Don't forget about tomorrow!

Gift wrapping/bow making

Just an fyi...

We are set on alligator clips!

You do not need to get any if you haven't already.

See you tomorrow!

Gift Wrapping / Hair Bow Making Day!

All day Tuesday, Dec. 22nd from 9am 'till 9 or 10 pm (or whenever we are done)

@Emily Bardin's

Come & Go

Come and learn how to make a beautiful gift or

just come and get all your Christmas wrapping done!

If you have any spare boxes, please bring them. I have quite a few, but I don't think enough. I also have LOTS of wrapping paper, tape and ribbon, but if you want to use your own, you are more than welcome to bring it.

We will also be making hair bows / hair flowers. Leslie is bringing alligator clips but if you plan on making a lot you might want to bring your own. (the best place to get them is Ribbons and Lace on the S/W corner of Lindsay/Main) (or online but it might not come in time) If you just want to make a few, you can pay Leslie for the ones she gets. I believe they are 25 cents a piece. Also you will want to bring your own ribbon or fabric so you have what you want.

If you have any questions, please call Emily Bardin

RS Dinner

Don't forget! The RS Dinner will be on December 15th at 6:30 at the church.

It will be a little different this year as it is not progressive. So we won't be traveling around from house to house. But it will be equally fun and enjoyable! You don't want to miss this one, trust me!

-Sis. Bardin

A Christmas Tradition (starting tomorrow!! (Tue.))

Here's a Christmas tradition I've done the past two years. There are 24 chapters in Luke in the bible. Read one chapter a day starting on December 1st and finishing on Christmas Eve. It's a wonderful way to keep focused on the true meaning of Christmas - by reading an account of our Savior's mortal life. I'm excited to start this again on Tuesday!

Rachel

Differences Between a cold, H1N1, and seasonal flu

SYMPTOM	COLD	SWINE FLU	SEASONAL FLU
FEVER	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with H1N1 in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 101°	Fever is common with the seasonal flu.
COUGHING	A hacking, productive (mucus-producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with H1N1 (sometimes referred to as dry cough).	A dry and hacking cough is often present with the seasonal flu.
ACHES	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with H1N1.	Moderate body aches are common with the seasonal flu.
STUFFY NOSE	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with H1N1.	A runny nose is commonly present with the seasonal flu.
CHILLS	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have H1N1 experience chills.	Chills are mild to moderate with the seasonal flu.
TIREDNESS	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with H1N1.	Tiredness is moderate and more likely referred to as a lack of energy with the seasonal flu.
SNEEZING	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with H1N1.	Sneezing is commonly present with the seasonal flu.
SUDDEN SYMPTOMS	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	H1N1 has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. H1N1 hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. Symptoms usually last 4-7 days, depending on the individual. Diarrhea is common.	Symptoms tend to develop over a few days and include flushed face, loss of appetite, dizziness and/or vomiting/nausea. Symptoms usually last 4-7 days, depending on the individual. Diarrhea is common.
HEADACHE	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with H1N1 and present in 80% of cases.	A headache is fairly common with the seasonal flu.
SORE THROAT	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with H1N1.	Sore throat is commonly present with the seasonal flu.
CHEST DISCOMFORT	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with H1N1.	Chest discomfort is moderate with the seasonal flu. If it turns severe seek medical attention immediately!

PREVENTION TIPS:

• cough & sneeze into your elbow


• wash hands with soap and warm water for a minimum of 15 -20
  seconds. Sing your abc's
  or happy birthday to you


• use hand sanitizer when soap & water are not available


• avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth without washing or using
  hand sanitizer first


• stay home if you are sick to avoid contaminating your
  co-workers

Yummy Turkey Recipe

Below is the turkey recipe I used for Thanksgiving last year. My sister used it at Christmas. It was hands down the best turkey we've ever had - so flavorful and moist! If you don't already have a favorite recipe, I recommend giving this one a try. One item to note, though, the turkey was NOT completely cooked for me nor for my sister after the time specified in the recipe. The breast was fully cooked but the rest of the turkey wasn't ready. So you might need to cook the turkey longer than specified, depending on your oven.

