Freedom and Personal Liberty (part 3)

This is an ongoing series of posts taken from a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales at BYU on July 6th 1975... David.


Bondage Versus Freedom


We, then, are responsible for what this nation is and what our communities are. Let me ask a question in that regard: “What do we do when we find that our freedoms are imposed upon?”


I would like to describe to you, if I may, a place where I took my son–the Berlin Wall. We drove out and walked onto a metal platform and then onto a wooden platform, and then we were up in the air possibly forty or fifty feet. As we looked out across the Berlin Wall, we saw barbed wire. We saw fields that were mined. We saw tank embankments that stopped trucks and tanks from leaving, not from coming into, the walled area. We saw guards with dogs and with searchlights, towers were there were guards looking at us through binoculars as we looked back at them. They had machine guns and guarded the wall.


Let me make this recommendation to any young man or young woman–and I say that to you only after having been in international work for fifteen years. If you ever get disillusioned about your country, please take a trip abroad. Live there, and then after five years, return home, as I did. Then I would like to ask you, as you enter into the sight of the Statue of Liberty, to be emotional. The reason I say that is this: The man who made the Statue of Liberty, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, had, as a young man, seen a young lady with a torch in her hand jump onto a barricade during a French rebellion. There she was shot, and she died setting the barricade on fire. Thirty years later, as he sailed into the harbor of New York, he conceived the idea of a tribute to America from France, a statue symbolizing Liberty Enlightening the World. He thought of the young girl with the torch in her hand, and that is how the statue of liberty was conceived.


The Statue of Liberty has in her left arm a tablet, with the inscription July 4, 1776; in her right hand she holds the torch of freedom; and in the base is inscribed a poem by Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” What has happened recently with the refugees from South Vietnam could not have been a better fulfillment of the vision of that fine lady who stands in the harbor of New York City.


Emma Lazarus’s poem also declares, “I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” How do we hold the lamp of freedom? Do you place yourselves in such a position that you cannot exercise your free agency?


All we have talked about to this point is only a preamble as we begin to discuss ourselves and our own free agency, which these documents proclaim and protect. Joseph Smith could not have restored the gospel without freedom of religion. Do you think it an accident that Joseph Smith was born just a few years after our land had become free and after we had gained these documents ensuring our unalienable rights? No, it was not an accident.


The Right to Reject


With your freedom of speech, do you do this?


1. Do you place yourself and your families in a position where you have no alternative but to listen to television programs, or view movies, or read magazines or books that are degrading? Our free agency can be used for accepting or rejecting; we may avoid evil.


2. But there is also something positive we can do about this problem. We are in a position to express our personal beliefs in public forums and in elections. Our founding fathers in New England used town meetings. Today every citizen still has the right to discuss an issue as a citizen of the community in a town meeting. Do the communities that you come from have such public forums for freedom of speech? Does your legislature (and do you by your vote) put in the kind of men who will protect that right?


3. Moreover, we are in a position to withdraw personal time and financial support from those books, movies, television programs, magazines, and political and public establishments that do not uphold the standards of a free people.


I would also like to pose the problem that the total freedom of one person may be an oppression of another’s freedom. And I ask this question: Should we tolerate an individual’s saying, printing, and doing whatever he wants (and say that he deserves freedom) without bounds or restraints of any moral sensibilities? Let’s think about that for a moment. That does not seem to be an easy question, but the answer is easy. A justice of the Supreme Court summed the problem up this way, in essence, after the court had worked for weeks trying to come up with a definition of pornography: We cannot agree on what the legal definition of pornography is, but show it to us and we know what it is.


Do you realize that pornography today takes up $550 million of the public’s money? One basic truth that I have learned over my twenty years in business is that the devil himself will not participate in any venture, such as pornography, that does not make a profit.


The other day I went down to a grocery store on an errand. I bought about a pound of plums, which was my little venture on the side (it was not on the list), a loaf of bread, and one other item. The total came to $2.55. (I can remember when my mother with $5.00 could fill two grocery bags that I could not even hold.) There I was with this little bag that cost $2.55. And as I was checking out, I looked across the stand; and there were magazines that absolutely appalled me. I could not understand how a proprietor of a store could tell his own young son or daughter that that display represented freedom.


I ask you today, young men and women, what are our freedoms? We have the freedom to accept or reject. We should talk directly to the offenders about what our rights are as well as what theirs are. Isn’t that fair? If they are offended, aren’t they the ones who become the bigots?


Let me give you a few examples that I have noticed in my life. First of all, most of us are part of that famous silent majority. We are pushed around, for example, by the vociferous minority’s profanity. Have you ever sat with your family in a restaurant and heard profanity to the point that you could not take it any longer? Have you ever thought of turning to somebody and saying, “Sir, do you mind? I have my wife and children with me.” I will tell you that the majority of people, when it is called to their attention, admit that they use profanity completely unknowingly. It is a part of their way of life, but they will be shocked if someone reminds them.


When a workman steps into your car or your home, he may have conditioned a reflex to pull out a cigarette and smoke it. I have found that not one of them is offended when I remind him that his smoke will permeate our clothing. I can tell you, the odor of one cigarette smoked in our home by a workman remains in our home (or our car) for days. Once he realizes that, he is understanding. Why aren’t we willing to express our freedom (and be kind about it) to others?


When a person sitting next to you on an airplane asks, “Do you mind if I smoke?” it is easy to say, “I really would.” The shock on his face comes from the fact that he usually has the cigarette out and a match lit. But when you exercise your rights, he pauses, and then you can start telling him why you do not smoke and explaining a few of your own beliefs. He will enjoy it. Nobody wants to offend knowingly, but smoking is a conditioned reflex.

