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!