Mormon Life - Organization tag

The Juggling Act: Balancing Womanhood and Motherhood

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:05:00 -0600

by Connie Sokol
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Being a mom doesn’t mean being a personal slave to your children. These tips will both reduce your stress and teach your children responsibility.

You can balance the roles of woman, wife, and mother by actively and daily choosing who will do what and what won’t get done. Try a few of these suggestions to decrease the stress in your life while helping your children prepare for adulthood.

Get More Done in Less Time.

Reduce your stress with EDA: Abbreviate, Delegate, and Eliminate. Consider your top three busiest to-dos—is it cleaning, laundry, carpools? Then apply each of the formula steps to create change.

Always begin with eliminate, as there’s nothing quicker than not having to do it at all. A friend of mine, fed up with too many sports and not enough family time, eliminated after-school sports for one year. Success! They ate dinner together, threw the ball outside afterwards, and got homework done without intense drama.

To delegate, ask yourself, “Whose job is this?” For example, children’s laundry is their laundry, so teach them early to do it themselves. Consider having a laundry day (each child has a day and puts in a load before school), or you wash all the laundry but on a certain day the children each fold two baskets’ worth and put it away. I love to delegate (with supervision) and farm out some cooking, cleaning, five-minute tidy-ups, daily dishes, and anything else I can think of. Sometimes there’s drama about chores, but it ultimately frees my time, increases my energy, and teaches them needed life skills.

Abbreviate means to simplify. Perhaps instead of having three children in three different sports, consider having one child, per sport, per season. Or all of them in the same class. One year all three of our boys wanted to do karate. After phoning around I found a class that could do all three in the same hour. I was able to watch and enjoy, and they progressed and had a ball. Do whatever it takes to simplify the thing that’s driving you crazy.

Use and develop their talents in regular life.

Encourage your children to use their talents, homework assignments, or scouting/YW requirements in accomplishing daily tasks. One of our sons loves to take things apart (a mostly annoying talent). But over the years he has learned to put things back together and is now the person I turn to for assembling everything from vacuum cleaners to trampolines. Heaven! Another son thoroughly enjoyed a school foods class and suddenly wanted to help cook everything in sight. Not so much heaven, at times, but still, a little culinary adventure created more down time for mama. Whether it’s for scouts, Duty to God, Personal Progress or life skills, tap into your children’s talents and tasks and let it take a load off.

Find Personal Fun Time!

Consciously take time daily to find or create the fun factor in mothering. Just the other day I was finishing up a great number of errands and suddenly had the thought—my toes look ratty. My son had given me a pedicure gift certificate for a recent birthday and I had yet to use it. Instead of continuing to be super functional, I decided to enjoy a half hour of ooh-ahh pedi, and it was wonderful! Whether it’s checking out a cute new boutique or stopping in for some homemade soup from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, enjoy a simple pleasure of life in some way, every day. You’ll find you’re a much, much happier mom, and that means a happier family.

Connie Sokol is the mother of six—expecting her seventh—and has just released her newest book, Motherhood Matters: Joyful Reminders of the Divinity, Reality, and Rewards of Motherhood. For tips, columns, and products visit 8basics.com.

LDS professional organizer featured in A&E’s ‘Hoarders’

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:04:00 -0700

by SarahJo Ciotti - LDS Living
source: ldsliving.com

Mormon Life says: Linda Isom, a professional organizer in Utah, recently showed her stuff (while getting rid of others' stuff) on the popular A&E show Hoarders.

Scaling cliffs and avoiding feral animals are sometimes exciting when in the great outdoors. But what if those cliffs are actually piles of stuff you have to scale just to enter your home? And those figurative feral animals are harder to avoid since your family member brings them into the house by the dozens? And though you have a bed somewhere in the house, finding it is more difficult than finding shelter in the wilderness?

In reality, hoarding affects two to four percent of America’s population. Often linked to obsessive-compulsive behavior, hoarding is reaching a point where professionals are considering distinguishing it as a separate disorder that should have its own diagnosis and treatment.

With the numbers on the rise, this new disorder has also captured the fancy of TV viewers across the nation in several shows highlighting the homes, habits, and compulsions of these people. A&E’s show Hoarders has been nominated for a 2011 Emmy in Outstanding Reality Programming. In this year’s new season, the crew has turned to an LDS woman, Utah native and professional organizer Linda Isom, who was featured in the show Monday, November 14.