Rachel

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Brine:
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper.

Stuff the turkey with:
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
1 large orange, cut into 8ths
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme

Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn over, and baste with 1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

================== Notes from the woman from whom I got the recipe ==================
If you are cooking for a large crowd I would recommend 2 smaller turkeys rather than one large one. I have found that they actually fit in one of those large rectangular disposable roasting pans side by side quite well. The reason with going with two smaller ones is that for one they cook faster. So, as a result, it stays more moist. You can cook two small ones in about half the time it takes to cook 1 large one. A large turkey can tend to be a little more tough. But, I have cooked just one large turkey before and it does work fine. My 14 lb turkey took about 3 1/2 hrs to cook, just to give you an idea of how much longer it took for a bigger bird.

September Already?

Not that we are sorry to see the summer go, but wow, it went fast. Time for all things autumn, school and yes - Christmas. This event coming up in September will be fun and a great way to get some of the gifts on your list taken care of. 

Make these fun “I've Been Good” baskets to encourage and reward! A great way to inspire incentive for positive behavior.



Beautiful “Chicken Scratch” handstitched Bookmarks. A simple, lovely way to remind someone you love them every time they pick up a book to read.



Blanket or Buttonhole Stitch around a piece of fleece for a pro finish on everyone's “blankie”.



Fun Four Corners Apron for Holidays or Everydays. The pattern comes in “me” and “mini me sizes”. Easy and fast, but you will learn a thing or two. You would need to bring your own fabric for this project. You will be notified ahead of time for the yardage requirement. A great gift for the tall and small cooks on your list.



What does your sign say? The next few pics are the different Sign Boards available for your projects. Paint the colors you want with the saying of your choice for you or someone you love enough to make one for. The money for these projects is due on the 1st of September, so don't delay.









There will also be quilts for the Humanitarian center set up for anyone wanting to come and do some service. There's nothing better than sitting around a quilt gabbing with a few friends…unless it's quilting and taking a break to munch on something once in a while.

There will of course be food. Chips, Dips, Crackers, Cheese, Veggies, etc. to satisfy even the healthiest (or not) munchies. There will be a sign up passed around for the fare, so get out your delicious dip recipes, your chips of choice, the veggies you love and the cheeses that make you smile. We will also have something a little more substantial since we are going through the dinner hour.

It's going to be a fun afternoon and evening and we will accomplish much. Please come and have fun with us - Mark your calendars today.

Keeping up with Blogs...

Are you having trouble keeping up with blogs?  Try using Google Reader. "New content posted to your subscriptions will appear in Google Reader, the same way that new emails addressed to you show up in your email account. This way, you can keep up with all your favorites sites in one place, without having to visit each one individually."

If you want to use Google Reader, here are the steps to get set up. Note that this works only for public blogs, so you won't be able to subscribe to private blogs this way.
1. Go to http://www.google.com/reader
2. Sign in with your Google account (if you don't have an account, you can create one for free)
3. Click on the Add Subscription link on the left-hand side of the page
4. Enter the URL for the blog you want to subscribe to (ex. http://myblog.blogspot.com)

 

You can also subscribe to non-blogs using Google Reader.  For example, I subscribe to some news web sites and travel web sites.  Also, many of the Church's web sites are accessible via Google Reader. 

-From Rachel Tyler

Game Night tonight!!!

Don't forget we have game night tonight at Hillary Stapley's.  Starts at 6:30 until whenever!  You can come late if you want and stay until as late as you want!  We're going to have so much fun so come and enjoy.  Bring a snack or treat to share if you want and games if you have any.  Call Emily Bardin for directions.

Emergency Preparedness Website - Check it out!

The Higley Stake has a FANTASTIC web site for emergency preparedness at
http://iwillprepare.com/.  It has a ton of information and resources.   Be
sure to check out the Workshops page - it appears they have workshops the
4th Thursday of each month.

Thanks to Rachel T. for the info!