General Conference October 3 and 4 2009

Hi all!

It's that time again, General Conference. It will be held next Saturday and Sunday. If would like to know the broadcast schedule, please check your local listings. However, if you choose to access the conference on the Internet, here is the schedule from http://www.lds.org/


Internet
Saturday morning session (live broadcast) MDT: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
UTC: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 1600

The World Report of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (prerecorded, video broadcast only) MDT: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 12:05 p.m.

UTC: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 1805
Latter-day Saint Edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish
(prerecorded, video broadcast only) MDT: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 12:35 p.m.
UTC: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 1835

Saturday afternoon session (live broadcast) MDT: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 2:00 p.m.
UTC: Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 2000

Sunday morning session (live broadcast) MDT: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
UTC: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 1600

The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (rebroadcast, video broadcast only) MDT: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 12:05 p.m.
UTC: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 1805

Latter-day Saint Edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish
(rebroadcast, video broadcast only) MDT: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 12:35 p.m.
UTC: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 1835

Sunday afternoon session (live broadcast) MDT: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 2:00 p.m.
UTC: Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 2000


Now for the Primary Children (and those who are still young at heart....like my big kids): The following wonderful Resource kit comes from http://www.ldsresources.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009-october-general-conference-primary-activity-packet.pdf. It has wonderful photos of Church leaders, games, word searches, etc to make Conference a more memorable event. I appreciate those who have put this together....it's just great!

Finally, Consider having a special Family Home Evening and talk about ways your family can prepare this week to be ready for General Conference. Consider posting quotes, photos, and other things to prepare. My neighbor gets a favorite food for every member of the family that is only to be eaten during Conference weekend. Consider having family over between sessions for dinner. Discuss what you have learned and watch the afternoon session together. Take notes during the sessions and use the information for future Family Home Evening Lessons.

Prepare for this event. We have the opportunity to "Listen to a Prophet's voice". We can do this by radio, television (BYUTV and KBYU). and the Internet. How amazing that we can do this from the comfort our own homes. May the Lord bless you and yours during this wonderful time.

Using a Food Strainer to can sauces, Salsa etc

(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)

I learned how to make applesauce from a dear friend when I lived in Oregon. At the time, she used a cone-shaped sieve that sat in a stand inside a bowl. Boiled apples that had been quartered were placed in the sieve and the sauce was pressed out of the fruit with a wooden Pestle.

When I left Oregon, I purchased one of these devices for myself and used it. It was laborious and I used it because I didn't want to waist the fruit I had been given.

Then, I saw the devide above in a local store...and grabbed it. Oh, I had been promoted out of Kindergarten straight in to College with this device. It seperates the sauce from the seeds, skins, and stems. The sauce comes out of a screen and the rest comes is deposited out another opening for easy disposal. It is much, much faster than the former method I described. I used it to make Applesauce the first year.....and it was wonderful.

This year, I had an abundance of Pears. So, I decided to make Pearsauce. Here are photos of hte process:

Here are the Pears cooking in a Stockpot.






These are Pears that have just been taken out of boiling water.




I placed the cooked fruit into the "hopper" and began pushing it into the sieve.



When I turned he crank, the food is moved forward into the screen by a large plastic type of a screw. In the screen the puree is separated from other rest of the rest of the fruit. You can see the puree sliding into the bowl below. (The photo looks a bit "messy", but you don't get messy, the device does. Then, it's a quick rinse and into the dishwasher to be cleaned).




Put the puree into a pot, flavor to your liking and process as you would Applesauce.


Now, how would I use this? It can be used in breads, to eat by itself, or you can make it into leather. In the case of my family, they will eat leather all day long, but not applesauce etc.

This device is the Back to Basics 220 Food Strainer & Sauce Maker. There are also other screens that you can purchase.



I just purchased these additional screens. One is for Tomatoes, one is for berries, and the last is for pumpkin. I plan to try to make Salsa very soon and will attempt the pumpkin one in the next few weeks.

If you have never canned, this looks a little intimidating. However, if you can put a puzzle together, you can use this device. It makes sauces with quick work. My sister just reported that she used hers to can 150 quarts of applesauce. She is much more industrious than I am!

