Ward Christmas Service Project and Dinner

Saturday, December 8th at 5:00 p.m.  will be a Christmas service project, where we will assemble and decorate gift bags for the residents of Absolute Care in Gasport.  Please meet in the Relief Society room.

Then at 6:00 is the ward Christmas dinner.  Please come with a dish to pass.  If you forgot what you signed up to bring, please contact a member of the RS presidency.

10 Reasons Why We Go to the Temple

(from President Dayton’s talk given at June’s Relief Society Monthly Meeting):

1)  To reset our spiritual compass
2)  To receive guidance on specific issues/decisions
3)  To fulfill an important aspect of our stewardship
4)  To learn and to remember
5)  To experience the peace and comfort of being in the
      Lord's house
6)  To set an example for others
7)  To review our worthiness
8)  To make sacred covenants
9)  To perform holy ordinances
10) To continue the gathering of Israel

Roasted Corn Chowder

Brought by Sister Owens to May's Relief Society Meeting

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry or chili powder or paste, mild or hot, to taste

4-5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed

1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced

1 14-oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

1 cup seeded, chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes- I used yellow and pink

4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles

1 quart light vegetable broth

1 14-oz can coconut milk

2 rounded cups torn cooked chicken pieces

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

A quick drizzle of organic raw agave, to taste

To serve:

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Fresh lime juice from 2 juicy limes

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin and curry or chili powder; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice.

Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes. Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned fire roasted tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, green chiles; stir for a minute. Add in the broth.

Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.

Add the coconut milk and cooked chicken pieces. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a drizzle of organic raw agave to taste. Heat through gently- please don't boil it.

Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice. Agave cools the hotness.

Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp. Smile.

Serves 6-8.

Stuffed Shells

Sister Rockwood's Stuffed Shells (recipe from Marilyn Rockwood)

1 box jumbo shells (Sister Rockwood cooks about 25 shells)
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 heaping TB parsley flakes
dash of nutmeg
1/2 TB salt
1 quart of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1. Follow directions on pasta box to cook the shells.  Drain shells and place on waxed paper.

2. Mix ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, nutmeg, and salt.

3. In a large casserole dish, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.

4. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture and place in the prepared dish.

5. Cover shells with the rest of the spaghetti sauce, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over shells, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

More RS Soup Recipes

Here are two more soup recipes from our recent Relief Society meetings.  


Chicken Vegetable Soup (recipe from Karen Hallifax)
3 lbs. chicken breasts cooked in 2 large boxes of chicken broth.  Remove the chicken from the broth and cool.  Cube or shred the chicken and reserve.


To the broth add:
1 finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery


Cook vegetables in the broth until tender.


Add 1 cup water and 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables.  May also add 1 handful of lentils or barley.  Cook until tender.  Add reserved chicken and cook until heated through.


Italian Sausage and Kale Soup (recipe from Lori D'Alba)
3 quarts chicken stock
2 lbs sausage (I use half hot Italian and half sweet Italian)
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into strips

Prepare sausage - options:
1. Remove the casings and brown the sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
2. Brown the whole sausage links in a little oil until lightly browned.  Add 1/2 cup water to pan and cover with lid - let sausages steam until mostly cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add a little more water if needed.  Remove lid and let remaining water evaporate.  Slice sausages on the diagonal.  I cook the sausage in my dutch oven and then just add the other ingredients (cuts down on dishes to wash).
3. If you are using all sweet sausage or breakfast sausage, you will need to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup or it's too bland.

Make the soup:
Saute onions unti translucent.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 2 minutes).  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add sausage and kale.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings if needed.  Tastes even better the next day.

Options:
My original recipe called for 2 cups of cream or half and half to be added right before serving.   It tastes good with the cream, but I like it better without.
I sometimes add cooked elbow macaroni or other pasta to make the soup go a little further.
If you don't have kale, you can use 2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach instead, or 2 bags of fresh spinach. (I like the kale best.)

