Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

Posted by Lori:
This is a simple make-ahead meal. We like it because it goes great with brown rice and broccoli. It's healthy, too - an added plus!

CROCKPOT PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dash of pepper
Dash of paprika
1- 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Arrange chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. In a small bowl, combine drained pineapple tidbits, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and paprika. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours (cooking times may vary, depending on size/thickness of chicken breasts).
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Fried Apples

Posted by Donna:

Last year I had lunch with two of my aunts at Cracker Barrel. They both ordered fried apples. They wanted me to taste them since I had never eaten them there. I just loved them. Ever since then, I've wanted to make them for myself. I finally got around to doing that the other night. Since I'm trying to stay off chocolate for a while, these sounded like they might hit the spot. Of course, I had to figure out how to make them. After looking up some recipes on line, I decided to just experiment and do my own thing. The only thing, I sure wished I had some ice cream on hand.

This is a recipe for one Granny Smith Apple:

Peel the apple and cut into slices or rings. (Don't make the apples slices too thin.)

In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and 4 very small pinches of cinnamon. Add the sliced apples to the skillet. Stir the apples in order to coat them on both sides with the mixture. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apples slices are tender. Be sure and turn the slices frequently.

They're great by themselves, but serving them with ice cream would be a treat, too.





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Brownie Caramel Pie

Posted by Kimberly:

The only thing that I like better than chocolate is chocolate with caramel! So, when my mother-in-law made this pie for us one weekend when we were visiting, I instantly fell in love.

Brownie Caramel Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omit this. I don't like to ruin my chocolate with nuts!)

20 caramels

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Sprinkle nuts into unbaked pie crust. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt caramels with 2/3 cup condensed milk. Spoon over walnuts. In a mixing bowl, combine egg, butter, and remaining condensed milk. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour chocolate mixture over caramel layer. Bake for 35 minutes until center is set. Cool. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Peanut Butter Puppy Dog Pancakes

Posted by Lori:
This is a Rachael Ray recipe and is so much fun for kids to eat!  I like the idea of added protein in the pancakes with the addition of the peanut butter.  The peanut butter isn't too overwhelming, though.  I think a cute variation would be to make regular pancakes and add chocolate chips and make a spotted puppy dog.  Of course the chocolate chips could be added to these, as well. 

Peanut Butter Pancakes
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped cream
12 chocolate chips
Strawberry Fruit Roll-Up, cut into 4 thin strips (I used a red gummy snack and cut it thinly into four pieces) 

In a large bowl, whicsk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, beat together the milk, egg, peanut butter and butter until smooth.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.  Heat a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Drop 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake and cook until it begins to puff and the bottom is golden, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook until golden on the other side.  Repeat with the remaining batter; you will need 10 pancakes.  Place 1 pancake each on 4 plates.  Cut out 4 ovals from 2 more pancakes.  Cut the remaining 4 pancakes in half.  Top each whole pancake with 2 pancake halves for the ears, 1 oval for the muzzle, whipped cream for the fur, chocolate chips for the eyes and nose and a strip of Fruit Roll-Up for the tongue.

When I made this early this morning I had no idea that it was IHOP's National Pancake Day.  Found that out later on in the day.  IHOP donates part of the money raised to Shriner's Hospital for Children.  What a great cause!

Ruff!! (That's dog-talk for "enjoy"!)
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Sour Cream Sauce for Enchiladas

Posted by Lori:
Last week I made beef enchiladas using left over Tex-Mex Roast. The beef mixture was rolled in flour tortillas, along with some cheddar cheese. This sauce was poured over the top. My husband was at a meeting that evening, so I didn't get his input on the meal, but all four children gave it a "thumbs up". I liked it, too, but think I might prefer it over chicken enchiladas or in beef that didn't contain beans.

The sauce is very good, rich, and authentic-tasting. I would share where I found it, but I can't remember - somewhere online!

SOUR CREAM SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 - 4 ounce can diced green chilies

In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken broth, and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and green chilies. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL. Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve piping hot.

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Pea Salad

Posted by Donna:

When I was very young and I decided to get into the kitchen and do some serious cooking, my mother and daddy could always count on one staple being part of the menu----pea salad. To this day, I still love it and fix it as often as I can. It's nothing you would find on the Food Network more than likely, but it is something that's simple when you want to do something different than a lettuce salad. At our funeral meals, this is the one salad that will always go first---no matter who brings it. I thinks it's one of those that's been around for "eons." My mother always fixed it;so, I learned to follow suit.

