Well, this week is our week before Christmas.  We are celebrating as a family next Monday morning before heading out later that day to Arkansas.  So, this week is our week of Christmas activities.  Last night, we (Micah and I) made homemade pizza and got to work making the Carpenter family fruitcake.

Jonathan grew up grinding the graham crackers just like Micah did last night.

He had such a great time!  It was hard work for him, but he loved grinding the graham crackers for Mommy.   Afterwards, we put all the components together (after eating a marshmallow or two ourselves) and rolled them up.  Meanwhile, Heidi had some Daddy time at the piano.

Such sweet moments!

I don’t think this is supposed to be a family secret, so here is the recipe if you’d like to try it.

Carpenter Family Fruitcake

1 box of Honey Graham Crackers

1 pkg. marshmallows

1 stick butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 jar marachino cherries

1 lb. chopped dates (that is two packages, but I will often use just one)

Grind graham crackers in meat grinder or food processor.  Mix in dates, pecans, and chopped cherries (chopped in food processor or chopper).  Melt marshamallows (I do it in the microwave), then melt butter in marshmallows.  Stir; pour over other ingredients.  Stir well.  Use cherry juice to get mixture to appropriate moisture (What is appropriate?  It should be sticky and thick, but stirrable…so, maybe thicker than cookie dough???).

Spoon onto 2 pieces of plastice wrap and roll up into a log.  Refrigerate.  To eat, slice off pieces from the log.

After typing that, I am thinking pictures would really help these instructions…should have thought of that last night!!!