Relief Society Dinner 2010

This dinner was the first big shindig over which I had responsibility as 2^nd Counselor.  Luckily I had a committee that helped me plan and execute this event.  When it was time to set up the tables and put out the cloths, dinnerware, food, etc., I would have never made it for sure.

Our original plan had been “A Christ-Centered Christmas” with nativity sets for the centerpieces on the table, but when we learned that the ward party was already going to have that, we had to come up with another idea.  We settled on “The Gifts of Christmas” and focused on the gifts that the Savior has given to all mankind.  Sister McDaniel did a beautiful job of wrapping some boxes and placing tags on them that reflected these gifts:  “Peace”, “The Gift of the Atonement”, “Hope”, etc.  We used these as our centerpieces:

After the meal, but before the dessert, we went into the Relief Society room where Sister McDaniel read a short story about having a simple Christmas.  She then played, “The Nativity” DVD which she had brought.  It showed scenes depicting Christ’s birth and his mortal life, with music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the background.  Near the end, Gordon B. Hinckley said a few words (Sister McDaniel told us that this was one of the last “video” appearances he had made before he passed away.)  This video really helped to give the feeling that we wanted to have in our meeting.  Here’s how she had the room set up:

After the video, we presented them with our gift to them:  a loaf of “homemade” pumpkin bread (recipe to be found at the end of the blog).  I baked, wrapped, and decorated 50 of these little loaves and was quite happy to see them finally go:

Here is a close-up of the tag that Sister McDaniel made to put on them:

Of course, anyone who knows me also knows that I will find “decadence” in anything that I am doing, even if it is a church Christmas party.  Well, I found it:  Chocolaty, gooey, sweet, womanly decadence!

This dessert is so sweet, so rich, and so chocolately that a couple of my teeth didn’t even wait for the tooth decay to set in; they just popped out right there at the table.  But let me tell you, it was worth it.  Luckily for me, Sister Hair agreed to give me the recipe for this little creature (also found at the end of this blog).

Well, that’s it.  I survived my first official dinner as 2^nd Counselor, and I think that the sisters had a good, fun, uplifting time.  I can’t lie, though; I am glad that our next dinner is not until March!

Recipe for Pumpkin Bread

Sister  Hair’s original recipe is as follows:

1 Spice cake mix

1 30 oz. can of Pumpkin puree

4 eggs

350 until toothpick out barely moist.  There's no time on the recipe...so I would start out at about 15 or 20 minutes.

I don’t know if I’m just a bad cook, or if it was due to the fact that the thermostat in my oven is slightly off, but I tried a couple of batches and the original recipe didn’t work for me.  So I modified it a bit, and had better luck.  Here is what I did for the loaves we gave out at the dinner:

1 Spice cake mix (I used Duncan Hines, 18.25 oz)

1 15-oz can of pumpkin puree

4 eggs

As I said, my thermostat is off just a bit, so I baked the recipe at 365° and checked it at 30 minutes.  It was almost done, so I let it cook for between 3-5 more minutes (at this stage you just have to watch it like a hawk).  This worked great for me and I was happy to have a recipe that makes something good without too much work.  This makes between 4-5 of the mini loaves (3 x 5 pans) depending on how full you fill them.  I tried to fill them between ½ to 2/3 full of batter.

Now, as promised, here is that decadent recipe for Sister Hair’s great dessert (I can’t wait to try it!):

Recipe for Hot Fudge Bar

Dough:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups quick oats

1 tsp salt

2.5 cups flour

Filling:

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

3 tbsp margarine

2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dough ingredients.  Pat 2/3 mix in 9 x 13 pan to cover bottom.  Melt filling ingredients on low heat and pour over batter.  Sprinkle remaining 1/3 dough mixture on top.  Bake 350 for 15-20. Do not over bake.

Ward Christmas Party 2010

I wish I had more pictures and a more thorough report of the ward (congregation) Christmas party.  Unfortunately, that was a very busy day for me and I ended up getting there a few minutes late.  Attendance at this party was just great; so great, in fact, that there were no chairs left by the time we got to the line for dinner, and I ended up eating in the kitchen.  This worked out for me since it gave me a chance to chat with the bishop’s wife.

I did manage to get a few pictures to show what the committee did for this party, and hopefully it’s enough to give you a feel for it.  It was all about Christ and the spirit of service.  The centerpieces for the tables were nativity sets which the committee had asked families to bring from home.  (This was actually our plan for the Relief Society activity and when we learned that it was already happening at the ward party, we had to quickly come up with a Plan B.)   Anyway, here are a couple of shots of how cute that turned out:

Sure enough, the “Giving Tree” was there with tags which listed needs and Christmas wishes to be met or acts of service that could be performed by those who wished to participate.  There was a table with a couple of sisters keeping a log so that the committee could know which tags had been taken and would be able to track it.

People brought all kinds of personal use products which were going to be given to a boys’ home/shelter and our missionaries:

Those of all ages were able to help stuff the products in these cute little drawstring bags that some sisters in the ward had made:

When they were done, it looked like this:

The committee had set up a little “forest” of trees and I saw many families having their pictures made in front of them. 

I asked my baby boy if he would let me take his picture, and he “joyfully” agreed:

In between all of the various activities there was much singing of Christmas carols, and visiting and eating, and children running around with their friends.  The committee did a great job of proving that service during the Christmas season can be fun!

