Self Defense, Security and Recipes

Surprise Chocolate Cake

2/3 c dry lentils                                 2 squares baking chocolate

2 c boiling water                               2 c flour

1 ½ c sugar                                      1 tsp baking soda

1 c oil                                               2 tsp baking powder

4 large eggs                                     ½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Rinse, drain, and cook lentils and water for 40 minutes. Drain again and reserve liquid. Puree the lentils and ¼ c liquid. In bowl combine sugar, eggs, and oil. Add vanilla and 1 ¾ c lentil puree. Mix well. Melt chocolate and add to mixture. Add flour, soda, baking powder and salt, to mixture and blend completely. Pour into greased and floured 9x12 pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost when cool.

Lentil and Apple Muffins

½ c dry lentils rinse and drain

1 egg                                                   ½ c oil

1 c milk                                                1 c canned apple pie filling

¾ c ww flour                                        ¾ c white flour

1/3 c brown sugar                                2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda                                1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt                                             ¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp nutmeg

Cover lentils with water and boil for about 40 minutes until tender. Drain and puree in food processor. Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Cut any large pieces of pie filling into small pieces. In large bow, beat egg. Stir in oil and milk. Add 1 cup of the puree and the pie filling. In a separate bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg. Stir dry mixture into puree just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick comes clean. Makes 8 – 10 muffins.

Stake Emergency Preparedness

Self Defense and Security

5-26-11

Chief Dean Petterson

The #1 crime in Mapleton is theft. Light and locks will decrease the opportunity for criminals. Keep the doors of your home (front, back and windows), your car and the garage locked, even during the day. Leaving the garage door open even a little can allow someone to slip in. Get a timer for your lights if you will be out of town and install motion sensor lights outside your home. 

Keep track of serial #’s for your possessions that have them especially guns. Keep a a list on the computer as well a printed list in case the computer is stolen. Take a few hours and video the contents of your home, then keep a copy at your home and someone else's or in a safety deposit box.

Be aware of e-mail and or phone scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! If you get an e-mail from someone claiming to be a family member on vacation and in trouble and asking for your financial help, check it out before responding. Call the family member and find out if it is legitimate.

Door to door salespeople need to register with the city and will be issued a picture ID with the Mapleton City logo printed on the top. If someone comes to your door without this ID, don’t interact with them. Call the police immediately with a description of the person, the vehicle and the direction they were heading. Most of the door to door people are actually criminals from other communities. The policies the city has enacted has cut down on the number of these types of people.

A couple of other things Chief Petterson talked about were traffic and home security. Wear your seat belt, and slow down when driving. If you are driving on the streets after midnight, expect to be pulled over. The view of the police department is #1 - you are either coming or going to a job or #2 you are trouble. As far as home security, have frequent fire drills in your home and have a meeting place arranged that your entire family is aware of. Repetition helps us react quickly.

If you are going out of town, leave your name, address, what vehicles will be at the house, who will be coming and going from your home to water, pick up mail, etc. so they can check your home from time to time while you are gone. The best watchers are your neighbors, let them know the same info and have them keep an eye on things for you. As neighbors, we can let the police know when something doesn’t look right by calling them immediately with descriptions, not waiting because we’re not sure if there is a problem. You should also put a hold on your mail and papers. A pile of papers in your driveway is a sign to criminals that no one is home.

Richard Davis is a black belt who has 30 years experience. His suggestions for personal safety are:

-Notice the whole person, not just their face

-Be aware of your surroundings especially if you are using a cell phone, ipod, etc. and may  

  be distracted by them

-Keep your distance in a dispute

-Keep an “I am not a victim” mentality

-Carry a kubaton weapon (about $6 from Richard’s business) and/or pepper spray, wasp   

  spray or taser. Pepper spray needs to be replaced yearly as it loses it’s strength over time.

-Walk in pairs to school, to jog

-Walk with your head up and eyes alert

-Scream FIRE instead of help - more people will respond 

-Be confident

-Dogs are a good deterrent

-Visualize yourself in different situations and “what if” scenarios

-Take a self defense class 

Richard is willing to come to YW, RS groups and teach some basic skills for protecting ourselves.

