Pennies for the P.E.F.

The theme for our ward Christmas party was "Pennies for the P.E.F." Starting in October we had members of the ward set aside an old (hopefully clean) soup can or Mason jar and attach the following label:

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Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training. Education is the key to opportunity.
~Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

This holiday season we thought it made a lot of 'CENTS' to donate to the PERPETUAL EDUCATION FUND. Please place this label on a small can or jar and use it to collect your spare coins from now until December 6th. We can’t wait to see what kind of 'CHANGE' our ward can make in the lives of others!

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We had everyone bring their cans and jars to our ward party, which we held on a Saturday morning. We served two yummy casseroles for breakfast (see recipes below), sang a few Christmas carols and had a special musical number by Alex.

Barbara and I with the help of George and Livi took the collection to Zions Bank. We used their coin machine to count the donations, jamming it once in the process due to overfilling it! When all was said and done we managed to collect close to $650 for the Perpetual Education Fund! (And the breakfast was a big hit so I'm sure we'll do it again this year!)

Unfortunately we were so busy keeping the casseroles and sausage coming we didn't take any photos during the party, but here's what it looked like before:




And here are the recipes for the two breakfast casseroles we served that morning. Yum!

Egg & Ham Casserole
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
6 slices of bread, cubed
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/4 c milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 lb cubed ham (cooked)*

*Note: You can substitute sausage for the ham

Combine eggs, milk, salt, and mustard. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Layer bread crumbs in pan followed by ham and then cheese. Pour egg mixture over cheese, ham (or sausage) and bread. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let set for about 3 to 5 minutes and serve.

Decadent French Toast
4 T corn syrup
2 c brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 loaf Texas Toast (12-16 slices)
5 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 T vanilla

Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Heat corn syrup, sugar and butter to a boil stirring constantly. Pour into prepared pan. Layer bread slices in the syrup, making 2 layers (about 6-8 slices per layer). In a large bowl mix eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour over bread, covering all pieces evenly. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, heat oven to 350. Bake for 45 minutes (30 minutes covered; remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes). To serve, loosen edges and cut slices in half. Invert the pan onto a plate so the caramel is on top and drizzling over edges. Serve immediately.

Back-to-School Social

Unfortunately I don't have pictures from our Back-to-School social that took place September, 2008. You would have loved seeing our Sego Lily adults waiting in line for their cafeteria-style lunches, taking an ABC pop quiz on the Book of Mormon, participating in a hula hoop competition and trying their luck at Bingo. Fortunately we had no discipline problems and everyone aced the class!

If you'd like a copy of the quiz you can find it here, and Kaboose offers a variety of different bingo cards. I believe we used the "Learn" version for our bingo game!

Here is what we served on divided styrofoam trays, which we found at Walmart:

• A variety of Costco wraps
• Caesar salad
• Applesauce cups
• Individual bags of chips
• Juice boxes or Capri Sun drinks
• Individual ice cream cups topped with whipped cream and a cherry for dessert

P.S. I really, really wish we had photos of those hula hoopers. Does anyone recall who won? I couldn't remember if it were Lindsey or Dolores. I'm pretty sure Steve was knocked out before the final round!

Photo by Chris Campbell, shared via Flickr.

Neighborhood Walkabout: June, 2008

For those new to the ward and neighborhood, our Neighborhood Walkabout takes place the first Sunday (unless it's a holiday weekend) of June, July, August and September. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. friends, family and neighbors are encouraged to walk around the neighborhood, meet new people and enjoy some light refreshments. It's the perfect way to spend a warm summer evening!

Here is an easy recipe for your very own neighborhood walkabout: Take a few square blocks, mix in about eight pit stops full of refreshments and toss with a good helping of friends, family and neighbors. Serve immediately!

Visiting is fun but for some it's all about the food!

Chili cook-off

Even though it was April, Utah weather usually allows for some chilly spring days and a chili cook-off seemed fitting. With festive decorations and a "hot" raffle (hot sauce, chili peppers and Chill gift cards included) everyone enjoyed great food and even a little line dancing. Yee haw!

Yes, that's super cute Kelli teaching us how to line dance. She was hoping all that boot scootin' boogie-ing would induce labor...no such luck!