Pea Salad

1 can English Peas (drained)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish or chopped sweet gherkins
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimentos (drained and chopped)
2 T. chopped purple onion (optional)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip

Mix all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator.


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Cream of Coconut Cake

Posted by Lori:
I had heard of this cake for years, but never made it before until last week. It's a very good cake, even though I don't like actual coconut myself (except in a coconut pie). It's a pretty cake, being all snowy white.

My husband went to the store to buy the cream of coconut for me. A worker went and got the first can for him because he couldn't find it. When he got home we noticed it had an alcoholic drink pictured on the front, but didn't know why. Later I sent him back to get another can (decided to double the cake) and they told him it was in the alcohol section. We had no idea and never would have looked there. My husband said that there is a coconut milk that's kept by the canned milk, so if you make the cake, be sure to get the cream and not the milk.

CREAM OF COCONUT CAKE
1 package white cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup coconut - divided
1 large carton whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, egg whites, oil, milk and 1/2 cup coconut. Bake in greased sheet cake pan for 20-25 minutes. Make holes in warm cake with fork. Pour cream of coconut over cake (one can I bought was creamy, the other was seperated. I recommend stirring it in the can first.) When cool, combine 1/2 cup of coconut with whipped topping and frost cake still in pan. Chill several hours or overnight.
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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Posted by Lori:

Last week I needed to make a cake auction for a fund raiser at school and decided to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  I couldn't find a recipe that didn't use a cast iron skillet, which I don't have.  After emailing mom and she sent me this Betty Crocker recipe.  It was for a 9-inch square pan, but I made it in a 9-inch round instead.  I actually ended up doing two of them for the auction and then halved the recipe and made a smaller one for my husband.  Pineapple Upside Down Cake was actually his groom's cake for our wedding and it's still one of his favorite cakes. 

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

¼ cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar

Sliced pineapple in juice, drained (from a 14 ounce can - use 7 slices for a round pan and 9 for a square)
7 or 9 maraschino cherries without stems, optional
1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 350.

In a 9-inch round or square pan, melt butter in oven.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter.

Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar.

Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, if using the cherries.

In medium bowl, beat the remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

Pour batter over the pineapple and cherries.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan. Turn plate and pan over. Leave the pan over the cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over the cake---remove pan. Store the cake loosely covered.

A funny part of this story is that the cakes never made it to the fundraising auction.  I had asked my husband to take another dish down to the gym for a basketball game hospitality room and "thought" I told him to take the cakes then, too.  It was hours later, at the end of the final game that evening that I noticed the Pineapple Upside Down cakes I had made weren't at the auction table.  I asked the coach and she hadn't seen them.  When I got home, there they were - sitting on the counter top!  On the plus side, we had dessert for several days :). 

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Cottage Cheese Dip

Posted by Donna:

I looked through some of my old recipes today and found this one. This is one I'd like to start making more often and spread it on top of any whole grain cracker---just to have on hand for a healthier snack. My usual snack would probably be a Little Debbie's Pinwheel Cookie--probably four of them at one time. I decided this week to put a halt on the Little Debbie's. Maybe this Cottage Cheese Dip will satisfy my cravings, or at least fill me up enough so I won't find the Little Debbie's that are hidden in my cabinet, among the chips, on the top shelf, behind Larry's cookies!!!!!!!

Cottage Cheese Dip

1 large carton creamed cottage cheese

2 T. Hidden Valley Dressing (Thousand Island)

chopped celery

chopped green pepper

To your liking add: seasoning salt, chopped pimento, garlic salt, and pepper. For you salt lovers, you may want to add a little more table salt.

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Splendid Green Beans

Posted by Lori:

I've often had people ask what I put in my green beans, but actually it's nothing special. I really think the key is cooking them long enough for the flavors to meld together.  Typically, I make four regular-sized cans to feed my family and have enough for some leftovers, but I'm listing this recipe using only one can, then you can double, triple, or so on, as needed.

For many of you, this recipe isn't needed.  You have your own version of tried and true green beans.  But, maybe some of you are new to the kitchen (perhaps a new wife) and you're not sure what to do with that can of green beans...maybe this will help!

Splendid Green Beans (Italian version listed below)
1 regular sized can green beans - cut, whole, or Italian style
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar, brown sugar, or sugar substitute
1 slice bacon (I use a thick variety)

Place all ingredients into saucepan and basically cook them to death! I think that's the key - boiling almost all of the juices out. If you don't want to use the bacon because of the fat, use a boillion cube (probably only one cube to two cans). If you don't care for Splenda, use sugar or brown sugar. Remove bacon before serving, if desired; however, if left in, it will continue to season leftover green beans if left in with them.

