Critical mistakes

I came across a quote in some studying I did last weekend. I have been pondering this quote and its application in my life. In my own patriarchal blessing, I am taught: "Satan is real and has many helpers." We understand how critical it is to understand the reality and divinity of the Godhead, but why is it significant to understand the reality of the Adversary? Here is it:

"We can make two opposite mistakes. One is to underestimate the devil's influence and power. The other is to overestimate it, or to assume there is no way out. He delights in either error, for they play into his hands. We are counseled to avoid both."
Truman G. Madsen, 2005 BYU Women's Conference

That's such a simple statement, but very profound.

May we move forward to qualify for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in our personal lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

Whole Wheat Berries

A couple of nights ago, we had a 'food storage only' dinner. I made dinner from our food storage, which consisted (gas-x) of shepherd's pie (okay, I cheated and used grated cheese, which is not a food storage item:) and bottled peaches. For the shephed's pie, I used whole wheat berries instead of ground beef. For those of you (gas-x) who didn't know (like me prior to very recently), you can substitute meat with cracked wheat, commonly referred to as 'whole wheat berries'. ??? It turned out okay; not as tasty (gas-x) as meat, but it was actually decent. I woke up the next morning and was a bit upset to see the casserole still sitting out on the stove top. I had made a double batch to eat again the next night, but it was still so hot that I wanted (gas-x) it to cool before I put it in the fridge. When I asked JP why he didn't put it away, as he got drinks for the kids right before bed and would have seen it there. In frustration (gas-x), I complained that it had gone to waste. His reply: "What a tragedy." Hmmm. He was a good sport and ate it, but I put him in charge of dinner the following night. (gas-x). The kids ate it all up -- their little taste buds were none the wiser! I am betting it will be tastier with (gas-x) tacos or spaghetti, where there is more spices and sauce, so I will be continuing to experiment. So if you are looking for a fiber-rich, economical (gas-x)way to rotate your whole wheat, this is it! Anyway, here is the recipe:

Whole Wheat Berries
In a crock pot, pour 9 to 10 cups of water and add 4 cups of wheat and 1 Tbs. salt. Let soak about 8 hours on low. No need to rinse or drain, as the moisture holds a lot of nutritional value as well. Substitute for ground beef, or eat warm with syrup and milk for breakfast. It freezes well. Makes about 12 cups. (Check out http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/ for more great practical food storage advice...thanks Leisa!)

Some Random Musings...

*Tonight I found a really good website for anyone interested in ideas for cooking with and rotating food storage:
http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/ She has some cool ideas.
*I wish I understood football. Maybe it's a patience issue.
*Sundays are sometimes a challenge for me. It is a constant struggle to keep kids reverent during sacrament meeting. It is the most important 10 minutes of my week, after all. But I have to say that today was actually an improvement because we sat on a middle row instead of crammed together on the side row, so the kids weren't sitting on top of each other target practicing with their goldfish crackers. Also, I don't see Joseph very much. He has leadership meetings from 8:30 until church starts and then he makes EQ visits all afternoon and part of the evenings. I am grateful he takes his calling so seriously and I know our family will be blessed as he magnifies his calling. I guess I'm trying to say that Sundays wear me out! Thankfully today, though, my good friend Julie stopped by and we had a good chat which broke up the day a bit for me and I was less lonely:)
*The presidential elections really disappointed me and I was discouraged for a few days afterwards. Don't get me wrong, it is a historic time when our country can elect an African-American for President. That's neat and all, but did we have to elect a smiling cobra? However, I determined that I need to do some repenting. I can't change the election results, so I'd better take Elder Eyring's most recent conference talk to heart and do what I can to build unity. Our country needs to do that now more than ever. I need to get behind the new president and pray for him as well as all of us.
*I'm excited for FHE tomorrow night -- we're going to the Museum! Afterwards, we'll go get some flippin' sweet ice cream at Reed's Dairy.
*Speaking of Reed's, apparently I was theeee first egg nog customer last week. My egg nog was fresh off of the production plant. Yummy chocolate egg nog!
*JP and I had a date last night-- we hit the end of Happy Hour at Sonic (thanks for the inspiration, Amber and Melissa!) and got some slushies and sandwiches and then did ALL of our Christmas shopping, including stocking stuffers. My goal is to have a simple, Spirit-filled December where we have energy and time to focus on family togetherness and service. I am excited as well because I don't teach violin after December 15, so that is my vacation time! Hopefully no chaos will creep in as we try to accomplish this...
*October 28 was the last day Caleb had a binky! Yea, he is weened...(I am weak. He is 3 1/2)
* Our family challenge for the month of November: For family prayer, try to only give gratitude prayers. Tonight Mom hit 15 things I was grateful for... tomorrow night whomever Dad calls on will try to trump that without asking for any blessings.
*I'm so grateful for my best friends. I have two best friends from high school, Danielle and Melissa and we are still best friends. We can go weeks or even months without talking to each other and pick up right where we left off and still maintain and strong, sisterly connection. They know my history, my issues and weaknesses and my joys. And they make me laugh and inspire me to be better. Also, one of my best friends from American Fork, Kerri H. is one of my dearest friends and i feel the same about her. How fortunate and blessed I have been to rub shoulders with great women.
*Last but not least, a powerful quote and prophecy concerning our very day. The Church is continually feeling so much opposition fall out after Prop 8 passed in California. Even dissension within the Church (a.k.a. Steve Young... which makes me sad:() Love this quote:
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Churh even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the fmaily will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, February Ensign 1979

Kelly Family Halloween 2008 and the 2-step homemade donuts...

We had a great Halloween. Josh was the grim reeper (complete costume with blood pump), Emma was Batgirl (white hair + black spray-on dye+ 3 shampoo washings=gray hair), Caleb was Nemo and Elizabeth was a Dalmation. We invited our Mud Lake cousins (Aaron and Rebecca Kelly) over for Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin and Ghoul-Aid to drink, and then the men took the kids trick-or-treating while Rebecca and I made the donuts. Thanks for coming, Kelly's! 1 1/2 hours + 60-degree weather+trick-or-treating= 1 gallon of candy per kid.

2-Step Homemade Donuts:

1. Buy the tube refrigerated biscuits and cut out the center with a 2-Liter lid or Lemon juice lid. Save the donut hole to use as well.

2. Heat 1" of oil in a pot or pan on medium to medium -high heat and fry the donut dough approx. 20-30 seconds on each side until golden brown. Take out of oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy with hot apple cider or milk!