So Long, Farewell and Happy Birthday Jacob D.!

We're glad it's your birthday, dear JACOB!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to YOU!

We'll sing you a song for your birthday--

"Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to YOU"

Hey, Jacob D.! # 9 birthday for you! We hope you had an amazing day full of fun, love, and happiness. What kind of cake did you have? We love you! Uncle Don, Aunt Cindy, Mike, Adrianne, Josh, Meredith, Natalie, Robert, Shaun, Christine, and Darla

Tonight Mark and Julia K. opened up their home and hosted a 'going away' FHE for the Summers family who is moving to Kaysville. Gosh, we will miss them. Tom worked for Duff for many years at Onyx and Ronalee and I worked in the Primary together for a long time. She is just the 'best'. Good 'salt of the earth' people.

We love you and wish you all the best in your new adventure!

I'm Enchanted!

Christine got this movie for Easter, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch it until last night. WOW, I loved it! It incorporates a part of just about every fairy tale/princess story in it and it has a wonderful feel good ending.

The music and dancing is amazing. I woke up this morning with some of the tunes going through my head. What a nice happy way to wake up on a Monday morning!

I tried poking my head out of my window and calling for the little animals to come and help me pick up the house. So far no takers, but some birds are chirping and playing tag in the yard, so I will enjoy watching them while I work!

The Start of A New Week

I am so loving this 11-2pm Sunday church schedule. I get to sleep in a little, get dinner in the oven, and the bed made. Then enjoy our meetings, and come home with a good portion of the day still to regroup!

We had a young married couple speak in Sacrament Meeting today. They have one child, a 2 year old. They were asked to speak on eternal marriage and parenting. Interesting topics for such a young couple. I was very impressed. They humbly and undauntingly stood and taught doctrine. Straightforward and loving. The spirit was very strong. They did not speak from a vantage point of years of experience and wisdom--that will come for them as it does for us all--but from an ideal that is grounded in the scriptures, temple, and living prophets.

Sunday School class was good. We are studying the book of Jacob right now. I guess I never realized that Jacob was probably around 45-50 years old at the time. But of course he would be! I read those chapters with a new perspective this time.

The RS lesson was by the presidency. They chose the subject of Pride from President Benson's talk in the late 1980's. I remember when he gave it. It caused quite the discussions among people. For good reason: it really makes you think about where you might be on that cycle. I am going to pull up the talk and print it out. We had some really good comments and exchanges going on.

I am enjoying being able to attend all 3 meetings now. I still miss the children, but not the weekly responsibility.

Our friends stopped by this evening. They had been in Las Vegas for the weekend as Brett's dad is still in the hospital with failing health. It is hard. They are very close. His devotion to his dad is amazing. He goes every weekend to connect with him so his father will know he is loved and supported. We have good friends.

Shaun had a primary board meeting tonight. He is liking his new calling and doing well with it. Christine had a bishop's fireside tonight also.

OH! Duff had meetings this morning. They weren't the normal meetings. The President told them in Pres. mtg. that he is getting released on April 27th as he has accepted a call to go back to Brazil (where he was a mission president) and be the chief legal counsel for Brazil for the church for 3 years. SO, changes will be coming there! We will miss them so much. And Duff will truly miss serving with him. The bishop's made the announcement in sacrament meetings today.

I have been very touched lately by the spirit. It seems my thoughts and feelings drift to the gospel and Christ more often. I have been learning a lot. I am grateful for God's great goodness to me. For His love and blessings.

Steadfast and Immovable

Tonight, Christine and I went to the YW Satellite Broadcast at the stake center. It was amazing. The YW general presidency spoke to us with a YW choir and we ended with President Eyring. The theme for the broadcast was Steadfast and Immovable, which is the 2008 theme for the youth for the year. Sister Tanner:

• Stand as a Witness among your peers, even some who may be members of the church.
• Keep the commandments.
• Strengthen home and family NOW. It is not just for the future. Strengthen your own family of origin and your friends families too.
• Rejoice in the Savior. He WILL bless you!

Sister Dalton:

• I am part of God's plan
• Christ was true at ALL times, ALL things, and in All places
• Notice that practically all thempataions revolve around the body: immorality, drugs, dress standards, tattoos, piercings, appearance, music, word of wisom, etc. This is because he does not have a body and will do ANYTHING to get you to misuse yours!!! (I'd never thought of that connection before. Great insight)

Video Presentation:

There have been a lot of letters, phone calls, emails, etc. to the church headquarters asking for specifics on swimsuit wear! Instead of sending out an official bulletin, they gave a video presentation on how to find answers in the scriptures and how to get a confirmation from the Holy Ghost. They addressed wardrobe, music, entertainment, etc. It was VERY good.

