Tuesday Tidbits: FABULOUS FRUITCAKE

It’s almost here! December 27 is National Fruitcake Day! And December is National Fruitcake Month!

Seriously? A special day and a WHOLE month for fruitcake?

Yep. Who knew the controversial dessert was so popular? Anything but a passing fad, it has a long history dating back to Ancient Rome all the way up to the annual Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Roman soldiers took a fruitcake-type food into battle, or at least to the battlefield, because the treat was easy to carry and lasted so long. In Shakespearean times, fruitcake also included meat. But because of all the sugar, fruitcake was thought to be too good and considered sinful, and therefore outlawed on much of the European continent in the 18th century.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins took a fruitcake to the moon on the Apollo 11 space mission. However, they didn’t eat it. That fruitcake is on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Of all the things that could be taken into space, why fruitcake?

Someone born after 1913, who didn’t want to bake their own fruitcake, was fortunate to live in the modern age of mail-order. That’s when fruitcakes began zipping through the US mail.

Manitou Springs, Colorado, has hosted the Great Fruitcake Toss in early January since 1995. “We encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes,” says Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce. “The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight Boeing engineers who built the ‘Omega 380,’ a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air pumped by an exercise bike.” If you don't have a fruitcake, you can “rent” one to toss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUudRdFC7E

There are a whole host of countries who have had fruitcake in some form dating back centuries. The ingredients have changed down through the ages and from continent to continent. Fruitcake varies in color from very pale to almost black.

In the US, fruitcake is associated with Christmas, but around the world and throughout history it has been not only for Christmas, but as a traditional wedding cake, for Easter, Halloween, New Years, as well as a year ‘round treat. Did I just call fruitcake a treat?

Some countries call it fruitcake, others simply call it cake, plum cake, or a sweet bread. Many nations have their own special name for them; Pan de Pascua, Stollen, Brambrack, Panforte, Bolo Rei, and Cozonac to name a few.

The method of preserving fruit by soaking it in successively greater concentrations of heated sugar has been know to cultures such as Ancient China and Ancient Mesopotamia. By the early 19th century, the typical fruitcake recipe was heavy with candied fruit such as citrus peel, pineapples, plums, dates, pears, and cherries.

To lengthen the shelf life of a fruitcake, one need only to wrap the cake in an alcohol soaked linen before storing. A family in Tecumseh, Michigan has done just this. Their heirloom fruitcake was baked in 1878. Fruitcake was often made to be eaten the following year. That’s one way to get a jump-start on holiday baking. Some claim that “aged” fruitcake tastes better. Hmm. In 2003, Jay Leno sampled the 125-year-old Michigan fruitcake on The Tonight Show. I don’t think I would be that brave.

In 2017, the Antarctic Heritage Trust discovered a 106-year-old fruitcake, described as being in “excellent condition” and “almost” edible. I wonder what the qualifications are for condition and edibility. Did someone taste it to figure out it was safe to eat? Some would likely say that fresh-out-of-the-oven fruitcakes aren’t edible.

What kind of heirlooms have been passed down in your family? Any fruitcakes in your family’s treasures?

The QUILTING CIRCLE Series

Historical Romance

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner& WRMA Finalist*– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Book5) – Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-eight years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: UNDER CONTRACT!

I’m so excited to have signed a contract for my novel titled FRUIT JAR TREASURE.

A young woman, wanting to dig up a new life, clashes with a landowner who could bury her dream forever.

 
Washington State, Summer 1901
Discontented, Jessica Smoak must get out of her brother’s home and away from her overbearing sister-in-law. She corresponds with a woman who allegedly has gold-filled jars buried on her property, that no one has been able to locate for decades. The woman agrees to a fifty/fifty split. Jessica isn’t afraid of a little hard work to secure a new life.

 
Shaun MacLaurin is a bookkeeper for a local business as well as caring for his wheelchair-bound mother. They are barely scraping by. He doesn’t believe in the legendary treasure. Though his mother’s heart is in turning their home into a boarding house, he considers selling before the bank takes it out from under them.

