Upcoming Sunday lesson -- March 13

The lesson this coming Sunday will be

Chapter 29: The Lord's Law of Health

We encourage you to read the lesson before hand and bring your Gospel Principles manual and scriptures to Relief Society on Sunday.

The Biscuit

The biscuit has a bit of history, so I've learned. It goes back thousands of years. I've found it in many cultures from China to Australia to Ireland to France to Africa to South America and on to North America. It's a quick simple bread that means twice cooked. The french word bescuit is derived from the Latin words bis (twice) and coquere (to cook), and, hence, means "twice-cooked." This is because biscuits were originally cooked in a two-fold process: first baked, and then dried out in a slow oven. This allowed the biscuit to be stored for an extended period of time. The Mayflower reportedly had an estimated count of 15,000 biscuits on board as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

When I think of biscuits, I can't help but to think of southern cooking. They have been a long time staple in the south. Not only are they a participant of a meal, but rather the "star" placed upon the table.

Recently, I came across an amazingly easy recipe that doesn't require more than two ingredients to make real southern biscuits. Yes, I said just only two ingredients to make delicious, mouth watering, soft, fluffy biscuits. I was intrigued. No egg? No Bisquick? No shortening? Hmmm....I wanted to prove the recipe wrong. I just had to put it to the test.

Biscuits

2 cups of Self Rising Flour

1 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half instead)

Mix ingredients together to form a dough. Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface and roll out in 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut with biscuit cutter or glass with 2 inch diameter. Place biscuits onto lightly greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 13 minutes or until they are slightly golden on top. Remove from oven and brush with just a little butter on top, if you wish. * makes about 8 biscuits.

I didn't like the idea of the fat count in the heavy cream so I wanted to use half and half instead. It's lower fat, less guilt for me and I certainly don't need to be on the path to 400 lbs. The half and half works wonderfully well as an alternative. The self rising flour provides the leavening and the half/half provides the fat that the biscuit needs. It didn't take long to whip up a batch of beautiful, soft biscuits, in which my family anxiously slathered theirs with just a touch of butter and drizzled a little honey in their biscuit.

Well, I was proved wrong. The Biscuit recipe passed the test. Each were delicious and perfect.

So go ahead, add biscuits to your meal or make it the center of attention at your table. Enjoy and break bread with the Biscuit.

Upcoming Sunday lesson -- February 27

The upcoming Sunday lesson will be

"Pride and the Priesthood", President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (October 2010)

We encourage you to read the lesson beforehand and bring your November 2010 Ensign and scriptures to Relief Society on Sunday.

Upcoming Sunday lesson -- February 20

The lesson this coming Sunday will be

Chapter 28: Service

We encourage you to read the lesson before hand and bring your Gospel Principles manual and scriptures to Relief Society on Sunday.

Things that should be done

Hi Sisters,

It's me, the Provident Living Specialist. I smile at the specialist part because that's furthest from what I am really. I'm just someone who's learning as I am going along- like you. I've never specialized in anything, really. But I have learned by observing, listening, reading and just plain ol' doing and I'm still learning. There are countless times I have been taught by others and without them even knowing it. I remember begging my mother as a very little, little girl to let me please help with making cookies and she would say, "You ARE helping. You are helping by just watching." Oh, that was the lesson. We all go through life learning from others by just observing and then when it's our turn to do, we'll know how.

Growing up, my best friend's parents died in a car accident when she was 5 years old. Her older brother was the only other member of the family to survive the accident. Truly a sad time for them. They immediately went to go live with their father's brother who lived just a mile or two away from their parents' home. So, why am I sharing this with you? As the Provident Living Specialist (ugg, there's that word again), it's my calling to give you information, to share, to teach. Not only about food storage or where to find the best shopping deal, but about important things to help us be prepared. Prepared for whatever. You just never know.

So here it is, 4 things that should be done:

1. A will.

No matter the age or what are assets are, we all should create a will. At the time of a person's death, if there is no indication of that person's wishes, the court will step in and distribute property according to the laws of the individual state. If the person has no apparent heirs and dies without a will, the estate/assets will go to distant relatives. Sometimes things will get locked up in probate, which equals a mess. A will should also tell who will care for your under age children if you were to die. As I watched from my friend's experience- it's an important detail.

2. Create a Living Will.

If you are on life support, your wishes can be made known what kind of care you would want, particularly if you are terminally ill and incapacitated.

3. Durable Power of Attorney for Health-Care

This type of document allows the individual who is being cared for to point to whom they want or will make medical decisions if he or she becomes mentally incapacitated.

4. Durable Power of Attorney for Finances

This document appoints who will be allowed to handle the finances and make money decisions in behalf of the cared for persons.

Start by having the "talk" with your spouse or family. If you haven't gotten a few things in order by now, it's time to get going. Write things down. Seek out an attorney to help with the legal forms. Taking these precautions will be a relief and comfort for those who love you and your family.

Cannelloni

I came across a Rachael Ray's recipe a few months back for an easy version of Cannelloni that I would like to share with you. Not only are they easy to make, but they are good. I mean really good. But let me warn you, watch out for the calories!

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni

1 cup of low fat Ricotta Cheese

1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I used low fat)

1 egg

1 jar (15 oz.) of Alfredo Sauce**

8 egg-roll wrappers (available in the Asian refrigerated section by tofu)

8 slices of Deli Ham

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and the egg.

2. Reserve 3/4 cup of Alfredo sauce and spread the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 in baking dish.

3. Arrange an egg roll wrapper on a work area (like a cutting board) and spread with one heaping spoonful of the ricotta cheese and then layer over it 1 deli ham slice. Roll up the wrapper jelly roll style and lay into the baking dish with the Alfredo sauce. Complete the remaining 7 cannelloni, laying them side by side.

4. Spoon the reserved Alfredo sauce over the cannelloni, top with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle dried parsley or chives on top if you wish. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 4/ prep time: 15 minutes/ Cook: 20 minutes

**item from your food storage. :)

Upcoming Sunday lesson -- February 13

The lesson this coming Sunday will be

Chapter 27: Work and Personal Responsibility

We encourage you to read the lesson before hand and bring your Gospel Principles manual and scriptures to Relief Society on Sunday.