Isom was contacted by the “Clutter Expert” Matt Paxton from the show. “I remember saying to my husband, ‘I’ve never worked with an extreme hoarder like they have on the show, but I think I understand the hoarding mindset,” Isom said. After narrowing the field of potential organizers, Paxton let her know she got the gig. “You seemed the most genuine and real and understood the hoarder’s mindset and seemed to legitimately care about people,” he told her.

Isom’s journey to this point was a gradual one. As a child she tried to help make sense of chaos, and as a teenager she would tidy and organize while on a babysitting job. But it wasn’t until she was put on bed rest while pregnant years ago that she realized this was something she could do. “[I] had to bring in someone to take care of my home and my family. . . . When that was over, I decided to organize everything in my home and label it all so if something similar happened like that again, anyone could come in and help.” She then began to take classes and work with other seasoned professionals before venturing out on her own, picking up tips, trying new things, and finding the best way to handle organizing.

But hoarding is often a symptom of something more than just disorganization. Typically, hoarding begins or intensifies when the individual is dealing with stress or some tragedy. “It’s almost always related to a cataclysmic event in their life,” Isom said. “Hoarding is commonly viewed in the medical field as their ‘drug of choice’ and needs to be treated like any other compulsion to truly understand where their mind is. If you think of the person as having a severe mental disorder, you can begin to understand where they are coming from. They’ve created this environment and they have built walls of clutter around themselves and have begun to shut everything and everyone else out.”

The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization has a "Clutter Hoarding Scale," with someone who is messy falling anywhere between stage one and stage three. The higher the rating (the highest is stage five), the more it affects the person’s relationships and interactions with others. Hoarders deals primarily with stage-five clients. “That’s when hoarding becomes a problem,” said Isom. “When you can’t move from one room to another.”

“My key role was to take care of the aftercare when the show is done,” she said. “[The client has] up to six months of optional aftercare available to them from the show. They have to be the ones to make the effort to continue with the services, and they get the same amount of psychological help for that same amount of time. The show does make efforts to help the people as much as they can. This season they’ve gone in and checked on people from previous seasons to see how they’re doing. If they did not accept the aftercare provided by the show, it is likely they have continued to hoard.”

Dealing with someone who is a hoarder requires more than an ability to throw stuff away and organize. “If you are a family member of a hoarder, you need to first identify if they have emotional issues they are suppressing by buying or collecting things,” said Isom.

Even though attempts to help may start with simply cleaning and purging, that should generally be the last thing you do, Isom said, because a person needs to be internally motivated to change before they will accept help. Like a crash diet, if the person isn’t ready to change their lifestyle, old habits will resurface, causing the accumulation binge to intensify. Individuals should be ready to change and properly participate in therapy to discover the underlying issues of their hoarding first.

“The aid of a professional organizer is a great way to get started,” said Isom. “Often that first initial consultation helping a hoarder is hard, but if they see the benefit with a mountain of positive encouragement, they can find their way out of the behavior and find a much improved way of living.”

Isom’s episode of Hoarders can be viewed online at aetv.com/hoarders.

To read some of Isom's tips for organizing your home provided especially for LDS Living, click here.

{How-to} Organize Your House with Linda Isom from A&E's Hoarders

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:04:00 -0700

by SarahJo Ciotti
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Six simple tips for getting your home organized, from professional organizer (and mother) Linda Isom.

Professional organizer Linda Isom has organized her own home and was a featured organizer on this week’s episode of A&E’s Hoarders, called "Eileen/Judy." (Read more about it by clicking here.) “In a nutshell, an organized house is an enormous time saver,” said Isom. “The general structure to the home influences children’s behavior, has a positive effect on your psyche, and makes it much easier to get things accomplished.” Having loads of clutter experience Isom has a few tried and true tips to share with us.

1. Make a "go-backs" basket
One of our favorite ideas from Isom is the go-backs basket. Often movie rentals or rebate coupons sit in the house for weeks, and sometimes they make it to the car where they sit . . . for weeks. Isom utilizes a regular basket or bin to keep near the door. Place items that need to go to the recycling, rental store, or post office right in the bin. On your way out the door in the morning, carry the box to your car. As you drive to work, carpool, or run errands, you will have everything with you to deposit. At the end of the day, sweep your car of anything that does not belong: kids’ toys, magazines, those really pretty but really uncomfortable new shoes you tried to wear all day at work, and drop those in the bin to bring back inside.

