Imagine what a little time can do for your family.......

With the passage of 2009 now getting ready to fade into the history books, many will have fond memories, yet there are many that have experienced times of great challenge. Things such as war, economic challenge, and threats on the family.

However, we can make a change in ourselves, and our homes on a daily basis. Enjoy this little clip that shows how to make the world brighter...for everyone.....imagine what a little time can do for your family.

Happy New Year!!!!

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission....to the Cannery!

I received this notice from the Lindon Home Storage Center. Here it is in it's entirety. If you are interested and have the time, please give them a call!.

Brothers and Sisters,
The Lindon Cannery is looking for individuals who are interested in serving as missionaries for 2010. We would welcome the chance to visit with you about this opportunity.

Please call us at 801-785-0998 if you are interested. We can answer any questions you may have about serving.

The following stakes have been given assignments to call missionaries. You do not need to be from one of these stakes to serve. However, if you belong to one of the stakes listed below and would like to look into serving, please call the Cannery with any questions and/or fill out the attached form and take it to your Bishop or Stake President.

Highland South, Highland, Cedar Hills, American Fork, American Fork West, Heber East, Eagle Mountain West, Orem Cascade, Orem Sharon Park, Orem Heatheridge, Orem Cherry Hill, Orem Lakeridge, Provo West Edgemont, North Provo East, Springville West, Springville Spring Creek, Springville Spring Creek South, Hobble Creek, Hobble Creek West, Spanish Fork Canyon Ridge

This call is for the 2010 year.

Missionaries serve at least 8 hours per week, two 4-hour shifts. The work week for Cannery missionaries is Tuesday through Friday with occasional Saturdays during the peach season (August/September). You are usually asked to serve 1 or 2 Saturdays during peaches. The Wet Pack Cannery is normally closed during the month of July..

Individual schedules and specific jobs will be determined by the Cannery and the individual after they have been oriented to the various tasks. There will be a new missionary meeting on Monday, January 11th, 9:00 a.m. at the Cannery to begin this process. This is an important meeting if you are seriously looking into this opportunity. Individuals must be temple worthy to serve in this capacity.

It is understood that there are times when missionaries need to be gone. Missionaries can always switch with other missionaries if they need to miss their shift. There are several people who do the same job and there has never been a problem with finding someone to fill in when needed.

Those who are called to serve at the Cannery should be able to stand for extended periods of time. Those who have mechanical aptitude are specifically needed. Not all positions require lifting, but if lifting is necessary, it would average around 25 lbs. Any heavier lifting is assisted by machinery or help from patrons or other missionaries. There are some office and orientation positions which do not require either lifting or standing for extended periods.

The following information will help in filling out The Recommendation for Part-Time Missionary (attached). It needs to be signed by your Bishop and Stake President and brought to the Cannery or sent to:
Church-Service Missionary Office, 50 E North Temple St., Rm. 152, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-4060 or faxed to 801-240-1726. On the form, you will need to identify Roger Lloyd as the “Name of Department Supervisor Contacted” and the Lindon Cannery as the “Name of Organization”. The “Start Date” should be listed as January 1, 2010 even though you won’t begin working until the end of January.

The Cannery is a wonderful place to serve a part-time mission. Please feel free to contact us with any concerns. Our offices are closed Friday, January 1st for the New Year holiday. Please leave a message if we are not available and we will be sure to get back with you.

Thanks!
Lindon Wet
Pack Cannery

Price Changes at the Lindon Home Storage Center

The following price list changes comes from the the Lindon Home Storage Center. Here are the upcoming price changes for items at the "Cannery". Some prices have gone down, but many have gone up. These price changes take effect on January 16, 2010.

Home Storage Center Price Comparison - Current vs Effective Jan 16 2010[1]

"Let us be self-reliant and independent..."

"Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our own salvation in temporal as well as in spiritual things."

Marion G Romney

In the Lord, all things are possible. Watch for 2 articles in the upcoming January issue of the Ensign. They deal with self-reliance and the importance both Temporally and Spiritually. Here are the links for your convenience:

• http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=08de47a27a2b5210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
• http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=819047a27a2b5210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

As 2010 approaches, take inventory of your Temporal and Spiritual needs of yourself and your family. Make resolutions to address them and prioritize.

The Nativity.........

Merry Christmas everyone. As you prepare for Christmas Day tomorrow, may you remember why we celebrate this glorious Day.

I love this video. It is such a "sensory" depiction of the Birth of the Savior, complete with the sounds of flies (poor Mary), and the animals living in the Stable. You can really feel for Mary and the frustration and dismay of Joseph having to bring his wife, and later the Savior, into the world in such a humble place.

May you worship with our family this Sacred Season, and remember the greatest gift ever given to the world.

Mary Did You Know.......

As you finish your final preparations for Christmas, I want to share this message with you all. KISS (Keep It Simple Sister)and remember the "reason for the season".

Candied Almonds........Easy to make!

I love candied nuts, and always wondered how "they did it". Well, I made them this year, and they are surprisingly easy. Everything I used came from my Food Storage, and yes I have nuts in my storage as well.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Almonds


• 1/4 Cup Honey


• 2 Tablespoons butter


• 1 Cup Brown Sugar


• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Here are the steps to make this simple treat:

Place the raw almonds on a cookie sheet. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and roast for 12-20 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid burning and to ensure the nuts are roasted.

Bring the honey an butter to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for ~2 minutes. Remember to stir periodically.

While the mixture is simmering, add the almonds and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove the almonds from the mixture with a slotted spoon and place on a well-oiled cookie sheet. Spread them out in a single layer to cool. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and toss the almonds in it. Return the almonds to the cookie sheet and place back in the oven under the broiler for a few seconds to allow the sugar to melt and caramelize. Watch it closely so that the nuts do not burn.

Cool the nuts before placing them into you container(s). Also, you may wish to break some apart as the melted sugar may have bonded some together.

As you see, I use a lot of cellophane bags. You can also purchase bags with printed decoration to make the gift more festive. Be sure you do a lot, because you will have a hard time fighting off your family before you give the nuts as gifts.

Christmas Gift!

(Source: www.wikihow.com/Make-Candied-Almonds)

About Highland City.....

(Image coutesy of utahvalley.org)

There is a group of concerned citizens that are volunteering to attend the City Council Meetings on a rotating basis. The assigned citizen will post a summary of the meeting at http://www.abouthighlandcity.blogspot.com/. This way, citizens can know what took place at the city council meeting in a timely fashion while the city council takes whatever means it needs to take before publishing their minutes and ratifying them. You can also publish comments, or sign up for an online discussion if you wish.

The purpose noted on the blog is as follows:

In order to follow what's going on, this group is committed to having one representative at each City Council meeting. It means a commitment of one or two nights a year, and then a follow-up email to the group. Let Highlander know, should you be willing to go to a Council meeting.

Christmas goodies....popping up all over

Christmas is just a week away, and time really is of the essence....there isn't much to go around. Here is another easy recipe that can be made for the family or packaged up for friends and loved ones that is very quick and easy. In addition, you will be using items that are Food Storage Staples!

Here is the recipe for Microwave Popcorn (Recipe courtesy of Ann Marie Bridges)

2 Cups unpopped popcorn
1 Cup brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Stick Margarine
1/4 C dark (or light depending upon preference) Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Instructions: Melt margarine in a microwave-safe bowl and add everything but the soda (and popcorn). Boil in the microwave (2 minutes time). Take out, add Baking soda and blend well. Put popped corn in either: a large paper bag, or large plastic bowl. Pour sauce over popcorn (Shake if using a bag, stir well if using a bowl). Microwave for 1.5 minutes on high; remove from Microwave and shake/stir. Microwave on high for an additional 1.5 minutes; remove and shake/stir. Microwave on high for a final 30 seconds. Remove and shake/stir. Spread on wax paper to cool.

Well I tried it in the microwave with a bag....and here is what it was like:

Pop your kernels. Here I am choosing to use a hot-air popper, but you can use a pan if you choose to do so. I would not suggest microwave popcorn as it is already flavored. Just and FYI, I purchased this Hot-Air Popper last year at a Nationally-known Drug Store Chain for.....$10.00!



It's really popping now!



Pour your popped popcorn into your bag or bowl.



Pour the sauce over the popcorn. Shake the bag or stir the bowl....very well.



Place bowl or bag into the microwave for the cycles listed above. Be sure to shake/stir well between the microwaving cycles. In a Bowl, really scrape the bottom of the bowl to avoid burning.



Spread the Carmel-corn on wax paper to cool.



Package it any way you wish!


Lessons learned by the LRH:

1. Check the size of your microwave. I only made half a batch and I had to stop the microwave and turn the bag because my oven is small.

2. This can easily burn if you don't stir it well. So don't think you can take a shortcut on that step.

3. I will most likely use the bowl method because of the size of my Microwave.

4. Make enough for your family....it won't last long!

Christmas Gift!

Breath of Heaven.....

Here is one of my favorite "newer" Christmas songs. The video is beautiful as well. Enjoy!

Rejoice and be Merry......

I love Christmas and enjoy the sights and sounds. Enjoy this experience from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir......Christmas Gift!

It's a matter of .......Frugality

(image courtesy of http://blog.kir.com)

Today's economy makes everyone pause...to some degree. Some have to really re-think how they will spend their hard-earned dollars. Others may have family members who are really needing to economize and make life changes. Still others just hate to waste money! (That's my category...I kid my parents that I was born with a Cheap gene....that I inherited from them!)

Here are some links to help with the "economizing" that offer some very, very good information. Check them out today!

http://tipnut.com/

http://www.5dollardinners.com/

http://www.budget101.com/

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

http://www.thefrugalfarm.com/

http://suzannemcminn.com/

It's a mindset folks......make it yours!

Putting Christ into Christmas

Dear Sisters and Friends:

This past 12 days, our ward (congregation) has had wonderful and inspiring stories sent to each of us with an accompanying inspirational video to help us "Let him in" this Christmas season. Yesterday, our ward Relief Society (women's organization) met together in the Temple to do just that...let him in.

I would like to offer this video that is in keeping with the spirit of the season. Enjoy the opportunity to "Let him in" to your life, your heart, and your homes.

More ideas....Sprouting up!

This is another suggestion for a gift that comes from your Food Storage. This is a gift basket for Turkey wraps....and they are really good! You may note the canned turkey and bottled cranberry sauce, but just to the right is a container of Alfalfa Sprouts that I actually did in just a few days. This is another gift that does not take a lot of one-on-one time....just a few minutes here and there to make this happen.

Last summer, when I was in the throws making jam, I had all of these little containers that the fruit came in. I looked at them as I stacked them up while processing the fruit and had an idea....why not try to use them for sprouting? If you were to purchase Alfalfa sprouts in the store, they often come in containers similar to these. So, I saved some and recently experimented with one.

Here I have two containers, one that is a the equivalent of 2 cups and the smaller is a one cup container.

I took a Paper towel and folded it to fit in the bottom of the container. I had to wet it to keep it from unfolding and popping out of the container. Don't worry that you don't have one of these today, you can still get one. Most grocery stores and big box stores still sell fruit etc in containers like this year-round.

I then put in some seeds, (only a teaspoon is needed for this container).

Drip water over the seeds so that they don't scatter and run out of the weep holes at the bottom of your container.

Now, place the container under a towel. I eventually placed the container on a saucer with liquid that could be absorbed through the weep holes. I left it under the towel until the primary leaves had sprouted. Then I placed it in the light, in my window sill.

Here is the final product after about 4 days. Just as I stated before, this does not take a lot of your personal time or attention, just a few minutes up front and adding some water each day (maybe a total of 30 seconds daily).

Here is the final gift complete with tortillas and a ripe Avocado. If wanted to use more of your storage, you could make the tortillas from your other food storage staples. You could include sprouts with a "Bag-o-Salad" with Tomato's, Onions, etc to give as well. Just use your imagination!

Another Idea.....

If you were interested in giving a gift of "Sprouting", here is another idea that really, really is quick and easy.

Here is a "Sprouting Kit" that you could put together and give as a gift. I like to use a Wide-Mouth jar as it is easier to get the Sprouts out of the container when you are ready to use them.



Cut a piece of screening that will fit inside of a canning lid. In previous posts, I have shown you how to cut down a Mylar bag and seal it into smaller pouches. In this gift, I made pouches small enough to hold ~2 Tablespoons of seed. I will be including 3 pouches with 3 different seeds. Be sure to label the seed so that the recipient will know what you are giving them.



Place the sealed pouches into the jar.



Wrap it up and share with family or friends! Include information on how to sprout and ideas of where to use sprouts in cooking. This one really doesn't take a great deal of time to make.

Just a couple of ideas to consider.....

Christmas Gift!!!

It's a matter of.....The Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert

It all begins with a ticket! Our family was fortunate enough to be selected from the random selection process that is in place to get tickets. We went last evening, but have attended these events during Christmas' past. Until they began this new random process, we were fortunate enough to see this world-class performance for several years in a row. However, since we have not had the opportunity for several years, it was very sweet to return again.

There was a packed house! Everyone was anticipating a wonderful concert.



We were all assisted to our seats by wonderful volunteers who made several trips up and down the stairs....even after the concert began.

The program was beautifully done and listed a great deal about the guest performers, but sadly, there were many other performers (choir included) who were not credited in the program. There were talented children and adult performers, and the Bell Choir was also featured.

The stage was beautifully decorated and the lighting was well done. When Lloyd Newell opened the program, he informed the audience that this not only was a "Dress rehearsal", but also that the program was being recorded. So, when it comes out next year....maybe I can get out my magnifying glass and see myself!

Finally, the concert began, and Natalie Cole and David McCullough were wonderful. The Choir was unmatched as always, and the music was spectacular. Just a little teaser, we were also treated to a fabulous Organ solo that was very.....let's say....unexpected, but clearly a crowd favorite. The music offered essentially gave notice that the Christmas season has officially been ushered in.

Christmas Gift!

It's a matter of.....a Gingerbread House

It's a time-honored tradition for Christmas.....a Gingerbread House. Today I will provide you with a classic Gingerbread house recipe etc from the Relief Society Magazine that was published in 1967. I have fond memories of my Grandmother and mother using this very same recipe and pattern during the holidays and I have tried to continue this tradition with my children. Enjoy it!

Gingerbread House
(Taken from the December 1967 Relief Society Magazine)


2 ¾ C sifted flour
1 egg
1/8 tsp cloves
½ tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon (packed)
2/3 C Molasses
½ C Oil

Mix thoroughly.
Roll dough on an oiled piece of foil, place on cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Place pattern on hot bread and cut immediately. Use a sharp knife. The straighter you cut the pieces, the easier your house will be to put together.

Lift out carefully and cool on cake rake (I leave mine on the cookie sheet until they are cool…and that works also). The gingerbread should be very hard when cool. If necessary, the pieces can be laid back on the cookie sheet and placed in the oven for 5-10 minutes longer. The roof sections will break off if the dough is not thoroughly baked.



Here is how to actually make it once the dough is mixed:



Cover Cardboard or a piece of wood with foil. Tape ends under board.



Line pan with foil. Spray foil with non-stick spray. Roll Gingerbread dough evenly in pan. Bake


While still warm, lay out pattern. Cut all pieces. Let Gingerbread cool.



Take Pieces off the cookie sheet and lay out on counter.



Divide all your candies into cups so that they are accessible to you. I often purchase my candies from the bulk candy bins and I don't need full bags of everything....unless you and your children like to snack on them!




Start decorating the individual pieces. Here, is the Roof. I am using Necco candies as if they are shingles. You could use Shredded wheat if you wish to have a thatched roof. Sometimes I will make a diagonal lines and put candies at the intersections. Be creative and make it your own.



Here is a side piece.



And the back.



Here is the front. Do not put frosting on the doorway...yet.



It's time to construct. Put one side and the front together with your Royal Frosting. The Frosting acts as your glue to hold them together. If this is your first time at putting pieces together, use cans or cups to provide support as you put them together. I often will place a bead of frosting on the bottom and the side that you are attaching, then put the pieces together.



Once the pieces are attached, cover the edges with the frosting, be generous as this not only holds the pieces together, but allows you to put pieces of candy on the joint as well.



After all 4 walls have been “glued” together:
Run as “zigzag” bead/thread of frosting on the top of the house to receive the roof.



After both pieces have been placed, run a bead of frosting to connect the 2 roof pieces. Secondly, run another bead to receive candies etc for decoration.



Once you get all the sides and roof on, it's time to decorate the doorway.



Next, decorate the door and the opening. After running a bead of frosting along the side and bottom of the door, put the door in place. Place the door in the “ajar” position. Run frosting around the other raw edges. Decorate with candy, if desired.




Finish the rough edges on the “front” of the house. I used pretzels to make a fence. Make a walkway from rock candy, or flat candy.

Now, in case you do not have a recipe for Royal Frosting....here it is!

Royal Icing

3 Egg Whites (room temperature)
1 lb Confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp of Cream of Tarter

•Beat thoroughly in mixing bowl until the icing stands in peaks (sometimes 5-10 minutes).
•Keep the bowl covered at all times with a damp cloth as this icing dries quickly and becomes hard.
•A #4 decorator tip is recommended for drawing the windows and a #30 tip for covering the cut edges along the sides of the house, along the roof, etc.

Try this time honored tradition....today.