How to Sprout Wheat

The information and pictures in this post were provided by a sister in our stake.
Sprouted wheat is a tasty way to eat wheat. You can add it to all sorts of things: salads, stir fry, casseroles, sandwiches, soups, or eat them just plain.

Day 1 - 8amThis is 1/4 cup rinsed wheat covered in water (rinsing is just to clean it). Use any quantity you desire.

Day 1- 8pmAfter 12 hours in water, kernels are plump. They are rinsed, drained well (this is very important), put back in the jar (also drained of any sitting water) and will sit overnight.

Day 2 - 7amSome are beginning to show a little white root coming out on one end. Again, the seeds are rinsed, drained well and put back in the jar for the day.


Day 2 - 6 pmYou can now see a hair-like root coming out of the white root. And once again, rinse, drain well and leave in jar overnight.

Day 3 - 7am We have more than one hair-like root coming out but notice the sprout that is now just beginning. Eating sometimes begins now. Rinse, drain well and let sit in jar.
Day 3 - 6pmThe sprout is almost the length of the kernel of wheat and that's when it's the best. Notice the jar and how the seeds have expanded in the room they take in the jar. You can rinse, drain well, cover and put in the refrigerator. They continue to grow and will keep for several days, rinsing every 2-3 days. Rinse before using.

Day 4

6am

READY TO EAT!!

There are many instructions out there,but if you think about the natural growing process, it really doesn't matter if the water is cold or warm. What if you forget to rinse? Just do the next step when you remember (just like waiting for rain). It'll just be a little slower accomplishing what you're doing. What if you forget and the soak process was 24 hours? Just drain, rinse and continue the process. Tap water works just fine. Some say to put the container in the dark - on the counter is fine. The only thing you do NOT want to do is let the container come into direct sunlight and this applies throughout the whole process. Most instructions tell you to rinse and drain three times a day - simplify and twice is nice! There are always the faster ones and the slower ones - it all works out. If you are using a sprout bag or a container that the hair-like roots start entwining, just massage them a little to separate them when rinsing. The wheat sprouts are sweetest at the beginning stage. The longer the sprout, the less sweet they become. Some say even sprouting to the length of the kernel is too long.

All Is Safely Gathered In--Using the Cannery

Thanks to our stake cannery specialist-Susan Powell (Lake Hills)- for helping with this blog.

The cannery is for use by all stake members and is located at 4432 South Frontage Road (part of the Auto Auction). Because of liability and safety issues, please leave children younger than 12 at home. Infants in car seats are okay. Most wards and branches have a cannery specialist:

Skyview - Annette Draper 896-1215
Shepherd - Sis Miars 373-9821
Colstrip - Sydney Pitt 748-4419
Forsyth Colleen Hill 346-7770
Roundup - Louise Lear 323-3286
Hardin - Laura Lowe 665-1305
Alkali - Diane Jones 252-6229
Lake Hills - JoAnn Louks 245-0190
Hawthorne -
Hilltop -

Call your specialist to schedule a time and day to go to the cannery. If your ward specialist is not available, you may also contact our stake cannery specialist:

Susan Powell-252-1068

Currently, the following foods are available for purchase and canning:

several varieties of beans

dry milk

rice

sugar

wheat (red or white)

apple slices

carrots

macaroni

oats

onions

potato flakes

spaghetti

hot cocoa

flour

fruit drink mix

pancake mix

potato pearls

There is a shelving unit of pre-canned items that you can choose from. You can bring youth groups or adults groups to the cannery and can food as a service project and add them to this shelf for anyone to purchase from.

The cannery is well-stocked with cans and food.

Choose your food to can--here we are canning powdered milk. Set your metal cans in a plastic bin to contain the mess.

Fill your cans, add a oxygen absorber.

Put a lid on top, place on sealing machine, use lever to raise the can, push handle back and circle cans 3-4 times, then pull handle forward and circle cans 3-4 more times.

Label and date your cans.

Clean up: wash plastic bin, wipe down surfaces you used, leave plastic bin upside down hanging over the edge so it can dry.

Make sure to gather up used towels to return to Susan Powell along with the key.

Fill out the price list, making sure to include all foods, cans, lids, oxygen absorbers, plastic lids, etc. Attach your check and give it to your ward specialist or Susan Powell if you are not with your specialist. Do not leave your payment at the cannery.

What do you use your powdered milk for? Send an email with ideas and recipes to BillingsEastStakeRS@yahoo.com and tell us! We will do a posting on uses for powdered milk.

The Time Value of Money

There is a principle in economics which teaches that saving money over a period of time results in impressive gains. That principle is called "The time value of money". Here is the way Provident Living explains it:

"Gradually build a financial reserve, and use it for emergencies only. If you save a little money regularly, you will be surprised how much accumulates over time."

See for yourself using this financial calculator from the Provident Living Website:

http://www.calcxml.com/do/sav07?skn=38

For example, if you save $100 a month at 8% for 20 years, and you are in the 25% tax bracket, you will end up with $46,791. Do you wonder why 8% is used? That seems a little optimistic in today's climate! However, according to Provident Living, 8% is the average return on money between 1926-2007. Note that those years include the Great Depression, as well as many recessions. Some years are better then others! Of course, 8% is not a guaranteed return, but financial preparedness is a cornerstone of family security. You can enter your own information on the financial calculator-including your current interest rate and monthly contribution. The time value of money means people who start saving early for future purchases, expenses, retirement, etc. are at an advantage as their money works for them. If you neglected saving early, you are not off the hook! As President Gordon B Hinckley taught: “Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts” ("To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 54).