2. Use a timer
Set a timer in small segments, such as five or ten minutes, and have your children work on cleaning in categories of "like" items: picking up laundry, toy cars, or books. They may even enjoy trying to “beat the clock.” They’ll soon begin to clean things up in less than half the time it would otherwise have taken them. Breaking it up into small projects with "like" items also helps the child understand how to break down the mess in their minds so it's easier to clean.

3. Clean one room at a time
Sometimes focus is hard, but clearing one room at a time is essential for getting things done and not becoming overwhelmed. Isom suggests grabbing an empty laundry basket and placing items that belong somewhere else in the basket as you find them instead of taking them directly to the other room and becoming distracted by what needs to be done in there.

Continue until the room is finished, then, once one room is clear, return the items to their proper places.

4. Keep younger children entertained in the meantime
Cleaning while you have little kids underfoot can often be a challenge. Isom suggests setting the little ones in a separate, already clean room with toys they love but that won’t cause a mess or too much clutter. That way, you control what they play with. If this still doesn’t work for you, it’s okay to turn on the TV for a little while. “I’m not for allowing television to do the babysitting all the time,” Isom warns, “but with half an hour in front of Dora in order for you to have sanity, your children should be just fine.”

5. Teach your older children to help—repeatedly
For older children, Isom says, “Don’t have a perfectionist attitude: allow time to teach your kids to do chores and do things around the house.” Adults go through training at a new job, being shown how to perform the task and going through follow-up evaluations until they can complete the task solo. Children are no different. “I’ve been teaching my son to wipe the table after dinner. It took me showing him 15 times to be able to wipe it the way I wanted.” Having your children involved in chores teaches them to follow instructions, complete a task, and take pride in ownership.

6. Make the decisions beforehand; buy containers and know where you are going to store something before you buy
“The thing I can’t stress enough is stress doesn’t come from clutter; it comes from not knowing what to do with it,” Isom says. Everything in your house should have its place. Knowing where to store an item before you bring it home will keep the clutter at bay. If you don’t have a place in mind, pick up a container with the item when you buy it. If you don’t use it in a while, purge it. That way you now have a new space for the items you need.

For more information or tips from Isom, visit her blog at clearingspacebydesign.com.

{Lifestyle} Organizing Your Home for Back-to-school

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:02:00 -0600

by Connie Sokol
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Fear not about the craziness of back to school days. You can do it, especially if you follow a few simple tips.

It begins: the papers, the lunchboxes, the assignments and lunch calendars. And so does your trauma of where to put it and how to track it.

Worry no more. I’ve got a few simple suggestions that can make a huge difference in your fabulous fall.

A functional kids’ counter. Whether it’s an actual counter or simply space on a baker’s rack, have a place set aside for your children’s most essential school items. On our kids’ counter we store binders, text books, and a supply tub with individual sections to hold markers, crayons, pencils, glue, and extra paper. And woe to the person who doesn’t put it back (though it always looks happily “used”). Create a system to hold finished papers and a space for tracking upcoming assignments. Try using a clipboard per child that holds individual papers with deadlines. Or a magazine holder with their name on a label. Currently, we use a stack of office file trays with each one labeled per child. When they arrive home, I first get the backpack, sift through it, chat about and post their new assignments, and place the old papers in the tray.

A one-stop family center. Need a place for chores, scouts, and more routine or once-in-awhile items and events? Use a large bulletin board (so many are fabulously decorative) and place it in the kitchen. Separate it into three vertical sections—family info, family mission and goals, and family chores. On ours the far left side has family projects, counsel from the stake president, and a yearly calendar of what’s key. The middle section has our family mission statement (“Work hard, pray hard, play hard”) and our family goals (that often remain boldly triumphant and unfulfilled, for weeks at a time, until we remember to reset them). The third section has chore envelopes (very fancy—a manila 8 x 11 envelope cut in half with their name on it). Inside goes scout info, Duty to God/Faith in God, For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, and anything else I need to find at the last minute.