For Italian green beans, use the Italian variety of green beans and add some Italian seasoning. I remember doing this years ago and never could convince a friend that they weren't home grown!
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Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Posted by Lori:
(Note:  For some reason, this picture will not post hortizontally!  It looks like the cookies are going to slide off the tray!)

Are you looking for a way to use up over-ripe bananas? Try these Banana Oatmeal Cookies. They are cake-like in consistancy and are good as a snack, a healthy dessert, or even for breakfast. At the time I didn't think to use whole wheat flour, but will try that next time.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes, but changed a few things, such as adding applesauce and reducing the shortening. My children, and even my husband and I, liked them. It was a perfect "sweet" to tuck in the kids' lunch boxes for a few days, too.

BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg, beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon groud cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown and white sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in shortening until almost no lumps remain. Stir in the egg, bananas, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oats. Drop by small spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are browned. Remove from pans immediately to cool on wire racks.

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Beef Stroganoff

Posted by Lori:
Have you ever heard of beef base? A friend told me about it several weeks ago and mention how it's good to use to flavor meat dishes, such as stews, soups, and even brisket. She buys it at Sam's Club, so the next time I made a trip to our nearest Sam's Club, I purchased some for myself.

I decided to use it in this Beef Stroganoff and it turned out great. I've never made beef stroganoff before, but it's something I'll be sure to be making in the future.  The beef base gives the dish great flavor and I look forward to using it in other dishes. If you can't find beef base, beef bouillion cubes would work. The base is kind of like a wet, thick bouillion, actually.

BEEF STROGANOFF
3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1 - 2 Tablespoons oil

In large skillet, brown stew meat with oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Allow almost all of the juices to disappear, which may take 10 minutes or so. Drain fat from meat and place meat into large baking dish or stock pot (small enough to fit into oven).

Add to meat mixture the following ingredients:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 soup cans full of water
2 teaspoons beef base (or could use 2 or 3 beef bouillion cubes)

Stir mixture and bake in preheated oven for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve over egg noodles.

Next time I'll plan ahead and cook the dish in the crockpot, using the same ingredients and also still browning the meat before cooking the longer amount of time.

The beef base makes the dish have a gravy taste, which we all enjoyed. Besides beef base, Sam's Club also had chicken base and maybe even pork. This stroganoff could be adapted by substituting chicken, turkey, or pork.
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Refrigerator Cake

Posted by: Donna

I obtained this recipe about a month ago while talking to a friend at Wal-Mart. For some reason, we started talking about recipes that we enjoyed making. We each shared one of our favorite cake recipes. This is the one she shared with me. She said every time she takes it anywhere, people always want the recipe.

One yellow cake mix
One can mandarin oranges, reserving the juice

Mix the cake as directed on the package. Use the reserved mandarin orange juice and add the amount of water needed to the juice to make one cup of liquid. Add the one cup of juice/water to the cake batter, as well as the mandarin oranges. Mix well. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 pan or two round cake pans. Bake the cake as stated on the box.

After the cake has cooled mix:

1 big can of crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 large container of Cool Whip

Mix these ingredients with a whisk. After mixed, ice the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

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Triple Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Posted by Lori:

One of our daughter's favorite foods is a grilled cheese sandwich.  A few weeks ago before she left for a basketball game, she asked me to make her one.  I knew that one sandwich wouldn't fill her up for too long since she wasn't going to have another meal for several hours.  I decided to make it bigger.  Since then I've made it a few times and it's now her favorite sandwich.  I think the boys are anxious to try it for themselves since they've only heard her rave about it!

Triple Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwich

3 slices bread (I use 100% whole wheat)

3 slices American cheese

1/2 Tablespoon butter or margarine, divided (stick, not tub)

Assemble sandwich as follows:  bread, 1 1/2 slices cheese, bread, 1 1/2 slices cheese, bread

In small skillet, melt half of the butter and spread it around to coat the bottom of the skillet.  Brown sandwich in buttered skillet.  Remove sandwich from skillet and melt remaining butter. Spread butter, coating the bottom of the skillet again.  Brown other side of sandwich. Cut sandwich in half or fourths, if desired.  Enjoy!

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Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Posted by Donna:

This is such an easy, but very good cake to make. The good thing about the recipe is that you can use a store bought angel food cake instead of baking your own. A co-worker gave this to me many years ago. I'm ashamed to say, I haven't made it as often as I should. The last time I made it, I took it to our neighbors who have two teenagers. Both teens gave it a thumbs up.