Sister Cook:

• Your testimony is your anchor
• Follow this pattern: pray, study scriptures, obedience = increased faith
• Always study and follow latter day/living prophets
• Plan ahead: Drive down decision stakes: This I will NOT do, This I WILL do.
• Respect your body
• Be An Example
• Good entertainment
• Observe the Sabbath
• She showed a picture of a water lily and told us how it's stalk actually grows in adversity

One of the choir numbers was How Firm A Foundation. It brought back memories of when I was a girl and would go to my grandparents house in Westchester, CA. They had a baby grand piano in their living room bay window and I loved to go there and play the hymns. This was one of my favorite hymns to play. I would pretend that I was an accompianist and play the introduction and all the verses. The end of the hymn has a good message: I'll Never Forsake! No Never!

Elder Eyring:

• You are privileged to be a member of the church.
• What do you set your heart on?
• Are your friends edging you to or away from the 'light'?
• When you walk in the light you feel the warmth of heaven from whence you came and where you want to go again.

After, we went to dinner at Chili's with Sister Klein and Addy. The Chicken Enchilada Soup was not to disappoint! Always a winner! Christine and I stopped at Albertson's and got the grocery shopping done for the week on the way home.

Beforehand, I got the kitchen refrigerator cleaned out really well and wiped down, and then Duff and I got the big garage cleaned out and everything put back in order from the wedding flowers. Boy is that nice to have done! I can park the car in it again! It's so nice to not have to go outside to get in the car, especially if it's raining.

Mistaken Identity

I have been really touched by this story today. I remember 2 years ago when it happened. I was making Christine's lunch this morning and had the Today show on where they were interviewing the two families and Whitney Cerak. Matt Lauer let everyone know about the Dateline piece on it tonight, so I hurried and tivoed it so I wouldn't miss it. I was not disappointed.

I am going to go and buy the book tomorrow. Their hope and faith and religious strength is remarkable. I guess none of us know what we are truly made of until we go through something that tests us to the core. There could be so much bitterness, anger, finger-pointing, law suits, and yet they all are compassionate, loving, kind. Many 'miracles' to learn from!

Food For The Soul

One of the things I have learned is that no matter how good things are going /looking in your life, we all have trials/adversities/thorns in the flesh. "In the quiet heart is hidden, sorrows that the eye can't see". I am no different than anyone else in this truth. This is how we STRETCH and GROW!

I was feeling particularly burdened this morning with things weighing on my mind when I left for my walk. I had read some scriptures and was 'pondering' when I set out. I walked up to the top of my street with my ipod on some inspirational music hoping to shake the 'mood'.

I decided to stop and sit for a while on the bench at the top of the hill. A couple of years ago our community poured a pad of cement and installed it. There are beautiful rose bushes around it and sweet stepping stones leading to and away from it. One of our dear neighbors is retired and the head of the landscape committee. He lost one of his sons in a way no parent should ever have to experience and needed a place to go and think and come to terms with his death. Thus the bench came to be.

I noticed this time that at the top of the cement pad is now a placque with the Serenity Prayer on it to help people with their thinking when they sit for a while there. It is a lovely place--it takes in ALL of our community and it is absolutely a breathtaking view. It is a calming, inspiring place.

As I sat there and pondered and prayed for strength and guidance, I found myself thinking about what I had read earlier and now what was on the placque. They actually supported each other. " ALL flesh is in my hands. Be still. And know that I am God." And to give me the ability to accept what I cannot change, COURAGE to change what I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference between the two (so I can use my 'energy' wisely and not waste it on things that will not be of benefit).

It was a good experience and I finished my walk and came home with a much better perspective!

Slow Cooker Recipes

That is the last of the recipes I included in the handouts for the mini-class last week! Remember, all of these can be prepared in the oven and/or stovetop, but work well adapted to the slow cooker. Next time you make a favorite family dish, pause and think through if it can be converted to a slow cooker meal! You just might be able to!

Crock Pot Stuffed Flank Steak

STUFFED FLANK STEAK

By Cindy Duffy


Flank steak
Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix prepared to pkg. instructions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
3 cans water


Cover flank steak with plastic wrap or place in a gallon size Ziploc bag, unsealed, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin, etc. turning over several times until desired thickness.

