Provident Living Newsletter

Welcome to Erline Lindberg’s 16th Provident Living Newsletter. The new year is underway.

I’m including links about New Year’s resolutions, losing weight, saving money, getting out of debt, the Church’s progress in 2011, a survey about Mormons, chia seeds, powdered eggs, fueling (eating) for life, rice blend recipes, car kit, alternative to toilet paper, a prepper’s show, and something special for Valentine’s Day.

If you’re making and keeping New Year’s resolutions, read this article to stay motivated throughout the year.

If you’re trying to lose weight, try one of these eleven delicious treats under 50 calories.

Here are some web articles to help you save money in 2012.

Five simple ways to save money in 2012.

12 financial resolutions for 2012.

Speaking of money, I’ve been listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio at night for several years. Dave is a financial wizard, real estate expert and debt counselor. Dave Ramsey has devised Seven Baby Steps to guide people in their financial destination. You can quickly learn these steps by listening to Dave’s radio broadcasts on FM105.7 Family Talk Radio from 7 to 10 p.m. mountain time. Dave has written curriculum and many books, the latest on EntreLeadership. Dave approaches money from a Christian viewpoint. Did you know that there are 800 verses in the Bible dealing with money? To attend one of his classes locally or to learn more, go to Daveramsey.com. You can go to Dave’s website to download free budget forms.

If you know someone who is in debt, tell them about a free download of a Debt Reduction Calculator and Debt Snowball Payment Schedule worksheet for Microsoft® Excel® and OpenOffice.org. It’s a great tool.

If you don’t have a testimony of President Thomas S. Monson, you will after you read this article about the Church’s progress in 2011.

Also don’t miss the Pew Research Center’s groundbreaking new survey about Mormons. It is the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.

I bought some chia seeds from AlpineFoodStorage.com. Chia seeds are packed with nutrition and aid in weight loss. Simply add a teaspoon of chia seeds to a smoothie and it gels in your stomach creating a full feeling. I came across this video about what a powerhouse chia seeds are.

In case you wondering which food storage company to buy freeze dried food from, you may find this short article interesting, especially when it comes to powdered eggs.

You also might learn something from reading the comments. Watch for freeze dried cream cheese. I’ve just barely heard about it coming out.

A friend at work gave me a 4-page handout entitled “Fueling for Life!” Basically it is about meal planning with alkaline and acidic foods. The more alkaline foods we eat, the better it is for us. Really acidic foods can cause cancer, diabetes and arthritis. I wanted to share the handout with you and you can decide for yourself. I enjoyed the color “At–A-Glance pH Chart” on page 4 showing what foods are better for us. You can learn more and get recipes off the website too: www.naturesgardenwellnesscenter.com.

I’ve been following Simply Living Smart with Anitra for several years. Periodically she has sold her rice blends and finally Anitra is sharing her rice blend recipes with the world.

If you like Rice A Roni and want to save money by making them yourself without any preservatives, print these four savory rice blends for your collection.

Anitra also shared a great video on an emergency car kit.

What would you do if you run out of toilet paper? I mean for a long term. I read about this videoon singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/ in a December post. I don’t know about practicing now, but I’m sure to keep a few supplies on hand.

Have you heard of the term “preppers”? Preppers refers to people who are preparing for the future by storing food, fuel, money and other items. I caught wind of a new cable TV show entitled Doomsday Preppers on the National Geographic channel. I take issue with the term “Doomsday”. I’m eating stored beans TODAY, not waiting until doomsday, but now. Anyway the first episode of the show airs February 7, 2012.

I know this has nothing to do with provident living. I just wanted to share with you a romantic song for Valentine’s Day by Celine Dion.

Be prepared so you can provide peace of mind and comfort to your family come what may!

As always, thanks for reading!

Erline

Welcome to Erline Lindberg’s 15th Provident Living Newsletter. Merry Christmas!

Last month my newsletter was sent from my new email address so if you missed it or any other newsletters and you wish to catch up on, follow this link to the archives. This month I’m using my old email address again, but shortly I am closing it down. Starting in January, you will receive newsletters from my new email address. Please allow it in your email system.

