Coca-Cola Memories

Thinking about coca-cola makes me think about good memories. It takes me back to a simpler time. I think about happy children and happy adults. I am sure you have seen many of the classic coke pictures. I especially love the ones with Santa Claus.

I like the coke pictures so much that I am a collector. I have coke dishes, towels, pictures, and Christmas ornaments. I am frequently looking for coke items at yard sales and on ebay. If any of you have coke item that you want to sell, leave me a message.

I remember the first time I ever drank coke. Back then my mom bought another dark colored soda. I was a teenager visiting a friend. He gave me an ice cold coke on ice. The fizz took my breath away! Honestly, I loved it the first time I tried it. Do you remember the first time you ever tried coke?

Since I was not exposed to coke as a young child, I don't remember any recipes from back then. But I did find this great sounding recipe on the coke recipe site that I want to try. My aunt made a cherry salad, but I am not sure if it was the same recipe.

Recipe: Coca-Cola Cherry Salad
1 can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup water
1 large package of cherry gelatin mix
1 7 1/2-ounce can of crushed pineapple, not drained
1 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola®
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1 tub of chilled whipped topping
3 ounces of cream cheese
Boil the pie filling and water. Remove from heat and add the gelatin mix. Stir until
mixed. Add the pineapple with its juice from the can, and add the Coke. Stir in the
nuts and cool until set. Meanwhile, mix together the whipped topping and cream
cheese and spread on the cooled and set salad. Serve.
-- Submitted by Carolyn Baker of Vandergrift, PA

Check out the recipes. They have recipes for the following:
Beverages
Breakfast
Appetizers and Soups
Entrees
Side Dishes, Vegetables and Sauces
Desserts

If you have a recipe that uses coke that you would be willing to share go to http://www.cookingwithcoke.com/ On that site you can even create your own digital cookbook that you can print.

I can definately say that coca-cola is my favorite drink. But I try not to drink it too often now because I am trying to lose weight. Diet coke is OK, but it isn't the same as drinking a coke. But when I want a treat, a refreshing, ice cold coke is the best.


About Coca-Cola®
Created in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coca-Cola was first offered as a fountain beverage by mixing Coca-Cola syrup with carbonated water. Coca-Cola was introduced in 1886, patented in 1887, registered as a trademark in 1893 and by 1895 it was being sold in every state and territory in the United States. In 1899, The Coca-Cola Company began franchised bottling operations in the United States.

More info: www.cookingwithcoke.com
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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Coca-Cola® blogging program. If I am one of the first 100 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 gift card. For more information on the program, click here.

I love PEEPS!

Well, it will be Easter soon. The Easter Bunny must be getting candy for all those baskets. I like Peeps, peanut butter eggs, jelly beans, and more. I love several Easter candies, but my favorite are Peeps.

When I was a child, I eagerly anticipated checking my Easter basket to see if I got some Peeps. I always did. :) My sisters and I would trade our candy, and I remember trying to get them to trade me, so I could get more Peeps. But most of the time they wouldn't trade because they loved them too.

My friend (who will remain nameless) likes peeps when they get stale! I had never heard of that before. I like them when they are soft and sweet. It takes several days for them to get harder, and you can slow that down by putting them in a plastic bag. But my friend would purposely leave them out uncovered so they could dry out faster. That is the way he loves them.

My children get Peeps in their baskets every year. I love all the colors they have now. I only remember them being yellow when I was a kid. I bought some Peeps on sale the other day, and lets just say they didn't even make them home. My daughter spotted them and gobbled them up in the car!

How do you like to eat your Peeps? I like to bite the head off first. Do you have a favorite color of Peeps? I would say that I like the purple, since that is my favorite color. But that doesn't stop me from eating any of the colors. :)

My daughter likes to heat them in the microwave occasionally. The marshmallow really swells, and when it is warm it is really gooey and delicious. Be careful not to heat them too long, or you can end up with Peeps all over your microwave. I speak from experience. :)

I hope you enjoyed hearing my memories about Peeps. I know we will be making many more memories this Easter. I would love to hear about your favorite Peep memories.