Caramel Layer Cake (from the RS Birthday Party)

Cathy Owens made this delicious (and beautiful) cake for the Relief Society Birthday Party in March.  Here's the recipe.

Caramel Layer Cake

Cake:

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups brown sugar, packed

5 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

2 t. pure vanilla extract

Caramel Frosting:

2 cups brown sugar, packed

3 T. unsalted butter

1 cup half and half

1 t. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and lightly dust with flour.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Stir together the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.  Add the milk and flour mixtures alternately to the creamed mixture and beat well after each addition to form a smooth batter. 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a knife tests clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cool the layers in the pans for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

In a 2 1/2 or 3-quart saucepan, preferably nonstick, combine the sugar, butter, and half and half.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Cover and boil on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.  Uncover and continue to boil until the caramel begins to thicken and coats a spoon, about 4 minutes.  Keep watch--the sauce can burn in a heartbeat.  Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy, thick and a good spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.

While the frosting is still warm, fill and frost the cake.  If the frosting gets too thick to spread easily, thin it with a bit of half and half.

Sprinkle chopped pecans on top!

Single Adults Newsletter - April

Buffalo Stake Single Adults Newsletter

April 2012

Our next Single Adults meeting will take place on

Sunday, April 15th at 5:00 p.m.

at the Stake Center

Our speaker will be Bishop Karl Christopherson,

of the Orchard Park Ward

The subject of his talk will be

"Covenants"

Please join us for an uplifting and informational meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bring a friend - let's socialize!

Menu

Ham Casseroles

Soup

Salad

Bread & Butter

Desserts

Please call  Sister Joann Dell at 873-6177 if you have

any questions about food assignments.

"Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life. . . "  

Doctrine and Covenants 22:2

Calico Beans - Recipe from March Linger Longer

Sister Sarahann Roland Lewis brought Calico Beans to the March linger longer.  Several sisters requested the recipe:

1 lb hamburger, browned
1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
1 (15-oz) can butter beans
1 (15-oz) can kidney beans
1 large can Bush's Original Pork & Beans
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 TB white vinegar
1 TB mustard
1 tsp salt

!!! DO NOT DRAIN OR RINSE BEANS !!!
Put all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.

March Meeting Recap and Recipes

Thanks to all who attended the March meeting - an evening of service to celebrate the Relief Society's birthday.  Following a dinner of soup, bread, and birthday cake, we made 11 nursing cover-ups for women who receive services from Catholic Charities WIC, and we made taco soup and chili for the Lockport Homeless Shelter.  We appreciate everyone who donated food, fabric, time, and effort to make the evening such a success!

Black Bean Soup - recipe courtesy of Hillary Georgia
2 cups dry black beans
8 cups "broth" (chicken bouillon and water)
1 onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (chili style optional)
1 can corn
1/2 bell pepper, diced
Extra broth and spices to taste

1. Rinse and drain beans.
2. Combine beans and broth in pot and boil 10 minutes.
3. Put all ingredients (including beans and broth) into crockpot and add desired spices.  (Hillary adds salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder to taste.)  Cook on High 4-5 hours and on low for 1 hour.

Emergency Prep: Family Communications Plan

The following information is from an article written by Joe Dougherty in the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City-based newspaper.  The Deseret News, Emergency Essentials, and Be Ready Utah created an emergency preparedness guide, found on Deseret News.com, that leads you through the steps to emergency planning.

Following are their tips for your family communications plan in the event of an emergency.

1. Each person in the family needs a card with important information to carry at all times.  In a long-term power outage, cell phones will eventually die, taking contact information with them.  Print the information and laminate the cards.
2. Have an out-of-state contact.  You might be able to text your Aunt Bep in New Jersey before you can call your cousin across town.  Make sure that person understands his or her role of coordinating family information.
3. Designate family meeting places.  This can work in a variety of emergencies.  If you had a fire at home, the family meeting place might be at a neighbor's home.  But what if you're not at home when an emergency happens?  Parents might be at work, children at school.  Talk to your school about its emergency plans.
4. Practice your plans.  Test them from time to time so your actions will be automatic in an emergency.