 
As Jessica digs into the past to secure her future, will Shaun bury her dreams? Or will Jessica’s crusade to find fictitious treasure quell their budding romance?

Besides loving a good treasure hunt, I’ve named my heroine and hero after my daughter and son-in-law. FRUIT JAR TREASURE will be released the first month of book club. I’m excited to be writing for this new publisher. Not only do I like her publishing philosophy, but she is a good friend.

 

Desert Bloom Publishing is a new book club featuring historical Christian romances. Readers receive two historical Christian romances a month in audiobook, e-book, or paperback format. They are written by different authors and are set in different times. Each story contains a unique historical tidbit. The first release is expected January 2024. You can help get this club going by becoming a Founding Member.
https://desertbloombooks.com/
You can get a free book in e-book or audiobook format to see what the excitement is all about.
https://desertbloombooks.com/free-book/

When signing up, please use my referral code [REF6YZZZJRQZ5] for a discount on a 6-month or year subscription.

As stated above, my publisher is offering a free historical Christian romance to get people interested in a new and exciting club. It’s a novella length story (106 pages, Audio 3hrs 13 min) centered about the first women’s rights conference in Seneca Falls, New York.

FREEING ANNA

1848, Seneca Falls, New York. Confined by her era, a suffragette must choose between her freedom and her heart.

Anna Carlson would be a lawyer if she hadn’t been born a woman. Society expects her to marry, but only a fool would give up her identity to a man. Inventor, Isaac Jennings, lives for his research. He’s learned the hard way to stay clear of women. Isaac and Anna form an unlikely alliance to file his patent application. Will he win a patent on her heart in the process?

https://desertbloombooks.com/free-book/

HAPPY READING!!!

The QUILTING CIRCLE Series

Historical Romance

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner& WRMA Finalist*– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Book5) – Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-eight years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: BAILOUT! WWII SURVIVAL GEAR

A WWII military pilot flying over large bodies of water needed to be prepared to survive in the air, on land, and in the water, which required a lot of equipment. One thing that surprised me in my research was the amount of gear a pilot needed to wear and still fit into the cockpit of a fighter plane and other military aircraft. They, of course, had their A4 flight suit with some underclothing beneath it, B5 leather helmet, and A6 flying boots.

The last thing an airman wanted to do was abandon a plane far up in the sky, especially over water. When the circumstances required bailing out, the items worn were in the order the flight crew member would need them after bailing out. The first and most obvious piece of survival gear was a parachute. With the huge amount of silk fabric in the canopy of the chute, the canvas pack it is stored in, and the harness to strap it to a body, the whole kit and caboodle weighed in at roughly thirty-one pounds. The open canopy of the chute measured twenty-eight feet in diameter on the underside. It would slow the wearer from 120 mph down to 13 mph depending on various factors such as body weight and atmospheric conditions.

Once aloft over water, a pilot needed to time the releasing of his parachute precisely. Too soon, and he would drop into the water while his chute drifted away. Too late, and it could come down on top of him in the water, potentially pulling him under. There were two goals regarding the chute: first, to release it so as not to get tangle up in the bountiful fabric, and second, to still able to salvage the chute. Why would that matter, you might wonder? It could be an excellent source of shade once inside the little one-man life raft or become a makeshift sail.

Underneath the parachute came the B-4 Mae West life vest. So named because, when inflated, it resembled the buxom actress, popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and into the 1950s. Once the pilot was in the water—chute off, but in tow—he would work the two CO2 canisters on his life vest, one to inflate each side. The Mae West was also equipped with a rubber hose to inflate it manually if necessary.

The next order of business was getting out of the water, which could be shark infested. The C1 survival vest was worn under the Mae West, but accessible, and contained—among other things—a life raft. All twelve square feet of it.