PEEPS® Fun Facts
"In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one PEEPS® Marshmallow Chick. Today, thanks to advances in technology, it takes six minutes.

Just Born produces enough PEEPS® Brand Marshmallow Candies in one year to circle the earth twice.

In the late 1950's PEEPS® wings were "clipped" to give them a sleek, modern look.
PEEPS® Brand Candies have been the #1 non-chocolate brand at Easter for over 20 years*. *Source: IRI Total U.S. FDMx.

Yellow is America's best selling color of PEEPS® chicks and bunnies.

Yellow and white PEEPS® chicks and bunnies came first, followed by pink, lavender, blue, green and orange.

PEEPS® branded products have made celebrity appearances on many programs including: Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, The Early Show, Saturday Night Live, Martha Stewart, Ellen, South Park, and The Daily Show.

If you had 8,000 PEEPS® bunnies, and you stood them in a straight vertical line, you could reach the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago.

PEEPS® have become gourmet favorites as fondues, Crème Brulee ingredients and cappuccino toppings!"


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About PEEPS & COMPANY® In 2009, Just Born, Inc., maker of PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and PEANUT CHEWS® opened its first retail store named PEEPS & COMPANY®. PEEPS & COMPANY® is located at the banks of the Potomac, minutes from Washington D.C. at the very center of National Harbor’s dynamic main plaza. Directly in front of the PEEPS & COMPANY® store is the Seward Johnson’s famous statue, The Awakening, along with sweeping views of the beautiful Potomac River.

More info:
www.peepsandcompany.com
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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and PEEPS blogging contest, for a chance to get a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Little Switches That Make a Difference

I was asked to write about little switches that make a difference. That got me thinking about the economy and preparation for inflation. As you know the world is very unstable now. There are many natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and much more. Take Japan for example. An earthquake triggered a tsunami. If both of those we not bad enough, several of their nuclear reactors were damaged. I heard they are allowing radioactive water to go into the ocean. I realize they have to do something with it, but that can't be good for the fish and other water life.

Political unrest is increasing. There are uprisings in many countries of the Middle East and Africa such as Egypt, Libya, and Syria. Those affect oil prices. There have been riots in Greece and France and other European countries mostly over financial matters. Those riots may well spread to America. I don't say all of this to depress everyone or freak them out. It is important for all of us to prepare as much as possible for worsening of the economy/inflation. The main thing we can do is store food and other items. Most people are not wealthy with unlimited budgets, so we have to figure out how to do it without going broke.

Buy Extra Every Week
When you go to the store buy a little extra every week. Get the items you use, and buy when on sale. For example, if you love a certain type of chicken noodle soup, buy several when they go on sale. But if there is something you and your family really don't like, don't buy it just because it stores well or because it is on sale.

Eat Out Less
Cooking more at home has many benifits. Obviously it can save you money, and you can use the save money to buy more storage. Also, by cooking at home, you can practice your cooking skills. Honestly, with work and school, I got in the habit of eating out a lot. So I am working on this myself. I am learning things like how to bake my own bread. Another benefit of preparing your own food is you can make it more healthy. Many restaurants add a lot of butter to enhance the flavor, but that also adds many calories. You can purchase organic ingredients if you desire.

Use Coupons
I am definately an advocate of using coupons. I save several dollars everytime I go shopping with coupons. Remember to keep them in the car, so you don't forget them. Frequently there are restaurant coupons in the paper, so you can save money when you do decide to eat out. There are also coupons for oil changes and other things. Just keep an eye out for them.

I hope these ideas have got you thinking about the current instability of the world and some things you can do to lessen the effect of rising prices on your family. I would love to hear any tips you have to add.

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More info about the Cottonelle Ultra Switch: www.CottonelleUltraSwitch.com
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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Cottonelle blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Image: George Stojkovic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net