Sunday, August 28, 2011

Photos From Wallsburg

Wallsburg and the Clark home provided a most amazing backdrop for the Relief Society late-night event.  Thank you to Kim Miller and her parents for hosting our sisters.  Also, a big thanks to our wonderful and inspired faith walk speakers who invited us to "Reflect".  Last, but certainly not least, we thank the wonderful Relief Society Committee members for their hard work and planning efforts on this and all our weekday activities.

Our theme for the evening, Reflect, was taken from a talk given by President Uchtdorf to the youth.  We are all young at heart, and Uchtdorf gives a powerful message for sisters of all ages.  View the video clip below.




And, here are a few photos taken in Wallsburg:














A Few Recipes From the Wallsburg Retreat




Won Ton Chicken Salad

1 head lettuce
2-4 green onions chopped
2 T roasted sesame seeds (350 for 10 minutes)
2 T Sunflower seeds
1-2 Chicken Breasts (I like using a rotisserie chicken)
1 Can sliced water chestnuts
Sliced or slivered almonds
1/2 package of wonton skins, fried

Dressing:
2 T Sugar
2 t. salt
2 t. accent
3/4 t. pepper
1/2 C. salad oil
1/4 c. vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
1 t. sesame oil (do not leave out


Macaroni Grape Pasta Salad

1 package pasta (mini bowtie or saladroni are favorites)
1 lg can pineapples (save the juice)
1 can mandarin oranges
2 cups red grapes sliced in half
2 cups chicken (cooked and cubed or shredded)

Boil noodles, rinse off in cold water.  Add in fruit and chicken.

Stir together:
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Pineapple juice

Whisk together and pour over noodle mixture.  Tastes better if sits in fridge overnight.


Tri-color Pasta Salad

1 can tuna
1 pkg colored rotini noodles
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 red onion chopped or sliced very fine
1-2 tomatoes chopped
1 small can sliced olives
1 small bottle Kraft Catalina Dressing
2-3 tbsp any balsamic vinegar salad dressing (optional)

Boil the noodles, rinse off in cold water.  Chop up the rest, throw it all together, pour the dressing and stir.  It tastes better if you make it the night before. Taste it again the next morning and add more salad dressing if it needs more flavor.


Layered Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

3 cups sliced strawberries, 5 whole strawberries for garnish
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla instant pudding
3 cups thawed cool whip, divided
2 + cups pound cake cubes (one inch)
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Combine strawberries and sugar.  Beat cream cheese with mixer until
creamy.  Gradually beat in milk.  Add pudding mix; mix well.  Blend in
2 cups cool whip.  Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture into a 2 1/2
quart trifle bowl.  Top with cake squares, strawberries and remaining
cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate 4 hours.  Melt chocolate.  Drizzle
half over dessert.  Dip 5 whole strawberries in remaining melted
chocolate (refrigerate for 30 min).  Garnish dessert with cool whip
and dipped strawberries.




Chocolate Skor Trifle

1 chocolate cake mix
1 large chocolate instant pudding mix
1/2 bag skor or toffee bits
1 sm or med cool whip, thawed
1 tsp almond extract

Bake chocolate cake as directed on box; allow to cool.  Mix pudding according to package directions.  Add almond extract to cool whip.  Then cut cake into cubes. Layer ingredients in trifle bowl as follows: chocolate cake, pudding, cool whip, sprinkle toffee bits.  Repeat as needed.


Strawberry-Banana Trifle

Cake:
2 bananas, peeled
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
1 box white cake mix.

Filling and Fruit:
2 boxes (3oz.each) cook-and-serve vanilla or banana pudding mix. (I used cheesecake, instant, made according to pkg directions)
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
2 cups sliced strawberries, plus more for garnish
1 cup heavy cream, whipped with
1 Tbsp.sugar.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13 x 9 baking pan with non-stick foil. Set aside.
2. Cake:  In a blender, combine 1 1/3 cups water, the bananas, egg whites and oil.  Blend
until smooth, about 1 minute.  Place cake mix in a large bowl and add mixture from blender. With an electric mixture, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to high and beat 2 minutes.  Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 33 - 35 minutes.
3. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 min., then using foil, lift cake from pan and cool
completely.
4. Filling and Fruit: Meanwhile, cook pudding mix with milk for 15 to 20 min. over medium heat, until thickened and bubbly.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes.
5. Trim edges from cooled cake.  Cut in half, then cut one half into cubes (about 20).  Place in a Trifle dish or bowl and press slightly to compress.  Spoon 2 cups pudding over cake.  Top with sliced banana and 1 cup of the sliced strawberries.  Cut second cake half into cubes and continue layering cake, pudding, banana, and strawberries.  Top with heavy cream.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.  





Red Velvet Trifle

1 recipe of your favorite red velvet cake, baked and cooled
1 large carton heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Coconut extract
Toasted coconut

After red velvet cake has completely cooled, slice off edges and disgard.  Then cut cake into 1-inch cubes.  Layer 1/3 of cake in bottom of trifle dish.  Beat whipping cream, about 2 tsp coconut extract, and ½ cup powdered sugar until creamy.  Layer 1/3 over cake cubes. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Repeat 2 more times for a 3-layer trifle.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Planning Meeting

The RS Committee took an overnight getaway to plan our upcoming Wallsburg retreat.  We stopped at the Clark home in Wallsburg to get a good visual of the area and talk with sweet Sister Clark (Kim Miller's mother).  We then headed to a condo in Park City to eat dinner, plan, visit, and just enjoy spending time together.  This ward is so lucky to have such great sisters on the planning committee!


Front porch of the Clark home.


Lots of open space to work with.  


Having a late dinner at the condo. 


 Sarah and Janice thinking hard.


Calling it a night!