If you are unsure whether you need one of these or not, find a friend or neighbor who has one. Try it with them. Recently, my neighbor borrowed my device, put up her own "organic baby food", returned the device, and the next day went into the hospital to have her baby. If a pregnant (ready-to-deliver) woman can do this.....what is your excuse?

Have a great day!

Reflections from the General Relief Society Broadcast......

I just finished watching the Relief Society Broadcast a few minutes ago. I watched it with my 20 year old daughter in the comfort of our home. As I watched and listened to the messages, I was feeling a bit "homesick". Why you may ask? I was feeling a bit homesick because I had the privilege to sing in the broadcast last year.

As I watched the sisters in their crisp white blouses, I remember the discussions from the pulpit at our practices and behind the scenes regarding wearing "plain white blouses" during our rehearsals. At the time, Sister Merilee Webb was the conductor of the choir. She constantly provided spiritual messages and reminders that we truly are daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Sister Beck gave a wonderful explanation as the the reasons why we were asked to wear white. She stated that no matter where she and the members of the presidency went in the world, that the women often attended meetings in white shirts. This was despite the challenging circumstances under which they lived. The leadership wanted all sisters, no matter where they lived in the world to feel a kinship and to feel like a part of the world-wide sisterhood because we were wearing white blouses. We were also asked not to wear jewelry except for a modest watch and our Wedding Rings. This again was to encourage all to feel a part of the world-wide sisterhood that we enjoy since jewelry is foreign to some members of the church throughout the world..

As I watched the sisters sing tonight, I recognized the corsages that they were wearing. Sister Beck had told us that she was asked what color(s) they should be, and she didn't know. So, her grand-daughter suggested the colors purple and pink...and so they are. After the broadcast, the corsages were reverently taken off and stored for use this year. This is something I never would have paid much attention to if I had not had the opportunity to be behind the scenes.

I noticed where the camera's and technical persons were ..... more than I probably should because this was a bit familiar to me. I enjoyed watching the Organ being played with such skill (I sat adjacent to it last year) and enjoyed watching Sister Jolley lead the choir this year. I have had the opportunity to sing with a choir she has lead in the past. She is very inspiring and also fun-loving. Last year, Sister Webb also was awe-inspiring and fun-loving. It must be a requirement for this particular calling.

I enjoyed hearing each member of the Presidency speak. As we had heard from them and seen them "up close and personally" last year, I felt as if they were speaking to me right in my livingroom. I truly have a love for each one of them. I fondly remember the discussion on what type of purse we should bring. The suggestion was to bring a small black purse....I mean small (holding a wallet, and a few toiletry items). Sister Thompson happened to be at the next practice when the question was raised again directly to her. She held up a really large black purse....in jest. I loved her spontaneity.

I feel that these women are "down to earth". As Sister Beck described the reasons that we will no longer be calling meetings "Home, Personal, and Family Enrichment Meetings" and will now just call them "Relief Society Meetings", this feeling of being "real" came to the forefront again. In fact, earlier this year, I was in a local Grocery Store. Sister Beck was shopping and I decided to take the opportunity to thank you for letting the sisters in our area participate in the Broadcast. After a few kind words, she asked if I could help her find the "Mother's Cookies" for her grandchildren. Believe it or not, they were nowhere to be found!

Finally, there is nothing like having the opportunity to sit just above the Prophet and his counselors, and to have them and the board verbally thank us. The Relief Society Board blew kisses to us. Tonight, I saw that President Monson raised clasped hands as if he were cheering the choir.

I am grateful for the opportunity that I had last year to participate in such a great world-wide meeting of sisters in the Gospel. Even more, I am grateful to be a part of the world-wide sisterhood that has the motto "Charity Never Faileth".

If you didn't take the opportunity to listen (and there were many great messages tonight), look for rebroadcasts on BYUTV and KBYU. If you would like, you can enjoy each speakers remarks at the following links:

Sister Beck: http://www.lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference&event=Oct179&lang=english&articleid=037

Sister Allred: http://www.lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference&event=Oct179&lang=english&articleid=038

Sister Thompson: http://www.lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference&event=Oct179&lang=english&articleid=039

President Eyring: http://www.lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference&event=Oct179&lang=english&articleid=039

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, shares how hope encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

It's a matter of making.......Easy Fruit Leather

You are about to surprise yourself. After you see how simple this process is.....you will (and should) want to try it...right away!

