Rae Udy

RECIPE: Grace’s No-Bake Fruitcake

By Rae Udy

“Is Grandma Grace’s package here yet?” This question is eagerly asked by all members of my family every year at this time as we anxiously wait for homemade Christmas goodies from my mother-in-laws kitchen. Grace Weese didn’t know she was starting a tradition decades ago when she sent her first package of treats to her son living away from home. Now retired from JC Penney’s in Marshall, Grace lives in her hometown of Creston, Iowa. With three sons, one daughter, 17 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, she has lots of holiday baking to do and boxes to ready.
Her menu of munchies changes from year to year, with one exception. Her famous Grace’s Fruicake is always the highlight of the box. Made with graham crackers and marshmallows, this no-bake fruitcake will turn anyone who hates fruitcakes into a fan. Vegetarians and vegans can buy marshmallows made without gelatin at health food or online stores. Pangea Vegan Products has a wonderful variety of vegan marshmallows you can order online.
You still have time to send your own holiday mailing of foods from your kitchen. First Class from United States Postal Service will arrive by Christmas if mailed this week. Priority mail will make it by Christmas if you have the package ready by December 20th. Online services from the Postal Service makes sending packages even easier. Go the www.usps.com and find information about printing package labels, paying postage and even mail carrier pick-up at your home for the next day.
Sending food packages requires the three C’s: a strong carton, ample cushioning and a secure closure. The mailing carton should be big enough to allow for bubble wrap, crumbled newspapers or unbuttered popcorn to cushion sides, bottom and tops about one or two inches.
Pack containers back-to-back and close together then fill spaces with packing material. Secure your box with packaging tape, not masking tape because it breaks and gums up mailing machines. Label the package clearly with addresses of both sender and recipient and mark ‘fragile’ or ‘perishable’ on all sides of the box and you are ready for shipping.
It may be too late to send home baked goods to a military member in Iraq but don’t worry there is still time for another idea. A new phone card campaign called “Help Our Troops Call Home” is an affordable gift option.
Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone cards range from $14.99 to $39.00 and can be sent to the designated soldier you know or to ‘any service member’ as a donation. The phone cards provides more than two hours of talk time from any of the 69 phone centers in Iraq. For more information about “Help Our Troops Call Home” check out www.aafes. com online.
Sources: www.veteranstoday.com/article878.html
www.ehow.com

GRACE’S NO-BAKE FRUITCCAKE
1 15 ounce box graham crackers
1 stick butter or margarine
2 cups small marshmallows
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 cup raisins (soak for one-half hour in one cup water, then drain well)
2 Tablespoons sugar
Dash of salt
¼ (one-quarter) cup orange juice
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons each: ground cinnamon and nutmeg
Crush graham crackers in food processor or blender in small batches until crumbs are formed, set aside. Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl and cook on High for two or three minutes until melted. Stir until smooth. Add cracker crumbs and all remaining ingredients to butter mixture and stir until smooth. Line an eight by four inch loaf pan with foil and lightly butter the foil. Pack fruitcake mixture tightly in prepared pan by pushing mixture with the back of a spoon as you fill. Cover tightly with plastic or foil and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil and slice thin to serve with soy cream cheese, low-fat cream cheese or honey. Serves 24.