Mini Pecan Pumpkin Pies

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2008

Prep Time:  25 min

Cook Time:  30 min

Level:  Easy

Serves:  2 dozen

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray

For the dough:

• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping dough
• 6 tablespoons butter, ice cold
• 2 to 3 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:

• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin filling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped plus 24 halves for garnish
• Special equipment: 2 (12-cup) mini muffin tins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray the bottoms and sides of the mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

For the dough:

In a food processor, pulse pecans with the sugar, salt, and flour, until the nuts are ground and the ingredients are combined. Add in butter and pulse until dough resembles coarse meal. Slowly pour in ice water through the feed tube, pulsing, until the dough comes together. Remove from processor bowl onto clean work surface sprinkled with flour.

Form dough into a ball and divide evenly into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and evenly press into each cup, until the bottom is covered. If the dough is sticky, dip your finger in flour first.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the crusts are very golden. Check periodically to make sure they don't get too brown.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and yolk with the corn syrup, sugar, pumpkin filling and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove dough from oven and spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cup. Top each with 1 pretty pecan half. Return the pans to the oven and continue baking, for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the pumpkin filling is set. Allow to cool before removing from the pans.

The Washington Post Reports on LDS Food Storage & Canning

The Mission: Put Up in Bulk

By Lois M. Baron
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
 

When I was growing up, canning involved my mom sealing fruits and vegetables into glass jars with metal lids. To me, the process was hot, time-consuming and a little scary because it involved a pressure cooker or, at a minimum, boiling water and the risk of botulism. (The possibility of incorrectly canned food loomed, in my young mind, as large as the threat of tornadoes in my Midwestern childhood.)
However, with the help of a friend and in less than two hours' time, I recently put up five-gallon cans of the following dried foods without breaking a sweat: almost 20 pounds of dehydrated apple slices, and 25 pounds each of black beans, refried bean flakes, nonfat dry milk, spaghetti and regular rolled oats.
I stock up on food items because I, as a Mormon, was raised to believe in storing a supply of basic foods to tide you over during hard times. Because I'm a Mormon, I know of a place in Upper Marlboro offering the facilities to can a variety of staples whose shelf life can stretch up to 30 years.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints runs 101 dry-pack canneries, which are housed in multi-function home storage centers (see sidebar). The church doesn't intend the facilities to be public but won't turn away nonmembers. It wants everyone to have a three-month supply and be working toward a year's stockpile.
At the cannery, people are allowed to package only dry food stocked by the center. (It's possible to buy in bulk from the center as well without processing the food at the cannery. And food can be packed in pouches as well as cans.) The center also has three portable canning units that it lends for a week at a time, free of charge, for home use. People may use the portable equipment to can anything they want. "Husbands, kids, whatever fits," jokes Lowell Hayes, regional field manager for the D.C. Home Storage Center and nine others.
It is housed in a 14,000-square-foot building, built in 1979 and tucked in a low-key industrial zone next to Andrews Air Force Base; military jets make thundering runs overhead. I park in the first lot I come to, closest to the bishop's storehouse entrance. The storehouse is a large room stocked with dry goods and refrigerated foods that are available to needy members who earn the authorization of church leaders, called bishops, at the local level. Nonmembers also can ask a bishop for food assistance.
Here's how my canning session worked: My friend and I met Juliana Letren, 43, an employee who guided us through the process and has worked at the cannery for 10 years. We grabbed a cart and headed into the food warehouse armed with a shopping list. We perused the no-nonsense labels on industrial shelves laden with huge boxes and bags and piled our selections onto the cart.
Outside the canning room, in a wide hallway lined with more industrial shelving, we stopped to pick up rolls of preprinted labels for the cans; close by the room's rubber-clad swinging doors, we noticed clear plastic jugs that contained small amounts of various dried foods, available for topping off a can or to hold leftovers from anyone's canning session. We also collected a big scoop, a low-sided bin big enough to hold three five-gallon cans and a trash can on wheels.
The 900-square-foot canning room has two work areas, each quite spare and about the size of a two-car garage. The areas have their own electric canning machine and several stainless-steel tables, but they share access to a large digital scale, canners' supplies (hairnets, gloves, tape guns, Sharpies for marking dates on the labels, cleaning products and rags), pallets of No. 10 cans that measure six inches across and seven inches tall, their metal and plastic lids, and cardboard boxes that can be assembled to hold six cans each. One wall chart lists safety rules. Another wall chart cites quantities of food needed for one adult per year: grains, 400 pounds; sugar, 60 pounds; salt, 8 pounds.
Letren demonstrated a few cans' worth and left us to it. We got the hang of it pretty quickly. I liked it right away, getting a childish sense of pleasure from operating a simple, heavy-duty machine and ending up with many shiny, filled cans.
Since the Great Depression, Mormon church leaders have encouraged people to store food and supplies for emergencies, such as severe weather or job loss. Cans keep dried foods safe from bugs -- and mice, too. I have wanted to put dried pasta in cans ever since I poured a box of macaroni into a pot of boiling water and found myself staring at floating moths.
Back to the session: While my friend and I filled, sealed, labeled and packed the cans into boxes that we were building as we went, the other canning area bustled with five women who are Mormon church members in Eldersburg, Md. They had been here before and worked with streamlined efficiency.
The preprinted labels provide nutritional information and preparation directions. Stored in a cool, dry place, my dehydrated apple slices and spaghetti should be good for 30 years; hot cocoa mix, two-plus years.
Then it was time to clean up and check out. We had been asked to leave the place as we'd found it (spotless). The bill Letren presented us covers the cost of the food in bulk and the supplies involved in transferring the contents from big bags to cans. There are small fees for supplies bought separately for use with the portable units, such as the cans (80 cents each), resealable lids (20 cents each) and packs of oxygen absorber (8 cents each). Lowell Hayes says the church prices are about at cost.
And then, slight sticker shock hit me: I had canned $217 worth of dried goods. In choosing foods my family uses frequently, I hadn't kept track of how many cans there were. Each of the six 4.3-pound cans of spaghetti cost me $4.05. My 15 cans of apple slices came to $73.50.
I left thinking it's like Costco: good deals for large quantities. So my basement now holds a few years' supply of staples. If worse comes to worst, as I point out to my husband, we might get tired of black bean soup with apple pie. But we won't starve.