One store bought angel food cake

One box frozen strawberries, thawed

One large container Cool Whip

Cut the angel food cake horizontally two times so that there will be a bottom, middle and top layer. Lay the bottom layer of the cake on a round cake pan. Mix the thawed strawberries and Cool Whip together. Spread the strawberry mixture on top of the bottom layer of the cake. Lay the middle layer on top of this-----then ice the top of the middle layer. Lay the top section of the cake on this portion. Spread the remaining strawberry/Cool Whip mixture on the top and sides of the cake. Put the top of the cake pan over the iced cake and store in the refrigerator.

I told you it was simple to make. It's hard to think that the Cool Whip will stay thick after mixing it with the strawberries, but it does. I didn't believe it would until I made it myself the first time.

Right now it's probably hard to think this sounds very good since the temperature is in the 30's. However, I understand a "heat wave" is due here in Altus Saturday----in the 60's!!!!!!!!!!
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Very Berry Breakfast Parfait

Posted by Lori:

Need a quick and healthy breakfast?  Make this Very Berry Breakfast Parfait.  You can easily add or change toyour favorite fruits and yogurt flavors to whatever you prefer, but it's especially fun to serve it in a pretty soda/parfait glass.  This parfait makes a great snack, too.

Ingredients needed:

Granola (many had raisins, which my kids don't care for.  This is Kashi organic granola.)

Strawberry yogurt

Strawberries - fresh or frozen

Layer ingredients in the order given above.  Garnish with a small about of yogurt sprinkled with a few granola morsels.

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Barbeque Ranch Dip

Posted by Lori:
I saw this recipe online during Christmas break but never had time to make it. Several weeks ago our basketball teams were having a tournament in town and the players were providing snacks at a "Hospitality Room" for visiting coaches and administrators. I decided to try this dip.  Our own coach told me how much he liked it. I look forward to trying it myself.

7 slices bacon (I used Hormel already cooked bacon)
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 - 1 ounce envelope ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (Head Country is our favorite - Made in Oklahoma!)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Unless using already cooked, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the cooled bacon into a bowl and set aside.

Stir together the cream cheese and ranch dressing mix in a bowl until smooth. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a pie dish. Evenly spread the barbecue sauce on top of the cream cheese mixture. Layer the bacon, bell pepper, and tomato on top of the barbecue sauce and top with the Cheddar cheese. Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.
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Valentine's Day Breakfast - Strawberry Topped Waffles

Posted by Lori:

Because there is usually a basketball game or other activity going on in the evening of Valentine's Day, several years ago our family started having a Valentine's Day breakfast. It's become one of our favorite family traditions. We make it a candlelight breakfast and I have it all set up and ready right when we wake them up.

My sister-in-law gave me this breakfast idea last year. She used to make it for her own children when they were still at home. It makes a great breakfast any day, but is especially fun for Valentine's Day.

STRAWBERRY WAFFLES

Homemade or frozen waffles (I take the easy, but healthy way and use Eggo's Whole Wheat Waffles)
Strawberries, cut in half or smaller
Strawberry syrup (found by the pancake/waffle syrups)
Canned whipped cream

Place 2 cooked waffles on plate.  Top with strawberries and drizzle with syrup.  Top with canned whipped topping.

I wouldn't normally serve a sugary-type of drink in the morning, but last year I used this cups we use every year and filled them with a "concoction" of orange juice and mixed it with enough of a powered Koolaid or Crystal Light type mix to make it red.  The kids liked the strawberry garnish.  I think Sunny D makes a pinkish-type drink.  That would work...or some kind other juice.

Simple family times together.  That's what I'm grateful for on this Gratituesday.   Gratituesday is hosted by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.

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Instant Spiced Tea

Posted by Donna:

With all the cold weather we've been enduring lately, this sounded like a good recipe to post.

1- one pound jar of Tang
1 - 6 oz. pkg. of lemonade mix
3/4 cup instant tea
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together. Store in a air-tight jar.

Mix 2 T. of mixture in 1 cup boiling water.

This recipe makes about 30 servings.
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Roast and Fingerling Potatoes - By Candlelight

Posted by Lori:

This is a longer-than-usual post, but tells you a little bit about what happened in our life and in the lives of many in the western/southwestern part of Oklahoma during this past week. We're all blessed in so many ways, but we tend to take what we have been blessed with for granted. We've found that electricity is a blessing and for the return of that blessing - we are very grateful. For pictures and other thoughts about the Oklahoma Ice Storm, you can visit my other blog here.

