Going to the scriptures to learn what to do makes all the difference. The Lord can teach us. When we come to a crisis in our life... we should go looking in the scriptures for specific help. We will find answers in the scriptures. The Lord seemed to anticipate all of our problems and all of our needs, and He put help in the scriptures for us—if only we seek it.

 Henry B. Eyring

Conference Inspiration!

See http://icreatewithlove.blogspot.com/2013/04/printable-lds-general-conference-quotes.html for even more cute printables from our recent General Conference.

Family Home Evening Lessons

from McKell Poulton-

Some of us moms got together to put together some FHE packets for our little kiddos.  Some are original and some ideas are borrowed, but the lessons are all really fun and convenient!  We'd love to share them with the rest of the ward.  Maybe these lessons can help with some New Year's Resolutions to be better at having Family Home Evenings (that's mine!).  I have uploaded it in two different places in case one doesn't work, hopefully the other will!

Link to Google Drive Folder

Link to Dropbox

Jen R.'s Italian Potato-Sausage Soup!!

Italian Potato-Sausage SoupRecipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

20 oz. lean Italian turkey sausage
1/2+ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large onion, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 cups (2 boxes) chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups low-fat milk
3 ounces light cream cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups baby spinach, chopped

Instructions:

Remove the sausage from casings and crumble it into a large soup pot. Begin cooking it over medium heat and add red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, onion, and garlic. Saute until the sausage is fully cooked and drain if necessary. Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook potatoes until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, then add the milk mixture and cook over medium heat until thick (like a very thick cream soup or a stirrable pudding). When the potatoes are cooked, add the thickened milk mixture and chopped spinach. Season with additional crushed red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8-10.

Emily W.'s FAMOUS Tortellini Soup

Delicious! Thanks for sharing, Emily!

Tortellini Soup

 

Categories    : Soups

 

   1           pound  Italian sausage, browned
   1           clove  garlic, pressed
  1/2         cup  chopped onion
   5           cups  chicken broth
   2           cups  sliced carrots
   1           can  tomato sauce
   1           can  stewed tomatoes
   1           pound  tortellini
   1           can  kidney beans
   2           cups  diced zucchini
   Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Brown and break up the sausage.

 

Add the next six ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

 

Add the tortellini, beans and zucchini.  Cook for an additional ten minutes.

 

Serve.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.

Getting Your Children Prepped for General Conference

We love General Conference but ever since our children have been walking and talking it's been a little harder to watch with the same level of attention. This time we have been looking for more ways to involve the littles. Katie at Live, Eat, Craft compiled a great list of resources for engaging kids of all ages and making General Conference a positive experience for them (and for their parents!). Hope your family finds it helpful!

Activities, Games and Ideas For General Conference With Kids – The Ultimate GuideRead more: http://www.livecrafteat.com/live/activities-games-and-ideas-for-general-conference-with-kids-the-ultimate-guide/#ixzz28Aa0yFvc

Treats From Pastry Friday

Zucchini Bread (Emily Walsh)

2 C whole wheat flour
1 ¼ C white flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 C sugar
1 C applesauce
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 C water
2 C grated zucchini
1 tsp lemon juice
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, andsugar.  In a separate bowl, combineapplesauce, eggs, water, zucchini, and lemon juice.  Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts (ifdesired) and fold in.  Bake in 2 standardloaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray for 1 hour or until a tester comes outclean.  Alternately, bake in 5 mini loafpans for about 45 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Emily Walsh)
1 ½ C whole wheat flour
1 ½ C all-purpose flour
¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 C white sugar
3 eggs
1 C applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C shredded zucchini
1 C chopped walnuts

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions:
1-     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2-     In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon,baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.  In separate bowl,combine sugar and eggs.  Beat until wellblended.  Add applesauce and vanilla;beat until combined.  Stir in zucchini.  Add flour mixture, stir just untilmoistened.  Stir in nuts and chocolatechips.  Spoon evenly into loaf pans.

3-     Bake in preheated oven for 55 – 60 minutes, oruntil toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pans; cool completely onwire rack.

 

Pillsbury Bake off Blueberry Muffins (Klysta Goodsell)

 ½cup rolled old fashioned oats

½cup orange juice

1½ cups flour

½cup sugar

1¼ tsp baking powder

½tsp salt

¼baking soda

½cup Canola oil

1egg, slightly beaten

1cup fresh or frozen blueberries ( strawberries are good too or any fruit)

2T sugar

½tsp cinnamon

 

Greasemuffin tins or line with baking cups. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal andorange juice. Add sugar, oil, and egg. Add flour, baking powder, salt, andbaking soda. Mix well. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into muffin tins, filling 2/3full. Blend 2 T sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter of each muffin. Bakeat 350 degrees for 18-20 min or until golden brown.

Makes12

 

Apple Streusel Muffins (Klysta Goodsell)

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream

¼ cup butter, melted

1-1/2 cups chopped peeled tart apples (I like to add a little extra)

 

Topping:(Double for extra crumbly top )

¼cup sugar

3T flour

¼tsp ground cinnamon

2T cold butter

 

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Inanother bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream and butter. Stir into dry ingredientsjust until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cupstwo thirds full.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon.Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a roundedteaspoon over each muffin. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until toothpickcomes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack.Serve warm. Makes 16 muffins.

 

 

Easy Pasta Salad (Lisa Young)

2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta, uncooked

2 cups small fresh broccoli florets

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup KRAFT Lite House Italian Dressing

1/4 cup KRAFT Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping

1/4 cup sliced black olives

DIRECTIONS   

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 min.; drain. Place in medium bowl. 

ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (McKell Poulton)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste)
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  You may have to stop to stir and/or scrape down the ingredients a few times.   
This is the link on how to roast your own red peppers.