A useful family calendar. This is our life. I write everything on it—grocery items, kids’ babysitting hours, projects, phone numbers, you name it. We use an age-old calendar frame that combines with a small cork board and hangs on the fridge (I’ve glued and stapled it so many times it’s pathetic but still can’t be parted with). On the cork section are the current to-dos (forms to sign, this week’s events, etc.). In this way I can glance at the calendar, look at the accompanying items, and remember what my brain refuses to keep. And my children know that if it’s not on the calendar, there’s no guarantee of a ride.

Real family meals. You’re groaning. For years cooking was the bane of my existence, until I truly realized the importance of it. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said, “Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.” Family dinner is ideal for creating connection. It’s when we can debrief and regroup (in the form of loud, chaotic, often obnoxious conversation).

Remember, it’s a family experience. [To read more about the importance of family dinners, check out our Advice for Life column on page 25 of LDS Living's Sept/Oct issue.] Enlist the children in sous-chef activities—cutting, buttering, and assembling. Assign clear chores—set, clear, clean up—and rotate them daily or weekly. Keep recipes quick and enjoyable. And encourage conversation around the table. Many people have a sharing system—one high or one low (or two highs), favorite part of the day, random questions, or following President Monson’s adage by asking, “Whom did you serve today?” Include current events or family topics, but just keep the conversation going and in a positive direction.

Organization can be simple if we keep it that way. Start with one tip, try it, tailor it to your family’s needs, then enjoy living it. You’ll feel happier with less stress and more fulfillment with your family rhythm.

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Connie Sokol is a mother of six, presenter, and author of Faithful, Fit & Fabulous. Enjoy her blog and tips, and share your thoughts at 8basics.com.

Cook It Forward

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:01:00 -0700

by LDS Living staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The holidays are a time for good company and good food. But cooking nonstop for a special occasion can be a long, tiring, and stressful process. We’re going to get you through that holiday meal without a hitch. Just follow this plan and these make-ahead recipes so that when the big day comes, you can relax and enjoy the festivities with the rest of your friends and family. The Menu

This menu will serve ten to twelve people and includes two appetizers, five side dishes, plus gravy, a frozen fruit salad, rolls, and three delicious desserts:

— Pineapple Cheese Ball and Crackers
— Carrot and Apple Soup
— Perfectly Lemon Green Beans
— Sweet Maple Potatoes
— Mashed Potatoes
— Turkey Gravy
— Simple Stuffing
— Creamed Spinach Gratin
— Frozen Cranberry Raspberry Fruit Salad
— Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
— Hot Apple Cake with Caramel Pecan Sauce
— Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Butterscotch Sauce
— Pecan Pie

Three weeks before . . .

Making your meal ahead of time will require quite a bit of your freezer space. Organize your freezer to make room for two cheese balls, a large container of soup, another container of stuffing, the rolls, one cake, and two pies. Next week you’ll need to have additional room for three casserole dishes or six large Ziploc bags, a container of gravy, and a 12-cup muffin pan, so allow for that now, too, if you can. Next, make a list of every ingredient you need, including drinks or mixes, cranberry sauce, butter, and honey. Everything on this list is either nonperishable or will be frozen in the next week. Compare the list to what you have on hand so you will know what you need to purchase. The only exceptions are the fresh green beans, lettuce leaves, and the turkey—you’ll wait until later to pick those up. Set aside some time this week to make the following menu items: the Pineapple Cheese Ball, Carrot and Apple Soup, Simple Stuffing, Buttermilk Dinner Rolls, Hot Apple Cake, Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie, and the Pecan Pie (recipes to follow).

Start with the dough for the Buttermilk Dinner Rolls and let it rise while you prepare the cheese ball, soup, and stuffing. Roll out the rolls and let them rise again while preparing the apple cake, ice cream pie, and the pecan pie. (The apple cake and the ice cream pie are both served with sauces, but you won’t make them until the day before the dinner is served.) Bake the rolls last and let them cool before freezing. Now, your kitchen is going
to smell absolutely delicious, so you might want to double the recipe for the rolls so that
you have some to eat right away.

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

— 1/4 cup warm water (105 – 115° F)
— 1 (1/4 oz.) package active dry yeast
— 1 tbsp honey
— 2 tsp salt
— 3 1/2 cups flour
— 1 cup whole buttermilk at room temperature
— 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
— 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1tbsp water

Stir together water, yeast, and honey in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. (This is the most important part, so if it doesn’t foam, start over.) Mix salt and 3 cups flour. Add yeast mixture, buttermilk, and butter, stirring until dough is soft and sticky. Knead dough 6–10 minutes on floured surface, adding just enough extra flour to keep it from sticking. When dough is smooth and elastic, form into a ball and put in an extra large, oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise 1 – 1-1/2 hours or until doubled.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough several times to remove air. Roll out and cut into 18 short rectangles. Brush with melted butter and fold over once, Parker House style. Place rolls 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with kitchen towel and let rolls rise again until doubled, 1 – 1-1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375° F. Brush rolls lightly with egg yolk and water mixture. Bake until rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 15 minutes. Cool completely, wrap in heavy-duty foil, and freeze. The day of, thaw and reheat (still wrapped) at 350° F for 12 minutes or until warm.

Pineapple Cheese Ball

— 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
— 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained well
— 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
— 4 tbsp chopped green bell pepper
— 1 tbsp seasoned salt
— 1 cup chopped pecans
— crackers

Mix cream cheese, pineapple, onions, bell pepper, and salt. Shape into 2 balls, cover, and freeze. On the day before, remove ball from freezer and allow it to thaw. Reshape and roll in chopped pecans. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with crackers.

Carrot and Apple Soup

— 3 tbsp margarine or butter
— 2 onions, finely chopped
— 5 medium apples (Golden Delicious recommended), peeled, cored, and chopped
— 2-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
— 3 cans (14 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
— 2 tbsp sugar
— 2 tsp salt
— 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
— 3 cups water
Optional Garnish:
— half-and-half or heavy cream
— fresh chives

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Saute’ onion until tender and golden. Stir in apples, carrots, broth, sugar, salt, ginger, and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Puree the mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Freeze. On the day before, move the soup to the refrigerator to thaw. On the day of, reheat and serve with a swirl of half-and-half or heavy cream. Garnish with fresh chives.

Simple Stuffing

— 4 quarts bread cubes
— 1 tbsp salt
— 2 tsp poultry seasoning
— 1/2 tsp ground pepper
— 1/4 tsp crushed sage leaves
— 1/4 tsp crushed thyme leaves
— 1 cup butter or margarine
— 2 cups chopped celery
— 2 cups chopped onion
— 2 cups chicken broth
— optional: 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Blend the bread cubes and seasonings, set aside. Saute’ celery and onion in butter over low heat until golden. Add the celery-onion mixture. Toss lightly, then pour broth over and stir to blend. Add more seasonings and the cranberries, if desired. Freeze up to 3 weeks. The day before, remove from freezer and allow up to 3 hours to thaw. The night before, stuff the turkey. You can also bake in greased loaf pans for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with turkey drippings.

Hot Apple Cake with Carmel Pecan Sauce

Cake:
— 2 sticks butter, softened
— 1 cup sugar
— 2 eggs
— 1-1/2 cups flour
— 1 tsp ground cinnamon
— 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
— 1 tsp baking soda
— 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled,
cored and finely chopped
— 1/2 cup chopped pecans
— 2 tsp vanilla
— optional: vanilla ice cream
Caramel Sauce (to be prepared THE WEEK BEFORE serving):
— 4 tbsp butter
— 1/2 cup pecan halves
— 1 cup light brown sugar
— 1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until well blended. Add flour, spices, and baking soda and beat until just mixed. Mix in the apples, nuts, and vanilla. Spoon batter into greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. Freeze the cake when cooled, up to one month.

