Magic Bread

Several years ago, I served as Relief Society President. As a presidency, we determined that we wanted to visit every sister in her home. We would go on visits one night each week. We liked to take treats. I often made small loaves of bread. I could make four small loaves with my recipe (recipe follows.) We had some interesting experiences with those visits: One night, about 7ish, we rang the doorbell of a sister who I had never met- totally inactive and, shall we say, antagonistic. Ken was bishop years before that when she moved in and when they went to visit, she all but threw them off her property. So, we were a little nervous. She answered the door, and we presented her with the bread and she explained she had guests and they were just sitting down to dinner, so we just told her to enjoy her dinner, and we left. An hour or so later, she called me( I was surprised she'd even remembered my name.) She just went on and on about how good that bread was and how much she and her guests had enjoyed it. It was kind of a break-through. I wish I could say she started coming to church, but that didn't happen. But she did allow visiting teachers into her home, and, later, the bishopric went to see her. Not long after, she contracted liver cancer and grew very ill with the chemotherapy. She got very weak, and was determined to eat, well drink, an all raw food diet- fruits, vegetables and nuts, as she felt this would help her. This required lots of juicing, and she just plain didn't have the energy to do it. A dear sister in our ward, well some of you know Winona, had recently been widowed. Her husband died of liver cancer and I knew she had been doing some of the same things that this sister was wanting to do. So I called Winona and asked if she would have time to befriend her and help her with her diet and juicing. If you know Winona, you know how that turned out. There's not a sweeter lady in the world, and she wormed her way into this lady's heart. She died a few months later, but she died at least a "friend" to the church. Okay, so it all started with this "Magic Bread." Now another story: A few weeks after we visited this lady, we went to another less active sister. Well, let's call a spade a spade, a very inactive, antagonistic sister. Again, I had heard many stories and we were nervous. I had my first counselor with me. We approached the door with our warm loaf of bread. We rang. She came and opened the door, but not the screen. We told her who we were and that we had brought her some bread. She told us she didn't want our bread. Okay. We wished her a good evening and retreated to our car, bread still in hand. We got back in the car, looked at each other, and nearly cried through our smiles. On Sunday, I told the bishop what had happened. He just laughed and told me he had heard a rumor that Mormon bread was "Magic" and that people were being warned not to accept it because "they put something in it" that makes you want to go to church! So I'm sure you want the recipe for Magic Bread: Put in breadmaker: 1 T. yeast 4 cups bread flour 2 tsp. salt 2 T. butter 4 T. honey 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 cups buttermilk, warmed (or 2 cups warm water with 6 T. dry buttermilk powder) . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mix on manual in the breadmaker, or knead by hand until smooth. Let rise. Mix Down. Remove from breadmaker and form into two large or four small loaves. Put into well sprayed pans, turning to oil top as well. Let rise in pans. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. If you want to bake it in the breadmaker, just make half this recipe and set the machine to bake. You've been warned . .. it will make you want to go to church.

Thirty Years!!!

This week, Ken celebrated 30 years with his accounting firm! It was May 20, 1979 that he began with what was then Carter and Kemp,CPAs. It was a small local firm; Ken brought the total employees to seven that year! Now, the firm is called Hinton, Burdick, Hall, and Spilker CPAs and Advisors- Ken the most senior partner. There are five offices (St. George, Cedar City, Mesquite, Hurricane and Richfield) with nearly 100 employees. What started as a little local firm is now by far the largest firm south of Provo, Utah - recently ranked by Utah Business Magazine as the fourth largest local CPA firm in the state. It's amazing to see the changes over the thirty years. Gwen Iverson, a para professional, was there when Ken started and is still there, but otherwise, Ken has been there by far the longest. He now has 11 partners. Congratulations, Ken!!!! I wanted to do this post, and realized we had NO pictures of Ken at work, so I tortured him by going to his office yesterday for a photo shoot!

Kris won!

Plain and simple: Kris won. I hope America agrees!!! PS I can't help but think that Kara and friends wrote their song thinking Danny would sing it? It sure wasn't suited to either of the others, though I think Kris did better on it. Just my opinion . . .

Spring Vocal Recital

Today was my Spring Vocal Recital for my voice students(two are missing from the picture.) I was so proud of all of them. They each first sang a folk or art song, then a song from musical theater. It is so scary to sing in front of people, especially for the first time in your life, which was the case for a couple of them. I love these girls and love to have them come to my home each week and share their beautiful voices and spirits with me. It is a privilege to be their teacher. I'm teaching a couple of them during the summer, but for most we have a summer break now. A break sounds nice. After this busy week(Keynote performances and concert, preparing for the recital) I'm actually looking forward to getting some cleaning done next week!

Bow Tie Chicken Pasta Salad

This is the recipe that Cynthia Prince- Michelle's mother-in-law made for Michelle's baby shower. I've made it a couple of times since, halving it both times, and it still makes a ton. I've switched some of the ingredients by what I had around (strawberries for grapes, different kinds of nuts, etc) and it's always good. I think it should be called Kitchen Sink Salad because it has everything but in it, and it's delicious. Bow-Tie Chicken Pasta Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Serves20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marinate overnight in 2 bottles Brianna Strawberry Vinaigrette: 1 pkg. bow tie pasta, cooked el dante 6 baked chicken breasts, diced Stir or shake occasionally as it marinates. . . . . . . . Add: 1 bunch chopped green onions, a bunch of grapes, cut in half, 1 can water chestnuts (drained), 1 can pineapple tidbits (drained), 1 pkg. craisins, 1/2 pkg. spinach with stems pinched off, nuts (cashews, honey roasted peanuts, whatever you have), 1 can mandarin oranges

Spring Keynote Concert

We had our spring concert at the tabernacle on Wednesday night. Our theme was "Mothers". We've been singing for rest homes and assisted living centers the last few weeks. The missionaries here sponsor the Wednesday night programs for the tabernacle and do the publicity, so this picture has been in several of the local newspapers in the area. I felt very good about how it went. It's such a fun group of ladies, great entertainers, and I think we're sounding better and better all the time. I am especially touched that so many of the sisters from our ward came and always come to my concerts. We work hard in preparation: memorize all the music and spoken parts, etc, but it's worth it when the concert is over. We now have a summer break and will start up after Labor Day, preparing for our Christmas concert on December 7th. I always have my "ear to the ground" listening for good music, so if you have suggestions, I'm starting my search for good Christmas music. Keynotes is a fun and fulfilling part of my life. Thanks, ladies!!!

And Then There Were Three

Good show, except for the judges. Good grief! Their childish bickering, “my daddy’s better than your daddy,” wrestling, and fighting were ridiculous and showed lack of respect for the participants- not to mention, the audience. On the other hand, think what those three singers did this week: they traveled and performed for thousands, then came back and had to arrange two songs, and learn one of them, then perform in front of millions. It’s nothing less than amazing. 1st place: Danny. Love his voice. He took a song he didn’t know, and made us enjoy it. That's a performer! It was fun, upbeat, and full of energy. I thought the Saxaphone/voice scatting duet was clever. I loved his “You are So Beautiful” arrangement. His crystal-clear tone and perfect pitch were truly a vocal master class, as Simon said. 2nd place: Kris. He showed us his versatile talent- piano on one, guitar on the other. Again, diction was his problem, though it got better as he went. I thought it was brave to only accompany himself on “Heartless”. He was wonderful. 3rd place: Adam. The shameless, shameless judges didn’t point out that he was flat, underpitch on both songs(despite the fact he had an earpiece giving him the pitch.) The 2nd one was painful with the out of tune back-up singers. The producers/judges obviously want him to win, and have pulled out all the stops. I hope America sees through it. Sheesh!

I'm a Swimming Fool!

It feels wonderful to be back swimming laps the last few weeks. I’ve been doing pool exercises for months, with a few laps each day, but now I’m full out swimming laps. It’s wonderful. I‘m a swimming fool. I play a little game to help motivate me. I choose a “victim”, a fellow lap swimmer, and race them. They have no idea we’re racing. It’s my little secret. The other day I checked out the competition and chose a guy a couple of lanes over. He was 25ish, muscular, wearing a red speedo, had a shaved head. You know the type. Lots of muscles; swimming laps is one of the things he does in his cross training. The race was on. My goal: to get down and back before he got down and back and down and back. Mark, get set, GO! Lap after stinkin lap, I lost. I just couldn’t do it. I left the pool feeling quite discouraged. I decided I had two choices: 1) Shave my head and get a red speedo, or 2) choose a girl next time. You’ll be happy to hear, I went with the latter. Friday, I got in the pool at the exact same time as a girl: 27-30ish. Now I’ve been in with lots of amazing swimmer girls. You know the type: they wear swim caps, goggles, turn their heads to breathe as they do a muscular American Crawl, do an amazing flip when the reach the edges. That wasn’t this girl. She was, well, she looked a little like me. She had no idea how to flip at the wall (just like me) and she did the breast stroke- not the “free-style”. Ah! A true competition. The race was on. Lap for lap we swam. Sometimes she was ahead, sometimes I was. On and on we swam. You’re goin down, girl! I got behind when I succumbed to the temptation to swim a lap on my back- big mistake. Now I had a lot of making up to do. I swam and pushed. “Think like a water skipper” – just skim the water. “Use you legs, Kay! Kick!” “Push hard off the wall.” I pushed, I swam. At the exactly 30 minute mark, she stopped to take a drink from her water bottle- Sissy!- This was my chance. I pushed off the wall and swam with all my might. She sensed danger and pushed off to catch me. Again, at 45 minutes, she stopped to drink. Again, I gained a lead, but she closed it within a few short laps. At about 55 minutes, I was exhausted and needing to go to the bathroom . I didn’t care. I would swim til midnight if I had to; I was not going to give in first. I started to imagine the management coming at 12 midnight, asking us to please leave as they were closing. She pushed and I pushed. At exactly the 60 minute mark, she gained on me and surpassed me- barely. She touched the wall. I turned and pushed and kicked, only to realize she had stopped. The race was over. . . .and I had won!!!! Victory!!!!! I swam my last two laps while she got out of the pool, dried off and watched me finish. She had no idea she had just had her fanny kicked . . .or did she? How can you swim side by side with someone for a solid hour, neck and neck the whole way and not know you were racing???? I think she knew. As she left, I was so tempted to invite her, “Same time, same lanes tomorrow,” but I didn’t have the courage. I paid the price. My leg muscles ached, my back hurt, my hip hurt. But, oh was it worth it. Victory is sweet! I’m a swimming fool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and all of these years you’ve assumed Kristen got her competitive nature in sports only from her father! Ha!