Take prepared stuffing and layer on top of the steak leaving a 1/2 inch margin all around the edges. Starting with long edge side (grain of meat should be running left to right) roll up and secure with metal turkey tines or toothpicks or tie with thread several places to hold in place.

Transfer to slow cooker. Season with your favorite seasonings. Mix soups and water with a whisk and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Serve with potatoes or noodles and vegetable and salad of choice.

Crock Pot Pepper Steak/Chicken

PEPPER STEAK OR PEPPER CHICKEN

By Cindy Duffy

Tri tip or round steak sliced or diced OR whole chicken pieces or sliced or diced chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. oil
Seasonings of your choice
1 onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
Fresh or canned mushrooms
1 green bell pepper sliced or diced
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
Water to desired consistency

Quickly brown meat of choice and season with what you like. My favorites are garlic salt, seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper. But you can really experiment and use what you like to make it your own. Transfer to slow cooker.

Prepare vegetables and cover meat. Add tomatoes. Mix tomato sauce with water to desired consistency and pour over. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 6-8 hours.

Serve with rice and green salad. (Veges already included!)

HaPpY bIrThDaY TIM!

Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday Dear Tim
Happy Birthday To You!

Well Tim, we have thought of you today and hope your birthday has been a nice one. It's been a long time and may be a long time even still. But hopefully someday in the future we can celebrate together!

We love you--

72 Hour Kits

Yesterday my cousin, Roberta, was doing some very smart brainstorming about sharing our ideas, motivations, and progress about preparedness with each other. This way we could feel like we have a support system and have a good way to share information. So she asked if I would post some pictures of how we did our 72 hour kits. I have a friend who is VERY proactive and knowledgeable about emergency preparedness. She gathered all the information and supplies. This is roughly around $50-$60 and very thorough.
From lessons learned with Hurricane Katrina, it is a good idea to have your kit in a crush proof, waterproof container that can be carried out by hand in a 'flight' situation.

Double click to enlarge. This is a list of everything in the kit. The food is MRE's. Not the best in my opinion, but will keep you alive! The water is from AquaBlox/AquaLiterz. It has a 5YEAR (!) shelf life.

In the top compartments, you put prescription meds, extra set of car keys, etc. The list is on the above picture.

First aid supplies with a first aid book. My experience is that if situations haven't presented themselves on a regular basis for you to 'practice' first aid, it is easy to forget or freeze in an emergency situation--hence the reference book. A scouting handbook is also good.

2nd level, under the first aid tray. The turquoise boxes are the water blox.

This was the best view I could get of the whole thing. We keep them in the cardboard box to keep them clean. You should have one for each person.

Kids: get some water bottles and a small first aid kit (like one from CVS, Target), and maybe some ravioli in a cup, tuna and crackers packages, etc. to keep in your study carrels at school and/or in your office desk. That would be a GREAT start!

Any other ideas/suggestions/comments? Good Luck everybody!

Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

SOUTHERN PULLED PORK

By Sandra Lee

2 Tbsp. oil
1 pork shoulder roast (3 1/2 lbs.)
1 bottle (12 oz.) chili sauce
3 packets Sloppy Joe Mix
1/2 cup beef broth
Garlic salt
Lemon Pepper
Hamburger Buns

Season pork roast with garlic salt and lemon pepper and brown on all sides in hot oil in skillet. Place in crock pot. Combine chili sauce, Sloppy Joe mix, and broth. Pour over roast.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Shred pork and place on hamburger buns. Shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix is great paired with the pork.

Crock Pot Spareribs

Okay--these are REALLY good. Who would have ever thought you could do them in a crock pot? But it works!

HOT HONEYED SPARERIBS

By Sandra Lee

Pam
4 pounds baby back ribs, cut into individual rib portions
Garlic Salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chili garlic sauce (Sun Luck)
1 cup Catalina dressing
1 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat broiler. Line bottom portion of broiler pan with foil for easy cleanup. Spray top portion of broiler pan lightly with Pam.

Season cut ribs with garlic salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes. Turn them and broil for another 5 minutes. Place browned ribs in 4-5 qt. slow cooker.

Mix together honey, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, Catalina dressing, and ginger. Pour over ribs. Move ribs around to make sure they are all coated. Cover and cook on how for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Remove ribs with tongs to serving platter. Skim fat from sauce. Serve ribs with sauce on the side.

ReCap

Off to bed. I'm tired. I had a good day, but kind of blah at the same time. I think I'm letting down from all the hustle-bustle of the very fast paced weekend. Something that I don't like to admit but am having to face is that now that I'm a tad bit older, I just don't bounce back quite as fast as I used to.