Freedom and Personal Liberty (part 2)

This is an ongoing series of posts taken from a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales at BYU on July 6th 1975... David.

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That, whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government.

Does that sound familiar? Haven't we seen it working in our day, in the past few years? And then the signers said this: "With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge . . . our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." The signers of this document knew that they were putting their lives foremost with their beliefs.

This document was the prelude to the American Revolution, which started on the field of Lexington, a small skirmish on April 19, 1775, and which ended six years later, in 1781. The colonial troops started as few as 3,000. They built up to as many as 17,000 at one time, and over 400,000 men enlisted for short periods during that time, with 5,000 dying for their liberty.

I would like to make one comment about the British. I think it is very unfair that we think we Americans were the ones who generated freedom of religion in the colonial culture. Actually, our British heritage is the reason we do not have a state religion today. During the seventeenth century, for instance, the Puritans in Massachusetts persecuted anyone who did not accept their church. They assumed that they had the only correct religion and that everyone else must accept it or be persecuted. The need to entice settlers, however, and the economic conditions were also important. The colonies needed to have more settlers; so they became more tolerant in their religious beliefs. But more importantly, the English Toleration Act of 1689 granted the right of public worship to all Protestants. Since all English liberties applied to the colonies, such toleration had to be established here. The Puritans chose to ignore this particular act for some time and continued to persecute the Baptists and the Quakers, but from 1731 through 1734 the Puritans were forced to come into line with English practices. And so religious tolerance entered the colonies.

Our Inspired Constitution

After the war came the Constitution. I would like to mention only one thing in connection with the Constitution. The Constitution set apart, as you know, the legislative, the judicial, and the executive branches of government. They formulate and administer the law which all of us live under. William E. Gladstone, the nineteenth-century British statesman, once said that the Constitution was "the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man."

I think Mr. Gladstone would be interested to know that it was not written only by just men, for it also had the help of God. When the Constitution was being written and the revolutionary war was being fought, there were fourteen to fifteen hundred miles of colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia--all embodying different beliefs and started under different charters. To unite them in this document took four months of very hard work, and there was discouragement.

One of the most striking features of this particular document is the fact that it allows for representation in two ways. We would have representation according to what has been called the magnificent concession. In the early days of the convention, Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed this solution to the knotty problem of representation--that the members of the House of Representative would be elected on the basis of population and the Senate on the basis of equality of states, with two senators per state. His proposal was considered and voted down. But as you know, it was later approved.

The Bill of Rights and Free Agency

Now, let's ask what happened after the Constitution had been established. Let's go on to free agency and the Bill of Rights. There were a hundred proposals for amendments to the Constitution. Forty to fifty were eliminated as duplications. Seventeen were approved by the House in the First Congress; twelve were approved by the Senate; and finally, ten were approved by all the state legislatures and became the Bill of Rights.

The first amendment provides for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right peaceably to assemble, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. We are able to gather here this evening because of this amendment. I have lived in countries where we could not gather more than twelve people without a permit. Had we wanted to change our permit for any reason, it would have been turned down.

The second amendment concerns the right to bear arms. The third amendment ensures that during times of peace no soldiers will be quartered in our houses without consent of the owner--and in times of war, only according to the law.

The fourth amendment stipulates that there should be no unreasonable searches and seizures and no warrants except for cause; no person can be held to answer for a capital crime except by an indictment by a grand jury (except military personnel during war or public danger). The fifth amendment guarantees that there should be no double jeopardy and that persons cannot be held as witnesses against themselves nor deprived of life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness without due process of law. Private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation. The sixth amendment guarantees the right of the accused to have a speedy trial by an impartial jury, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to confront the witnesses against him, and to have defense counsel. The seventh amendment concerns the rights to jury trial if the value of the controversy exceeds twenty dollars. The eighth amendment protects us from excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment.

The ninth amendment provides that we are not denied of any rights not specified in the Constitution, for these rights are retained by the people, not by the government. The tenth amendment states that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the states or to the people.

Another Testament of Christ

All I can say is... WOW!!!... David.

This slideshow features images from the Reflections project "Another Testament of Christ". All images are by Mark Mabry - Music by Clyde Bawden and Jason Barey - Edited by Cameron Trejo. 


Make sure and click the box next to the speaker symbol (bottom right corner) so that you can watch it full screen...

Quick Bread for Breakfast

Try this quick bread with cream cheese for breakfast.

Cranberry-Orange-Walnut Bread

Makes 2 large loaves or 6 small loaves or 18 muffins
 
4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons butter or shortening
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients then stir in the wet ingredients. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts and pour into greased bread pans.
Large loaves need 50-55 minutes to bake, small loaves 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when they are done.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before trying to remove the loaves from the pans.