For the caramel sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add pecan halves. Add brown sugar and whipping cream, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for up to a week. THE DAY BEFORE, let cake thaw in refrigerator overnight. The day of, reheat at 350° F for 10 minutes. Warm caramel sauce in saucepan, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Place a slice of warm cake onto dessert plate with one scoop vanilla ice cream, if desired, and drizzle everything with sauce.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Butterscotch Sauce

Graham Cracker Crust:
— 1 stick melted butter
— 6 tbsp sugar
— 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
— 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pie:
— 1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin puree
— 1 tsp ground cinnamon
— 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
— 1 tsp ground ginger
— 1/8 tsp ground cloves
— 2/3 cup brown sugar
— 3 pints vanilla ice cream
Butterscotch Sauce (to be prepared THE WEEK BEFORE serving):
— 4 tbsp butter
— 1 cup dark brown sugar
— 1 cup cream

Mix ingredients for crust and pat firmly in glass pie dish. Put in freezer. Cook the pumpkin, seasonings, and sugar over low heat until sugar dissolves and the puree thickens. Refrigerate until cool. Soften 2 of the 3 pints of ice cream and beat it with the pumpkin mixture. Spread evenly over frozen pie crust. Freeze at least 2 hours. Soften remaining ice cream and spread over pumpkin mixture and return it to the freezer. Wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add brown sugar. Add cream and stir until the sauce boils. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until ready to use, then warm before serving over pie.

Pecan Pie

Pie Crust:
— 2 cups flour
— 1 tsp salt
— 2/3 cups shortening
— 5 – 7 tbsp cold water
Pie filling:
— 1 cup light corn syrup
— 3/4 cup sugar
— 3 eggs, slightly beaten
— 1/8 tsp salt
— 1 tsp vanilla
— 2 tbsp melted butter
— 1 tbsp vinegar
— 2 cups chopped pecans

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are small. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of mixture. Gently toss with fork and push to side of bowl. Repeat until everything is moistened. Form into a ball. Divide into 2 balls. Flatten on flour surface and push 3 times with hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing pie filling. Mix all pie filling ingredients together. Set aside.

Remove crust dough from refrigerator and roll from center to edge till 1/8 inch thick. Place in pie plate. This recipe makes 2 pie crusts, so freeze one for later or use it as a backup. Pour pie filling in the prepared pie crust. Pour pecans over the mixture. Bake at 425° F for 60 – 70 minutes. After about 30 minutes, cover edges of pie with aluminum foil strips to keep the crust from burning. Be careful not to spill the filling—it is still liquid, and very hot. When a knife inserted comes out clean, the pie is done. Allow to cool, then freeze up to 3 weeks. Thaw to room temperature and serve.

Two weeks before . . .

This week’s cooking will be even easier than last week’s. By the end, you’ll have the sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, spinach gratin, and fruit salad added to your freezer. Start by heating the oven to 375° F and placing a tray of 6 turkey wings on the bottom rack of the oven, and the potatoes and sweet potatoes on the top rack for about for 1 – 1-1/2 hours (see recipes below). While those are baking, prepare the Creamed Spinach Gratin and then the Frozen Cranberry Raspberry Salad. When the wings are finished, prepare the gravy and let simmer while preparing the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Finish the gravy, throw everything in the freezer, and you’re done for another week! Here are the recipes you’ll need:

Creamed Spinach Gratin

— 1 clove garlic, halved
— 2 tbsp unsalted butter
— 5 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise
— 5 (10 oz.) bags frozen spinach, thawed
— 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
— 1 cup heavy cream
— 1 cup whole milk
— 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
— 1 tsp kosher salt
— 1/2 tsp black pepper
— 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Rub the sides and bottom of an 8-inch greased baking dish with garlic. In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened (approximately 5 – 7 minutes). Set aside. Drain spinach well, squeezing to remove any excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, Swiss cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shallots. Transfer gratin to baking dish and freeze.

ON THE DAY BEFORE, move the dish to the refrigerator to thaw. THE DAY OF, bake uncovered at 375° F for about 1 hour, or until lightly golden.

Frozen Cranberry Raspberry Salad

— 1/2 cup boiling water
— 1 (3 oz.) package raspberry gelatin
— 1 (10 oz.) package frozen raspberries (with sugar), thawed
— 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
— 1 cup sour cream
— 1 (16 oz.) can whole berry cranberry sauce
— green lettuce leaves for presentation

Pour boiling water on gelatin in large bowl. Stir in raspberries (with syrup). Mix remaining ingredients. Stir into gelatin mixture. (Mixture may be lumpy.) Pour into a 9 x 13-inch dish or divide into a 12-cup muffin pan (without paper baking cups). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze up to 2 months.

To serve, cut into squares or remove from muffin pan (with the bottom of the pan dipped in a little hot water) and place frozen on green lettuce leaves.