How Cute Is This?!

I am so lucky that I have a committee to help me with this Relief Society stuff.  When it was time for us to plan the activity/meeting for December (a Christmas dinner), I had a couple of ideas, but it was only during a planning meeting that everything came together -- each member had some really great ideas of their own.


When I said that I would like to have some handouts to help remind people about the dinner, Sister McDaniel volunteered to make those.  Imagine my delight when she showed up last Sunday with a box full of these cute little invitations!  Even the box in which they were carried was wrapped and had a pretty bow going around it.


I photographed the invitation on a red background so that it would show up better.  The idea is a simple one:  a white strip of paper with the info, trimmed with some decorative scissors, then topped off with a "package" ornament glued onto the side.  So simple, yet so very effective and cute!  That is just right up my alley because I've always said that we often make things harder than they have to be.  Way to go, Sister McDaniel!

Our Ward Christmas Party

I never thought I’d say this (what with being a hermit and all), but I really am kind of excited about this year’s ward Christmas party.  While I can’t imagine there ever being a Christmas party that wasn’t good, the ward Activities Committee is putting something together this year that is totally different from what we’ve done in the past and probably qualifies as great.  This year’s party is early in the season (December 4^th) and it actually will have each of those who attend engaged in some sort of service project.  I think it is so wonderful!

The actual invitations for the party were much prettier than this, but for some reason all I could find was a copy of a copy I had made to give to someone.  However, this still will give you an idea of what they have planned for us:

Here is the list of items that we can bring:

I think this will be a great mix of just sheer fun and doing something worthwhile.  I will try to get some pictures of that night!

Homemade Granola Bars

At the last RS meeting (my first in awhile) we had a demonstration on how to make homemade granola bars.  They were really good and are a great way to use any oats you mights have stacked up in your food storage.  Here is the recipe that was given at the meeting:

Homemade Granola Bars
4-1/2 cups rolled oats (regular, not quick)
1 cup flour (I like to use whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

Optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (raisins, dried cranberries, and other dried fruit, whatever you like!)

Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips (or whatever optional ingredients you are putting in). Mix and then add the chocolate chips in and mix again. Press into a greased pan (Pam works great!). Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Enjoy!!

**This is a basic recipe. . . if you like other things, try putting them in and make it your own recipe! Nuts, seeds, coconut, peanut butter. . . the options are endless! Note that if you add a lot of optional ingredients, you might want to increase the butter and honey in order for the mixture to be cohesive and not too dry.**

The Reluctant Relief Society Sister!

When you join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you immediately become part of a world-wide church family.  We even call each other “brother” and “sister”, hence the many references to “Sister Jones” or “Sister Smith” that you will see in the future.  In addition to learning about doctrine and saving ordinances, we are counseled to love one another and bear one another’s burdens.  The church’s organization for women is called “Relief Society”.

The following is from the church’s website:


“The organization’s motto “Charity Never Faileth” stems from the first Relief Society meeting. The sisters were asked by the Prophet Joseph Smith to assist the brethren “in looking to the wants of the poor—searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants.” The sisters took this call to heart and became a society devoted to seeking out the poor and needy. (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 452.)


All women 18 years of age and older, as well as women younger than 18 who are married or are single mothers, are welcomed into the sisterhood of Relief Society. There are approximately 6 million sisters in Relief Society. Since its organization on March 17, 1842, by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Relief Society has spread throughout the world into nearly 170 countries.”

I have always been pretty diligent about attending the Relief Society meetings that are held on Sunday, but I must admit that I have not always been so diligent about attending the weekday activities and meetings.  There were many reasons for this:  family commitments and just not making the meetings a priority come to mind.  And then there’s the fact that I am somewhat of a hermit.  It’s not that I dislike people; it’s more due to me being a super-duper-introvert.  I have never been a person who NEEDED to be with other people, so I left all of that for the sisters who had that need.

I was recently called as the second counselor in our ward’s (congregation’s) Relief Society and that has changed everything.  Now the weekday activities and events are no longer something that I avoid, they are something for which I am responsible to plan and execute.  This is daunting for anyone, especially for someone who is a hermit.

For inspiration for the coming year, I looked to one of my favorite scriptures:

Luke 2:52:  “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

This is a favorite of mine because before we discussed this in a Sunday school class many years ago, whenever had I thought of Christ I had always pictured him in the manger, or healing the sick, or in the Garden of Gethsemane, or in his resurrected state – all purely spiritual aspects.  I had never thought of him growing mentally, physically, and socially as well.  This scripture also tells me that I need to be constantly growing and improving so that I can be more like Christ.  My plans for next year’s activities focus on providing opportunities for the sisters to grow in all areas of their lives.

Just a few weeks ago, I attended my first Thursday night meeting in quite some time, and I must say I was struck by what a good time all of the sisters were having.  You can’t believe how much giggling, and talking, and carrying on there was!  They were decorating craft-type pumpkins with sequins and there were just sequins like crazy.  Add in the fact that there was a bevy of homemade treats and this all added up to an evening of complete, total, WOMANLY DECADENCE!

The women who will be helping me put these meetings together are really sharp.  And the women who will be attending these meetings are really sharp.  I will be posting a chronicle of the things that we do and learn (with pictures) to share with all who are interested.  There is so much to do!