By Sheri Hopkins
Hello everyone! I hope everyone survived the great snowstorm of 2025 and got your milk and bread before the snow hit. I don’t know about eggs; they are so high. I am thinking of getting a bank loan to buy a few dozen. The snow sure was beautiful. I made snow ice-cream for me and the boys; we really enjoyed it. I bet I gained 10 pounds in two days. All I done was cook and mess and gom as my mom used to say. By the time you read this everything should be back to normal.
On January 1, I had to get sworn in for another four-year term as city councilman or woman. It was a privilege for my nephew, the honorable Judge Michael Wagoner, to swear me in. I knew that it would not go down without an incident. I knew something funny would happen. I don’t know how he manages to make it through the courtroom without laughing out loud.
There was three of us being sworn in that day: Beverly Lyons, James Steele and myself. So, we all lined up and Michael was going to swear us all in at once. He starts quoting the oath, I solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Arkansas and the City of Mansfield…He is just rattling this off so fast and, in my mind, I am thinking I can’t repeat all that, he will have to do it in sections. When he gets finished, I said there is no way I can remember all that, you are going to have to slow down and let me repeat it. I have this wild look on my face, and everyone is laughing, and he says, “all you have to say is I do, like you were getting married. You don’t have to repeat it.” Whew, that was a relief, we all got a good laugh, and we got sworn in again the correct way.
It brought back memories of the Andy Griffith episode where Barney was swearing in the town drunk, Otis Campbell, Barney has him raise his right hand and repeat after him. “I will be alert at all times, I will at all times act like a deputy and look like a deputy.” Otis repeated all this and then Barney says, “I will at no time while wearing this uniform take a drink.” Otis won’t repeat that. He says again, “I will at all times try to look like a deputy and act like a deputy.” That is a funny episode. They don’t make shows like that anymore. I felt like Otis except I am not the town drunk.
This week’s recipe is Cherry Cake. My mom used to love cherry ice-cream. She would by vanilla and buy a little jar of maraschino cherries and pour some of the juice and cherries on her ice cream.
MARASCHINO CHERRY CAKE
For the cake:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 box of vanilla cake mix (I am going to try the almond cake mix next time)
16 maraschino cherries cut into quarters (I just put in my chopper)
Bake in a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray according to the box directions. It may take a little longer, you will know when it is done.
Icing:
1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
Mix this till smooth and creamy. You can add more powdered sugar or cherry juice to get it to the consistency you prefer. Enjoy and have a blessed week.