Single Adults Newsletter - March 2012

Buffalo Stake

Single Adults Newsletter

March 2012

Our next Single Adults meetings will take place on 

Sunday, March 11th at 5:00 p.m.

at the Stake Center

Our speaker will be Brother Mark Baker,

the High Priest Group Leader of the Amherst Ward.

Brother Baker served as Bishop for 8 years

when he lived in Indiana.

He has also spent time living in Japan, China and France.

Please don't forget to say hello to his wife, Linley

who will be sharing the speaking responsibilities

and his daughter, Elizabeth, who will be joining them.

Please join us for an uplifting and informational meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bring a Friend - Let's socialize!

Menu

Beef stew

Salad

Bread & Butter

Desserts

Please call Sister Joann Dell at 873-6177 if you have

any questions about food assignments.

February Meeting Recap + Recipes

Thanks to all of our wonderful Relief Society sisters who participated in the February meeting!  Following a wonderful dinner of a selection of homemade soups, Sue Malcomb demonstrated using the New Family Search program and Margaret Pace discussed why we do family history.

If you haven't used the New Family Search program before, you will need to register first.  To register, you will need your Member ID number and the date you were confirmed.  Contact the ward clerk if you need this information.  For additional help in getting started, contact one of the ward's family history consultants: Sue Malcomb, Margaret Pace, or David McAllister.

Lentil Soup (from Cathy Owens)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb. lentils (about 1 ¼ cup) of any variety (I used half red lentils, half French green lentils)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (I used vegetable)
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 lb. dried pasta

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard (optional)
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté until all of the vegetables are tender and browned, about 12-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lentils and broth, stir, and add in the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.  Stir in the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard (if desired).  Cook the pasta separately and then add it when the soup is all done.  Serve in bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese. 

Harvest Squash Soup (from Carole Vanill)

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 TB vegetable oil

4 cups mashed, cooked butternut squash

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

1 by leaf

1 TB sugar

1 TB lime juice

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

In dutch oven, saute onions in oil until tender.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Discard bay leaf before serving. Yield 2 1/2 quarts or 10 1-cup servings.  (Note:  Carole used half-n-half instead of skim milk.)

Nutritional Information

1 cup = 113 calories

2 grams fat

1 mg cholesterol

60 mb sodium

22 grams carbohydrates

0 figer

4 grams protein

(1 starch, 1 vegetable) Diabetic exchanges

Blitz Bread: No-Fuss Focaccia (from Lori D'Alba, adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 cups + 2 TB warm water 

3 TB olive oil (plus additional for greasing pan and drizzling over bread)

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TB instant yeast

3 TB Parmesan cheese (like Kraft)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

1 tsp Italian seasoning (or to taste) - optional

Directions

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan, then drizzle 1-2 TB olive oil in the bottom of the pan.

2. Combine all of the ingredients in order listed, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

3. Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, spread out as much as you can with a spatula, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until it's become puffy.  If the room is cool, it can rise longer.

4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.

6. Drizzle the dough with olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with Italian seasoning or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.  (It's also good plain.)

7. Bake the bread until it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.  

8.  Remove from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.  (If you leave the bread in the pan, the bottom will turn soggy.)  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes great sandwiches.

NOTE:  You can double the recipe and bake it in a half sheet pan.  Leftovers freeze well. Let thaw at room temperature.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the bread directly on the oven rack and heat for 5 minutes or until warm.

Spinach, Pear, and Frisee Salad with Smoked Bacon and Curried Cashews

Here it is, sisters.  The incredible salad from one of our recent Linger Longers.  Thank you, Cathy Owens, for sharing the recipe!

