Quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, shared by Sister Royer

"Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.

"Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth." 

--President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, September 1988

Father's Day

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Corn Salsa Chicken

1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can corn, drained
1 T taco seasoning or 1 oz package taco seasoning
1/2 lb chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup Water

Place all ingredients in resalable gallon sized freezer bag.  Mix together in bag and zip closed.  When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours.  

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or Low for 7-8 hours.  

When finished cooking, shred chicken and serve over rice, with tortilla chips, over a salad, in tortilla shells, or wrapped in a soft tortilla (this meat is so versatile).  Garnish with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce.  

Shortcake Biscuits, Lemon Curd & Lemonade From Cindy Bingham

Shortcake Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

1 egg yolk, well beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter. Mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Mix as little as possible until dry ingredients are just moistened. Dump onto lightly floured surface and knead very lightly, 4 or 5 times and pat dough into 1/3 to ½ inch thick sheet. Use biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or glass cut to cut out rounds (or squares).  Move to lightly oiled cookie sheet. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle on sugar. Bake @ 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Using a peeler, zester, or grater remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 cup cold heavy or whipping cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl put the 1 tablespoon of water and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Microwave for 30 seconds. Gelatin should be clear and melted.

 In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream until it gets thick and starts to form peaks. Gradually make your way to high speed otherwise you will be wearing it. And so will your counters, ceiling, floors, you get the idea.

Gradually add in your sugar and the vanilla. When the cream is whipped, stream the gelatin over the whipped cream, while you are beating it. This makes it so your whipped cream won’t weep or break until it is used. It can sit in the fridge for a couple of days and still be usable.

LEMONADE 

1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup) (I reduce so it isn't so sweet)

1 cup water (for the simple syrup)

1 cup lemon juice

3 to 4 cups cold water or lemon lime soda (to dilute)

 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.

November 2012 Ensign (Letter from L. Tom Perry to his Mother)

“Dear Mom,

“For the last four years I have had the great misfortune of spending Mother’s Day away from you. Each year I have wanted to be with you and tell you just how I love you and how much I think of you, but since it is once again impossible, I will have to do the next best thing and send my thoughts through the mail.

“This year more than any of the others I can see just what having a wonderful mother has done for me. First of all, I miss the little things you used to do for me. Whenever I got out of bed in the morning, I never had to worry about whether I’d find a clean shirt and clean socks. All that I had to do is open a drawer, and I would find them. At mealtime I always knew that I would find something I liked, prepared the best way possible. At night I always knew that I would find clean sheets on my bed and just the right amount of covers to keep me very comfortable. Living at home was really a great pleasure.”

When I read these first two paragraphs of the letter, I was shocked by how sentimental they sounded. Perhaps living in a tent and sleeping under a mosquito net on a camp cot had my thoughts returning to my very special home.

My letter to my mother continued:

“But deeper is the feeling for you because of the example you set for me. Life was made so enjoyable for us as a family that we wanted to follow in your footsteps, to continue on through experiencing the same joy that had been ours in our younger days. You always found time to take the family into the canyon, and we could count on you to do anything from climbing mountains to playing ball with us. You and Dad were never going on vacations alone. The family was always with you. Now that I am away from home, I always like to talk about my home life because it was so enjoyable. I couldn’t turn from your teachings now because my actions would reflect on your character. Life is a great challenge to me to be worthy to be called the son of Nora Sonne Perry. I am very proud of this title, and I hope that I will always be worthy of it.

“I hope that next year finds me with you to show you the good time I have been planning to show you on Mother’s Day for the past four years.

“May the Lord bless you for all the wonderful things you have done for this troubled world.

“All my love, Tom”¹

chapter 11 on page 154 From the George Albert Smith Manual

Sister Whitney Marchant challenged the sisters to read this paragraph in her lesson last week.

We came into the world for a great purpose, the same as Jesus, our elder brother, to do the will and works of our Father; in this there is peace, joy and happiness, an increase of wisdom, knowledge and the power of God; outside of this are no promised blessings. Thus let us devote ourselves to righteousness, help each and to be better and happier; do good to all and evil to none; honor God and obey His Priesthood; cultivate and preserve an enlightened conscience and follow the Holy Spirit; faint not, hold fast to what is good, endure to the end and your cup of joy shall be full even to overflowing, for great shall be your reward for your trials and sufferings under temptations, your fiery ordeals, your heart yearnings and tears; yea, our God will give you a crown of unfading glory.