Chicken with Cherry Sauce

This was a new recipe that I have been wanting to try and today I finally made it. It is a "keeper"!

Chicken with Cherry Sauce

1 lb. fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger or 2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3-4 lbs.), cut up
3 tbs. butter or margarine

Set aside 3/4 cup cherries. In blender, combine orange juice and remaining cherries; cover and process until smooth. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, garlic and ginger; set aside
In large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken on all sides in butter. Place chicken skin side down in an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish. Top with cherry sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; turn chicken. Top with reserved cherries. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes longer or until chicken pieces run clear.

Since I was in the cherry mode, I also made the "Tart Cherry Meringue Dessert" pictured on the sidebar. Next will be one of our favorites.... rhubarb!

Hope Everyone Is Enjoying the Memorial Day Weekend!

The weather has been super here. Could be a little warmer but I am glad it isn't raining! I should be shopping aound for some flowers for my window boxes, maybe do that tomorrow. I wish a truck full of flowers would pull in our driveway like they showed on the Oprah show once. They went to an apartment complex and filled up all the window boxes and planters.....courtesy of the 'Oprah Show'. It was a show about "Making a Difference" or something similar to that. They did a beautiful job with the window boxes and planters, they all looked so colorful and lush. BUT, in 'real life' it is up to "us" to get the job done! Just took a quick peek.. and no truck yet...but it's nice to dream! :)

A perfect choice to go with my tea break......

I was doing some painting in the cupboards today and when I finished with that, I decided to make this strusel cake. It tasted sooo good with my cup of tea! :) When serving this to company, a second piece is always the "norm"! Mmmm, wonder how I managed to make that little circle with the frosting??

Cinnamon Strusel Coffeecake

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Delux II Yellow Cake Mix

1 pkg. (4 serving size) Vanilla Instant Pudding

2 tbs. oil

1 1/3 cups water

2 eggs- or use egg whites or egg substitute

Strusel-

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbs. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, blend cake mix, water, and eggs. Beat 2 minutes with mixer on med. speed. Spread 3/4 of batter evenly in tube pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Combine the strusel ingredients, sprinkle 2/3 cup of mixture over the batter. Spread remaining batter over and top with remaining strusel. Bake 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees until done. Cool in pan 15 -20 minutes remove and glaze top.

Glaze-

Blend 3/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 tbs (or as needed ) of milk. Drizzle over cake.

Enjoy!

A Mother's Day Tribute

My Mom passed away on July 4th., 2006 at the age of 96. She used to tell us kids stories about when she was growing up. Of course we would always kid her with "What, you REALLY didn't have televisions and computers as a kid?" She told of her first job as school teacher before she was married(in her early twenties I think), when she had to ride a horse to the school. I just can not picture her riding a horse! We finally, after many talks about doing it, took her back to the school where she had her first teaching job. It was still there and the outside looked about the same as her picture she had but it was now made into a summer cabin. We took pictures of her there. I think she really enjoyed seeing that school again and I am so glad she was able to go back to see it. I used to go with her sometimes to school when I was quite young, maybe not even in school yet. I remember her having to get the fire going in an old wood stove. I was young so I don't remember alot about it.....just that it was fun!
She was a breast cancer survivor and I am so proud of the way she dealt with that. A strong lady!
She loved to cook and was a wonderful baker. Her Lemon Meringue Pie with its 'mile high' meringue was so very good. It was the recipe off the box, but she seemed to make it "special"!

One year for my husband's birthday, she wrote a poem on the back of his card. I have since laminated it to preserve it. Thought I would share it.

MY OTHER SON
The day you wed my daughter
You became my other son
And now I want to thank you
For a thoughtful thing you've done
You gave to her a cadillac
To cruise around the town
It's a symbol of distinction
And also of renown
I gave to you a jewel
With whom you share your life
I'm the doting mother
And she your lovely wife
I used to pat her little head
And now you hold her hand
In love I raised a little girl
And your the lucky man!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!! We miss you!

The time has been flying by and I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted!

Our weather is finally getting warmer and today was such a nice day that after giving DH some lunch, we jumped in the car and headed out for a nice country drive. I took along my camera ...just in case... and did take a couple of pictures. I love these digital cameras and would like to take a photography class some day!

As we were driving through one little town, I spotted the steeple of this charming little church, so turned around and went back to find it. It is such a neat church that I had to take a picture of it. It makes you want to go in and sit a spell! :)

The picture of the beach is not far from where we live. A lot of people were out walking today, just enjoying the nice weather.