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:

______________________________________________________

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!

______________________________________________________

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.