Since commercial fruit leather is so popular with children, wouldn't you like to make it for about 1/3rd of the price? Well, here is how you do it:

Take a can of your favorite applesauce, or use your own canned applesauce. Choose a favorite flavor of gelatin. Mix them together in a bowl.

Spray your tray insert (or saran wrap if you wish to do this in your oven at a temperature of below 200 degrees) with vegetable spray. This will help the leather come off easier after it is finished.

Next, spread your mixture evenly on the tray.

Place the tray into your dehydrator & set the thermostat for 135 degrees, turn it on, and walk away. If you choose to do this in your oven, the setting must be 200 degrees or lower. Prop the door open a few inches (or place piece of wood etc to keep it open) and direct the airflow from a fan placed strategically to blow into the oven. If you have a convection oven with a fan, you can prop the door open and may not need an additional fan.

Periodically, take the tray out of the dehydrator (or oven) and let it cool a bit. If you can pull the leather away in one sheet without leaving residual material....it is done! If not, put it back in and let it dehydrate a little longer.

To store the Fruit Leather I make by using my trays, I cut the sheet of Leather into 4 pieces, and roll in saran wrap. I then put them into a canning jar and vacuum-pack them to keep them fresh. However, I am finding that I do not need the last step (vacuum-packing) as they usually do not last that long!

Try this...today. It is so simple and delicious! You can make so many different flavors and the colors are wonderful and inviting to children. The only caution I would make in regard to color is using Blueberry Jello. If you think about it, the Applesauce is Yellow and the Jello was blue......together they make a lovely shade of green! However, it still is delicious and my son did not care!

Above, I referred to the cost of making this leather at home. At Albertson's, the brand-name Fruit Leather costs ~$.45 an ounce. This home produced leather costs $.15 an ounce. If you use a dehydrator, the cost of the power to run it is similar to a light bulb. Using your oven will require more energy, but is still doable.

ENJOY!

It's a matter of ......canning Pears and Peaches.

Last Thursday, Val P and Barbara B presented a class on canning. Even though I have canned for years, I learned something new!

Here is an opportunity for you to learn new things or refresh your memory. Peaches and Pears are becoming very plentiful. If you are fortunate enough to have your own trees or have produce from a neighbor, be thankful for these blessings. I am firm believer that if someone offers you excess produce, it is a blessing directly from the Lord. As such, show your gratitude by graciously receiving and preserving the produce in the manner you choose.

Below are some videos showing the steps of canning these wonderful fruits. Watch them and try it. It is really isn't that hard once you start.

This video is a bit on the "home grown" side, but I find the information to be good and reliable. I particularly enjoyed the sweet sounds of children's voices in the background with Daddy trying hard to placate them and video at the same time. Most of us have been there and done that!



Made the choice to preserve these wonderful fruits for the upcoming winter months. The satisfaction and "peace of mind" are worth the effort needed to preserve these fruits. If you are still unsure, contact a friend or neighbor who will lovingly help you. You really can do this!!!!

September is National Preparedness Month

Get a Kit (FEMA suggests a 3 day supply of food.....does it sound familiar.....3 days equals 72 hours)

Make a Plan (Make a plan to evacuate or to meet at a predetermined location with your family members)

Be informed....Today

More news from the Lindon Family Cannery

Hi all:

I got this email recently. I also got the new form in my email which I have sent to my ward. If you wish to receive it, call the Lindon Home Storage Center at 801-785-0998. I would encourage you to call immediately if you wish to participate.

Dear Subscribers:

Please do not call the Cannery with any questions until Monday, September 14th.

Due to a postponement of the scheduled renovations to the Cannery, we will scheduling a time in mid October to do frozen berries for Family Canning. We have arranged to do blueberries, raspberries and boysenberries. The prices and dates will be included in the registration form we send through email tomorrow evening.

Please return the registration form (sent tomorrow) quickly as we have only a short time to determine how much to order. DO NOT FORGET TO SEND A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE WITH YOUR REGISTRATION.

Berries will be the only item we do until our Spring 2010 registration.