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Lest We Forget

I'm thinking about my mom this Mother's Day. Some of the things I want to remember and want you to know about my mom: She was a knowlege gatherer. She loved to learn. She didn't have fast recall (like Dad) but she could answer most of the Jeopardy questions if she had time. She loved maps. I'd often find her studying the atlas when I came to visit her. She loved to travel and picnic and be outdoors. She was gracious and graceful. She was Logan City tennis champion. She had an infectious laugh. She loved the arts: dance, music, literature. She was a great friend and had many friends. I miss my mom. Happy Mother's Day . . . and may those great Dorothy "genes" live on in all of us!

Traditional Mother's Day Dinner

Years ago, I taught what was then called the "Merrie Miss" girls. Every year, just before Mother's day, our activity would be to teach them how to make the whole dinner so they could make it for their moms(most done on Saturday before). We would make Lasagna, Italian Salad, and garlic bread. Following are the recipes: Lasagna 1 32 oz bottle spaghetti sauce 1 8 oz/ pkg. lasagna noodles 1 lb. grated mozarella cheese 1 pint cottage cheese 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 egg Parsley flakes 1 lb. hamburger, browned with 1 chopped onion In a large frypan, brown the hamburger and onion, drain and add the spaghetti sauce. In a bowl, mix cheeses with parsley and egg. Layer in a 9 x 13 pan: noodles(slightly precooked, though you can use them dry since they soak overnight in the fridge), filling, sauce, noodles, filling sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and store in fridge until Sunday. Put in timebake while you're at church at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Italian Salad 1 bunch broccoli, chopped fine 1 head cauliflower, chopped fine 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped fine 1 bottle Italian dressing Sunflower seeds, opt. Grated cheese, opt. Pour dressing over vegetables and marinade overnight.

Prince of a Weekend

We had such a nice weekend. Michelle and Brian came to spend it with us, probably their last visit for a very long time as they are moving to Washington DC in August( (to attend George Washington University) and are having a baby next month, so won't be traveling. We had a fun picnic, went to dinner, watched a dumb movie, went to church and visited. Then we followed them north on Sunday night. Ken had training in Layton on Monday and Tuesday. Michelle and Brian had us over for a fun barbecue and FHE at their house on Monday night. They made us such a nice meal. After dinner, we went on a walk by their home. Ken's grandma lived just a couple of blocks from where Brian and Michelle are living- in the basement apt. of Brian's grandparents. Brian's grandma used to walk to MIA with Ken's mom and remembers her well. SUCH a small world! That was the most fragrant walk I've ever been on. The blossoms and flowers were gorgeous. This was Ken's Aunt Minnie's house. Ken's grandma's home- now gone- was just next door. It was a walk down memory lane for him. After our walk, we enjoyed a yummy treat and the movie of 2008 Brian has made. It was great and brought so many fun memories. What a great year we had! It was fun to accompany Ken. I swam, read, shopped, and early on Tuesday morning went to the Bountiful temple. Wow! It is beautiful. I have a new love in my life: Thomas . . . our GPS. He took me right to the temple. You can't say that about too many guys these days. The flowers and view from up there were amazingly gorgeous. We traveled home, arriving in time for my "Idol Worship" as Ken calls it, and for his Stake Presidency meeting. I hope the meeting was good, because Idol wasn't too good. Thanks for the great extended weekend, Brian and Michelle!!!