throw at an intruder;
7) base for flower arrangements;
8) building blocks for a home fort.

If these suggestions aren't enough, you can find a few more here.  Fruitcake truly is the gift that keeps on giving (and giving, and giving, and giving... preferably to someone else)!

From Etsy