Secured the photographer for the wedding. That is a relief. He is a friend that I knew growing up and also worked with at BYU in the athletics office. He is based in AZ, but comes out here every year during the month of July with his wife and lives up and down the coast from Huntington Beach to La Jolla and does family portraiture at the beaches. So that was convenient for us! (Yes, Berta--it is Steve N. Can you and Bob come???)

Mike and Adrianne got their proofs of the wedding. She came over and we went all through them. Oh it is going to be so hard to pick!

Dancing With The Stars was good. Always sad to see someone get eliminated. Everyone really tries their personal best. What another world that was when I danced on the BYU Ballroom dance team! My family thinks I've cracked up when it comes on and I dance around the kitchen and family room with the stars!

Nighty-night!

Just Checking In...

Hi F-A-M-I-L-Y!

Just checking in to see how you are all doing with your 72 hour kits this month. Remember, we are just 'eating the elephant one bite at a time', so just concentrate on one of them. We have 1 week left in the month.

Call or email or comment to let me know if you don't have your 72 hour kit from Christmas with you. I'll make sure you get it.

Love, Mom

Mushroom Risotto in the Crock Pot

Who knew? Yes, risotto even in a slow cooker!

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

By Sandra Lee

2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup chicken or beef broth
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 tsp. jarred/bottled garlic
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Stir together Arborio rice, broths, soups, garlic, mushrooms, and seasonings in the slow cooker. (4-5 quart crock) Cook on high for 2 hours stirring every 30 minutes. Set the timer for this so you don’t forget.

Check consistency. You might need to continue cooking for an additional 30-60 minutes stirring every 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it.

Before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese and garnish with a sprig of thyme (optional)

Beef Pot Roast

There are a lot of ways to cook a pot roast in a crock pot, but this is a nice and easy change if you are looking for something new. I love using the frozen veges. I didn't know you could buy them this way!

By Sandra Lee

1 bag frozen onions
1 bag frozen carrot slices
1 beef chuck roast (4 lbs.), rinsed and patted dry
Salt and Pepper
2 TBSP. oil
1 can cream of celery soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce

Add frozen onions and carrots to bottom of slow cooker.

Season roast with salt and pepper and brown in hot oil in skillet on all sides. Place on top of onions and carrots.

Mix together soups, broth, and A-1. Pour over top of roast.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Happy Birthday Kevin

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Your mom and I were pregnant at the same time. She with you and I with Mike. We shared fun times during those months!

Have a wonderful day. We send love and happiness your way.

Happy Birthday to You-

Happy Birthday to You-

Happy Birthday Dear Kevin-

Happy Birthday to YOU!!

Easter Happenings

What a great day. It was warm and pleasant outside, happy and fun inside. All of our church meetings were really nice. Christine gave her very first talk in Sacrament Meeting and she did a really good job. She wrote it herself. Mike and Adrianne came up and met us there so they could support Chrissy. That meant a lot to her. Josh texted her with congratulations. Shaun accepted and was sustained to a new calling as the Valiant 12 Boys teacher in Primary. He will do a great job with the boys and he even had to teach yesterday too. Mike stepped in with him.

We came home and had a little snack and got dinner on. Ham, funeral potatoes, green beans, corn, homemade rolls and our new jam. Adrianne asked what she could bring, so they brought salad and deviled eggs. We had strawberry jello poke cake with crushed strawberries on top and whipped cream. Yummy menu.

Duff, Christine, Robert, Natalie, and Autumn (Adrianne's sis, but she didn't make the picture)

Cute bunnies for the centerpiece. I forgot to get the flowers. Oh well.

Cute bunny plates in yellow and green. Thank you Home Goods.

Pretty table. It was very springy and festive.

Adrianne's delicious salad. She learned how to sugar pecans to put in it. Yum.

Getting ready to eat.

Shaun, Adrianne, and Mike

Adrianne and her deviled eggs. She had wanted to use the deviled egg plate she got for their wedding, but forgot it. This basket platter was a good substitue and showcased them nicely.
They were delicious. Good job Adrianne. I have to say--I really appreciated all the help from grown up kids. Natalie made the potatoes, and it's so nice to see the girls learning new things and participating in the putting on of the holiday.

THANK YOU!

Easter's True Meaning

"None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He lives! He lives resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God."

--Gordon B. Hinckley

ENJOY THE DAY!

