When Life Gives You Tangerines, Google "Tangerine Recipes"

Every now and then I like to watch an episode of "The Middle" online (because it's hilarious). A couple weeks ago I watched the Christmas episode "A Simple Christmas." Here's a snippit on that episode: "Frankie always puts an orange into the kids' stockings because it's the only thing her grandmother ever got during the depression. She wants her kids to appreciate the rewarding simplicity of citrus fruits." Now, I can only assume that this is my own mother's thinking each year as she places at least one apple and one orange (or tangerine) into mine and my sister's stockings. This year it was two tangerines for both me, and now that we're hubby and wifey, Casey. Casey, I suppose because he's bigger, also got a navel orange. The only problem is I never eat the fruit. One, because I don't really like citrus fruits. Two, because who wants to eat a tangerine when you have Reese's Christmas Trees? So, we brought home our tangerines (and single navel orange) and I set them alongside the tangerines, apples, and bananas that Mama Adams gave us the week before. We looked kinda healthy for a while, what with all the fruit in our kitchen. But the reality that fruit rots started to sink in, and I decided we must do something with it, because I HATE waste. Naturally, banana bread followed. And then, I went on a search for what in the world to do with tangerines (besides eat them plain, which I already told you we don't really enjoy)...which led me to the most unhealthy way possible to consume a tangerine---a Paula Deen recipe. And now, here is the result of said recipe in picture form:

The hardest cup of juice and tablespoon of zest I've ever worked for.

I ran out of flour, but sweet husband ran to get me some more at HT.

I'm just thrilled I didn't burn them!

Um, yum. (PS-don't you love our cake carrier!?)

That was exhausting.

I roused myself from sleep to eat the fruit (yes, I did) of my labor.

Good to the last bite.

After I had a piece, and I cut hubby a piece, and mom a piece (which she will taste today when she comes to Raleigh to play with me!), I took it to work because WE DO NOT NEED to eat that whole thing ourselves---do you know how much cream cheese/sugar/butter/sour cream/eggs/etc are in that thing??? I do. A lot. Everyone enjoyed it---my manager said it was delicious and that I should go into business, which made my day. Then I started thinking..."Could I go into business...*daydreaming*..." Then I remembered how hard it was to get that cup of juice and tablespoon of zest (and the second tablespoon of zest that I didn't see I needed until I started on the icing...and had already zested every last tangerine...enter navel orange). So, it may be my only tangerine cake ever, but it was a beaut'.