Freedom and Personal Liberty (part 1)

This will be an ongoing series of posts taken from a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales at BYU on July 6th 1975.

Freedom and Personal Liberty

It is always a difficult occasion for me to ask our Heavenly Father that I might have the Spirit to say those things that are proper at a time like this. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. To communicate that to others is very easy. The difficult part, for you young men and women who are about to embark on your two-year missions, is how do you get somebody else to feel that Spirit. Because this Spirit respects free agency, you cannot force somebody to believe; he has to have free agency. What does that mean in a free land?

I thought today (and I will come back to this subject of free agency as it applies to each of us individually) that because it is July 6 we should spend a minute or two reviewing our history and the reasons why we can assemble here today in such a free way. We are a free people because of what we have just celebrated, an event that happened 199 years ago–the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Our Heritage of Freedom

Possibly Patrick Henry summed up the tensions of that time as he spoke to the Virginia Convention of Delegates on March 23, 1775. I will read excerpts from his speech. It is familiar to many of you who are history students. He said:

I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes. . . Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these war-like preparations which cover our waters and darken our lands. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? . . . [that there will be reconciliation].

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? . . . Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. . . . There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

. . . Gentlemen may cry peace, peace–but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! . . . Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

That is why we are able to gather here this day–because men have been willing to give their lives–as stated in this impassioned speech of Patrick Henry–for liberty, for life, and for the pursuit of happiness.

There are three questions that Patrick Henry’s speech brings up: (1) Was this really a holy cause of liberty, as he said? (2) Is there a just God, who presides over the destinies of nations? (3) Is free agency important? Should we have liberty, or should we have bondage? To all three questions, for those of us who are here this day, the answer is an emphatic yes. Free agency is important. We know that there is a God who presides over this world and who looks after the destinies of nations.

Six hundred years before Christ an ancient American prophet foresaw the establishment of the colonies and the War of Independence. This is what he said:

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.

And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those who were gathered together against them to battle.

And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. [1 Nephi 13:16­19]

Another ancient prophet outlined the principles upon which the freedom of this land depends:

For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. . . .

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. [Ether 2:10, 12]

It is clear, therefore, that to preserve our liberty, our national freedom, and ultimately our personal free agency, we have a responsibility to serve God.

Are there any among us who would disagree with the founders of our nation or who would say that they were not inspired and dedicated men? The Lord, in a revelation to Joseph Smith, stated this truth simply: “I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose” (D&C 101:80).

Do you realize the heritage that we have? On July 4, I had the opportunity of giving a talk in St. George. There the words of President Wilford Woodruff came to my mind, his great tribute to our founding fathers:

Those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, . . . inspired of the Lord.

. . . Every one of those men that signed the Declaration of Independence, with General Washington, called upon me, as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Temple at St. George, two consecutive nights, and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the House of God for them. . . . Would those spirits have called upon me, as an Elder of Israel, to perform that work if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not. [Conference Report, April 1898, pp. 89­90]

Said they, ” . . . We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it, and were faithful to God.” [Journal of Discourses, 19:229]

Knowing that this is a choice land, a nation with a divine mission, founded under the guiding hand of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, we ask, “What is our obligation to preserve the tenets of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights?” I thought I would make a comment or two about what the basic tenets of these documents are. I would hope that every one of us here this evening would take the time some evening on a date to read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and maybe a few other things. (I noticed in reading from the history of the Church that Brigham Young at the July Fourth celebration had the whole Constitution read before the people started their festivities. I noticed at St. George we did not do that.)

Chapati Bread

This is a very easy to make and filling bread, and it works great with your food storage. It can be made on an outdoor grill or even an open fire, and boy is it good... David.

Chapati is an unleavened pancake-like bread from India. Often diners tear off pieces and use them to scoop up food.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for brushing

1 Tbs. milk

1/2 cup water, plus more as
  needed

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together the 1 1/2 cups flour and the salt. In a small bowl, stir together the 1 Tbs. unsalted butter and the milk. Add to the flour mixture and stir well. Add the 1/2 cup water and stir well, gathering and pressing, until the flour adheres together. If the dough looks dry, add 1 to 2 Tbs. more water, but do not add too much or the dough will become too sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. If necessary, add more flour or water to achieve a workable, elastic consistency. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each into a 1 1/2- to 2-inch ball and roll out into a 6-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron fry pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan lightly with unsalted butter. Place 1 dough round on the pan and cook until covered with light brown specks, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using tongs, turn the chapati over and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

Meanwhile, heat a stovetop roaster over high heat. Place a browned chapati on the roaster and cook until it puffs up, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Brush the chapati with butter and place in a shallow bowl lined with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chapati. Serve warm. Makes 8.

God's Awesome and Endless Creations as Seen Through the Hubble Telescope

The vastness of God’s creations are incomprehensible to our finite mortal minds, they truly are endless.  Here are a few limited glimpses of what we can see of those countless creations, as seen through the Hubble Telescope...

Area LH 95 of the Magellanic Cloud galaxy

Antennae Galaxies

 

Andromeda Galaxy

Autumn Galaxy

Bubble Nebula

Bubble Nebula (full range)

Cocoon Nebula

Cone Nebula (full range)

Cone Nebula

Principles of Temporal Salvation

It always amazes' me how the teachings of the Prophets (both ancient & modern) are so timeless, and can apply so perfectly to our lives today...  This is a long one, but has so much in it that we need today, that you must read and study the teachings it offers...  David.