Turkey Gravy

— 6 turkey wings
— 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
— 1 cup water
— 2 quarts chicken broth, divided
— 1/2 tsp dr ied thyme
— 3/4 cups chopped carrots
— 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
— 2 tbsp butter
— 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375° F. Place a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Spread onions on top of the wings. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until wings are brown. Remove and place in a large pot. Add water to the roasting pan and stir, scraping up the juices on the bottom of the pan. Pour the water from the pan into the pot with the wings and onions. Stir 6 cups broth, carrots, and thyme into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours.

Remove wings. When cooled, pull off the skin and meat. (Meat can be used for lunches or dinners.) Strain the contents of the pot into a 3-quart saucepan. Discard the vegetables
and skim the fat off the liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil. In a medium bowl, whisk flour into the remaining 2 cups chicken broth until smooth. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering turkey broth. Simmer 3 – 4 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Pour into containers and freeze. Reheat when ready to serve.

Sweet Maple Potatoes

— 6 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled and pricked with a fork
— 1/2 cup maple syrup
— 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
— 1 cup sour cream
— 1/2 tsp salt
— 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Bake sweet potatoes at 375° F for 1 – 1-1/2 hours, or until softened, and let cool. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and discard the skins. Mash and put in freezer bags and freeze for up to two weeks. THE DAY BEFORE, thaw sweet potatoes, put in mixing bowl, and add the maple syrup (to taste), butter, and sour cream. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mix until smooth. Season with salt and nutmeg. Place in casserole dish and refrigerate for no more than 24 hours. THE DAY OF, bake at 400° F for 30 – 40 minutes.

Double Cream Mashed Potatoes

— 10 large potatoes, unpeeled and pricked with a fork
— 2 (3 oz.) packages cream cheese
— 8 oz. sour cream
— 1/2 cup milk
— 2 tsp garlic or onion salt
— ground pepper to taste

Bake potatoes at 375° F for 1 – 1-1/2 hours, or until softened, and let cool. Decide if you want to include the skins in the dish or discard them. Mash potatoes and combine all ingredients. Cover and freeze in a casserole dish. THE DAY BEFORE, remove to the refrigerator. THE DAY OF, cover with foil and bake at 325° F for 30 – 40 minutes.

One week before . . .

All you have to do this week is get the turkey and prepare the dessert sauces. These will
be refrigerated, not frozen. Also, make sure the tablecloth you’re going to use is clean,
that you have all the fl atware, silverware, and glasses you will need, and that any table decorations are ready to go.

Three days before . . .

Move the turkey to the refrigerator to thaw and purchase the green beans and lettuce.

The day before . . .

First thing in the morning set the sweet potatoes on the counter to thaw. Then move the
cheese balls, the soup, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, gratin, and apple cake to the
refrigerator. Leave the fruit salad, rolls, and ice cream pie in the freezer. Prepare the green beans and refrigerate.  

Perfectly Lemon Green Beans

— 2-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
— 4 tbsp butter
— 6 tbsp slivered almonds
— 2 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
— 1/4 tsp salt
— 1/8 tsp pepper

Cook green beans in boiling salted water 5 – 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge beans in ice water to stop the cooking process; set aside. Melt the butter in the same saucepan; stir in the almonds. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, or until the almonds are very light brown. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Drain the now-cooled green beans thoroughly, shaking off any excess water. Put the beans in a microwave-proof casserole or serving dish, pour the lemon butter mixture over them and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until just before it is time to serve the meal. Reheat the beans by microwaving them on high for 4 – 6 minutes, or until they are heated through and thoroughly cooked. Toss the green beans with the lemon butter again to distribute it evenly over the beans before serving.

After cooking the green beans . . .

Make up the Sweet Maple Potatoes and refrigerate. And just before you go to bed, stuff the turkey and move the pecan pie to the counter. Today you may also want to iron the tablecloth and set the table. Depending on what time the meal will be served, you may want to start the turkey early in the morning, even 3:00 or 4:00 a.m., so don’t forget to set your alarm clock. You’ll want to leave the oven available about two hours before the meal for reheating and last-minute preparations.

The day of . . .

