Oct - Preparedness Tip - Canning Crisco

Our preparedness tip for the month comes from Patty via Good Things Utah

The lady took a large can of Crisco, melted it down, put it in jelly size (8 oz.) jars, and sealed it by just placing the lid on it and screwing on the ring.  It has a 10 year shelf life.  I hardly ever use shortening but might try this.  

Thanks Patty W - Country View

Oct- Thoughts - General Women's Conference

Thoughts from some of our Sisters about the service we received at our recent General Women's Conference;

 I recently attended an additional Relief Society meeting where Sister Sheri Dew was sharing some insights on Women and the Priesthood. Asking for responses from the audience, a few comments reflected some women's feelings that they felt like 2nd class citizens in the church. I wish those same sisters could have experienced the interactions I had with multiple male members of our stake the past few weeks. President Robbins allowed us to have a dinner prior to our recent General Women's Meeting. His desire was for the brethren, young and older, in our stake to set up for the event, prepare the meal, serve the food and clean-up after. They did just that. I felt honored. Everything was done to make the women of our stake feel special. It was all done for us. Thanks especially to Josh Hoellein of the Prairie Crossing Ward for planning and executing the entire event and Brother Davis of Regal Country ward for supplying the table linens. Thanks also to the primary kids and youth who helped us set up, the young men who dressed in white shirts and black pants to serve and the countless priesthood holders who were out in the rain cooking, inside making salad plates and cleaning it all up as if 340 plus women had not just enjoyed a delicious meal.
 Patty W - Country View

Thank you?  It was wonderful evening and the food was awesome?
Thanks for all the love you show us.
Ruthann B - Fairgrove

Thanks you so much for everything you did to make our night so special.  Down to the smallest detail, everything was done to perfection and I appreciate all of the hard work, dedication and hours of service you performed in our behalf!
Thanks, Jill S. - Fairgrove

Thank you so much for the wonderful evening!  The food was great!  It was such a nice evening!  Thanks again,  Aimee M - Fairgrove

Thank you for the lovely night our.  Everything was decorated nicely, the young men were quick and polite while serving and picking up the food, dishes and water.  It was very nice to go out and have dinner served and to listen to the speakers.  Your efforts were well-received and very much appreciated.
Thanks, Vickie R - Fairgrove

Thank you very much for such a lovely evening.  I truly felt the love of the Lord through the service of the men and young men of the stake to me and to my daughter.  Thank you, men of the stake and Relief Society stake leadership!
Lacy R - Fairgrove

Thank you so much for the wonderful dinner and evening provided for the girls,young women and women in our stake it truly helped bring us together as sisters, and bring the spirit.  I love you!
London B - Fairgrove

To all who helped with the dinner and broadcast a hearty thank you.  The conference was a beautiful experience.
Debbie C. - Fairgrove

Thanks for all the hard work and preparation it took to feed us at the women's conference.  We appreciated you kindness and support.
Jean R and Marilyn T - Fairgrove



 

 If you feel like you'd like to provide a service to the men of our stake; we as sisters will be providing homemade goodies for them after the priesthood session next Saturday. Please feel free to drop off a plateful at the stake center on Saturday October 4th by 7:30pm.

Aug 2014 - Recipe Mimosa Mold Jell-O recipe

A recipe from Patty W.

" I tried it yesterday, my grandkids LOVED it and it will work for my brother who is diabetic."

Mimosa Mold

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (8-serving size) Jello Orange flavor sugar free low calorie gelatin

2 cups cold club soda

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained

1 cup sliced strawberries  (I would add 2 cups)

STIR boiling water into jello and mix until completely dissolved.  Stir in club soda.  

Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).

STIR in oranges and strawberries.  Pour into 6-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.  (I put it in individual containers)

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm.                       Makes 12 half-cup servings

CALORIES 15, CARB 3 g, TOTAL FAT 0g, FIBER 0g, PROTEIN 1g.

What to do with all that extra spinach???

