Planet Nice Crafts

Looking back at the blog’s archives, I discovered that a January post has occurred EVERY year since Planet Nice Crafts' inception in 2018 and now 2025 with the 8 th is no different. The holiday season is wrapping up with Lunar New Year in a couple weeks and of course Valentine’s Day next month. We have had a wonderfully cold winter here in the Chicago area. I am completely serious, I much more prefer 20 degrees than 45 but I do have limits, single and negative digits are pushing it. It just feels right to be a little chilly and hopefully with experience and wisdom, I know how to handle it better and better. The sunlight has been spectacular and even now, the longer days are noticeable. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the pictures of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area give a feeling of horror – thinking a lot about the people who have been affected. In January posts of the past, baking is a major topic and is no different in 2025. There were six fruitcakes, three t...

Hello Everyone! And Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had at least a little bit of a special day. I had some good homemade food delivered to me which I am always very thankful for because this week was the annual Fruitcake Frenzy. Yes, I bake fruitcakes for Christmas presents to a select group. Fruitcake has a horrible reputation, but I have to say myself that the ones I make defy that generalization. They are not for everyone because the cakes are heavy or dense – and if you don’t really like it, there is a slim chance that you will receive another. They also have a lot of alcohol and nuts, which may not be very appealing. I bake them Thanksgiving week because, the traditional 4-week aging is followed. I use sherry not brandy, perhaps another reason why they defy the fruitcake stereotype. My favorite way to eat a slice is toasted or I have heard that under a broiler is very good. The namesake fruit in the fruitcakes I make as well – when I first started this endeavor many years ag...