Thanks Claudia, she is my life right now and will be turning 5 in two months. She loves to help me cook, so I am excited to try new recipes that I find here!

Amos- Thanks for the note! I agree that the best way to improve is through critiques and suggestions from others (something I learned as an art student in college)! I hope you like the Apple Pecan Cake... it is one of my favorites! The smoker that my folks built was one of many that my dad has built. He has an old one that hangs out in the garage that has seen many a chicken and side of pork. The one for the restaurant was about the size of a closet. It had several upper racks and hanging areas, some bent metal strategically placed to divert drippings to a drip pan, a heating element (similar to that in an electric oven) to maintain temperature for a heated smoke and a metal drawer for the wood chips. Our house specialty was Smoked Prime Rib. I will have to see if my dad has any plans on paper.