Spinach, Pear, and Frisee Salad with Smoked Bacon and Curried Cashews

FOR THE HONEY SESAME VINAIGRETTE

3 T. white wine vinegar

3 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. honey

3 T. sesame seeds, toasted

1 t. minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup vegetable or peanut oil

FOR THE CURRIED CASHEWS

¾ cup cashews (about 3 ounces)

1 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 t. chopped fresh rosemary

1 t. curry powder

1 t. dark brown sugar

½ t. kosher salt

1/8 t. cayenne, or more to taste

FOR THE SALAD

½ pound bacon, sliced (about twelve ¼-inch-thick slices)

12 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, washed well, dried, stems trimmed, and torn into pieces if leaves are large

6 cups loosely packed frisee, stems trimmed, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces

2/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

3 small pears, halved, cored, and thinly sliced

6 small bunches grapes

1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, sesame seeds, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Set aside.
2. To make the curried cashews, preheat the oven to 400 F. On a baking sheet, toast the cashews until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the melted butter, rosemary, curry powder, brown sugar, salt and cayenne in a bowl.  Add the toasted cashews while they are still hot and toss with a rubber spatula so they are thoroughly coated with the spices and butter.  Leave the oven on to cook the bacon.
3. Put the bacon on a baking sheet, place it in the oven, and cook until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove the bacon from the pan and cut the slices into 1-inch pieces.  Keep the bacon warm.
4. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, frisee, red onions, and sliced pears.  Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat everything well.

ON THE PLATE

Divide the salad among 6 plates.  Garnish each salad with pieces of warm bacon and spiced cashews.  Set a grape cluster on the side of each salad.

A STEP AHEAD

The bacon can be cooked ahead, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated.  The cashews can be cooked early in the day and stored at room temperature.  The vinaigrette can be stored refrigerated, tightly covered, for several days.

Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

Cathy Owens made this delicious soup for our January Relief Society meeting.  A wonderful way to warm up a cold evening. 

Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

1 big yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ t. fresh or 1/8 t. dried thyme

2 T. unsalted butter

3 ½ cups frozen or canned corn, or 4 ears, shucked and kernels cut off cob

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 t. sugar

2 T. unsalted butter, clarified, or ghee

1 T. Madras curry powder

¼ cup canned coconut milk

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. salt

A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and thyme in 2 T. butter (not clarified) in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring occasionally to keep the onions and garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  When the onion has begun to reduce in volume, in 5-10 minutes, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking for about 10-15 more minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add the corn, stock, and sugar, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, and let the stock simmer for 30 minutes.
3. In a separate sauté pan, warm the clarified butter over medium heat.  Add the curry powder, and cook until the curry becomes fragrant, 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove the soup from the heat to puree.  If you’re using an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in the pot.  Otherwise, wait a few minutes, until the soup cools.
5. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop up half the soup with a ladle or measuring cup with a handle, pour it into the bowl of a food processor (or a blender) fitted with a metal blade, and blend until the soup is smooth.  Return the pureed soup to the soup pot.
6. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat, and stir in the curry butter.  To get all the curry butter out of the pan, use a rubber spatula to scrape it down, then pour a little bit of the soup into the pan, swish it around, and dump it back into the soup pot.  Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, salt, and pepper into the soup pot, and cook for another 15 minutes, until the flavors come together.  Serve warm with freshly ground black pepper.

Preparedness Quotes

Having a hard time getting motivated to work on becoming self reliant and prepared in the event of an emergency?  Perhaps these quotes by our latter-day prophets will help inspire you:

"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food . . . and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free." Thomas S. Monson

"The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes. . . . "We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.” President Gordon B. Hinckley

“The Lord will not translate one’s good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each of us must do that for himself. Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. Obtain clothing and build a savings account on a sensible, well-planned basis that can serve well in times of emergency. As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness. Remember these words from Paul: "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." President Spencer W. Kimball

"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." President Gordon B. Hinckley

Becoming Self Reliant

Hillary Georgia, third counselor in the Relief Society presidency, gave the Relief Society lesson on Sunday, February 5, 2012.  Using information from Daughters in My Kingdom, she focused on six key principles for becoming self reliant:

• Learn to love work and avoid idleness. 
• Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice.
• Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength.
• Accept personal responsibility for health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities.
• Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges that come.
• Strengthen others who need assistance.