Weekly Wisdom & Recipe

Weekly Wisdom

Ever thought of how much toilet paper your family would go through in one year? Here are a couple of ways you can figure it out. Start today, and either have a small paper and pen beside your toilet, checking off a mark every time you change the roll, or have a bag somewhere in your bathroom where you can place all of the empty rolls for one month. Count them up and multiply by 12, then you will know how many rolls your family will need for one year. I personally would rather use toilet paper, than newsprint, or old magazines. Start storing your toilet paper, every time you buy one package for your house, buy one to tuck away for storage purposes, and don't touch it. Soon you will have a nice little stash! Your family will thank you.

CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

Serves 6

2 1/2 Cups cubed potatoes 1 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. chopped onion (Or 2 Tbsp. butter Or margarine

     dry onion, reconstituted) 4 Cups liquid (cooking liquid

1 1/2 tsp. salt                from potatoes), plus water

1 Cup nonfat dry milk powder or milk

Cover potatoes and onion with boiling water. Add salt and cook until tender. Drain and save the liquid. Mash potatoes, or put them through sieve, set aside. Add dry milk and flour to liquid. Beat until smooth. Add butter. Cook over low heat, or boiling water until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking and lumping. Combine with potatoes, and reheat.

Family Drills and recipes

Practice drills for your family are a good way to remind your family what to do in case of emergencies. Today for your family time, take a bit of time to review what your family would do if there were a fire in the house. Go through each room in the house and point our two exits for each room. Then have the kids go and act as if they are doing something they would do each day, when all of a sudden someone yells fire! Have them go through the mock emergency, and their escape routes. You might also want to pair up your kids so that they have a buddy system to ensure that the younger ones have an older one responsible to help them. Or one adult to one or two children as a buddy system. This way you know who you are each responsible for and then the parent is responsible to check in with each of the older ones. Practicing for emergencies will help us to keep calmer in emergencies. It is a well known fact that when in emergencies we all tend to not think clearly, so if we have practiced, then we won't have to think too hard, it will be a natural reaction of what we should do. Preparedness is not living in fear. Preparedness is being aware of things that could happen, so we know how to act responsibly, and confidently, with clear minds. Preparedness is peace of mind!

FOCACCIA BREAD

2 cups warm water 1 tbsp yeast

1/4 cup olive oil         3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt         6 cups flour

1 cup fine diced onion 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup oil         other spices or herbs as you desire. 

Combine water and yeast; add oil, flour, salt, and sugar to the water and mix. Knead in the onion, garlic and other spices. Spread the dough on a cookie sheet, or in a dutch oven, and let rise. Brush dough with oil and seasonings.

Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. For dutch oven, bake with 8 – 10 coals under and 14 – 16 on top for 35 – 45 min.

During the last 5 min of the baking brush the top of the loaf with oil again. The bread should be golden brown and sound hollow to tap.

PIONEER STEW

Makes 8 servings

1 1/4 Cups dried pinto beans (Or kidney beans)

1 (15 oz) can undrained whole kernel corn

1 tsp. salt 1 (15 oz) can undrained tomatoes

1/2 -1lb. ground beef 

1/2 Cup chopped onion 

1/2 Cup minced green pepper

1/2 Cup shredded sharp American cheese

6 - 8 Cups cold water 

1/2 tsp. chili powder 

3/4 tsp. salt

In large saucepan place washed and drained beans, cold water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Return to heat and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes. In skillet cook ground beef, chopped onion, and green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder and salt to beans. Simmer 20 minutes. Combine 1 Tbsp flour with 2 Tbsp water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese.

Mexican Supper Casserole

1/4 c. dehydrated onion

2 cans chili with beans

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can chopped black olives

1 cup shredded processed cheese

1 package or recipe corn muffin mix

In a large skillet mix onion, chili, corn, and olives; bring to boiling. Add cheese and stir to melt. Pour into 8x11 baking pan. Prepare muffin mix according directions. Spoon dough over top of casserole. Bake at 400 for 15 – 20 min. Serves 8.