Remember a regular, consistent savings plan is part of being prepared!

Power’s Out – Now What?

Jodi Gorham from the Shepherd Ward provided the pictures and information for this posting.

Thanks Jodi!

We’ve all heard about power outages around the country due to snow and ice storms. Sometimes people have been without electricity for just a day or two, for others it has stretched on for weeks. Have you given much thought to what you would have to do without in your home if you lost power? Now is the time to come up with a back-up plan; if you wait until there’s no electricity, it’s too late.

Here are some of the household items that would be useless during an outage, plus some suggestions for possible alternatives (obviously a generator with fuel would be a great solution for many of these things as well). Can you come up with anything else?

Lighting
• flashlights, headlamps, extra batteries, light sticks, lanterns with fuel, candles, matches & lighters

Furnace
• extra blankets, warm clothing, fireplace or wood burning stove, kindling & firewood, kerosene heater (properly operated and maintained) with fuel


Stove, Oven & Microwave
• no-cook & easy to prepare foods plus a manual can opener, dutch oven, charcoal, grill, extra propane, campstove with fuel, campfire supplies, fireplace, sun oven, appropriate cookware & tools for each of these cooking methods



Washing Machine & Clothes Dryer
• laundry detergent (preferably liquid), stored water, tub or large sink, washboard, clothesline & clothes pins

Refrigerator & Freezer
• in cold weather, food could be stored outside in coolers or snow banks; plan to use items in refrigerator first, then freezer items, then non-perishables

TV, Stereo, Computer, Cell Phone, Cordless Phone, & Radio (for Info & Entertainment)
• battery powered, hand crank or solar radios, extra batteries, car charger for cell phone, home phone with a cord, games to play, puzzles to do, books to read

Water Pump
• water stored in containers, siphons or hand pumps & hoses for retrieving water in cisterns or large water barrels; for those with public water, keep some water trickling to prevent pipes from freezing and if the water is contaminated in your area, shut off the water source to your house so that you can use the water from your toilets/water heater safely

Unplug your electrical items while the power is out. For one, there could be surges in power as it comes back on (not just initially, but for the next while as more and more areas are coming back up), and secondly you don’t want to overload the system as it comes back on; this could cause the power to go out again. Turning off circuit breakers and turning them on slowly over the next few days is also recommended.
If you’d like to go a step further in preparing your family for a power loss, stop using electricity for a day. Make it an adventure, be creative, and see how prepared you really are.

Instead of eating out......

Cook a crock pot meal!

According to an article in Meridian, 3/4 of people surveyed eat out at least once a week and 1 in 10 eat out almost every day (see complete article on http://www.ldsmag.com/debtfree/090304cost.html). The article says "For far too many families, eating out has become a way of life. Their refrigerators and their pantries are nearly empty and so are their pocketbooks. Home-cooking saves time (driving to and/or waiting in line at restaurants) and health as well as money." If you struggle to find the energy and time to prepare dinner at the end of a long day, pull out your crock pot! With a few ingredients and very little effort, supper can be waiting for you at the end of a long day. Here is a favorite crock pot recipe from recipezaar:

Crock Pot Chicken W/Black Beans and Cream Cheese

Serves 4

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (no need to thaw!)

1 (15 1.2 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can corn (you can also use 2 cups frozen or fresh)

1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind

1 (8 ounce) cream cheese

Put frozen chicken breasts in crock pot.

Drain black beans and corn, add to crock pot.

Add jar of salsa

Cook in crock pot on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Add cream cheese and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Stir in cream cheese and serve over rice or eat as is.

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 4-8 hours

Cost:

chicken $3.24(half of a $6.48 bag of frozen breasts)
beans $.62

corn $.68

salsa $1.98

cream cheese $1.22

total cost: $7.74

$1.93 per serving

Crock Pot Whole Wheat Cereal

Thanks to Sidney Pitt of the Colstrip Ward for these pictures and recipe!

We try hard at our home to eat natural foods. That is one of the reasons we have wheat in our food storage. I finally developed a breakfast cereal that my husband likes and it doesn't take much work. A PERFECT combination!

Crock Pot Whole Wheat Cereal

1 serving

¼ C. rinsed whole wheat (white or red)

1 C. water

Honey

Fresh or dried fruits (optional)

Milk

Into a small crock pot (mine holds 2 cups), place the whole wheat, water and dried fruit. Plug it in with the lid on and let it cook all night (on low temperature). In the morning you will have whole wheat cereal all ready to go. Now all you have to do is add honey to taste, fresh fruits if desired, and milk. You are ready to go with a nutritious breakfast for the family. This can be increased as needed for your family size (1 part wheat to 4 parts water). This way we are getting the nutrients and the fiber from our breakfast cereal.

The Cost of Credit

It may be surprising for you to know how expensive it is to borrow money from a credit card and how long it takes to pay off a credit card balance. There are many good tools for figuring out the true cost of credit. On your search engine, enter “Credit Card Calculator”. Choose a website for calculating your personal credit card debts.

For my example, I used this website: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/calc/MinPayment.asp. According to this calculator, if you owe $1000 on a credit card that charges you 18% interest, and make only the minimum payment each month, you will pay a total of $2115.41 ($1000 principle + $1115.41 interest) and it will take a whopping 153 months (12 years, 9 months) to pay off completely! And that assumes you don’t add any new charges. If you make more than the minimum payment, say $100 a month, you will pay the loan off in 11 months and pay $91.62 in interest. That saves you $1013.79 in interest and 11 years, 10 months in time. The church’s Provident Living site has many other tools to help you manage your finances. Check it out! You can link to it from this blog.