Countdown to Christmas 20 - Fruitcake song!

There are many songs about fruit cakes - not all of them referring to the Christmas cake we know and love.It is really surprising to learn via Google that there are 89 listed songs with references to Christmas cake or fruit cake - not all of them complimentary.

Probably one of the most famous folk songs about Christmas cake is Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake (a favourite sung by The Irish Rovers). This first recorded comical Christmas song was written by C Frank Horn in 1883 in Pennsylania, as a variation of an Irish folk song, 'Miss Mulligan's Christmas Cake' . The chorus might give you the hint that Miss Fogarty's cake was not for the faint hearted or those who suffered from a weak stomach.

     Chorus : There were plums and prunes and cherries,
     There were citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too
     There was nutmeg, cloves and berries
     And a crust that was nailed on with glue
     There were caraway seeds in abundance
     Such that work up a fine stomach ache
     That could kill a man twice after eating a slice
     Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake.

By the end of the song, there is no doubt that an entire Christmas party could be flattened by a slice of Miss Fogarty's fruit cake.

Maloney was took with the colic,
O'Donald's a pain in his head
Mc'Naughton lay down on the sofa,
And he swore that he wished he was dead
Miss Bailey went into hysterics
And there she did wriggle and shake
And everyone swore they were poisoned
Just from eating Miss Fogarty's cake

Another of the Christmas cake songs I want to mention is one which is just called "Fruit cake" - often a performance piece by a capella groups. This performance is such fun....

And here are the lyrics, just in case you missed some of the words

Chocolate cakes and butter cakes and cakes with lots of spice.
Layer cakes and angel cakes I think are very nice.
But when it comes to Christmas time can anyone dispute,
That when you bake a Christmas cake,
It really should, be surely could be,
Yes it would be positively absolutely
Must be made with fruit - Fruitcake!
Sift the flour and pour in eggs.
Now you add some lemon peel, I would say a cup or two.
Then some raisins, dates, and figs, just how much is up to you.
Pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
Almonds, and all other crazy nuts .
Cinnamon, cinnamon, don't forget the cinnamon.
Cloves and spice will make it nice but don't forget the cinnamon.
Now you add some cherries.
Glistening like the Christmas berries.
Add some rum but just a drop.
Then it's time to...stop …
Have a bite of fruitcake! Mmmmmmmm

These are just two of my favourite Christmas cake songs . Perhaps you prefer " Demon Fruitcake",

"Grandma's Killer Fruitcake" or "Ode to a Fruitcake"? Or do you like another song I haven't heard

of? I would love to hear about it in a comment below.

Tomorrow - Let's browse the Guinness Book of Records.

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons The work for the "Stitched Up " Project continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours. Trimmed and cut if necessary Ends sealed with matte sealing solution. Drying - solution goes on white but dries clear. First wrapping - foil to create a body shape Second wrapping - stretch fabric. Third wrapping - fabric strips Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to come. Follow thi

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Search This Blog