This C1 housed more than thirty items: everything from an inflatable one-man lifeboat with hand paddles, emergency rations, matches, fishing kit, sewing kit, first aid kit, signal flares, fire starting tabs, matches, water purification tablets, knife, .45 caliber pistol with bullets, toilet paper, sun goggles, signaling mirror, compass, collapsible canteen, insect repellent, smelling salts, and more.

I found the following WWII military training video (titled Castaway) highly entertaining. It reminded me of my childhood, not in content but in style. People of a certain age and older might remember The Wonderful World of Disney wildlife shows with narration from a bygone era. The narration in this video reminds me of those.

CASTAWAY U.S. NAVY WORLD WAR II SURVIVAL FILM PART 1

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAeUIU-KG-Q)

WWII parachutes, survival gear, and persevering after ditching in the ocean were some of the myriad of topics I researched while writing Mrs. Witherspoon Goes To War. My heroine needed all of this survival gear, which is a lot of weight on my little 5’2” plucky WASP.

https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Witherspoon-Goes-Heroines-WWII-ebook/dp/B09FP8Y3G8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1630906313&sr=1-1

The QUILTING CIRCLE Series

Historical Romance

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner& WRMA Finalist*– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Book5) – Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-eight years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: WASP: Women Airforce Service Pilots

WASP Betty Wall

In 1942, two independent female flying organizations were created, the WFTD (Women’s Flying Training Detachment) by pilot Jacqueline Cochran and the WAFS (Women’s Auxiliary Ferry Squadron) by pilot Nancy Harkness Love. These two organizations combined August 5, 1943 to form the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) led by Jackie Cochran.

Jacqueline Cochran

More than 25,000 women applied to the WASP. Only 1,830 were accepted into the program, with 1,074 of these skilled female pilots completing the training with 560 hours of ground school and 210 hours of flight training. Many of these women came from wealthy backgrounds as they could afford the expensive instructions to earn their pilot’s license well before applying.

WASPs

These patriotic brave ladies became the first women to fly American military aircraft, taking off from 126 airbases across the U.S. to relocate combat aircraft. They flew 80% of the ferrying missions and piloted just about every type of U.S. military aircraft used by the military during WWII. WASPs delivered over 12,000 aircraft and freed around 900 male pilots for combat duty. They flew over sixty million miles.

WASP trainees with instructor

Though WASPs were stationed stateside away from the combat, thirty-eight died due to accidents in the line of duty, and one disappeared while on a ferrying mission. Her fate is still unknown.

Besides ferrying airplanes from factories to bases where the male pilots were stationed for training and to be deployed, WASPs also tested aircraft, trained male pilots, were airplane mechanics, transported cargo, and towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice.

Deanie Parish by a P-47

Jackie Cochran insisted upon her female pilots having their own uniform. General Hap Arnold said, “They should be BLUE.” The Quartermaster Corps offered 40,000 yards of drab olive wool fabric. To which Cochran responded, “My girls will never wear that!” Instead of outright rejecting the material and risk not having WASP specific uniforms, Cochran along with the designer made up two uniform samples; one in the lackluster olive and the other in a ‘classy’ Santiago blue wool gabardine, which closely resembles the current Air Force Blue color. The green one worn by a Quartermaster Corps clerk and the blue one by a gorgeous French model were paraded in from of the two decision making generals. Surprisingly, they chose the blue one. LOL! Cochran was a smart cookie and knew how to get her way even if men made the decision.

WASP uniforms

Though the WASP worked for the Army, they were still civilians. They were paid less than the men who did the same job and didn't receive any benefits. They had to pay for their own travel and uniforms.

Fifinella was the WASP mascot. The logo was created by the Walt Disney Company.

 The WASP arrangement with the Army was terminated December 20, 1944 when returning male pilots took over the ferrying duties. Finally in 1977, the WASP members were granted veteran status.

Though an individual WASP wouldn’t perform all these duties but specialize in one, I chose to have my WASP heroine in my WWII novel Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War do many of the jobs so I could spotlight several of the WASP assignments.

WASP Betty Wall in her golden years

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

 NOW AVAILABLE!!!

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

Available for order on Amazon.

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

 Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub