Healthy Conference Treats

We have a tradition surrounding General Conference at our house: FOOD!  A lot of our traditions revolve around food.  It started out when our kids were quite young and I wanted them to enjoy Conference and stick around during the talks without having to resort to Satan's plan i.e. making them sit there.  I make a big spread of assorted appetizers and have them in our great room and we just sort of graze all day long.  It takes a bit of prep work but there's usually enough that it lasts the whole day and I don't have to worry about what's for dinner that night.  I wanted to send Matt and his companion some kind of healthy Conference treats and while these probably weren't super healthy...there is after all, a ton of salt in Chex Mix...lets face it, it's a lot healthier than all the sugar I've sent the last few months...and Sister Murphy listed it as her favorite treat on her "My Favorite Things" printable.  Her mom was kind enough to share the recipe and this helpful hint: "Double the sauce-ie bit of the recipe to make it truly addictive."  Thanks, Marcie!

Chex Party Mix

3 cups Rice Chex cereal

3 cups Wheat Chex cereal

3 cups Corn Chex cereal

1 cup small pretzels

1 cup nuts

1 cup mini bagel chips

(like in Gardetto's - I found them by the deli at the grocery store)

1 cube butter

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Tobasco sauce, to taste (optional)

1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

3/4 tsp garlic powder

(or 3-4 fresh cloves garlic, crushed)

1/2 tsp onion powder 

In a large bowl add the cereals, pretzels, nuts and bagel chips.  Stir to combine.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and add the seasonings.  Stir to combine.

Pour over cereal mixture and stir until everything is coated evenly.

Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and bake uncovered for 1 hour in a 250 F. oven, stirring every 15 minutes.   

This will allow the mix to dry out and become slightly golden.  

Allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

 

General Conference on CD

May I share a story from my mission?  I hope you don't mind...I served my mission in Hong Kong and while I was there I had the opportunity to serve in Macau which at the time was a Portugese territory located on a peninsula next to mainland China.  My 'boyfriend' at the time (we're now married) would record General Conference onto cassettes for me.  My companion and I loved to listen to them.  We would get Conference in Hong Kong but we were about a month behind and would only get one session that was translated into Cantonese.  The members would all gather together at the Stake House in Homantin to watch and the rest of Conference would have to be read later from the Liahona (international church magazine).  One spring day I was assigned to provide the spiritual thought at the beginning of our District meeting.  I decided to share portions from President Ezra Taft Benson's memorable talk on the importance of the Book of Mormon.  At that time there were eight missionaries in our District and only three of us were English speaking, the rest being native Chinese.  Before the talk was over all of the native missionaries were openly weeping.  I was surprised!  It's a great talk and while it is indeed a very moving one I had not yet translated it for them.  They were only listening to his voice and therein was the key.  Upon my inquiry I was told that this was the first time that they had ever heard the prophet's actual voice.  Up to that point they had only ever heard an interpreter's voiceover.  We are truly blessed in ways that we don't even realize...

A few years ago I noticed that for an additional US $10, I could order CD's of General Conference when I order my church magazines.  It comes right to my mailbox about a week prior to them coming out at Deseret Book for purchase.  Mason loved them and Matt will too.  Rather than have my missionary carry the CD's around with them for the rest of their mission, I suggest that when they are transferred they leave them in their apartment for other missionaries to enjoy.  This year I ordered two CD's so I can keep one at home as well.

You can order a copy of October 2013 General Conference by clicking here

or by visiting store.lds.org

TALKS - "It is Better to Look Up"

Matt likes us to send inspirational talks.  He is really into studying and only has the 'approved' book list, his scriptures and Preach My Gospel to study from.  He can't even have Lectures on Faith which is amazing to me as it is by the prophet Joseph Smith and was declared to be 'doctrine' in 1835.  Strange.  "Ours is not to reason why..." (Alfred Lord Tennyson)  Anyhow...I CAN send him printouts of things, he just can't have the actual real deal. 

As I stumble upon talks that I think Matt might like, or that he needs to hear, or that are on a particular topic that he is studying on I like to 're-do' them a bit to make them more missionary friendly.  Adjust the font and line spacing, add a photo as well as a title and small summary of what the talk is about and make them double sided to save on postage.  It occurred to me that you might like these as well so from time to time as I stumble upon them or search for things he wants or needs I'll share them with you.

You could also send your missionary a nice binder so they have a place to keep the talks you send.  Make sure you pre-punch the holes for them or put the talks in sheet protectors prior to mailing.  Enjoy!

Click on the image of the speaker to download.

Don't forget to change your printer to print 'double-sided'...

On my PC: click on 'Print', click on 'Properties' tab, click on 'Finishing',

click on 'Print on both sides', click on 'ok', click on 'ok' - should be good to go!

         



Conference Journals

 

Just before General Conference I stumbled upon this little jewel from Colette at My Computer is My Canvas.  A printable Conference journal with designs for him OR her.  I love it!  I quickly downloaded it from her ETSY site and sent it off to the print shop via email.  (Don't you just LOVE modern technology?)  I asked them to copy the front and back cover onto their heaviest stock available then laminate both for durability.  The inner pages come two to a page.  I had them printed on regular stock but double-sided.  With Colette's printable you can insert as many pages as you desire.  I had them put in 25 double-sided pages for a total of 50 pages in each journal, then had them cut and spiral bound.  Finished size is 5.5" x 8.5". Total price for the 4 journals was $16 (not including the purchase from Colette's site).  Not bad.  My mission companions daughter just went into the MTC so I had a set made for her and her companion and Matt and his.  Thanks Colette!