In a later email, (which came with a PDF that I cannot attach), the following message came:

Please read through the registration form completely for answers to your questions. We will begin registering on Monday, September 14th. Please remember to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your registration and we will send you your confirmation as soon as you are scheduled.

We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to you. We hope to see you all soon. Please return your registration as soon as possible so we can determine the amounts to order. DON’T FORGET TO INDICATE THE NUMBER OF BAGS YOU WANT OF EACH BERRY. LIMIT 6 BAGS COMBINED.

As we remember 9/11, ...there is hope

I am grateful for the powerful message that the Church offers of hope. Recently, our family has had some very challenging issues. During one of the most recent, as I was having to wait for other individuals to assist us, I had the following thought come into my mind. "It may be hard, but it will be worth it". I had this thought several times, and found it to be quite comforting.

I appreciate the message of hope that the gospel gives. May the Lord bless you and yours on the beautiful Sabbath Day.

It's a matter of ......Water Storage

Well, I mentioned some time ago that I was wanting.....if not coveting something and I needed to ask the Rooster of the house if we could get it.

Well, needless to say, it is still on the list, but I still really, really want to get one. Do you want to know what it is? Watch the video below. Yes, it is an advertisement, but it also has a lot of good information as well.




Now, if anyone in my ward is interested in trying to get a group order together, let me know. I have talked with these folks and they will do a group order.

Let me know!

It's a matter of........ using Mylar Bags.

(image courtesy of http://www.usaemergencysupply.com/)

We had a recent class on making your own mixes. We discussed how to save these mixes in various containers. One of the containers that we discussed was Mylar bags. Today, lets discuss creative ways to use this very inexpensive, but valuable resource.

You can purchase these bags (individually, or an entire box) from your local LDS Home Storage Center (i.e. Cannery). You can also order a box from the LDS Distribution center. The box contains 250 bags, so you will have plenty on hand. There are also other distributors that you can find by doing an Internet search.

Traditionally, these come in a 10x14 inch size from the LDS sources. However, the bags do not have to remain in this size to be useful. You can resize and seal these at home. Please see the following for a "tour" through photos:

Begin by folding your bag in half and to make a crease. You can fold it again to make quarter-sized bags, or can fold again to make them 1/8th the size of the full-sized bag. We will discuss reasons why you might want to do this later in the post.

Now cut the bag along the crease(s).

See the different sized bags I have made from one 10x14 inch bag? The next logical question is...."How do I seal them?" Many of us do not own a sealer outright, but you may be surprised about your options. Some of the LDS Home Storage Centers will let you check one out and use it at home for a short period of time. However, if you don't wish to do this please know that there are other options. You may be surprised that they may already exist in your home!

This is a Food Saver. Now, traditionally, a Food Saver is used to vacuum-pack foods in specialized bags and then seals them. For our current purposes, we will just use the sealing function. You will need to seal the edge 2-3 times with just a little space between the seals. If you do not have a Food Saver, there really are other options.

Yes, that really is my Flatiron that I used to "try" and style my hair daily. Please practice with the different temperature settings on your Flatiron to find the right temperature that will work successfully with the Mylar bag. Also, you can use a traditional clothes/pressing Iron to seal the bags as well. In that case, consider using the side of a Construction level (they often have texture) or something like it and place the edge of the bag on it. Press with your iron. Again, practice using the settings on your iron to find the correct heat setting for this task. There is even more options which I will show you at the end of the post.

Now, why would you want to resize the bags? In my case, I use them to seal mixes that I have made. I seal soup mixes, spice mixes in individual bags within the mix, and I even used the 1/8th sized bag to put samples of sprouting seeds in and included them with a Sprouting set that I gave as a gift.

Mylar protects your food from light and moisture. They are also very inexpensive. This is why they are a great option for storing food. However, if you live in an area where rodents are a problem, you will need to put them into a very sturdy container that is pest-proof.

Here is an example of using a resized bag to store a soup mix that I made.

I cut the bags in half lengthwise and sealed them. I then put them into tall containers with the top open. Using a canning funnel, I put the contents of each mix into a bag. I later sealed it and put a label complete with directions of how to prepare the food right on the bag.

Here is my "mix" sealed in my Mylar Bag. You can use these mixes for yourself, as a gift, or to give to a neighbor in need.

