Countdown to Christmas Blocks

For November's craft night we made Countdown to Christmas Blocks. Here are the directions.

You will need: 1 base block, 3 cube blocks, paint, paint brush, Mod Podge, numbers, and paper.



1. Paint the base block.

2. Apply a piece of paper with "Days to Christmas" printed on it to the front of your base with Mod Podge. I designed mine in Microsoft Word and printed it out on my paper. Then I trimmed it with a paper cutter to fit the side of the block.

3. Apply other strips of paper to the sides if desired. Cover the entire surface with a thin layer of Mod Podge to seal.

4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 with the cube blocks. You will need 2 cubes with 0 - 4 and 1 block with 5 - 9. Each block has a star on one side.

And that's all! Now you are all ready to count down the days to Christmas!

November Cooking Night

Thank you all for coming to the delicious cooking night for November. It's exciting to share traditions and good food. Here are the recipes for the food served that evening:

Peach Crisp
Shauna P.

2 1/2 lbs fresh peaches, peeled and pitted
1 C flour
1 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C soft butter

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice peeled, pitted peaches into the prepared baking dish. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over peaches in baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until topping is golden brown and peaches are tender.

Basic Butter Rolls
Emily P.

1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
2 C warm water
1 C sugar
1 C butter, melted
6 beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
8-10 C flour

These are the easiest to handle when the dough is made the nigh before you bake them. In your mixing bowl, add water and sprinkle in 1 Tbsp sugar. Then sprinkle in the yeast. Let set until it starts to bubble. Ten add the rest of the ingredients-sugar, butter and eggs. Add the salt to a cup of flour and then add to the mixture. Add the four a up at a time. When it gets too thick for the whisk put in the dough attachment in your mixer. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides. Pour dough out of the bowl. Using the same bowl, or a different one, making sure it can fit in your fridge overnight with room for the dough to double in size, pour some oil in and spread with you fingers. Set the dough in the bowl and sprinkle with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil, creasing well. Let the dough rise overnight. When ready to roll out, divide dough into 4 equal balls. Sprinkle counter with a little flour. Roll dough into a large circle at least 12" wide. Spread softened butter with a pastry brush. Cut into 12 wedges like a pizza. Roll up from the wide end. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover with a cloth ad let rise until double-45 minutes to an hour. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Key Lime Pie
Anna P.

1 nine-inch graham cracker crust (pre-prepared or home made)
3 cups sweetened condensed Milk
1/2 C sour cream
3/4 C fresh key lime juice
1 Tbsp Grated Lime zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust. Bake in preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of the pie. Do not brown!!!! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

Sweet Potato Souffle
Courtney W.

3 C sugar or honey
3 C mashed sweet potatoes or yams (Boil yams until tender, not mushy, then mash)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 lb margarine
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix above ingredients with a beater. Put mixture in a greased baking dish.

Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecan or walnut chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 stick margarine

Mix the above ingredients together into little balls or a crumbly mixture. Spoon the topping on top of sweet potato mixture.

BAKE AT 350° FOR 35 MINUTES

Ward Conference

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Sister Smith- Stake Relief Society Presidency
Alma 32:41-42
· What do we pluck from the Tree of faith?
o Peace and Contentment
· Faith should be the foundation to everything in our lives
When in doubt, choose the right
Follow Spiritual Promptings
We can become more like Christ when we have faith in Him. As we exercise our faith, it grows. We then want to exercise it even more (further growth, etc)
2 Nephi 31:19- Being on the straight and narrow path requires continued faith

Brother Linford- Stake Presidency
You are Amazing!
Ether 2:19
· The Brother of Jared has 3 concerns for the barges he is building
o 1. There is no light
o 2. There is no way to steer.
o 3. There is no air to breathe
Ether 2: 20-24; 6:4
· The Lord’s response to the Brother of Jared’s concerns
o 1. Air- The Lord gives a direct solution (cut holes in top and bottom for air)
o 2. Light- the Lord says, “What would you have me to do?”—Jared must study it out and decide what to do
o 3. Steering- Trust in the Lord- “I will guide you to the promised land”
What do we learn about the Lord from these verses?
· The Lord answers our questions in different ways
· The Lord knows what we are capable of
· Sometimes we just have to trust in the Lord, even if it doesn’t make sense to us
· Sometimes He doesn’t give you the solution you’re hoping for
· Christ prepares us
Ether 6:2-4
How would you feel about traveling in a barge for nearly a year with animals and children?
We need to have immense faith in the Lord—We can either sing praises or complain
What is your “Promised Land”? The Lord WILL lead and guide you through anything that may be in the way

Sunday November 1st

Sunday November 1st Lesson

"O Remember, Remember" by President Henry B. Eyring
Moroni 4:3- Sacrament Prayer

• We covenant to "Always Remember Him"
  

How do we "Remember Him" during the Sacrament?

• Think of Christ's Sacrifice
  
• Examine our actions from the past week-- how have we done in Remember who we are and who Christ is?
  
• Acknowledge Christ's hand in you life
  
• Focus on the Sacramental Hymn
  
• Remember the covenants that you made at Baptism
  
• Remember Spiritual experiences from your past

Remembering is a verb- it requires action Helaman 5: 6,7,9,10,11,12

• Keep the Commandments
  
• Remember Christ-- We have taken HIS name upon ourself
  
• Act in remembrance
  
• Remember the Atonement! It is the only way to salvation
• The Lord redeems us FROM our sins, not IN our sins
• Christ should be our Firm foundation for the hard times that WILL come
  

It is important to remember our Marriage Covenants--Go to the temple often to remind us

Have I seen the hand of God in my life today? Write these experiences down!

SUNDAY August 2, 2009

Humility:

• Recognizing your dependence on the Lord
• Recognize that EVERYTHING comes from Christ (Including our Divine Nature)
• Christ is the best example of humility:
• He always gave credit to the Father
• Christ Prayed Always
• Christ was Baptized--He was willing to Follow ALL of the Commandments
• Gethsemane
• Christ washed His disciples' feet (John 13:5, 14-17)
• Christ was full of Gratitude
• 3 Nephi 11: 10-11, Christ is not weak and timid-- Humility does NOT mean Weak.
• Matt 18: 1-4

Sunday July 27, 2009 "Be Your Best Self," President Monson's Priesthood Session Talk

This is a time to have faith and be your best self

Study Diligently

• Study as if the scriptures are directed to you
• Daily Care
• Have a purpose/goal to make the scriptures more meaningful
• Reading the scriptures gives power and resistance to temptation

Pray Fervently

• Pray sincerely-- Actually Pray TO God, not to nothing
• Don't worry about the length of the prayer-- go for higher quality with meaning
• Remember that Heavenly Father is our Father-- He wants to know everything
• Prayer is a source of peace

Live Righteously

• Live your life in a way that you are prepared and worthy to receive the blessings/ promptings from the Lord.