Summer Banquet Hop ❀ June 3 - 7

Welcome! It’s June, and I imagine I am but one of many folks celebrating a wedding anniversary this month. I am also certain that I am not the only one thinking of cake—specifically wedding cake, or as commonly known prior to the 1800s, Bride Cake. This is a banquet after all. What’s a banquet without a wide assortment of rich, decadent sweets?

I was particularly intrigued to learn the traditional wedding cake in the United Kingdom is made from fruitcake. Prince William’s wedding cake was a traditional fruitcake. Pardon my American sensibilities—but fruitcake? (Think Christmas and the gift that keeps giving.) I later read the reasoning behind the tradition. Eighteenth-century newlyweds believed that keeping their wedding cake until their first anniversary was a means towards future marital felicity; hence the use of fruits as the key ingredient. When properly prepared, fruitcakes last for years. The eighteenth-century cakes were blended with wine as an important step in the preservation process as well. Cheers!

I am obliged to leave you with a word of caution that you might consider when indulging in wedding cake over the coming weeks in June. Careful. What better than the sentiments of Mr. Woodhouse from Jane Austen’s Emma to carry my point?

There was no recovering Miss Taylor—nor much likelihood of ceasing to pity her; but a few weeks brought some alleviation to Mr. Woodhouse. The compliments of his neighbours were over; he was no longer teased by being wished joy of so sorrowful an event; and the wedding-cake, which had been a great distress to him, was all eat up. His own stomach could bear nothing rich, and he could never believe other people to be different from himself. What was unwholesome to him he regarded as unfit for any body; and he had, therefore, earnestly tried to dissuade them from having any wedding-cake at all, and when that proved vain, as earnestly tried to prevent any body's eating it. He had been at the pains of consulting Mr. Perry, the apothecary, on the subject. Mr. Perry was an intelligent, gentlemanlike man, whose frequent visits were one of the comforts of Mr. Woodhouse's life; and upon being applied to, he could not but acknowledge (though it seemed rather against the bias of inclination) that wedding-cake might certainly disagree with many—perhaps with most people, unless taken moderately. With such an opinion, in confirmation of his own, Mr. Woodhouse hoped to influence every visitor of the newly married pair; but still the cake was eaten; and there was no rest for his benevolent nerves till it was all gone.

Just imagine what poor Mr. Woodhouse would have thought about Prince William and Kate’s cake!

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 It’s giveaway time. 

To enter, simply comment below (include an email address,) and fill out the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win one of the three audio books shown—winner’s choice!

If you’re selected as the winner, and you are not an audio book lover – yet – you may elect any of my eBooks as your prize.

This giveaway contest ends on June 7^th. 

The winner will be selected on June 8^th.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for ‘hopping’ by and taking part in the giveaway. Remember, the fun doesn’t end here. Participate in the giveaways at all the blogs listed below!

1. Random Bits of Fascination (Maria Grace)
2. Pillings Writing Corner (David Pilling)
3. Anna Belfrage
4. Debra Brown
5. Lauren Gilbert
6. Gillian Bagwell
7. Julie K. Rose
8. Donna Russo Morin
9. Regina Jeffers
10. Shauna Roberts
11. Tinney S. Heath
12. Grace Elliot
13. Diane Scott Lewis
14. Ginger Myrick
15. Helen Hollick
16. Heather Domin
17. Margaret Skea
18. Yves Fey
19. JL Oakley
20. Shannon Winslow
21. Evangeline Holland
22. Cora Lee
23. Laura Purcell
24. P. O. Dixon
25. E.M. Powell
26. Sharon Lathan
27. Sally Smith O’Rourke
28. Allison Bruning
29. Violet Bedford
30. Sue Millard
31. Kim Rendfeld

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