By President Marion G. Romney
Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Oct 1981

 

We are confronted today with a great variety of serious economic and social conditions. But facing periods of economic stress, even deprivation, is not new to us as a Church. Throughout their history, the Saints have more than once faced such trials. As a result, the Lord from the early days of the Church has guided his leaders to see clearly certain correct principles. We feel compelled to reaffirm these basic principles of temporal salvation.
At the opening of this century, President Joseph F. Smith explained the importance of temporal salvation and its relationship to spiritual salvation:
“You must continue to remember that the temporal and the spiritual are blended. They are not separate. One cannot be carried on without the other, so long as we are here in mortality . …
“The Latter-day Saints believe not only in the gospel of spiritual salvation, but also in the gospel of temporal salvation. We have to look after the cattle … the gardens and the farms, … and other necessary things for the maintenance of ourselves and our families in the earth . … We do not feel that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful Christian people unless they also be good, faithful, honest, and industrious people.
“Therefore, we preach the gospel of industry, the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobriety.” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939, p. 208; Chapter 10 subheading 6–7; emphasis added.)
The most fundamental principles of temporal salvation include two basic concepts: providing for oneself—self-reliance—and providing for one’s family—family reliance. The first principle, that of self-reliance, grows out of a fundamental doctrine of the Church—that of free agency. That doctrine of free agency is based on the truth that the basic essence of man is comprised of spirit matter, or intelligence, which is independent “in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself … Behold, here is the agency of man.” (See D&C 93:26–38; emphasis added.)
As a result of this eternal condition, Eloheim, in creating man and placing him on this earth, gave him his free agency to act for himself. While this free agency applies to all facets of life, concerning temporal affairs the Lord makes this specific elaboration:
“For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.
“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.” (D&C 104:13, 17; emphasis added.)
Thus, we understand that all is in place so that man can, if he so chooses, work out his salvation—both temporal and spiritual—and can achieve the benefits promised in this, his second estate. The self-reliance we speak of in the Church, then, grows out of eternal truths connected with the doctrines of intelligence and free agency. Consequently, self-reliance, as taught by the prophets, becomes a fundamental truth in the gospel plan.


Self-reliance implies the individual development of skills and abilities and then their application to provide for one’s own needs and wants. It further implies that one will achieve those skills through self-discipline and then, through self-restraint and charity, will use those skills to bless himself and others. That the Lord expects all his children who are of sound mind and body to thus perform in this second estate is made clear in many scriptural passages whose central thought focuses on work—personal, earnest, life-sustaining work.
For example, in the beginning, the Lord established the rule that work is the means by which men are to obtain a living when he said to Adam, “in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.” (Gen. 3:19.)
To Israel, this guideline was renewed:
“Six days shalt thou labour.” (Ex. 20:9.)
In this last dispensation, the Lord has again spoken plainly on the subject. “Thou shalt not be idle,” he said. “For he that is idle shalt not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer.” (D&C 42:42.) “And the idler shall not have place in the Church, except he repent and mend his ways.” (D&C 75:29.)
In the light of these scriptures, no member should desire or seek to voluntarily shift the responsibility for his own maintenance to another. Rather, each member, through work, should seek to find great satisfaction in personal achievement; and thus, he will be entitled to the fruits of his labors—both temporal and spiritual. Furthermore, self-reliance, as we understand it, implies at least one additional thought—personal accountability. Abinadi tells us that in spiritual matters, we shall all be “brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to [our] works whether they be good or whether they be evil.” (Mosiah 16:10.)
Just as each individual is accountable for his choices and actions in spiritual matters, so also is he accountable in temporal matters. If we have been frugal and saved for a time of need, then we can more easily get through financial problems. If we have spent more than we earned, then we pay the consequences of our own actions when the bills come. If we have increased our knowledge and developed our skills in our chosen field of labor, then we can anticipate advancement or increase in pay as opportunities come to us. Thus, it is through our own efforts and decisions that we earn our way in this life. While the Lord will magnify us in both subtle and dramatic ways, he can only guide our footsteps when we move our feet. Ultimately, our own actions determine our blessings—or lack of them. It is a direct consequence of both free agency and accountability. And since we are responsible for our actions, we are also personally accountable for their consequences. And though we cannot always directly trace the impact of our actions, they are subject to the law of the harvest—“that which we sow, we also shall reap.” (See Gal. 6:7.)


I should now like to develop a second fundamental principle of temporal salvation—that of family reliance.
In the Church, the concept of providing for one’s family and of relying on one’s family for growth, mutual care, and help—or family reliance—is equally fundamental to self-reliance. The family is the basic organizational unit of the Church. No agency or institution can or should replace the family. By sacred covenant and eternal priesthood government, the eternal family unit is established. Because of the commitment made as a part of that covenant, husbands are obligated to provide for their families. Thus, in the words of the Lord:
“Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken.
“All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age.” (D&C 83:2, 4.)
And through Paul the Apostle we have this statement: “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Tim. 5:8.)
Next to one’s own self, the responsibility, the blessing, the great opportunity for lovingly sustaining an individual until he or she leaves mortality rests upon his or her family—parents for their children, children for their parents. The same covenant that obligates parents to care for their children also obligates children to care for their parents when they need it. The commandment to “honor thy father and thy mother” (Ex. 20:12) extends to modern Israel and is required of all who are faithful members of the Church.
As a consequence of the principle of family reliance, we should realize that, generally, one has no claim on Church resources to resolve personal temporal problems and needs until the family has done all it can to help. This is the doctrine the Lord establishes when he says, “And after that, they have claim upon the church, or in other words upon the Lord’s storehouse, if their parents have not wherewith to give them.” (D&C 83:5.)
This principle applies without exception to the family for any individual.
But if we would become more godlike in our actions and desires and obtain the Lord’s Spirit, we would see that these same principles also apply to our extended family, or that which we used to call “kin,” that loving group of uncles, aunts, cousins, as well as brothers and sisters, that extends through the branches of the family tree.