Blanching and Freezing Leafy Greens: A Step-By-Step Guide

Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and chard need to be briefly cooked before they are frozen. Skip this step and you'll end up with black goo when you defrost your greens (yuck). The brief cooking halts an enzymatic process that would otherwise make the leaves continue to decay even in the freezer. Blanching is one of the simplest brief cooking methods and ensures your greens will emerge from the freezer with bright color and excellent flavor and texture. 

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, wash the leafy greens by swishing them around in a sink full of water.

2.  Strip away and discard (compost) tough leaf midribs and stems. Note: chard and bok choy have thick but tender and delicious leaf stalks, but they do not freeze well. Blanch and freeze the green parts of these vegetables and reserve the leaf stalks to use fresh in a recipe.

3.  Stir your leafy greens into a pot of boiling water. Let blanch in the boiling water for 1 minute.

4.  Drain the blanched greens in a colander. Immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Alternatively, plunge the blanched greens into a bowl of ice water.

5.  Squeeze the blanched and chilled greens hard to get out as much of the watery content as possible. Squeeze hard. You want to end up with a clump of compressed greens.

6.  Chop the clump of blanched greens.

7.  Pack the blanched, chopped leafy greens into freezer bags or containers. Label with the name of the vegetable and the date. Freeze.

No Bake Energy Bites

Recipes from treats shared at the General Woman's meeting.  If you didn't bring your recipe but want to share it you can e-mail it to me at justkrist@yahoo.com

No Bake Energy Bites

1 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c nut butter of choice
1/3 c honey
1 c coconut flakes
1/2 c ground flaxseed
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients.  Chill for 30 minutes then roll into balls and enjoy.

Patty W, Country View Ward

printable recipe

Jan 2014 - Sisterhood - Our Heavenly Father is aware of us and He loves us

Hi, I'm Patty.  I am a wife, a mother and Jacob's aunt.  

Over 20 years ago, my nephew, Jacob, was born with a hole in his heart.  The doctor's told his parents that because he also had Down Syndrome there was nothing they could do to correct it and that he would probably only live 3 months.  When it became apparent that he was going to have a longer life, his mother went back to work and I became his day care provider.

Our entire family loved Jakey dearly.  We fought over who got to hold him.  My children all wanted to have a child just like him when they got older and started having children of their own.

When Jake was three, he began going to a Developmental Preschool.  I went with him. He loved preschool, especially the bus ride to and from North Park Elementary.  There were about 6 other children in his class who also had Down Syndrome.  One of them, a cute little blonde named Tara, became his best friend--his girlfriend.  

When Jake was about 3 1/2 years old he passed away.  The Monday following his funeral, I went back to the preschool.  Little Tara came over to me, put her arms up to be held, cuddled up to give me a hug and patted my back--just like Jake had done many times before.  Tara had never wanted me to hold her before or after.

Tara's actions confirmed two things.  One, my Heavenly Father was aware of me. that He loved me and that He wanted me to be comforted.   Second, that He uses others to bless the lives of His children--us.  That day He had used little Tara and I will remember that brief encounter forever.

Tara's actions that day were ordinary, but the way she made me feel was extraordinary. 

You and I are just ordinary women doing ordinary things, but if we will strive to pattern our lives after the Savior's and follow those simple promptings, we can do extraordinary things.  We may never know how a simple act on our part may lift or build another, but someone's life may be changed forever because of our actions.

It is our intent to introduce you ordinary women to each other as you share simple stories from your lives.  "While our backgrounds and experiences are diverse, we share a deep commitment to Jesus Christ, to each other and to our neighbors." ("I'm a Mormon")  We hope you enjoy learning about each other as much as we have.

My name is Patty and I'm a member of the Kanesville Utah Stake .

Community Involvement - Go Lifetime!

A message from our Stake Relief Society President:

When I delivered some of the school supplies many of you donated to the Food Bank, I noticed that a number of the tables they were setting up were in pretty bad shape.  One of them fell down twice before they gave up on trying to use it.  Someone made a comment about wishing they had some Lifetime tables so I contacted Lifetime to see if they would make a donation.  Yesterday, I received an email stating they would donate two 8 foot tables to the food bank.  Needless to say, the food bank is very appreciative of the donation.  Just wanted you to know of the good deeds of one company in our community.