We love you all and wish a very HAPPY EASTER to everyone. Enjoy being together and celebrating. Here are some things we are grateful for this Easter time:

E-- eggs, Extra time with family, evening, entertainment, Easter, Easter

Bunny, everything, exercise, enemies (because we learn from them)

A--Apostles, A's on a report card, abstracts, Atonement, Apostacy, A

loving husband, Adrianne, Autumn, abilities, adversity, abundance

S--saints, September, servants of God, strawberries, Sandra Lee, Savior,

"sass", sacred things, sacrifice, selflessness

T--testifiers, testimony, The duffy's, Target, Temple, iTunes, Time,

Terrokkar forest, teachers, teams, tenderness

E--Eclipse, Earth, eating, education, electricity, embroidery, engagement,

emotions, enough

R--rabbits, Robert!, resurrection, redemption, recipes, rest, Risen Lord,

rice, restoration

Easter Eggs

I think we are out-growing Easter Egg dying. Sad day:( I did hard boil about 15 on Friday night. Saturday after wedding and reistry shopping, we came home to have dinner with everyone and Adrianne and Christine sat down to dye the eggs.



Everything was pretty crazy around here that day, and Adrianne quietly noticed that the eggs hadn't been done yet and got them all ready and called Christine in to do them. Wow, did I ever appreciate that. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Adrianne's 'artsy' side came out and she and Christine collaborated on these two. The BYU football eggs in honor of dad.....

....and the LA Lakers in honor of Mike. Really cute, and I would have never thought of doing that! Way to go!

Christine was a trooper and hung in there till they were all done. I wonder if she'll be into doing it next year?

Registry

Natalie and Robert have started registering. After the morning of wedding dress shopping, Natalie, Adrianne, and I headed over to Bed Bath and Beyond so she could register. Robert had initially thought he would like to go. Mike looked at him and said, "Let me ask you 2 questions. Robert, will you be doing most of the cooking?" He said, "No." "Robert, do you care or have strong opinions about decorating the house?" He said, "No." "Then you don't need to go. It will be torture." So Robert stayed home with the guys (and Christine. She had to write her talk for Sacrament Meeting tomorrow. It is her first talk in Sacrament Meeting and she is nervous.)

The registry coordinator gave her a great orientation and then a lesson on using the scanner and then we were off. It took us 4 HOURS to go through the store, but she was very thorough. There is some editing to do and some things to check on. Some of the prices were not the same on the floor as they ended up showing on the registry. They were increased by $50 in some cases. Gotta check that out and fix it.

We were so tired by the time we were done. Our feet had HAD it. I walked around the corner and couldn't find the girls. All of a sudden I saw them sitting in the demo chairs for the back massagers! I joined them. Oh, it felt so good for a few moments of relaxation and massage.

Here Comes The Bride!

We had an appointment to go to Donna's at 10am. Donna is in our ward and she has turned the bonus room in her house (and her living room!) into a Bridal/Formal Wear shop. Her inventory is all modest fashions. She is also a rep for While Elegance. Since Natalie is 'long distance' this was a GREAT one-stop shopping thing for us, and she found it all. We were DONE in 2 1/2 hours! We accomplished:wedding gown, slip, shoes, headband, veil, invitations, temple dress, temple bag, bridesmaids dresses. Whew!

Here comes the bride! This is the gown she chose. This pictures is NOT a good one, but the only one I took of it. It needs the alterations to fit it better and it will be much more form fitting, but it's sooo pretty on her. And she loved it the minute she put it on.

This is the headband that will go around her updo style. She wants the veil to be a little more up on the top of her head rather than underneath in the back.

A picture of the detail of the 'pick-ups' on the organza in the back of the dress. The headband matches the lace.

Detail of the veil. It is 3 layers with these little crystals on the edges. SO Natalie!

In Donna's bridal room. Donna, Natalie (Bride), Adrianne (bridesmaid), Christine (Maid of Honor)

The shoes she decided on. Very pretty,comfy, and cool for a summer wedding.

We were on overload after all that so fast, so we celebrated with some lunch at Panda Express, one of the bride's favorite places. It was just what we needed before we headed over to begin the registry process! (We had to get a lot done in a very short amount of time since she was home. Oh, and did I mention that it was the day before Easter....ay carumba!)

We Be Jammin'!

Today was the day! The day for making J-A-M. The strawberry stands have been open since the first of the month and since we are totally out of any kind of jam and my family is so spoiled they WILL NOT eat any store bought jams or jellies it was definitely 'time'. Adrianne had the day off from work, so she ran some errands in the morning (getting her name 'changed' on important documents) and then came over.