While it is true that the responsibility to help is not as great among extended family members as it is among immediate family members we shall in no wise lose our reward (See D&C 58:28) if our hearts and minds come to understand and follow the meaning of imparting of our substance “to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26). Can any of us see the end result of such familial love in the lives of those thus cared for, prayed for, those thus blessed by our help? Can any of us see the ultimate impact of righteous and loving concern for our extended family, regardless of their or our present spiritual stature? More lives would change, more happiness would be engendered than we can imagine if we fully sought to implement the promise that “charity never faileth.” (1 Cor. 13:8.)
There is so much more that many of us could do for our brothers and sisters and for those in need among our extended family if we could come to see as the Lord sees. “Let every man esteem his brother as himself, For what man among you having twelve sons [or brothers or sisters, cousins or aunts, relatives divorced or temporarily unemployed], and is no respecter of them, and … saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just? Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” (D&C 38:25–27).
Perhaps we can best state these mutual responsibilities in this manner: The immediate family is obligated to help each other; the extended family has the opportunity to help each other. And when our understanding of Christlike love matures, we will joyfully take advantage of the opportunities to help.
With these basic concepts of temporal salvation in mind—self-reliance and family reliance—it is appropriate to examine their relationship to the Church’s welfare plan and the counsel for personal and family preparedness.


The present need for personal and family preparedness is abundantly clear. What may not be as clear is the extent to which we expect individuals and families to be self-reliant. The first line of defense against present-day problems must be the faithful observance by each of us of the counsel we have received. This means—first individuals; then the family unit. It is only after discovering that the problem or need exceeds the resources of these two levels of assistance that we call upon the Church through our bishops.
The assistance given by bishops is rendered within clear guidelines. We have instructed bishops that the principles of self- and family-reliance stand firmly as part of the Church’s Welfare Services program. Thus, the emphasis to teach personal and family preparedness guides him as he considers how to help individual family units of his ward to help themselves.
What can a bishop reasonably expect a person to do before that person calls upon the bishop for assistance? In the early days of the welfare program, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., gave this counsel to those of sound mind and body—those who are expected to be self-reliant.
“Live within your means. Get out of debt. Keep out of debt. Save some money for unexpected problems which have always come and will come again. Practice and increase your habits of thrift, industry, economy, frugality.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1937, p. 107.)
“Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also for at least a year ahead … Let every man who has a garden spot, garden it; every man who owns a farm, farm it.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1937, p. 26.)
What, then, does it mean to be prepared? Someone proposed a serious question to me a few years ago by asking, “What is the most important item to have stored in your year’s supply?” My response was seriously given—“personal righteousness.” It is important for us to have, as we have been counseled, a year’s supply of food and clothing, and where possible, fuel. We have also been counseled that we should have a reserve of money to meet emergencies and to carry adequate health, home, and life insurance. Personal and family preparedness, however, is much broader than these assets. It must include proper attitudes, a willingness to forego luxuries, prayerful consideration of all major purchases, and learning to not spend more than we earn.
Sadly, surveys show that there are many of us who have not followed this counsel, believing evidently, that the Church can and will take care of us. But the greatest resource available to a bishop is the strength of the individuals and family units within his ward. Members should know that bishops are bound by guidelines. They are instructed to teach their members to live wisely and to turn to their own and their family’s resources first. Only then can the bishop, whom the Lord has given the responsibility for determining how the Church can help members of his ward, turn to the resources of the Church.


Such resources include more than food and non-food commodities or fast offering funds. There are many other resources available to the bishop, some more filling than food, more warming than clothes and fuel, and more lasting than money. I refer to the essentials of the gospel and their ability to help us in the solution of our spiritual and temporal problems. In rendering assistance in the Lord’s own way, the bishop’s first responsibility is to strengthen the Saints by teaching them correct principles which they can implement in their own lives to satisfy many of their wants and needs. He can also help to secure resource persons from Melchizedek Priesthood quorums who can further advise, train, and assist in overcoming problems that may exist for long periods of time.
Thus, the bishop, as one of the first responsibilities, has the charge to teach the value of self-and family reliance—indeed, as the Lord’s shepherd, he is to teach every principle of the gospel with its power to lift, sustain, maintain, renew, purify, sanctify, make full, and satisfy our every need and righteous desire. He is to help those who request help to assess their own circumstances, to determine their own goals and objectives, to determine their own plans and their own solutions to their problems—to safely direct their own course. The bishop is not there to do it for us. His primary role is to be a counselor, a confidant. He will help us deal with any immediate and pressing needs, but the measure and extent of his assistance will be determined by what we and our immediate family have done to solve the problem. But since the individual and family will be seeking to solve the immediate problem, the resources of the Church are normally used only for temporary assistance, to bridge the gap between the problem and its earliest resolution.
In addition to help for the needy among us, it is important to remember that all of us have need of the welfare program and one fundamental reason is because our Father is trying to teach us many important eternal truths—the most fundamental of which is love or charity. There is growth incalculable to the human soul when it steps outside of itself and concerns itself with others. Since that is the major work of our Father in Heaven—to work joyously for the advancement and progression of others—how could we think to receive all that he has unless we implement deeply into our own lives his motivations of love, thereby truly becoming his sons and daughters?