More information about this topic can be found in the Daughters in My Kingdom manual, at Relief Society, and in the family finance class.  Please join us!

February 2012 Announcements

Announcements

Relief Society Information: Please check out www.LockportRS.blogger.com for up-to-date Relief Society information, announcements, lessons, and visiting teaching messages.

Visiting Teaching: Itʼs a new year and a chance for a new start. Please visit your sisters and show your love for them. If you donʼt have time to visit in person, please call your sisters or send them a note. Check in with them. All visiting teachers: Please call Sister Debbie Casselman (716-998-3395) to report your visiting teaching by the 30th.

Be Prepared: The Buffalo Stake leadership has asked all individuals and families in the Stake to prepare a 72-hour kit by January 31, 2012. Visit the Relief Society blog for suggestions on items to include in your kit. More information about self reliance is available at www.providentliving.org.

February Calendar

1 (Wednesday) - New session of the family finance class begins. 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

7 (Tuesday) - RS Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Light dinner and a class on using New Family Search and doing family history.

19 (Sunday) - Linger Longer - Please bring a generous dish to pass

26 (Sunday) - Lockport Ward Conference

February Relief Society lessons:

5 - Fast Sunday/RS Presidency

12 - GAS #3 Our Testimony of Jesus Christ (Heather Norris)

19 - GAS #4 The Prophet Joseph Smith, God's Instrument in Restoring the Truth (Jesika Froman)

26 - Ward Conference - Lesson will be taught by the Stake Relief Society Presidency

GAS: Teachings of Presidents of the Church - George Albert Smith

TFOT: Teaching for our Times - these lessons, generally taught on the 4th Sunday, are taken from talks given in the most recent General Conference.

February Birthdays:

6 - Ruby Wheeler

8 - Adele Harris

10 - Michelle Mayes

16 - Hillary Georgia

16 - Trina Pardee

19 - Jessica Durrant

20 - Sue Stevens

27 - Anna Maria Steimer

27 - Barbara Hoffman

28 - Louise Schroeder

February Visiting Teaching Message - Guardians of the Hearth

Study this material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an active part of your own life.

“You are the guardians of the hearth,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) as he introduced “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” in the general Relief Society meeting in 1995. “You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.”1

For almost 17 years now this proclamation has reinforced that our most significant responsibilities are centered in strengthening families and homes—no matter our current circumstances. Barbara Thompson, now second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, was in the Salt Lake Tabernacle when President Hinckley first read the proclamation. “That was a great occasion,” she remembers. “I felt the significance of the message. I also found myself thinking, ‘This is a great guide for parents. It is also a big responsibility for parents.’ I thought for a moment that it really didn’t pertain too much to me since I wasn’t married and didn’t have any children. But almost as quickly I thought, ‘But it does pertain to me. I am a member of a family. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece, and a granddaughter. I do have responsibilities—and blessings—because I am a member of a family. Even if I were the only living member of my family, I am still a member of God’s family, and I have a responsibility to help strengthen other families.’”

Fortunately, we are not left alone in our efforts. “The greatest help,” says Sister Thompson, “we will have in strengthening families is to know and follow the doctrines of Christ and rely on Him to help us.”2

From the Scriptures

Proverbs 22:6; 1 Nephi 1:1; 2 Nephi 25:26; Alma 56:46–48; Doctrine and Covenants 93:40

What Can I Do?

1. How can I help the sisters I watch over to strengthen families?

2. How can I be a righteous influence in my family?

For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

Stake Goal - All members have a 72-hour kit by 1-31-12

The Buffalo Stake leadership has asked all members and families in the Stake to prepare a 72-hour kit by January 31, 2012. Following is some information that may be helpful as you prepare your 72-hour kit. Click on the links (in blue) for additional information. More information about self reliance and emergency preparedness is available at www.providentliving.org (see link in the far right column).