Sealing Mylar Bags is really not difficult. These bags come in different sizes. Some are large enough to line your plastic buckets. At a recent class taught by Leslie Probert at Education Week (at BYU Provo), she taught us that plastic buckets are porous and do not fully protect the food. She encouraged us to line the buckets with Mylar bags to protect our food investment. Now, some Mylar liners are now coming with a Zip lock closure, so they are easy to open and close. However, the price is often considerably higher, so decide what works for you.

Finally, I want to share 1 video by a really smart gentleman who uses his Food Saver and Mylar bags. Before, I mentioned that you need specialized bags to vacuum-pack and seal your food. These bags have "channels" in them that allow the vacuum to pull the air out of the bag. Mylar bags are smooth and traditionally you cannot vacuum-seal them. But, just watch and learn from this very smart "Rooster".

 Happy "sealing"!

It's a matter of .....Personal Finance

Bryan Sudweeks

This post is a continuation of the information Bryan Sudweeks presented at Education Week at BYU Campus in Provo 2009. Today's topic is "Myths of Family Finance" (Information for this post comes from http://ce.byu.edu/cw/family/pdf/Bryan%20Sudweeks-Myths.pdf).

Myth 1: Everything I Have Is Mine: C. S. Lewis, in his Screwtape Letters, had the
devil Screwtape say: “The sense of ownership in general is always to be encouraged. The humans are always putting up claims to ownership which sound equally funny in Heaven and in Hell and we must keep them doing so…. we teach this sense of ownership not only by pride but by confusion. We teach them not to notice the differences . . . that run from ‘my boot’ through ‘my dog,’. . . to ‘my God’ ” (Screwtape Letters, HarperCollins, San Francisco, 2000, pp. 113-114).

But the reality is different! Nothing we have is our own—it’s all God’s. As such, there should be no feeling of pride for the things we have, are, or will become. These things do not belong to us, but are on loan.

Myth 2: Money Matters Are Temporal Matters: Many think money matters are only temporal matters. They feel that how they manage their money has nothing to do with their spirituality. But the reality is different! Money matters are spiritual matters because:

1. All things are spiritual. In D&C 29:34 the Lord says, “All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.”

2. Money is a medium of exchange The same currency that we go into debt with builds our temples

3. Money is a tool to teach gospel principles. Money is a tool to teach us many hings, including sacrifice, discipline, and work.sacrifice, discipline, and work.

4. There is no true freedom without financial freedom. President Ezra Taft Benson said: “The Lord desires his Saints to be free and independent in the critical days ahead. But no man is truly free who is in financial bondage” (“Prepare Ye,” Ensign, January 1974, p. 69).

5. The Lord wants and will help us to be wiser financial stewards. The Lord said:"Behold it is my will that you shall pay all your debts. And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith. And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance”

Myth 3: Credit Card and Consumer Debt Are Okay: It is okay for me to go into debt for things, especially things I really want. But the reality is different!

President James E. Faust stated: “Over the years the wise counsel of our leaders has been to avoid debt except for the purchase of a home or to pay for an education. I have not heard any of the prophets change this counsel” (“Doing the Best Things in the Worst Times,” Ensign, August 1984, p. 41). Sadly, consumer and credit card debt are not
included in that short list of acceptable debt. Credit cards are fine if we pay them off each month. Reality: Debt Is Dumb.

Myth 4: I Pay My Tithing, I Have Nothing to Worry About Financially: But the reality is different!

The prophet Malachi promised that God will open the windows of heaven. However, there is no promise that the windows of heaven will be financial blessings or that paying tithing will eliminate all our financial problems.
• We still are stewards over what we have and are.
• We still must learn to live in this increasingly challenging and technical financial world.
• There are more commandments which relate to finances than just paying your tithing, i.e., live within your means, build a reserve; prepare for retirement, missions, and education.

Myth 5: There Are No Good Sources of Personal Finance Information: But the reality is different!

There are many sources of good information. It just takes time to sort them out. The BYU Marriott School of Management’s Personal Finance Web site at http://personalfinance.byu.net/. It has a host of lessons, manuals, and great
information.

As families, talk with your spouse and children about these fundamental Myths and Principals. Use the website above to find wonderful information to help you weather the economic storms and become financially independent.