CPR Saturday - Free Training

I just received this email from our RS President.  

Greetings Everyone:

On Saturday, April 23rd we are hosting a free adult CPR class for the public at the Thomas & Mack center. Two sessions: 8:30am and 1:30pm. We have room for 1,000 people.

Due to our working relationship between our organizations, I wanted to forward you the poster and see if you could promote the event through your internal and external networks. Please forward via email, post on Facebook, Tweet, post to web sites, print and post to bulletin boards, etc. We are seeking the widest re-distribution possible.

Any of your employees, volunteers, and clients would be welcome to attend the training. The more the merrier.

We expect it to fill up quickly so time is probably of the essence. Pre-registering online at www.redcrosslasvegas.org is preferred. Walk-ins will be accepted only on a space available basis.

Graduates will receive a 2-year Adult CPR certification card that meets OSHA standards.

Thanks for any help you can provide in passing along this opportunity.

(NOTE: We also have some volunteer opportunities (greeters, runners, registrars, etc.). Contact Erika Taggart at ErikaT@redcrosslasvegas.org or 702-369-6715 for volunteer opportunities.)

Scott Emerson, CEM
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
American Red Cross
Southern Nevada Chapter

Home Security Checklist

For security and peace of mind

• Do you have a security system?
• Do you have motion-detector lights around the property?
• Do you keep your garage locked?
• Did you change the locks when you moved in?
• Do you have strong locks on all doors and windows?
• Have you kept your keys guarded against unauthorized duplication?
• Do you always use the peephole before answering the door?
• Do you have automatic timers controlling your lights when you are out or away?
• Are your possessions insured and do you have a complete inventory of them?
• Are extremely precious items secured away from home, i.e., in a safety deposit box?
• Have you recorded all the serial numbers or identifying marks for all your valuable items?
• If you are going away for an extended period, have you informed your neighbors, arranged to have someone cut the grass and cancelled your newspaper(s)?

Thank you Carla for sharing this with us!

Soup Recipes

Crockpot Taco Soup
by Crockpot 365

2 cans of kindey beans
2 cans of pinto beans
2 cans of corn
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and chiles
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix
shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment (optional)

Brown meat if you are going to use it.  Drain the fat and add the meat to the crockpot.  Sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat.  Drain and rinse the beans and add.  Add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans.  Stir.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Chicken Noodle Soup
by Rachelle

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (dehydrated or freeze dried may be substituted)
1 ½ cups carrots, chopped (dehydrated or freeze dried may be substituted)
3 celery ribs, diced (dehydrated or freeze dried may be substituted)
2 (12.5 oz.) cans chicken
2 quarts chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth (may be substituted with bullion)
1 quart water, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. pkg. egg noodles
3-4 bay leaves
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté onion over medium heat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots, celery, bay leaves, and chicken undrained. Cook, 4-5 minutes. Stir in egg noodles and cook 7-8 minutes until tender.

***The next two recipes are from cooks who "just wing it", so there are not exact measurements or times.  Sorry!!***

Pinto Bean Soup
by Holly

Cover pinto beans in water (just enough to cover beans).  Soak overnight and then cook until tender (approximately 1 to 2 hours).  Using an immersion blender, blend beans until soup consistency.  Season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

Potato Soup
by Carla

Peel some potatoes and cut into large pieces. Add chicken broth to cover. Throw in a handful of dried onions, some parsley, sea salt, a little garlic, black pepper. Cook until very tender. Puree the mixture. Add a can or two of evaporated milk. Cool until hot, but not boiling. Add more chicken broth if it is too thick. You can add cooked sausage, corn or cheese if you like.

Henderson Library "Cover-to-Cover" Club!

Go to your local Henderson, NV library location to sign up.  