Build a Kit

After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily.

Your basic emergency kit should include:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
• Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
• Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
• First Aid kit & instructions
• A copy of important documents & phone numbers
• Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
• Heavy work gloves
• Disposable camera
• Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification
• Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
• Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
• Any special-needs items for children,seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

• Flashlight
• Radio – battery operated
• Batteries
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Pocket knife
• Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
• Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
• Local map
• Some water and food
• Permanent marker, paper and tape
• Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
• List of emergency point-of -contact phone numbers
• List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
• Copy of health insurance and identification cards
• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
• Prescription medications and first aid supplies
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Extra keys to your house and vehicle
• Any special-needs items for children,seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget to make a Go-bag for your pets.

Homemade Salad Dressing

The sisters on our Relief Society meeting committee shared these wonderful salad dressing recipes.

Vinaigrette Dressing

1/4 cup salad oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TB Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Poppy Seed Dressing

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 cup salad oil

1 TB dried chopped onions

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Whirl sugar, mustard, salt, and vinegar in a blender. With blender running, slowly pour in oil. Add chopped onions and whirl only a couple of times. Stir in poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Makes 1 1/2 cups dressing. This dressing is ideal to serve over all kinds of fruit.

Sweet French Dressing

1 cup oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup catsup

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 TB dried chopped onions

Put all ingredients EXCEPT oil in a blender and mix well. Turn blender to high speed and pour oil very slowly into mixture, making sure it mixes well. Dressing will thicken as oil is added.

Farmhouse Chicken Pot Pie + Never Fail Pie Crust

This recipe was served at our Christmas social in December. Thanks to Dana Dwyer for the recipes. And thanks to everyone else who made the delicious dinner!

Farmhouse Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups chicken or 2 cans of chicken

1 TB chicken bouillon

2/3 cup flour

6 cups water

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup onion

1/2 tsp pepper

Pie crust pastry (recipe follows)

Line casserole dish with pie pastry. Cut chicken into small pieces. Combine chicken, bouillon, flour, carrots, peas, onions, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add water. Cook over medium heat until it forms a smooth, thick gravy. (If the filling seems too soupy, thicken it with 1/3 cup cornstarch mixed with enough water to liquefy it. Pour cornstarch mixture into the filling and stir until thick.) Pour filling into pie crust lined casserole dish. Cover with remaining pie crust pastry. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes until browned.

**Variation** Instead of using pie crust, pour chicken combination into casserole dish and top with biscuits.

Never Fail Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups lard or shortening (Crisco)

1 egg

5 TB cold water

Mix flour and shortening together. Add salt. Beat egg, vinegar, and water together. Add to flour and mix well. Section into 4 parts - roll between sheets of waxed paper or on a lightly floured surface.

Recipe makes 4 pie crusts or 2 double crust pie crusts. For a casserole dish, divide the dough in half and use part for the bottom crust and the other half for the top. **Note from Dana: I usually roll out what I can, place it in the bottom of the casserole dish, and then press it into the casserole dish and up the sides. I then roll out the top as best I can between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Peel off one side of the waxed paper, place the crust on the top of the casserole dish, and then peel off the remaining piece of waxed paper.

Homemade Granola

Homemade granola is easy, delicious, and inexpensive (especially compared to store bought alternatives). Recipe courtesy of Lori D'Alba, who adapted it from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sliced almonds or chopped pecans

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup oat bran

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1 cup whole wheat flour (freshly ground)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup untoasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup golden flax seeds

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

1. Put rolled oats in a large baking pan and bake for 20 minutes while assembling the other ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, combine nuts, coconut, oat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and kosher salt.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the applesauce, syrup, honey, and vegetable oil until warm.

4. Add oats to other dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly dispersed. The mixture should clump a bit. It if seems too dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time (shouldn't need to add more than 2 tablespoons), and mix well.