I have attempted to reaffirm certain basic fundamentals: (1) self-reliance is an eternal and vital principle of temporal salvation; (2) family reliance is also a vital principle of temporal salvation and is the answer to many temporal problems (3) some members need to rethink their priorities and in some instances redefine and forego “luxuries” and make more adequate provision for their necessities; (4) members need to understand the role of the bishop in the welfare plan, which is that the bishop follows certain guidelines and administers Church assistance under divine inspiration within those guidelines.
It has also been my intention to encourage all Latter-day Saints to review again their personal and family preparedness and to implement immediately the principles and practices that will ensure their self-sufficiency. If we will discuss these truths in our family councils and make a plan to do all in our power to live these principles, we shall all enjoy the promise of the Lord, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30.)
More importantly, if we will live providentially and righteously, we will qualify for the greater promise: “And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life.” (D&C 51:19.)

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Fast & Easy

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Oat Crisps with Blueberries and Crème Fraîche

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 ounces (2 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 pints blueberries (about 4 cups)
1 cup crème fraîche

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup and stir until blended. Stir in the oats, mixing well.
To form the crisps, drop the oats mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake, rotating the baking sheets 180 degrees at the midway point, until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Then, using a metal spatula, transfer the crisps to a large flat plate to cool.

To serve:
Divide the blueberries and crème fraîche among individual bowls and place 2 oat crisps alongside or on top of each serving.

Plan Ahead
The oat crisps may be made a day in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Preparedness Made Simple!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Emergency Preparedness

Introduction
Preparedness Made Simple! Is a preparedness plan designed for those that need a little help getting prepared. Many of us, when we think about getting prepared, become overwhelmed, don’t know where to start and fail to really start at all. Preparedness Made Simple! is a checklist of items in priority order of what you need to do to prepare and see results. Upon completion of the program, you can call yourself prepared! Alongside each checklist item will be information explaining each principle along the way. This guidebook of information will provide you with the basic understanding of these concepts and direct you to other sources should you choose to learn more. 

Keep in mind that every person and family is different and has different needs. Some items may need to be altered to accommodate these needs. Certainly, this plan will not cover all your needs, however, by following it you will have prepared the basics and have learned the vision of what is needed to more fully prepare based on your individual needs. Preparedness is difficult when each person has to develop their own plan and often times “reinvent the wheel” along the way. Make your life easier and get prepared, the Preparedness Made Simple! way.

 Phase 1

1. Place a flashlight with fresh batteries and/or a chemical light stick under each family member’s bed.
2. Store at least 3 (preferably 6) gallons of water per person in portable containers
3. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).

4. Allocate Funds for Emergency Preparedness in your Monthly Budget.
5. Setup a Savings Plan.

Phase 2

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Locate Water Main, Gas Shutoff Valves and Electricity Circuit Breaker and learn how to shut them off.
3. Make sure you have smoke alarms in needed areas in your home, and that they have fresh batteries.
4. Place fire extinguishers in your kitchen, garage and other areas you feel are important.
5. Create an Emergency Contact List and post it where it can be seen by everyone.

Phase 3

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Setup a home fire escape plan.
3. Purchase the food you will use in your 72-Hour Kits and store it near your portable bottles of water.
4. Select a safe location for Important Documents. Place your Birth Certificates in this location.
5. Collect recent pictures of each family member, or take new ones and place them in your new location for important documents.

Phase 4

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Store a 14 day supply of water for your family.
3. Become First Aid, CPR and AED certified.
4. Determine how much debt you currently owe.
5. Obtain a copy of your Credit Report. Clean or clear-up old, obsolete or incorrect information. Save a copy with your important documents.

Phase 5

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Volunteer at the Cannery, Bishop's Storehouse or Deseret Industries if you live close to one.
3. Read the book "The Richest Man in Babylon"
4. Buy or build First Aid Kits for your Home, Automobiles and Office
5. Gather the clothes you wish to include in each family member’s 72-Hour Kits

Phase 6

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Setup “Regroup Locations” and an out-of-state contact.
3. Acquire the bags you will use for your 72-hour kits.
4. Make a list of your Loan Information, Account Numbers, Passwords, Contact Information and add this list to your important document file (Mortgage, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cars, Etc).
5. Buy several boxes of matches and disposable lighters.
 

 Phase 7

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Build a Sanitation Kit.
3. Learn several ways to treat water to make it safe to drink. Select at least 2 methods and gather the supplies to treat enough water to last your family for 3 months (1 year would be better).
4. Learn several ways to light a fire (other than matches and lighters). Select at least 2 methods and gather the needed supplies to make at least 100 fires.
5. Develop an Emergency Response Plan.

 Phase 8

1. Buy Sleeping Bags or 2-3 Wool Blankets for each person.
2. Setup a Debt Reduction Plan.
3. Set aside at least $100 cash in small bills.
4. Buy a Flashlight (include extra batteries) and 2 Chemical Light sticks for each person and place them in your 72-Hour Kits.
5. Make a copy of your important keys and place them with your important documents (Home, Cars, Safes, Business, RV, Mailbox, etc…)
 

 Phase 9

1. Research No-Electricity Cooking Methods. Select at least 2 methods and gather the supplies to cook all the meals in your 90 Day Food Supply.
2. If you have an infant in your home, Buy at least a 3 month supply of diapers, wipes, formula, Baby food, and common medications.
3. If you take prescription medication, talk to your Doctor about ways you can build up an emergency supply.
4. Buy a 3 month supply of common over-the-counter medications your typically uses (Aspirin, Cold Medication, Anti-Histamines, Cough Syrup, Anti-Diarreha, Antacid, Etc…)
5. Have Pets? Acquire food and supplies to handle their needs for 3-12 Months.