This month I discuss free videos about the Savior’s life, a Christmas story, The Star of Bethlehem, American Family Association, food storage recipes using basic ingredients from the LDS Cannery, homemade peppermint patties, holiday recipes, acid pops for kids, a simple and inexpensive trick to cure the common cold, homemade health remedies, yarn for a good cause and two online Christmas card links.

Did you view the First Presidency 2011 Christmas Devotional on Sunday night December 4th? You can see the program in whole or part from a link off the Church’s website. At the devotional, President Eyring focused on the new free videos about the Savior’s life as The First Presidency’s gift to the world. More videos are being made. You can subscribe to receive notification when the videos are ready for viewing by following the link under “view all” and entering your email address where indicated. This is good stuff anytime, especially Christmas time and for Family Home Evenings. The videos were made in Utah at the Church’s new Jerusalem movie set that I mentioned in my November newsletter. Enjoy the videos and share with family!

I have a Christmas story called “The Gift” that I would like to share with you that I’ve had for a long time. It touches my heart because it’s about a handicapped brother and I have a brother who has had challenges in his past. You can find many on-line sources for more “Christmas stories and poems” by googling that phrase. Take a minute during this busy hectic season of parties and shopping to enjoy good uplifting words and music. Don’t forget to see the Church’s website for more resources on Christmas; simply do a search.

We’ve all heard of the Star of Bethlehem that heralded Jesus’ birth. Last year I saw a multimedia presentation by lawyer and law professor Rick Larson (not an astronomer). In the presentation seen by many tens of thousands live on stage and many tens of millions on television, Larson leads you sleuthing through Biblical and many other historical clues. He then pilots a computer model of the universe across the skies of 2000 years ago as you watch. At these presentations, you will see the striking celestial events the ancients saw. It was incredible; the video is worth every penny if you buy it. See his website http://bethlehemstar.net/ for more information. You may be able to see different presentations on The Star of Bethlehem at http://www.youtube.com/.

If you have basic food storage ingredients offered by the Church’s Cannery and some oil or shortening, you have a valuable resources to provide nutritious meals. Basic ingredients include wheat, rice, beans, flour, sugar and powdered milk. This free on-line booklet from the Lindon Cannery offers recipes.I recommend that you print this booklet and put it in your preparedness notebook. You will find tips for sprouting, emergency foods for babies, how to provide complementing proteins, baking tips for wheat allergies, lists to expand your pantry and the pioneer legacy of provident living. At end of the booklet I found two great quotes with promises from church leaders.

Vaughn J. Featherstone

Ensign, May 1976, 116

“I bear my humble witness to you that the great God of heaven will open doors and means in a way we never would have supposed to help all those who truly want to get their year’s supply. The Lord will make it possible, if we make a firm commitment,… All we have to do is to decide, commit to do it, and then keep the commitment. Miracles will take place; the way will be opened, we will have our storage areas filled. We will prove through our actions our willingness to follow our beloved Prophet and the Brethren, which will bring security to us and our families. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

And from Brigham Young:

“If we could only learn to be self-preserving and self-sustaining, we should then have learned what the Gods have learned before us, and what we must eventually learn before we can be exalted.”

From the urging of Jan Paxman about a year ago, I started subscribing to American Family Association. AFA is one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country with over two million online supporters and approximately 180,000 paid subscribers. AFA uses all these means to communicate an outspoken, resolute, Christian voice throughout America. AFA is NOT an LDS organization; but they have similar beliefs about family. AFA spurs activism directed to: preservation of marriage and the family, decency and morality, sanctity of human life, stewardship, and media integrity. Here is a list of accomplishments that American Family Association achieved in 2011. Check out their website and subscribe if you’re interested.

Here is a candy recipe for Homemade Peppermint Patties that has hit several blogs lately. The patties are made with a secret ingredient from your Sunday dinner. I haven’t made it yet, but judging from the blog comments, it is tasty.