6. Spray 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray, then divide mixture evenly between the two pans. Spread out the mixture to an even layer.

7. Bake the granola for 45-60 minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and cool in pans. The granola gets crunchy as it cools. Store granola in a large, airtight container. Add raisins, dates, dried apples, dried cherries, or dried cranberries when you serve the granola. Enjoy!

Egg Rice Soup

This recipe was served at an evening Relief Society meeting and utilizes many food storage items. Recipe courtesy of Dana Dwyer.

3 cups chicken broth

1 can evaporated milk

2 egg yolks

1 cup cooked white or brown rice

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan. Beat egg yolks and milk together. Pour 1/2 cup broth into the egg mixture, then pour the mixture in a thin stream back into the remaining broth in the saucepan. Heat gently until soup thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Add rice and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with pretzel sticks or whole wheat croutons.

Homemade Laundry Soap

We made this laundry detergent last year, and I've been using it ever since. The cost is roughly estimated at $1.00 for enough detergent for 64 loads of laundry - or about 1 1/2 cents per load. When doing whites or items that are really dirty, I add about 1 TB Oxyclean to the load.

1/2 bar Fels Naptha Soap

2/3 cup Borax (for a stronger soap, double this amount)

1/3 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda

4 quarts of water

Grate Fels Naptha soap. Add it to 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Let it heat until soap has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Add 2 more quarts of water, the borax and washing soda. Heat until all ingredients have totally dissolved. Allow mixture to cool. Separate the mixture into 2 1-gallon jugs. Fill close to the top with tap water and shake vigorously. Let sit for 24 hours. Shake well again before use. It will have gelled clumps that break up easily and dissolve readily in your wash. This will not produce suds, and no added smells. This will yield 2 gallons of detergent for about $1.00. Each jug makes approximately 32 loads - using about 1/2 cup per load. This laundry soap works well in high efficiency machines and front loaders because there are no suds.

Palmyra, NY Temple

Visiting Teaching Message - January 2012

January 2012

Visiting Teaching Message - An Extensive Sphere of Action

The Lord, His Church, families, and communities need the influence of righteous women. In fact, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that “every sister in this Church who has made covenants with the Lord has a divine mandate to help save souls, to lead the women of the world, to strengthen the homes of Zion, and to build the kingdom of God.”

Some sisters may wonder if they can accomplish such lofty aims. But as Eliza R. Snow (1804–87), second Relief Society general president, explained, “There is no sister so isolated, and her sphere so narrow but what she can do a great deal towards establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.” Sister Snow also taught that Relief Society was organized “for the accomplishment of every good and noble work.”

Participation in Relief Society enlarges our spheres of influence by giving each sister opportunities to build faith, to strengthen families and homes, and to provide service both at home and throughout the world. Our efforts as individuals and as Relief Societies need not be large and overwhelming, but they should be deliberate and consistent. Righteous practices such as daily personal and family prayer, daily scripture study, and consistently magnifying Church callings will help increase faith and build the Lord’s kingdom.

To sisters who wonder if these seemingly quiet contributions make a difference, Elder Ballard affirms: “Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her

family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come.”

From the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 12:4–18; 1 Timothy 6:18–19; Mosiah 4:27; Articles of Faith 1:13

From Our History

Eliza R. Snow, who had served as secretary when Relief Society was organized in Nauvoo, was called by President Brigham Young (1801–77) to travel throughout the Church, helping bishops organize Relief Society in their wards.

Sister Snow taught: “If any of the daughters and mothers in Israel are feeling in the least circumscribed [limited] in their present spheres, they will now find ample scope for every power and capability for doing good with which they are most liberally endowed. ... President Young has turned the key to a wide and extensive sphere of action and usefulness.”5

What Can I Do?

1. How can I help the sisters I visit recognize and act on their ability to be a righteous influence?

2. How can I use my unique gifts and talents to bless others?