For some cute and simple gift giving ideas using canning jars and seeds from your garden go to:

http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com/2009/09/cute-and-simple-gift-ideas-to-take-with.html

Sourdough Bread - Good things are worth sharing!

Don't you just love to go to a nice resturaunt and once seated, they bring out a fresh mini loaf of sourdough bread and butter to enjoy?  I don't kow about you, but I absolutely love sourdough bread and quite by accident, when I was searching for a recipe for Amish Friendship Bread Starter, I found a great blog that I really like.  It is called "My Sisters Kitchen" and you can find it at http://mysisterskitchen.wordpress.com
Anyway, as I was looking through this great blog, I came  upon a post about how to make a sour dough start and different bread variations. If you are interested in this too, go to ttp://mysisterskitchen.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/sourdough-bread/ and you can read if for yourself.  Also be sure to read the "COMMENTS" as they are great and have many more great ideas.  I bet you don't stop there, but read more and more from this fantastic blog!

Now how does this relate to Visiting Teaching?  How about making up some great sourdough bread loaves, and taking one to each of the sisters that you Visit Teach?  I can only imagine how much they would enjoy a fresh baked loaf of sourdough bread.  My own visiting teacher brought to me for Christmas, a fresh baked loaf of bread, and then brought another to me while I was healing from my surgery I had about a week ago.  What a wonderful and thoughtful treat, and homemade too! 

If you have variations of this recipe or one of your own that you would like to share, please feel free to comment, and know I love your comments!!!!

I am making my "Family Tree Magnet Board"

While I am trying to recouperate from my surgery, I have been thinking of ways to make my resting time spent, more useful. I have been thinking about a project that I have almost all the necessary items for, but have never completed it. It is something that will be a family treasure or heirloom one day, but I have to make it first. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT...

Back in about September of 2009, my daughter and I went to Swiss Days that is a huge boutique and Celebration held in Midway, Utah, a little town boardering Heber City and just outside of Park City, Utah. This is what I feel is the biggest and best boutiques held in Utah and I try to go to it every year.

One of the best finds of booths that really struck my fancy was the "Stories by Me" booth. This is the link to their website http://www.storiesbyme.com and their blog http://www.storiesbymeblog.blogspot.com/

This project will be a good one for Ward Relief Societies as they come up with monthly activities and things that can enrich the lives of the women, with something useful, fun and with a good focus which is family history.  The top photo is temporary and from the site of Stories by me, but I will replace it with my finnished project and how I did it.  They also have other darling ideas and projects using family photos, that will help create memories and fun.  I plan also on making the puzzle blocks using the faces of my grandchildren to make the puzzles.  It will be lots of fun! You should also check out their darling calendar that can be used monthly with pictures of the birthdays in the family.  Such cute ideas and worth while  projects to do!!!!!

Simple, Thoughtful and easy!!!

Recouperating from my surgery, I was reminded of a nice gift that my husband gave me once, just to pamper me. He had purchased a heatable and scented heating bag, that fit around my shoulders. I just put it in the microwace for a couple of minutes and then put it on my shoulders, or on my head to help with a headache or wherever I needed some quick warmth. I loved it and use it over and over. I was thinking that it could be used for the sisters that you Visit teach, to add a touch of "Warmth" to their lives during these cold winter months.

I searched the internet for directions to make one, and found it at http://tipnut.com/make-your-own-microwave-heating-pad/  and other directions and photo at http://commoncentsliving.blogspot.com/2007/10/rice-bags-multi-purpose-accessory.html
I would find some cute fabric to make it out of and a great place to find some is at Hobbie Lobby if you have one close to you and always get 30% off their already low priced darling fabrics.... or go online to to fabrics.com at http://www.fabric.com/ and look up some of the darling Michael Miller prints, as shown above. You won't need much fabric to make one, but take advantage of their free shipping policy if you buy $35 or more, or double up with others who want to order too and make it worth the order. (there are all kinds of online fabric stores to choose from)

Anyway follow the directions and make a thoughtful little gift or when you know she is ill you could take it to her then to let her know that you are thinking of her and sending "warm wishes" her way. Great idea huh? I think ao! Love, Katie G

The Secret of Christmas Bookmark

Once again may I remind you.... you may use this and the other things that I have on this blog for your own personal use or to aid you in doing your Visiting Teaching. Not to be sold or claimed as your own work, but it would be nice if you told others about this blog so that they could be beneficiaries of my work as well to do their good works. Thanks, Katie G

Here's a repeat of Last year's pictures of the Friendly Beasts song.

The Friendly Beasts

Jesus our brother kind and good

Was humbly born in a stable wood,

The friendly beasts around him stood,

Jesus Our Brother Kind and good.

I said the Donkey all shaggy and brown,

I carried his mother uphill and down,

I carried her safely to Bethlehem town,

I said the donkey all shaggy and brown.

"I" said the cow all white and red

I gave him my manger for a bed

I gave him my hay for to pillow his head

"I" said the cow all white and red

"I" said the sheep with a curly horn

I have him my wool for his blanket warm

And he wore my coat on that Christmas morn

"I" said the sheep with a curly horn

"I" said the dove from the rafters high
I Cooed him to sleep that he should not cry

We cooed him to sleep my love and I

"I" said the dove from the rafters high

"I" said the camel all yellow and black

Over the desert upon my back

I brought him a gift in the wise men's pack

"I" said the camel all yellow and black

Thus every beast remembering it well

In the stable dark was so proud to tell

Of the gifts that they gave Emmanuel

The gifts that they gave Emmanuel

Originally Posted by Katie Gauger at 9:59 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Monday, November 17, 2008

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Something to warm yourself when it's cold outside.

My grandmother Robinson use to make up the best, what we called it..."Hot Spice Punch" every year at Christmas time. I remember going to her house and when we entered the front door, I could immediately smell the most fragrant, wonderful smell. It always drew me to her kitchen where she had a large pot of her hot spice punch simmering on the stove. The fragrant cloves and cinnamon made my mouth water and I couldn't wait until she offered me some. She would then unwrap a tiny candy cane and hook the crook of the cane over the edge of the mug. Those were great memories. I have kept my grandmothers wassail recipe and have integrated it with my own family traditions over the years, and my own children ask me every year if I am going to make the Hot spice punch.

Today I am trying to battle my cold and I decided that I would make some hot spice punch to warm me up and hopefully help me to get alittle extra vitamin C for my cold. This time, I tried to expedite the process and I think that I like the new recipe even better than the old one. I have added a couple new things to mine and taken away one of the ingredients and substituted another.... but it turned out to be absolutely delicious.



In years past, I have made up this recipe and after it had sufficiently simmered, I poured some into a glass pint or a quart canning jar for gift giving. I have made the fabric lids that you can find on this blog, and put them on with a label of one kind or another. This would make a great and easy Visiting Teaching gift.

Let me know what you think of my new and improved recipe, even though you can't compare it with the old one since I am not posting that one. You can print this off to share if you like. Enjoy! Katie G.