I ran errands in the morning too, and stopped into the strawberry stand to procur the essential ingredient. Jose was very flattered I included him in the picture. I had been listening to music in the car and was humming as I picked out the berries. He asked me if I was happy. It kind of caught me off-guard. I replied: Yes, I am happy. He said good, because a lot of women come to the stand and are grumpy! I told him they were probably just concentrating on choosing their strawberries! Anyway, interesting what people notice...

We washed, hulled, and mashed berries. Here is Adrianne filling her jars. I got the ingredients this year and her job was to start acquiring their jars. She found some really neat jars that are new to the Ball collection. They are very CUTE. More contemporary and with silver seals and rims. If I already didn't have such an extensive amount over the last 30+ years I'd get these too! She did a great job and was a quick 'study' for never having done this before.

Here is the 'fruits' of our labor. We made 37 pints. I experimented the day before with using frozen raspberries and peaches for some raspberry/peach jam. It turned out GREAT! Those jars are on the far right. I only did about 10 of those.

Another view. Don't they look pretty? I love the feeling of accomplishment when I do things like this!

I tried to get a close up of Adrianne's jars. The back row are just some random glass jars, but the middle row is the pint jars, and the front row are the 1/2 pints. We like to do the freezer jams.

We had a fun afternoon, but were pretty tired when we were done. The guys came down and asked what was for dinner. We looked at each other, and then at them, and said, "We're ordering out!"

Natalie and Meredith: Start looking for your jars. We'll help you learn this summer when you're both here! Missed YOU.

Crock Pot Apple Bread Pudding

If you don't care for raisins, just leave them out and use plain bread, or use the raisin bread and omit the extra raisins. You can also serve this with caramel sauce! Yum!

APPLE RAISIN BREAD PUDDING WITH CREAM SODA SAUCE
By Sandra Lee


Bread Pudding

2 packets cinnamon roll instant oatmeal
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk, or 2 cups milk and 1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups cubed raisin bread
1 cup apple pie filling or topping
1/2 cups raisins

Sauce

1/2 cup cream soda
1 package Dream Whip whipped topping mix
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

In a blender, blend instant oatmeal into a fine powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and slat. Fold in raisin bread, pie filling, raisins, and oatmeal powder until bread cubes are moist. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Spray a slow cooker with Pam cooking spray and add bread mixture. Cook on high for about 3 hours or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

For sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together until thickened. Top each bread pudding serving with a dollop of sauce and serve.

Crock Pot Pork Chops

I am asked for this recipe all the time. I started out making this in a skillet. I'd cover it and let it cook for a couple of hours. Then I wanted to make it on a Sunday and we had to eat as soon as we got home from church. I didn't want to leave my stove on for several hours. Hmmm. What to do??? So I put it in the crock pot and the rest is history! If you can't find Pappy's seasoning in the store, you can order it online. It is Pappy's Choice and I always use the less salt version. Once you use this--you'll always keep it in your pantry! Pat Proffit got me started on this seasoning years ago. It is fabulous.


CROCK POT PORK CHOPS
By Cindy Duffy

6 pork chops
flour
1-2 Tbsp.oil
Garlic salt
Seasoned salt
Pappy’s (seasoning. If you can't find it, let me know. Use instead like a dry steak seasoning.)
Pepper
2-3 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
2-3 cans water

Dredge or shake pork chops in flour. Brown in skillet in the oil. Season to taste. Transfer to crock pot. Mix soup and water together. Pour over pork chops. Cover with lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Every crock pot varies, so watch it.

Remove pork chops to serving platter and if desired thicken soup with a little corn starch and water. Correct seasonings.

Serve with rice and vegetable of choice.

Looping Over and Over

Little lambs so white and fair,

Are the Shepherd's constant care.

Now He leads their tender feet

Into pastures green and sweet.

Now they listen and obey,

Following where He leads the way.

Heavenly Father, may we be

Thus obedient unto Thee.

I woke up with this song going through my head. I have been singing it or humming it ALL day long. It is an OLD Primary song that I learned when I was little in Jr. Sunday School (that really dates me!) I don't even think anyone sings it anymore. But I loved it then and love it now. I haven't heard it forever and just randomly woke up with it going through my mind. Some how it feels appropriate for the Easter season, so I thought I would record it for my journal. I have felt happy and peaceful all day with this tune looping over and over. I sang it to myself and remembered EVERY word. I went and got my Childrens Songbook and looked it up and, yep, I got them all right. Why/how did my mind pull this up? What an amazing thing the mind is!