90 Day Food Supply Menu Ideas

Breakfast Menus

Oatmeal:
Oatmeal
Flavored Oatmeal Packets
Raisins
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Freeze Dried Fruit
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 
Pancakes:
Pancake Mix
Butter (Canned)
Maple Syrup
Jam/Jelly
 
Scrambled Eggs:
Eggs (Dehydrated, Freeze- Dried or Preserved)
Bread or Crackers
Green or Red Peppers (Freeze-Dried)
Cheese (Powdered or Canned)
 
Toast and Jam
Melba Toast
Jam
Hot Chocolate
Dried Fruit
 
Cold Cereal
Cold Cereal
Dehydrated Milk
Freeze Dried Fruit
 
Cracked Wheat Cereal
Whole Grain Wheat
Wheat Grinder
Freeze Dried Fruit
Honey
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 
Pop Tarts / Granola Bars
Pop Tarts
Granola Bars
 
Cream of Wheat Cereal
Cream of Wheat
Freeze Dried Fruit
Honey
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 

Lunch Menus

 
Tuna on Wasa Crackers
Canned Tuna
Mayonnaise
Sweet Relish
Curry Powder
Wasa Crackers


Canned Ravioli or Spaghetti
Canned Ravioli or Spaghetti
Parmesan Cheese
Bread or Crackers
 
Cup Noodles
Cup Noodles
Boiling Water
 
PB & J on Wasa Crackers
Wasa Crackers
Peanut Butter
Jam/Jelly
Freeze Dried Fruit
 
Chicken Salad
Canned Chicken
Mayonnaise
Raisins
Walnuts 
Curry Powder
 
Soup
Canned Soup
Crackers
Bread
(Add rice or serve over rice to make it more filling)
 
Chili Mac & Cheese
Box of Macaroni & Cheese
Can of Chili (With Beans or Without Beans)
Canned Corn or Peas
 
Sloppy Joes
Can of Heat and Serve
Sloppy Joe Mix
  

Dinner Menus

Spaghetti
Spaghetti Noodles
Prepared Spaghetti Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Dry Bread Sticks or Biscotti
 
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Can or Corned Beef
Can of Sauerkraut
Thousand Islands Dressing
Rice
(Serve Over Rice)
 
Chili over Rice
Can of Chili
Rice
Corn
Cornbread Mix
 
Burritos
Homemade Tortillas
Canned Beef or Chicken
Rice
Can of Black or Refried Beans
Bottled Salsa
 
Fried Ham & Potatoes
Canned Ham or Spam
Canned Potatoes
Canned or Bottled Onions
Bottled Red Pepper (Optional)
 
Chicken Teriyaki
Can of La Choy Bi-Pack Chicken Teriyaki (Includes Chicken, Sauce and Vegetables).
Rice
or
Packaged Complete Meals
Packaged Complete Meals
Add water mix and bake
See Also: Betty Crocker Complete Meals
 
Hawaiian Haystacks
Rice
Cream of Chicken Soup
Canned Chicken
Pineapple Chunks
Mandarin Oranges
Cashews
Soy Sauce
 

Dessert/Snacks Menus

S’mores
Graham Crackers
Marshmallow Cream
Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping or Nutella
(No Cooking Needed)
 
Pudding
Pudding Cups
 
Brownies
Brownie Mix
 
Rice Krispies Treats
Prepackaged Rice Krispies Treats
 
Popcorn
Popcorn Kernels
Butter Flavoring
Powdered Cheese Flavoring
 
Cookies
Prepackaged, or Homemade or No-Bake Cookies
 
Fruit Cobbler
White Cake Mix
1 can of Sprite or 7-up
2 cans Fruit Pie Filling
(In a dutch oven add pie filling. Mix cake mix and can of soda and add on top of pie filling. Cover and bake with 20 coals on top and 10 on bottom until golden brown.)
 
Muffins
Your favorite Muffin Mix
 

Canned Vegetables

Artichoke Hearts
Asparagus Spears
Beans (Black, Black Eyed, Chick Peas, Fava, Garbanzo, Great Northern, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Pinto, Red, Soya, 3-Bean Salad)
Beets
Carrots
Chilies
Corn (Also Creamed Corn)
Green Beans
Greens (Collard, Mustard, Turnip)
Hearts of Palm
Hominy
Mixed Vegetables
Mushrooms
Olives (Black, Green, Kalamata, Pitted, Sliced, Tapenade)
Peppers
Pickles
Potatoes (Whole, Sliced, Diced)
Spinach
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes (Whole, Peeled, Diced, Puree, Sun-Dried, Bruschetta )
Yams
Zucchini
 

Canned Fruit

Apple Sauce
Apples
Cherries
Cranberry Sauce
Fruit Cocktail
Grapefruit
Mandarin Oranges
Mixed Fruit
Peaches
Pears
Pie Filling (Berry, Cherry, Peach, Apple, Pumpkin)
Pineapples
 

Bread & Baking

Bisquick
Bread Mix
Cornbread Mix
Pizza Crust Mix
Taco Shells
Tostada Shells
 

Desserts & Snacks

Cake Mix
Cake Frosting
Fruit Snacks
Nuts
 

Meats

Beef Jerky
Canned Beef Chunks
Canned Chicken Chunks
Canned Salmon
Dried Sausage
Freeze Dried Beef/Chicken
Sardines
TVP
Vienna Sausage
 

Meals

Beef Stew
Canned Chicken & Dumplings
Corned Beef Hash
Hamburger Helper
Ramen Noodles
Soup Mixes
 

Sides

Au Gratin Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes