Relief Society Song

We will be singing as a Relief Society in Sacrament on Feb. 8th, 2009. We will sing Hymn #310 A Key was Turned in Latter Days. Click HERE to listen to the music and practice! Using the tools at the left of the page you can practice parts separately if need be.

Houston North Stake Enrichment Meeting

Saturday, February 21, 2009

11am-2pm

Attire: Sunday Casual

Please arrive on time
Lunch will be provided

Those who knit or crochet please bring size 6 knitting needles or size G crochet hook
and if you have it
60 yards 3 ply yarn, good for babies-not sparkly or scratchy

Service projects will also be a part of the program, and the majority of supplies will also be provided. If you have fabric or batting just itching to become a quilt, let you RS Presidency know.

Bring those you Visit Teach
Bring Single Sisters

Laurels (especially 2nd year) are invited

No Nursery Provided

Of One Heart and One Mind

Food for Thought: Tribute to Carissa

As personal as are these next two videos (Carissa is my niece, her mom my sister), they testify so strongly of our Savior, Jesus Christ, they need to be shared.

Of nearly equal importance, they show the lives one person can affect through their example during the short tenure of their life.

I hope you take the time to watch them, and that they strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, as it has done mine.

Food for Thought: Tribute to Carissa Part 2

FYI: ABC News Covers the Draper Utah Temple Open House

ABC News

Here's a story ABC's Nightline did about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the opening of the Draper Temple.

Link of the Week: A Tour Of The New Mormon Temple : NPR

A Tour Of The New Mormon Temple : NPR

In this short piece, NPR does a good job covering the opening of the Draper Temple to the public this week, including short sound bits from Elders Ballard and Christofferson.

All Things Considered, January 9, 2009 · A new Mormon Temple in a Salt Lake City suburb is a public relations opportunity for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's a controversial time for Mormons, given criticism over Church involvement in Proposition 8 in California and other recent issues.

The interior pictures to which the commentator refers are actually found here at newsroom.lds.org.

Recipe of the Week: The Six O'Clock Scramble

Healthy Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Quick Easy Dinner Recipes, Family Meal Planning

The Six O’Clock Scramble® is an online dinner planning service.

AS A SUBSCRIBER YOU’LL RECEIVE EACH WEEK:

• Five family-tested, healthy and delicious and quick DINNER RECIPES THAT TAKE 30 MINUTES OR LESS TO PREPARE
• An ORGANIZED GROCERY LIST so you can grocery shop just once per week
• A SEARCHABLE DATABASE where you can customize your weekly dinner plan
• Your own personal RECIPE BOX where you can save your family's favorites 30 minute meals
• A newsletter with USEFUL TIPS for easier mealtimes, snacks and lunches
• NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for each recipe to help you take charge of your health

For folks like me constantly casting about for something different to fix for dinner, especially if you're stuck in a rut of the same seven meals week after week, this service seems well-worth the price of $5 a month. They advertise themselves as 'family friendly', and a cursory glance shows them conservative in the budget department as well.

Here is their mini meatloaf muffins recipe: (printable version)

MINI MEATLOAF MUFFINS

Servings & Prep Time Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes Servings: 6 · serving size: 2 muffins Special Features Dairy-free Kosher-style or Kosher Alternative Nut-free Low-Sodium Make ahead/Freezable

My friend, Kirsten Thistle, shared this fun recipe for mini meatloaves. Both of our families gobbled these little cuties right up. One advantage of making the meatloaf in muffin tins is that they cook in half the time of a big meatloaf. Serve it with baked potatoes and steamed green beans with mustard-lemon sauce. 1 tsp. olive oil 1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped (1 cup) 1-2 carrots, finely chopped (1/2 cup) 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. minced garlic, (1 - 2 cloves) 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken 3/4 cup ketchup 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs, or use crushed crackers 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 egg, lightly beaten (If you are making baked potatoes in the oven, start them first.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, carrots, oregano and garlic for 3 - 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove them from the heat and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, then add the onion and carrot mixture, and stir thoroughly. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the meat mixture into the individual cups, dividing evenly (each mini meatloaf should completely fill a muffin cup). Bake the meatloaf muffins for 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the green beans, if you are serving them.) Remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving, or refrigerate them for up to 2 days before reheating and serving. Scramble Flavor Booster: Serve the meatloaf with barbecue sauce. Tip: You can make the meatloaf mixture in advance and bake them just before dinner, or bake them up to 2 days in advance, as meatloaf gets even tastier after a day or two.

SERVE WITH BAKED POTATOES & GREEN BEANS WITH MUSTARD LEMON SAUCE To make baked potatoes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce 3 - 6 russet potatoes in several places. (If you don't have time to bake them, prepare the potatoes in the microwave: Cook them on high for about 10 minutes, flipping them once, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. If they are not done after 10 minutes, keep checking every 2 minutes.) For baking: For a crispier skin, rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt before baking. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake them for 50-60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork, turning them once. While the potatoes are cooking, make a sauce with 1 cup low fat or nonfat sour cream or yogurt, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives. Slice the potatoes in half, and serve them topped with a thin layer of butter or margarine and with the sour cream sauce. To make the green beans, trim 1 lb. of green beans and cut them in half crosswise. Bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil. Add the green beans, cover, reduce the heat and steam them for 6 - 8 minutes until they reach desired tenderness. Drain them, return them to the pot, and stir in 2 tsp. butter or margarine, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and the juice of 1/4 lemon. Serve immediately.

FYI: Time Out for Women - Time Out for Women 2009, Houston, TX

Time Out for Women - Time Out for Women 2009, Houston, TX

This two-day event is a sort of mini Education Week that comes to Houston I believe twice a year. It is not sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, it is a wonderful opportunity to take one day for yourself and regenerate and refresh your mind and spirit. Remember, a happy mom equals a happy family. Seminars and performances will be given by LDS 'personalities' such as Sheri L. Dew, Kenneth Cope, Abe Mills, etc.

Seminar topics include:

• TBA by Sheri L. Dew
• Rest Assured by Mary Ellen Edmunds
• The Best Time to Be Alive by Chris Stewart
• Weakness: Your Curse . . . or Your Blessing? by Wendy Ulrich
• Skills from the Scriptures (for Good Times & Bad) by Brent L. Top
  

Musical performances from:

• Jenny Jordan Frogley
• Abe Mills
• Kenneth Cope
  

Although tickets may seem a bit pricey, they always sells out and ladies I know who have attended have always felt it was well worth the price. Tickets can be purchased for Friday, Saturday, or both.

For the Strength of Youth: A Brand New Year

A Brand New Year

Sisters,

On New Year's Eve, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broadcast via satellite from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, "A Brand New Year". This was a special production of music, dancing, and inspiration by and to the youth of the Church all over the world, during which the new YM/YW theme for 2009 was introduced. Any of you who have seen it know how uplifting and enlarging it was, as well as the Spirit that prevailed as both youth and leaders of the Church bore their testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel and their love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. More than 500 young people participated in the orchestra, choir, and stage crew, and truly dazzled all with their talent.


In conjunction with the program, the Church has launched a new website called "A Brand New Year". Chock full of the latest web effects and widgets, the Church has made it the Youth's site on lds.org. I highly recommend it to all of you, whether or not you have teenagers. Here are some of the features:

• Read: Read current or past New Era Magazines, as well as search for articles or key words.
• Photo Gallery: Lots of pictures taken during the rehearsal and performance of "A Brand New Year".
• Listen: Download MP3's from "A Brand New Year", as well as ring tones, a great way to keep the music and the message fresh in anyone's thoughts. Also really great is the 'print music' feature, which allows members throughout the world to make "A Brand New Year" music their own songs.
• Watch the Videos: Recording of the production in several three- to five-minute segments. Full of catchy tunes, amazing production values, and uplifting messages, each individual piece or taken as a whole can provide an excellent addition or focus of your Family Home Evening.
• Commit: A place to print out personal commitment cards, as well as to subscribe to the site's e-newsletter.
• Share: This is the comment section where youth are encouraged to share their own experiences as they keep their commitments to pray daily, read the Book of Mormon daily, and to be happy, as well as read the thoughts of others.
• Resources: A great place for young people to go to read the scriptures online, watch, listen, or read messages from General Conference, learn about a specific gospel topic, access the New Era Magazines, and a terrific set of activities to help memorize the Scripture Mastery scriptures. Other sites on their links list include: LDS.org, Mormom.org, JesusChrist.lds.org, and Especially for Youth.
• Widgets: This is a tool which can be used to embed music and video on personal sites and blogs, such as the one in the right-hand column of this page. This is a great way for teenagers to share what matters to them with their friends, and can be a terrific missionary tool.
  

Visit the site, watch the video, surf through the different features, and find new ways to inspire your family with the joy that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.