Crossing the Plains

“In the decades since the end of World War II, standards of morality have lowered again and again. Today there are more people in jail, in reformatories, on probation, and in trouble than ever before. From padded expense accounts to grand larceny, from petty crimes to crimes of passion, the figures are higher than ever and going higher. Crime spirals upward; decency careens downward. Many are on a giant roller coaster of disaster, seeking the thrills of the moment while sacrificing the joys of eternity. We conquer space but cannot control self. Thus we forfeit peace. Can we somehow muster the courage and that steadfastness of purpose which characterized the pioneers of a former generation? Can you and I, in actual fact, be pioneers today? A dictionary defines a pioneer as “one who goes before, showing others the way to follow.” Oh, how the world needs pioneers today!” – Thomas S. Monson

Rolling Nine-Patch

Lemon Brownies   (They're not brown. Should they be called "yellowies?")

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (Either wait until it’s at room temperature, or cut it into small pieces.)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice
Extra butter for greasing pan

The glaze is the best part:

4 tablespoons lemon juice

8 teaspoons lemon zest

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside. With a stand mixer cream the flour, sugar, salt, and butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 25 minutes. While the brownies bake, stir glaze ingredients together. Cool completely before glazing and allow glaze to set before cutting into bars. Makes 16 two-inch squares.

Churn Dasher

If life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. If life hands you zucchini, you can make zucchini muffins, zucchini cake, zucchini tea bread, or my family’s favorite:

Zucchini Casserole

4 medium zucchini (If they’re fatter than a banana, they’re really not medium anymore.)

 1 cup carrots

1 onion, chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups seasoned salad croutons

1 can cream of chicken soup (Asparagus or mushroom soup will work, too, as will chicken gravy.)

1/2 cup sour cream

Slice zucchini and carrots about 1/2” thick. Place in saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Simmer gently about 5 minutes; drain. Add onion and butter; saute just until onions are tender. In a 1 1/2 quart casserole or 9x13” baking dish, stir together soup and sour cream. Add vegetable mixture and croutons; gently toss. Bake at 350F 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

Jump Rope

“As great things were expected of the pioneers, so are they of us. We note what they did with what they had. We have so much more, with an overwhelming challenge to go on and build the kingdom of God. There is so much to do. We have a divine mandate to carry the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. We have a charge to teach and baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. With so great an inheritance, we can do no less than our very best. Those who have gone before expect this of us. We have a mandate from the Lord. We have a vision of our cause and purpose. We honor best those who have gone before when we serve well in the cause of truth." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Dutch Barn

The Little Dutch Boy is a folk tale about a child who saved the day by sticking his finger in a hole in the dike. It’s also the name of a delicious-smelling cookie factory near my home.

Ronald Reagan’s father gave him the nickname Dutch, either because as a boy he looked “like a chubby Dutchman,” or because he wore a Dutch Boy haircut.

A Dutch door has a top and bottom half that swing independently, to allow airflow while keeping out livestock.

Dutch treat describes a meal in which each person pays his or her own way.

Dutchman’s Breeches is a flowering shrub whose blossoms resemble baggy white trousers.

The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship doomed to sail the seas forever.

The country where you’ll find the Dutch (and hear Dutch spoken) is called Holland by everyone except the Dutch; who all insist that they live in The Netherlands.

Flying Kite

Shortly after they were married my middle son and his wife researched family trees and learned they share a common ancestor. His fourth great grandfather is her fifth, which makes them distant cousins. A few years back I discovered an app on facebook that promised to reveal distant relatives among my circle of friends. I was surprised and delighted to find several of my favorite people are also third or fourth cousins. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised, after all. According to a Yale/UC San Diego study, we tend to choose as friends people who are genetically similar to ourselves. James Fowler, one of the authors of the study claims, “We have more DNA in common with the people we pick as friends than we do with strangers in the same population.” There’s an old saying, “Your can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.” How curious that the friends we choose may be family, too.