On Thursday, January 28, school had been canceled because of icing on the roads. Everyone was expecting that the power would go out during some point in the day, so I began to cook early in the day so that our family would have a hot meal before the power went out. I also tried to think of things that could be warmed up in some way if we were without electricity for several hours.

I began the roast, potatoes, and carrots early in the day and they would have been ready at 6:00 or 6:30 p.m., but the electricity went off a little after 4:00 p.m. I decided to just leave everything in the oven - hopeful that it would come back on, but also thinking it would continue to cook for a while because of the heat.

The hours wore on and we realized it wasn't coming on soon. I had told the kids that if the electricity went out we would have a weiner (we used smoked sausages, actually!) roast over the fire in the fireplace, so plans changed for our evening meal. We didn't want to "waste" the opportunity to have the weiner roast - figuring the power would be on by the next day. We enjoyed the in-the-house cookout and finished the meal by roasting marshmallows. The kids had so much fun!

But, the next morning, the power was still out. It was looking like we were in for a longer power outage than any of us expected. For lunch that day we warmed up pinto beans that I had cooked the day before. We cooked them by the fire on the fireplace and my husband even cooked cornbread on the grill. The bottom burned, but it was still good. Again, we were hopeful the electricity would soon be on, but as evening wore on and darkness came, it didn't look too promising.

We decided to heat the roast, potatoes, and carrots on the grill. My husband turned everything frequently and it heated up in no time. This picture shows the candlelight dinner we enjoyed that evening. After over 24 hours of living without electricity and only having the heat of our fireplace, we all agreed that this was the best roast and potatoes EVER! I don't know if it was because we felt like we were in survival mode or we were just really that hungry, but I think my family will remember that meal for the rest of our lives!

ROAST AND FINGERLING POTOTOES

(I cooked the carrots seperately originally because there wasn't room for them, but when we reheated everything, we added them to the roast and potatoes.)

8.5 pound eye of round roast

5 pound bag of fingerling potatoes (I got these at Sam's Club. They are my favorite potatoes now!)

5 beef boullion cubes

3 cups water

Onion power

In larger roasting pan, sear roast over medium-high heat - making sure to sear each side. Wash potatoes and add to pan, all around roast. (Add carrots if you have room.) Drop in five beef boullion cubes and pour in three cups of water. Sprinkle with onion powder and cover with lid or foil. Bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 6 hours, or until roast is tender and veggies are done.

If you want to duplicate this recipe EXACTLY, turn off your oven after 4 hours. Put it out in the cold (if below freezing) or in your refrigerator overnight. Heat it up on the grill the next day, turning occassionally. Enjoy your dinner by candlelight!

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Brown Sugar Smokies

Posted by Lori:

These are great snacks and appetizers for parties. They're easy to make and taste great, too.

1 (16 ounce) package Little Smokies sausages
1 pound bacon
1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden toothpicks. Arrange the toothpicks on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

I still am planning to post some "roughing it" recipes from our time without electricity. It's amazing how you learn to adapt to what you have in times of need!

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We're Back....Kind Of!

Posted by Lori:
Well, our small town received electricity on Tuesday evening at 10:54 p.m. The kids all screamed with excitement! My husband and I were pretty excited, too! Most people in this area do have it, but some still do not. My parents still don't have it in their part of town in Altus, OK.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for all of us. Please continue to remember to pray for the electrical workers. They have a lot of work left to do - even after the electricity is restored. I am very thankful for them!

I'm posting a recipe right after this update and should be able to do so more regularly now. And the other two "Cherry Cokes" will hopefully be posting again soon, too. Have a great day!
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ICE STORM!!!!

Posted by Lori:
Well, two of us "3 Cherry Cokes" are without electricity and have been since last Thursday. Thankfully, we've both been staying fairly warm with fireplaces. If you haven't heard, southwest Oklahoma has been hit HARD with an ice storm. We are not sure how long we will be without power, but when we do get back, we'll have some interesting stories for you!

My own family has learned to cook interesting things on the grill and by candle! It's been kind of fun, but is no growing really, really old! The kids haven't been in school since last Wednesday and at first that, too, was fun, but now all we think about is having to make up those days.

Please pray for those who are working to restore power to so many in this area. That is a difficult job and at this time, extremely cold. Another thing: Don't forget to be thankful for what you have! It's amazing how much we rely on electricity and sure do take it for granted!
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