BYU TV has a program called Fusion Grain Cooking with Chef Brad. You can view the holiday special and other past episodes on the BYU TV website. He has some wonderful recipes for the holidays.

This is something for your kids or grandkids to enjoy: Harry Potter Acid Pops. A science teacher came through my register at Wal-Mart and told how to make them. Buy Dum Dum suckers, unwrap one. Wet the sucker and dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 20 cent Kool-aid powder over the sucker. Give to the kid in your life. You’re done, now wasn’t that easy?

Another website I recently started subscribing to is Dr. Mercola; it is about health. A recent post was a simple inexpensive remedy for a cold. A prior post about alleviating colds is good, too. Dr. Merola’s supplements are very pricy and not in my budget, but he gives lots of good advice to help you with health issues. Check out his vast library.

A couple of years ago I copied a post and all the comments about Frugal Homemade Health Remedies. The post is no longer on the website but I saved it in my word processing program. You might like to read through the remedies and print it if you think you would like to try any of them. I swear by a Whiskey Hot Toddy if you have a cough; it will knock it out completely. Caution: keep whiskey out of reach of teenagers.

Last month I mentioned that Lynn Painter in my ward was making and donating hats for cancer patients at the Huntsman Center. If you have any leftover yarn in your stash, please send it her way.

In closing, I’d like to share some links to online Christmas cards that my Aunt Bonnie and Aunt Mary sent to me. I’ve seen them in years past; you will enjoy them. Christmas Card 1 Christmas Card 2

And here is a cute video of Santa and reindeer singing White Christmas.

Be prepared so you can provide peace of mind and comfort to your family come what may!

I wish you peace and a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading! Erline

Welcome to Erline Lindberg’s 14th Provident Living Newsletter. Blessed Thanksgiving to all of you!

There’s more links today to empower your range of knowledge including the Church’s new website, what Mormons think of self reliance, the Church’s new Jerusalem movie set, more on dehydrated v. freeze dried foods, Shirley J recipes, pumpkin bread recipe, gift ideas, video about powdered milk, save on dentist bills, and yarn for a good cause.

The latest new Church website emphasizes family, ward and stake emergency preparedness. Again for families the three priorities are a 3-month supply of food (and longer term supply of basic foods), water (this is more important than food in my opinion), and financial reserves. Families are encouraged to plan for other important items, too. Read through the links regarding the Church guidelines for using meetinghouses for emergency shelters, disaster cleanup and Church volunteer safety, emergency communication, and the stake and ward emergency planning guide. Do you have water stored yet?

From Mormon.org we can learn what other Mormons think of self reliance and emergency preparedness. As stated on the website:

“Being prepared for potential emergencies helps us to become self-reliant. Becoming self-reliant provides more personal independence, industry, thrift and self respect. It also gives more opportunity to serve and care for others in need.”

I can relate to all the comments from other Church members that I read on this site. Another LDS website about Christ offers further clarification of how the LDS people are self reliant.

I came across this late summer article about the Church’s new Jerusalem movie set:

“Just 56 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the middle of the rural countryside, is a three-acre replica of ancient Jerusalem. It is a new movie set created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for filming dozens of vignettes portraying the life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.”

There’s no access for the public, but wouldn’t you love to see it?

Last month I sent you a link about what’s more nutritious–dehydrated vs. freeze-dried foods? I told you I would give my opinion regarding the foods in this handout. I would buy dehydrated onions because they are more nutritious and cost less than freeze dried onions. According to the Shelf Reliance/Thrive information sealed #10 cans of chopped freeze dried onions and dehydrated onions both have a 25-year shelf life and a shelf life of 2 years opened, but there is a 30% difference in price, dehydrated onions cost less. The handout mentioned that freeze dried meals are pre-cooked or blanched therefore the nutrition rich water is removed. Same goes with some dehydrated vegetables; they have to be blanched before they are dehydrated. This is true with green beans. According to the handout dehydrated green beans have about the same nutrition as its freeze dried counterpart. I would buy the one with the longest shelf life or lower price, whichever is important to you. Regarding the banana chips, I prefer real (freeze dried) bananas over dehydrated banana chips any day. The same goes with the real (freeze dried) chicken. I prefer chicken over dehydrated chicken flavored TVP. But there is a big difference in price between freeze dried chicken and TVP, the TVP costs much less. Dehydrated chicken TVP does not hold up in watery soups; it turns to mush.

