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fuggled

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  1. TLDR: I like fruitcake and took pictures. Growing up, my grandparents and great-grandparents would always have fruitcake in the house for Christmas. It would live on the kitchen table and was up for grabs to pair with your breakfast or a cup of coffee or just as a snack. It generally wasn't for dessert, which was the exclusive domain of pie. Fruitcake always came in a tin, and the tin was always saved for storing and sharing Christmas cookies. As a kid, I didn't have much of an appreciation for fruitcake. I craved straight up sugar, and that's not what fruitcake offered. But, I relished those candied cherries on top and over the years the fruitcake tin on the table became an enduring symbol of Christmas with my family. As I grew up, I eventually learned to appreciate the deliciousness that is fruitcake. It was a quintessential tradition that I could observe passed down from one generation to the next.Over the years, life got complicated and it was difficult to get back home for Christmas. We had fewer opportunities to gather together and that shared fruitcake on the table became a less common sight for me. The family elders passed over the years. My last living great-grandmother passed nearly 20 years ago and my final surviving grandparent (my mom's mother) passed away earlier this year. Last year she buried her last living sibling. This year she buried the first of her daughters. I think that was enough for her. A void's been created that leaves me missing those traditions of Christmases past.Thus, I felt compelled to bring the fruitcake tradition to my nuclear family and create that experience for my own children (now 10 and 6). But, does the fruitcake of my youth deserve to occupy the prominent space on my table as the fruitcake of the future? I wasn't so sure. And so, my search began to discover whether a fruitcake exists that can supplant my grandparents' favorite.Last year I ordered two different fruitcakes and enlisted the family to help me evaluate which is best. The offerings for consideration: #1 Assumption Abbey Fruitcake from Ava, MO - This is the fruitcake my family would always order. Probably because my dad's family was Catholic and they valued the connection to the monks. These are Trappist monks and hence they make Trappist fruitcake. They make good beer and good fruitcake. Apparently there are other Trappists in the US making fruitcake, but this is the only one I've tried. As the traditional fruitcake of my family, it was the first I brought to my own table.#2 Collin Street Bakery Fruitcake from Corsicana, TX - I've lived in Texas more than 30 years and this seems to be the most widely publicized fruitcake in the state. Despite living here so long, I've never tried it myself. After years of driving past their stores, it seems like it's finally time to give the fruitcake a shot.Our experience and observations are shared here with you to help make the world a better place this holiday season. My search for life-changing fruitcake will continue, so please share any recommendations you have!Packaging & StorageAssumption Abbey (AA) showed up in a round, white tin with gold trim. The lid features a simple name and logo for the abbey in black. I'm delighted by the fact that this fruitcake is shelf stable for 2 years, no doubt a result of the booze infusing it. Getting 2 years of utility out of a 2 lb doorstop, followed by a tasty treat is just good value for your dollar.Collin Street Bakery (CSB) came in a round, red tin that felt a bit thinner than the one from AA. The name of the bakery is printed in a stylized white font on the side of the tin. The lid features a festive (some would say busy) collage of Texas related holiday scenes. This fruitcake came with a brochure from the bakery offering an overview of all their products and handling instructions. Sadly, the fruitcake only seemed capable of lasting a few months even if stored in the fridge.Personally, I like the simple, clean packaging from the abbey. This, coupled with the extended shelf life, gives AA the edge in this category. AppearanceInside the tins is a different matter. The AA cake is wrapped around the sides in red wax paper. The cake is dark brown with 4 pecan halves and 4 cherry halves evenly spaced on the top.The CSB cake is wrapped in gold foil. The cake is a bit lighter shade of brown, but it's hard to tell because the top is completely covered in pecans. Several chunks of candied fruit are mixed in among the pecans.The AA cake looks very clean, but the field of pecans was more appetizing on the CSB cake. So CSB takes this category. Taste TestAA is a dark, moist cake with a deep, complex flavor. Chunks of fruit and nuts are evenly spread throughout the cake. The cake itself has just a bit of crumble to it, but holds together nicely. The cake is definitely sweet, but this is balanced with some tart, bitter and roasty flavors from the wine, currants, citrus peel and rum. There's a bit of cinnamon in the cake, but it's not heavily spiced. CSB is a whole different animal. CSB Fruitcake : cake :: circus peanuts : peanutsFrom the moment I sliced this, it obviously had a completely different texture. This was apparent in the tasting as well, where my wife and I felt this ate more like a fudge than a cake. It's a smooth, creamy and sticky texture that doesn't have any sense of crumbs in it. The flavor matched this. It really came across more like candy than the semi-sweet cake that I'm used to. There was no ingredient list provided, but the website brags that pecans are the biggest ingredient along with fruit and honey. That's how it tastes. I would even say it was cloyingly sweet. My kids loved it. And served in small portions like fudge, it worked well. But, I didn't get any of the bite that comes from wine, currants and rum. I wouldn't eat it with my coffee in the morning. The winner is a matter of preference here. If you're going for a no-chocolate, nut fudge, CSB is solid. But I'm looking for something much different and the complexity of the AA was more to my liking. My wife agreed on this one.ConclusionFor my money (BTW, both cakes were ~$38 with shipping), AA is the better cake. Yes, I'm clearly biased because this is what I grew up with and there's a strong nostalgia factor. Don't care. I'm still open to trying something new and different, but I'm hanging on to this one as my favorite for the time being.
  2. Just tried calling Walgreens to schedule my kids but they're still waiting on CDC approval (at least according to the one pharmacist I spoke with). 😒
  3. We were camping at Old Settlers this past weekend and found this guy in the middle of our campsite. We had already been there 3 days when an 8 year old almost stepped on him, so no idea where he was hiding before that. My 10 year old is a snake fan, so we managed to relocate him to the edge of the property. Looks like he might have been injured before we found him, so don't know if he made it. We heard there were a number of copperheads found throughout the campgrounds, most weren't lucky enough to be relocated.
