Barbaras birthday letter

Lovely letter from young Barbara, whom I pleased to announce will be
returning to Tilling with Larry in May; she includes the recipe for the cake
some of us shared over christmas.


"Odd things are happening at the North Pole! Here we have all been
worrying about the polar ice cap and suddenly this massive cold air
comes swooping down on all of us- even to South Carolina and, alas,
Florida, where both citrus and strawberry crops are threatened.
We have reports of snow coming and this state has gone into terror,
many schools delaying opening until late in the morning. But we are
told the air is too dry for real snow. A misty rain had begun and could
make icy roads as the temperature drops. It is supposed to be well
below freezing by morning.

We made a dash to Columbia today to visit my brother and Larry's
niece, then hurried home, after an Asian lunch, in case the snow came
early. It didn't. We warmed up yesterday's hearty vegetable soup for supper.
Not a glamorous way to begin the seventy eighth year.

But just as we sat down to supper the doorbell rang.

Postman handed me a package. Turned out to be an elegant camera.
So Rhett and Larry had consulted with our big time photographer friend and
selected a camera for me, for my birthday!

Very beautiful and, on the surface, very complex. Rhett says he can teach
me to use it in forty five minutes. How I am to schedule 45 minutes with the
senior faculty person cum father of two I do not know.

I have already signed up for two art classes for this month and next.
Add a camera class?

Granddaughter Emma called from New York. She was out
shopping, after work, for a warm coat. Going to settle for a
down coat, inelegant as they are, because NYC is so cold right
now. Sometimes high style is not important! Her apt. house
furnace went out last week. They were several days without
heat before it could be replaced. And daughter Libby is now
without heat on the ground floor of her house, that furnace
having given up. Lucky girl has a separate heating system for
the second floor so she can retreat to warmth. As you might
know, her husband is off sailing in the Caribbean. She is arranging
for the new furnace. Daughter Barb's house can only be reached
by 4 wheel drive vehicles. The drive up the mountainside is so icy.

So, all told, it was a good birthday day.

Will be worse after tonight's snow makes ice. She found the UPS
had simply dropped her birthday package (yesterday) in the snow
beside the bridge over their creek. Didn't even try to get up the
hillside. Young Jackson spotted it and rescued it.

Her real present was the pastel of the Esperaza bridge which I
could not wait to give to her. Gave that to her back in
November.

But the point of this email was to send the recipe for the cake.

Nova Scotia Black Fruitcake

1pound of chopped candied fruit

1/2 pound candied cherries, book says cut in halves

1 pound raisins

1/2 cup rum. cognac or sherry (I usually use sherry)

1/2 pound nuts, coarsely chopped

2cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

(I add ginger as well)

1//2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

1teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

5 eggs

1. Mix the fruits, add sherry, let stand overnight

2. Preheat oven to slow (275 F). Grease 2 9x5x3 loaf pans, line with waxed
paper and grease paper

3. Combine fruits, nuts and one half cu flour

4. Mix the milk with almond extract. mix flour and spices and salt.

5. Cream butter until smooth, adding sugars gradually. Add eggs, mix well,
then add milk.

Stir in flour, mix well.

6. Pour this batter over the fruits and nuts, ix well. Fill the pans, press batter
down firmly.

7. Bake loaves about three hours. Let stand 30 minutes, then turn out on
rack to cool.

8. Wrap well after sprinkling with more sherry.

You may frost if you wish, after cakes dry (book says for a month!).

Usually an almond flavor frosting.

I double this recipe and bake at least four at a time.

We can buy the candied fruit all cut up. I suspect you would have to
cut it up yourself."