Since my last post, Preparedness Pro wrote a post raving about the benefits of freeze dried foods over dehydrated foods. It’s worth checking out.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Shirley J Universal Sauce! Shirley J sauce was developed by a food scientist and has been used in restaurants for over 30 years. The sauce is a white sauce, soup base or gravy mix for hundreds of recipes which you can find on their website. Simply add water and heat. The sauce is foolproof, simple, versatile and economical. There is no trans, saturated or hydrogenated oils or MSG in the sauce. There is sunflower oil in the Shirley J sauce and is healthier than store bought cream soup. The cost of the sauce is 50 cents compared to the same quantity of a store bought cream soup. The Shirley J sauce lasts many years in storage. This sauce is a great staple for making other foods taste good and would be an asset if you were limited on ingredients such as butter. Shirley J sauce is great to add left overs to and would be healthy and delicious if you had to throw something together fast. You can buy the Shirley J sauce in a nice Mylar reclosable 3-pound bag for $24.95, but you can save more by buying a bucket from a dealer and resealing it yourself in #10 cans. I have compiled many of my favorite Shirley J recipes into one document for your convenience. Check out their website for more favorites. Shirley J’s corporate office and warehouse is located at 15 East 400 South near Orem Boulevard in Orem, Utah. Shirley J also carries seasonings, bouillon and bakery mixes. I love their chicken bouillon; you only need 1/2 teaspoon per cup of water and it has no MSG. I use their products in everyday cooking, not just for storage.

I came across a great fall comfort food recipe: cream cheese filled pumpkin bread. Of course, I would add chocolate chips to the batter.

Need ideas for Christmas gifts? Give the gift of preparedness.

Some of you have asked about what kind of powdered milk to have in your food storage. Here’s a 9-minute video explaining powdered milk really well. Check out all Cystal’s videos, recipes and blog about food storage here: http://everydayfoodstorage.net/

What do you do if you don’t have dental insurance or your dental insurance is inadequate? Here’s an alternative to help anyone’s pocketbook. Last year my husband needed a new dental crown. We got estimates locally for $900; we don’t have dental insurance so that would be our out of pocket cost. I talked to a friend who is a licensed dental assistant at the Half Price Dental Clinic in Orem and found out my husband could get a new crown for $450 from an experienced licensed dentist. We made an appointment and followup and it was done quickly and skillfully at half the price. Half Price Dental does all dental procedures including but not limited to fillings, root canals, crowns, extractions and implants. They offer free exams and x-rays. If you want your teeth cleaned, you get an exam and x-ray and cleaning – all for only $39.00. Dental insurance is accepted, but NOT necessary. The address is 1176 South 1480 West in Orem. The phone number is 801-426-0774. You get there by taking University Parkway exit, go west towards Geneva Road. Go straight through the light into the business park. Half Price Dental is located behind the dental school. When you make an appointment, be sure to mention Renette Laing as your referring assistant. Renette is the one who told me about this great service. Tell all your friends.

I have a good friend in my ward who lost her husband to cancer last winter. Her name is Lynn Painter and she is on a mission to serve other cancer patients. When going through cancer treatments it is hard to keep warm. Lynn is donating her time, talents and energies to making handmade beanie caps for the Huntsman Cancer Center. Lynn makes about 3 to 4 beanies a day, all sizes for all ages, but she has limited resources. I’m asking all of you that have excess yarn in your craft stash to please donate what you can to Lynn and her cause. Lynn’s phone number is 801-709-5284; please leave a message if Lynn doesn’t answer. Remember what Christ said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40.

Be prepared so you can provide peace of mind and comfort to your family come what may!

