Lesson Recap: Continuing to Advance in the Principles of Truth

Our lesson yesterday was from the Lorenzo Snow manual and taught by the lovely Morgan Heyland on lifelong conversion. We had a great discussion on things we can do to stay converted throughout our lives. Good ideas to do this included not just reading, but pondering our scriptures; praying for our own testimony of the gospel; and building on that testimony through our works, including by service and fulfilling our callings.

You can find the lesson in the online manual, here. 

Recipe: Yogurt Bread

Submitted by Mariana Fisher

2 c warm water

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp salt

8 oz vanilla yogurt (<-- that's usually just 1 yogurt cup, Western Family worked great for me)

5-6 c flour (I added 1/2 cup extra to account for the elevation- which may or may not be necessary, it's up to you) 

Hydrate the yeast (put water, sugar and yeast in a mixer, let is sit for 5 minutes. you know the yeast is good if the mixture looks frothy after the 5 min) Mix in salt and yogurt. Knead in approximately 6 cups flour until dough cleans the side but is still a little sticky. Knead for 5+minutes total. Shape into two loaf pans. Let rise until double*. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. cool for 10 mins and remove from pans. Cool completely on a rack or towel. 

* since I bought the wrong kind of yeast, I let it double rise: once in the mixer (for an hour) and once more time in the loaf pans (for another hour, so 2 hours total) 

Introducing...

We are so excited to welcome the Roueches' new baby, Eloise, into the ward! She is a doll!

Recipe: Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

http://luluthebaker.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheesy-vegetable-chowder.html

Submitted by Mary Harris

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Sister Spotlight: Bonnie C

My name is: Bonnie C

My favorite dinner is: Mexican food
My favorite dessert is: Anything chocolate
My favorite flower is: Roses
My favorite hobby is: cooking
My favorite restaurant is: Garcias
A game I like to play is: Farkle
The music I listen to most is: Classical
My favorite thing to buy is: makeup, clothes, shoes, jewelry...
A book I highly recommend is: Silas Marner
A movie I watch over and over is: Gone With the Wind
A smell that makes me pause is: Any dessert that is in the oven baking
The city I would most like to visit is: Paris
My favorite thing to do on a date is: laugh with my husband
The best vacation I ever had was: Just an overnight trip to Salt Lake for our anniversary. It was good to have a babysitter and get away for awhile

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Scarlett O'Hara

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Play the violin

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Doing laundry at Wymount. It's not so bad if you have your own washer and dryer.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? A nap. A nap is always good.

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? Sense of humor

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? Hot running water

What is your dream vacation? A tour of Europe

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Gave birth. I should have been given a blue ribbon for it.

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? We met at a college ward. He proposed on my front porch with a pop ring.

The best thing about being married is: Always having someone there through the tough moments and the good moments.

What do you and your husband like to do together? We like to talk or read poetry together.
What would be your perfect day? It would start out at the spa and end with dinner with my husband. And a nap. A nice, long, uninterrupted nap.
What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Don't micromanage your husband. Let him do things his own way. If it isn't how you would do it, get over it. Don't re-do it.

What story does your family always tell about you? Kempton always talks about how I was impatient for him to propose. What can I say? I knew something good when I saw it...

RS Lesson - February 17

This week's Relief Society lesson will be on Chapter 3 from the Lorenzo Snow manual-- Lifelong Conversion: Continuing to Advance in the Principles of Truth. Our teacher for this lesson will be Morgan Heyland. She has requested that you read over the lesson and ponder on these questions:

1. Think back on your life. When/how did you gain a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
2. President Snow said that gaining a testimony is "a very good starting point for a Latter-day Saint". Why is a testimony only a starting point--not a final destination?
3. What does it mean to become converted?

Please take time to read the lesson, ponder on these questions, and come ready to share thoughts and promptings you received while studying. See you on Sunday!

Sister Spotlight: Allison W.

My favorite dinner is: Homeade Cafe Rio

My favorite dessert is: Cheesecake or straight up candy

My favorite flower is: Gerber Daisy

My favorite hobby is: Playing soccer or any other competitive activity

My favorite restaurant is: Mexicali (in CA)- I like any halfway decent Mexican restaurant though

A game I like to play is: Settlers of Catan

The music I listen to most is: Whatever comes on Pandora. But I'd rather listen to talk radio.

My favorite thing to buy is: Clothes! Doesn't happen often though.

A book I highly recommend is: Where the Red Fern Grows...gets me every time

A movie I watch over and over is: Mean Girls, She's the Man, Baby Mama

A smell that makes me pause is: my son's poopy diaper....hold up!

The city I would most like to visit is: St. Petersburg, Russia

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Play laser tag!

The best vacation I ever had was: The Caribbean cruise my husband and I went on two summers ago.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Hermoine Granger

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Sew

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Cleaning the bathroom and emptying out the vacuum

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Blog/read blogs

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? I have been told my eyes

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? My iPhone

What is your dream vacation? Trip to Europe (not backpacking...I want fancy hotels, people!)

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Went skydiving in Hawaii

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? We met in high school. He proposed at the Quarry in Provo while we were rock climbing. He went first and put the ring up on the very top, and popped the question when I came back down.

The best thing about being married is: Always having someone to hang out with and being able to be completely yourself.

What do you and your husband like to do together? Go out to eat, play with our baby, play games, watch our favorite TV shows
What would be your perfect day? Sleep in, have a big restaurant breakfast, go to an amusement park with no lines, come home and soak in the hot tub while eating cheesecake and skittles. (with my family of course)
What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Marriage takes work, service, and compromise.

What story does your family always tell about you? There is a family home video my family also quotes me from. I was about 8, and we were playing the game Don't Eat Pete. My little brother was doing really well, and I said "He's really sharp at this game!"