First thing in the morning, remove the rolls from the freezer and let thaw and rise in a
warm place. Set the cheese balls out on the table to soften, but keep covered. After the turkey is removed from the oven, allow it to sit at least twenty minutes before cutting to let the juices settle into the meat. Cut the turkey if you so choose. One and a half hours before the meal, begin reheating the Creamed Spinach Gratin. One hour before, reheat the Double Cream Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Maple Potatoes. Remove everything from the oven when finished and cook the rolls beginning thirty minutes before dinner. Right after you put the rolls in, beginning reheating the soup and the gravy on the stove. Remove the rolls after they’re done, cover, and set on the table. Return the gratin, the potatoes, and the sweet potatoes to the oven and keep only on warm—do not continue cooking.

Remove the frozen salad from the freezer, place on individual serving dishes, and set on the table. Set the turkey and stuffi ng on the table. Five minutes before dinner, reheat the
green beans in the microwave. Keep everything else warm until the cheese balls and
soup have been eaten. Move the gratin, potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, and green beans
to the table and enjoy dinner!

Some people need a little bit of time after the holiday meal before they are ready for
dessert, so don’t worry about reheating the Hot Apple Cake, setting out the Pumpkin Ice
Cream Pie to soften, and reheating the sauces until after dinner.

Prepare Every Needful Thing

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 08:13:00 -0700

by Dawn Frandsen
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: It's January--time to organize! The superstores have those giant plastic containers on sale, so you can sort all the stuff you've accumulated this past year. But how many years has it been since you sorted out the clutter in your financial house? This article isn't about how to balance your checkbook or verify how much your stock portfolio is making. It is about things you'll leave behind to make life bearable for your family.

Several years ago, a family friend died in a small plane crash. The grief and anguish over his loss were poignant. When this man died, however, his financial house was in immaculate order.

The goals he and his wife had set for their young children were accomplished. Though achieving them alone, his wife was able to do all the things she wanted to do. Today, she lives a comfortable life. Their children had money for missions, college and advanced degrees.

Once you are gone (and that often comes without warning) you can't fix what you didn't do. Many people assume that after their demise, their money and assets will go to their family. But without correct planning, as much as 49% of your estate could go to the IRS -- before your children get anything.

Statistics show that only 41% of Americans have a prepared will or estate plan and a sufficient amount of life insurance. Worse yet, only a third of families with children have made the necessary decisions regarding the appointment of a guardian and how the financial needs of their children will be met.

If you and your spouse were to die without these plans being made, you may unknowingly give the court power to make crucial decisions about your children and the distribution of your estate.

There are several things to consider when putting your financial house in order.

Will

First is your will. Is it current, or have you had two children since you last looked at it? The purpose of your will is to specify how you want your assets distributed. It names your executor and the guardian of your children. Moreover, it helps eliminate bickering and hurt feelings if your instructions are described with meticulous detail.

Insurance

Do you still have enough insurance? Maybe your youngest son was married last year and you have too much. Do you have the correct types? Life, disability, health and long-term care should all be considered.

Trust

Trusts are not just for millionaires. There are several types of trusts, each with different benefits. Trusts can provide advantages over a simple will. They can be used to avoid probate and its associated costs. Unlike a will, which is a public document, trusts are private. They therefore protect the privacy of your estate plan. An estate-planning attorney can help you determine which trust will best suit your needs.

Estate Planning

Proactive estate planning also is not just for the rich and famous. Proper planning will allow you to transfer assets quickly while minimizing settlement costs. If your total assets exceed $1,000,000, planning ahead will be very beneficial to your heirs. Once you’ve determined your assets, consult with a financial planner and attorney to put together the correct plan.

Estate Taxes

It’s a good idea to estimate your estate taxes – you’re probably worth more than you think. Again, a professional financial planner or attorney can help you prepare for your individual needs. Life insurance can be a valuable tool when dealing with estate taxes and the administration costs of settling your estate.

Since your net worth changes many times throughout your life, ensuring your family’s financial future is an evolving process. Children are born, grow up, and leave. Parents grow older. The worth of a business grows. Financial needs evolve with each of these changes.

Being prepared with the correct plan in place will reduce the heartache and eliminate the headaches of death. Start now. While you are setting your own financial house in order, check with your parents. Discuss and explain to your children the provisions you are making. Let them know that you have prepared so they need not fear.