Thanks for reading, Erline

Welcome to Erline Lindberg’s 13th Provident Living Newsletter. For new readers of this newsletter, I am the Provident Living Specialist in American Fork East Stake 29th Ward and my family has lived in American Fork for 25 years. My Bishopric wishes me to share information with ward members (I also share with stake and family members). I try to send out a newsletter once a month.

In this edition, you will find information and the link to the LDS Preparedness Manual, Deseret News article, American Fork emergency phone numbers, mini first aid kit sewn in a pot holder, Stovetec instructions, list of some LDS Church websites, King’s Banquet for 29th ward, emergency water and document file, prior newsletters, prophecies fulfilled, the future of food, the last 50 years in America, and which is best?–freeze dried or dehydrated foods.

September was National Preparedness Month. In support, I would like to share The LDS Preparedness Manual; it is an excellent resource that contains up-to-date information on many preparedness topics from experts in the Church. This manual is not endorsed by the Church and it is not the LDS edition of the manual; this manual is for all faiths. You may want to print pertinent parts of the manual for your use (it’s helpful to have a printer that prints on both sides of the paper) or you can purchase a bound edition for $8 (instructions inside); the manual is 222 pages. I would definitely print the section on Terrorism to have on hand. This manual is a keeper and as I suggest (as I did in my first newsletter) you put this in your preparedness and/or food storage recipe notebook.

Here is a Deseret News newspaper article with lots of links to follow about National Preparedness Month.

At the American Fork East Stake preparedness fair on September 15, I gave out a list of emergency phone numbers you can put by your phones at home, work, or in your cars. For those who haven’t yet received a copy, you can download it here so that you can print it on cardstock, cut it up, laminate if you wish and hand it out to others. The list has 4 copies per 8-1/2″ x 11″ page. I forgot to type in Allied Waste Trash Removal at 801-758-5935. For those in other cities, some of the emergency phone numbers are for you, too. Simply print your own city’s phone numbers in place of American Fork City. I wish to thank Kim Riehle in the 30th ward for compiling this list of emergency phone numbers.

Many sisters who came to the preparedness fair were interested in the mini first aid kit contained in a buttoned-up potholder. The mini first aid kit is easy to sew. You will need one potholder with loop, 8 snack bags, one large button and a sewing machine. Position 4 snack bags with the ziplock top side along the east and west side of the potholder, with the bottom of 4 bags overlapping the bottom of the other 4 bags in the middle. Sew 3 lines of zig zag stitching (1/8″ inch apart) down the center of the potholder from the north to the south end, catching the bottoms of all 8 snack bags. After you are done, 4 snack bags will be suspended on the east side and 4 snack bags will be suspended on the west side and ready to be filled with first aid supplies. Detach the loop of the potholder and position and sew it down on the center of the east side. Sew a large button on the center of the west side; now you can close the potholder. Here’s a list of items you might want to keep in the snack bags pockets of the first aid kit. These mini first aid kits make great gifts, can be stowed away in a car glove compartment, backpack pocket, locker, purse or briefcase. Make mini first aid kits for children, scouts and young women, too. Sarah Smith and Diane Laney shared a good source for bulk individually wrapped first aid supplies to put in any First Aid Kit. See Stat medical online or their “candy store” of first aid supplies in Murray, Utah. http://www.statmedical.com/

All of you who purchased a Stovetec biomass rocket stove recently can thank Marilyn Greenwood for handling the transaction and getting a good price. When I opened the Stovetech stove I got several years ago, it did not have instructions. Be sure to view the video on Stovetec’s website and download/print the instructions to keep with your stove. Marilyn is doing a second order on the stoves. These would make great Christmas gifts for those interested in emergency preparedness. The one-door stove is approximately $85 and the two-door stove is approximately $90 depending on shipping rates at the time of the order. You can read more about the stoves by viewing my 12th newsletter and also the Stovetec website.

The first Sunday of September Nathan Bryant with the help of his wife Michele gave an excellent presentation entitled “Electronic Mormonism” in the 29th Ward Relief Society. Nathan shared some Church websites with links; other wards may be interested to see this list so Michele gave me permission to share. There’s something for all ages and interests. Enjoy!

A reminder for 29th Ward members: you and your family are invited to bring and taste delicious food storage recipes at the King’s Banquet, Thursday, October 13, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Church. Come and let your taste buds experience a variety of nutritious cuisine.

As a goal for the September preparedness fair, the stake asked that every family have emergency water and a paper or electronic document file and contact information, and a little cash. My home ward, American Fork 29th ward, offered a drawing for prizes. Rick and Julie Wright won the drawing held on Sunday, September 11. Out of the 185 homes in my ward, only 10-15 families have met this goal. My advice: start working on it or keep working on it. You can begin by setting a goal to have your water storage completed by a certain date. Set aside time to put your document file together in one secure place. The promise: peace of mind.

Several people have asked for my prior newsletters. My husband has uploaded them to his website so you can view them here at your convenience.

The following four notations are controversial, but I am including them for the sake of giving information to empower you.

A friend from work shared a website about major events happening around the world, truly the mark of prophecies being fulfilled at an accelerated rate. Here you will find multiple events recorded each day. Be sure to bookmark this site and view it several times a week, scrolling down and viewing older posts, to keep on top of world events happening on our Earth.

I watched a free documentary video about the future of food. Very interesting and informative! It is about an hour and a half long, but worth it. Basically the company(s) that control the seeds controls the food chain and the American public is being sold some genetically engineered foods. This documentary makes me more interested in raising my own food. In case you’re interested in open pollinated (or reproducing) seeds for your garden, here’s a good starting list of seed companies.

Irene Black of 9th Ward sent me a link to a short video about what has happened to America in the last 50 years. It’s only about 5-6 minutes in length. I recommend viewing this video; everything in it has come to pass.

Which is more nutritious–freeze dried food or dehydrated food? Check out this 2-page comparison and you decide. I’ll tell you my opinion next month.

Consider the benefits of purchasing freeze-dried foods. I recently went to two Shelf Reliance/Thrive events and was thrilled with their products: freeze dried yogurts, ice cream, veggies, fruits (including mandarin oranges), sausage, hamburger, dried meats, butter and sour cream. Add 1 teaspoon water to one tablespoon of Thrive powered butter and you have creamy butter; same with the sour cream. Thrive fruit and veggie pouches are perfect for 72-hour emergency kits. It’s also great comfort food and terrific additions to your food storage when you have the basics. You can taste these items locally at the Shelf Reliance corporate offices in American Fork. You save 5% to 20% depending on the item when you buy their products from a party or consultant.

Be prepared so you can provide peace of mind and comfort to your family come what may!

Thanks for reading, Erline

Welcome to Erline Lindberg’s 12th Provident Living Newsletter. Today – zucchini recipes, Stovetech offer through August 25, Nauvoo, cooking rice and pasta with little water, tattler canning lids, new preparedness blog, LDS radio, the “eye” at the temple, and dehydration instructions for produce and cheese.

It’s that time of year with an abundance of zucchini. Here’s some links to some delicious zucchini recipes:

Zucchini Muffins and Zucchini and Eggs

Zucchini Fest: Fried Zucchini Sticks, Southwestern Zucchini and Corn, Favorite Zucchini Cake, Zucchini Cupcakes, Summer Chicken Chili, Zucchini and Chicken Casserole, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Lemon Zucchini Cookies, and Mystery Cobbler

Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Pasta Zucchini Bake

Summer Side Dishes from Everyday Food Storage Recipes Blog.

Killer Zucchini Fruit Snacks made with Koolaid – healthy for kids. Thanks go to Ilenana Brailsford, Lavee Valencia’s daughter (Levee lives in American Fork 29^th ward) for sharing this link.

Try slicing zucchini crossways and sprinkle on Italian seasoning. Dehydrate on screens in your hot car by placing the screen on an open box with the flaps turned inside (to raise it off the seat and allow more air to get it) or in your dehydrator. I like the Italian seasoning at Winco in the bulk department. I think it has dried tomatoes in the seasoning.