  4. "Not propaganda" doesn't mean "not sensationalized."
  5. My man, you've asked the same question a dozen times already. You obviously aren't getting the answer you want to hear. Would you like to try just putting your opinion out here and see were that goes?
  6. Not sure if you already got an answer to this, but this is related to transgender kids. One of the treatments helps delay puberty. The intent is that it gives transgender kids and families time to figure out what the right path is before the kid goes through all the changes of puberty, which may be confusing and difficult to reverse. This came up when Arkansas tried to block all the trans treatments for kids. This article covers some of it: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-arkansas-law-and-similar-bills-endanger-transgender-youth-research-shows/
  7. You're raising a lot of the same points that the DOJ included in their lawsuit. It's a good read to back up your logic. https://apps.npr.org/documents/document.html?id=21060104-us-v-state-of-
  8. They provide their own definition of fetal heartbeat in the law. Basically says something about cardiac noise. It's just a label they've put on something that clearly isn't a heartbeat. Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
  9. Hoping someone can help me out here. My van got rear-ended a week before I was supposed to take the family on a 2-week camping road trip, leaving the rear liftgate unable to open. Not really having another option, I rented another van for the trip. The accident was 4 weeks ago and the other guy's insurance finally today accepted liability. The question is, should I be compensated for the 2 week van rental under a loss of use claim? The insurance company is only offering to cover a rental while repairs are being made and pushing back because my van was technically still drivable when I had the rental.
  10. This is so random, I'm not even sure where to post it. We're heading out on a camping trip this weekend and I ordered a pack of 2 bite valves from Walmart to replace one the kids had chewed through. They finally showed up yesterday, yeah! Only thing is, instead of sending me a pack of bite valves, they sent me a case. I double checked and they only charged me the couple bucks for a pack, but now I'm flush with 48 bite valves. An embarrassment of riches is what it is. After 18 months of lockdown, multiple deaths in the family and social/political chaos, things are finally looking up! So the question is, does anybody need some bite valves? What would you do with them? Step 1: Magically procure bite valves Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit
  11. Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable handyman in DFW (Richardson specifically)? Here's the deal...I have an L-shaped maple butcher block countertop (~35 sq. ft.) that I need sanded down and refinished. Finish is a straight forward one-step product (wipe on, buff off after 5 minutes). I would do it myself, but I want someone to handle it while our family is out on vacation so the finish has time to cure and I don't have to deal with complaints from the family about the kitchen being unusable. So far, I've had one handyman ghost me and 2 others tell me they don't do that kind of work. Any recommendations? I'm also thinking about reaching out to flooring contractors to see if they'd take the job.
  12. I think @Wally Pryor is referring to this news that there's going to be a second marching band formed that won't play The Eyes, in addition to the current LHB. https://music.utexas.edu/news/changes-expand-options-access-diversity-university-bands
  13. The only reason people are desperate enough to break the law is because they resent rich people? Do you actually believe this? I'm pretty sure we'd have law breakers even if all the rich people suddenly vanished. For some reason, this opinion of yours feels a lot like "they hate us for our freedom". Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
  14. More language than most of the Marvel movies. My 10 year old was pretty freaked out during all the parts about kidnapping, enslaving and murdering children. There also wasn't nearly as much humor in this one. My kids (6 & 10) probably wouldn't have been into the plot at all if they weren't already into Black Widow. If it didn't have there Avengers tie in, I would pass on this for kids. Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
  15. Dad put me in charge of cooking pork steaks for 12 on his Rec Tec. Gave them some rub and grilled them at 400F to start, then into the sauce bath to braise around 275F. After about 90 minutes they went back on the grill to set the sauce. Like pork candy.
  16. Apparently Spartan isn't making the 90 day eradicator any more. They're trying to sell a 30 day version for the same price. This is because the product has been found to not work and there's a lawsuit pending. https://colinpurrington.com/2021/03/spartan-mosquito-eradicator-vs-pro-tech/ Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
  17. We have a small one in our bedroom: https://www.amazon.com/hOmeLabs-Dehumidifier-Dehumidifiers-Basements-Continuous/dp/B073VBWKJZ/ Even those small units have a hose hookup they'll drain automatically. You just have to have a drain to run it to.
  18. I'm looking for recommendations for someone to handle a smaller project in Richardson. I have a detached garage (~600 sqft.) that needs to get torn down and replaced along with replacing the driveway, installing a new circular drive and figuring out landscaping (deck/patio, fence, pergola, drainage, irrigation). I already have plans for the garage and driveway drawn up by an architect, but will need help with the landscape design portions. The garage/driveway also has a tricky retaining wall/elevation situation that's going to need an engineer involved. I'm hoping to find a one-stop shop to handle all of this. Any recommendations are appreciated. Happy to share more info if it would be helpful
  19. http://yrsprts.stream/live?v=espnu
  20. But economist aren't saying "because of stimulus and minimum wage." DonkeyCigars is the only one saying that and it's why this is neither a fair nor an apolitical point. You asked if you're creating an original opinion and claimed to just be quoting the NYT. But the article you reference (the exact quote you posted!) says, "Short-lived bursts of inflation that are tied to ... stimulus-check spending wouldn’t do lasting damage to the economy". So again, you're not honestly evaluating all opinions offered by experts, you're manufacturing your own BS political crisis. And it's fine to float your own hypothesis here. But if your premise is that temporary stimulus and temporary minimum wage increases are going to cause a long-term inflationary trend, you should show your work.
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