Go Lifetime!!

 What an example of Lifetimes charitable donation program and their commitment to making a difference in the community.

How will you make that?

We have spent the past several months gathering food items in order to start, add to or replenish our food storage.  One other thing you might want to consider adding to any food storage plan is what method of preparation you will need. I recently discovered I could make a LOT of rice using my pressure cooker and only use 3 minutes of fuel instead of 20.  A bonus was I like the pressure cooker rice much better than my boiled rice.  Pressure cookers can be expensive but I recently saw one at Sam's Club for around $30.00.

In my disaster I like to think I will still have shelter, gas, electricity and water.  The reality is, I probably won't.  Using a pressure cooker will make the propane I have stored for my propane stove and oven go a lot further.

 - Patty W.

FYI
You can order a Presto 6-qt aluminum pressure cooker from Walmart for $29.54
and if you prefer stainless steel they have a Presto 4-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker for $40.54

Here's the recipe Patty uses to make rice

Basic White Rice (makes 3 cups)

1 T oil or butter

1 C long-grain, basmati, or converted white rice

1 1/2 C water

1/2 t. salt, or to taste

Heat butter in 4 qt. or larger cooker.  Add rice and stir to coat with the butter or oil. 

Stir in water and salt.  Lock lid in place.  Over high heat bring to high pressure. 

Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 3 minutes. 

Turn off heat.  Allow presure to come down naturally. 

Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape. 

If the rice is not quite tender, replace the lid and steam in the residual heat for a few more minutes.  

printable recipe

Broccoli Cheddar Pie and Cheese Dip

Recipes using the items from the Emergency Essentials Group Specials for June.  Thanks Patty!

Broccoli Cheddar Pie Bake

2 1/2 cups broccoli dices

3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided

2/3 chopped onion

3 Eggs

1 1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup Bisquick Mix

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1.  In a large bowl, combine broccoli, 2 cups cheese and onion

2.  In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, biscuit mix,salt and pepper, mix well.

3.  Pour over broccoli mixture, toss gently

4.  Pour into two greased 9 in. pie plates

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the

center comes out clean

6.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, return to the oven

for 12 minutes or until melted.  Let stand 5-10 mins. before cutting.

Cheese Dip Variations

1 cup chopped white onion

2 cups mayonnaise

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Serve with bread, crackers, chips, or vegetables.

Variations:

Add Refried Beans, sour cream and salsa for a Mexican dip

Add Broccoli Dices and other vegetables for a cheesy vegetable dip

Freezing Green Peppers

Remember Jennie's post on making stuffed peppers from your garden?  Well Patty W. (I think I'll just call her the Queen of organization from now on, shared her great idea for enjoying those peppers all year round.

She stuffs the peppers and then freezes them.  Then when they are good and hard she vacuum seals them, labels them and puts them into her neatly organized freezer.

frozen chopped green peppers

frozen stuffed green peppers

What my freezer will look like some day . . .

Monthly Focus - Eat What you Store

For the past few months we have been focusing on getting our 3-month supply of the foods we typically eat.  Hopefully this approach has been helpful and you are thinking a little differently about food storage--it's not only wheat and powdered milk. 

Last month we asked you to focus on storing those foods that are part of your daily diet and challenged you to share a recipe with us.  This month we want you to eat what you have stored and are challenging you to TRY and not shop for a week and eat only those things that you have on hand.  Our purpose is to help us all discover those items we would really miss if, for whatever reason, we couldn't get to a grocery store.  We don't want any babies to go without formula or diapers or for you to eat your cereal without milk.  What we hope happens is that it gives you an opportunity to identify items--food or other things--that would be really hard for your family to go without.  If you need something, go get it, just try not to buy other things while you're at the store.

 

Please share your experience with us.  What did you discover about how often you run to the store?  What recipes can you not make with the food stuffs you have stored?  What substitutions can be made for fresh products that are not easily stored?  And anything else that was an eye opener for you and your family.

We love you all so much and want you to be prepared for any emergency that may befall us.

Thanks for all you are doing to establish a 3-month supply of food,

Sis. Wintle