An opportunity to purchase a great biomass stove for outdoor cooking is available this month through myself or Marilyn Greenwood in the 12th ward. You can view the deluxe one-door and two-door models at www.stovetec.net. Be sure to view the video and decide which model you would be interested in, then download the instructions for use on that website. These stoves take very little fuel (wood, leaves, charcoal) and generate a hot fire because of the ceramic core. They use these stoves all over the world. The stovetec is a great long term alternative for preparedness in case you’re out of other fuel such as kerosene or propane. The one-door model is best overall for emergency preparedness because it has a larger door and can fit pine cones and larger wood pieces, but not charcoal. The two-door model has a smaller opening for better control of the heat (best for pressure cookers) and the only model that uses charcoal, but can also use smaller pieces of wood . Both deluxe models come with a inner metal lining, top metal bib for fitting a pan and a grate for shoving wood into the open stove door. If we order 48 stoves, the price of the deluxe one-door model is $85 (or you can purchase it at Parley’s Hardware in Orem for $120 if you don’t want to wait for delivery). The price of the deluxe two-door model is $90 (or $130 at Parley’s). The lower prices from myself or Marilyn include about $15 to $20 shipping. The deadline for payment is Thursday, August 25. Marilyn says you may get money back on shipping of the Stovetech

If you can’t afford to go to Nauvoo like me, you can get a free preview here through some awesome photographs by Robert Grover. A friend in my ward Ina Tucker shared this with me. Hope you enjoy the slideshow and music!

Preparedness Pro wrote a blog post about cooking pasta and rice with little water. It’s a must read and print copy for your recipe file; it could prove really useful in the future. Also Kellene wrote about Tattler Canning Lids, the reusable lids. The lids cost more, but you can use them over and over if you take care of them.

I stumbled on a new preparedness blog, posted by a single mother. It’s new, only a few months old. She posts frequently. It won’t take you long to read older posts…it’s an easy read. singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com

Last summer at Education Week a sister saint shared an LDS music radio website with me. Give it a listen If you would some good music while you’re browsing the internet

I’ve told you before that I like to walk and sometimes I walk around the temple. Did you know the Lord’s eye watches you while you’re passing by? Yes, you can see it on the east side of the Mount Timpanogos Temple where the large circular window in the Celestial Room is located. As you walk around the sidewalk perimeter of the temple on the outside of the fence, watch the circular window about 30 feet before and 30 feet after you pass the window. If the window is clean, you will see an eclipse or opening and closing “eye”. It’s awesome!

Now that produce is beginning to mature in our gardens, you’ll surely have an abundance you’ll want to store for later use. Dehydrating fruits and vegetables uses much less space than frozen or canned produce. Here’s a good source for instructions on dehydrating vegetables and dehydrating fruits.

I googled “dehydrating cheese” and I had success in finding instructions. You have to use paper towels to soak up the “fat” and I have no idea how long dehydrated cheese keeps fresh without going rancid, but it’s worth a try. After all, #10 cans of freeze dried cheese are $35 to $48. That’s expensive. If you can get cheese on sale and dehydrate it, it would be a good comfort food and a great flavoring for your family especially if we don’t have refrigeration. I tried some freeze dried mozzarella cheese and loved it. Be sure when you rehydrate dehydrated or freeze dried cheese, do not use hot water; use cold water. Hot water will make the cheese shreds clump and that’s not what you want. I used the freeze dried mozzarella cheese on pizza and I had left overs. When I refrigerated the left overs and went to heat the pizza up the next day, it melted again perfectly. Love, love, love it!! Another way to preserve cheese is by waxing it and keeping it at a cool room temperature; then you can slice it! After all, the Italians have waxed cheese hanging in their deli store windows unrefrigerated. If you would like to try waxing cheese and want to buy some cheese wax, I have two pounds. Just email me if you’re interested and I’ll give you more information.

Be prepared so you can provide peace of mind and comfort to your family come what may!

Thanks for reading, Erline