Online Weekly Ads for Star Nursery

Star Nursery is a local gardening store in Las Vegas with great weekly sales.  They now have their ads online!  Click here every Friday to check out the new deals

Gardening in the Desert - Repost

This is a repost of our Self-Reliant Meeting from February 2009

Gardening with Kids

Kids Gardening has a wonderful website with an email newsletter than you can sign up for.

Gardening with Kids has great tips on getting kids started with gardening.

• Give your child some space; literally! Kids loving having spaces that are all their own, whether it`s their own desk area in the house, or the tent they've created with chairs and blankets in the family room. The same is true for gardening. Dedicate a small plot of the garden just for them. Put a fancy border around it, perhaps purchase one of the stepping stone making kits found at crafts stores in which they can mold their name and make their hand print.
• Let them join you at the nursery. Let your kids know you value their opinion. Ask them which kinds of plants, flowers, and vegetables they like. Explain what will work well in your garden and what won't.
• Give them (limited) choices. While you're at the nursery, ask them if they'd like pansies or petunias, marigolds or zinnias. This will give them the feeling of power without letting it get out of control.
• Remind them money doesn't grow on trees. With older children discuss the budget. Let them help select seeds and blossoming plants at the nursery - and turn it into a math lesson. Let your child do the money calculations; they can tell you when the money runs out.
• Let your child do what he will (especially if you have a preschooler). Let him dig, explore, play with bugs. You may be tempted to steer your child in another direction (like actually watering or weeding his garden), but this is a great way for your child to explore this exciting new universe.
• Plan, plan, plan. If you have older children, say 8 or 9 or older, let them plot out their own garden on paper. Provide him or her with graph paper, pencils and seed catalogs. Give them a group of flowers and vegetables from which to choose, and then let them draw out their garden.
• Get them their own gardening tools. Nothing will motivate your little gardener more than having her own little shovel, her own gardening gloves, and her own watering pail. And don't forget those bright colored rubber boots.

Vegetable Gardening
A few gardening/planting tips (for Las Vegas):

• Remember: just because our nurseries sell it, doesn't mean it grows well here.
• Typically vegetables like location, timing, sandy loam soils, good drainage, deep watering and fertilizer.
• There are Warm Season vegetables and Cool Season vegetables - just follow the planting times here from Linn Mills (Review Journal Columnist). Star Nursery also has a Warm Season list and a Cool Season list.
• If you have $1.00, spend .90 on soil and .10 on seeds.

A couple of great books to have:

• Western Garden Book by Sunset
• The Edible Garden by Sunset

Helpful websites:

• Kids Gardening - Wonderful website with an email newsletter than you can sign up for.
• Gardening with Kids - Great tips on getting kids started with gardening.
• Master Gardeners - Lots of great information for gardening in the desert and more!
• Linn Mills - Gardening column in the Las Vegas Review Journal. GREAT resource!
• Desert Gardening Forum with Linn Mills - Great Forum with Linn Mills as the Moderator.
• Springs Preserve - Local gardening classes.
• Gilcrease Orchard - Pick your own fruits & vegetables in Las Vegas!
• Star Nursery "Starnotes" - Printable information on everything for your garden!
• The Prudent Homemaker - Our guest speaker Brandy has the most wonderful garden here in Las Vegas. She is a wealth of knowledge and her website is AMAZING! She has information on gardening, food storage, homeschooling, recipes & more.
  

Super King Ranch Name Change

Super King Ranch has changed it's name to Marketon.  During my weekly grocery deals post, you will notice this change.

FHE Idea - Gardening and Sprouting

Opening Prayer:

Song: The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden, page 237 Children’s Songbook

Scriptures: (Share any or all of the following scriptures:)
Gardening has spiritual lessons. It teaches that, in every aspect of life, “whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap” (D&C 6:33). Growing a garden fulfills the command given to Adam and Eve and their posterity, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Gardening is work, an important principle of the gospel; “He that is idle shall not eat the bread…of the laborer” (D&C 42:42). Obedience to seeming temporal laws are important since all commandments are spiritual (see D&C 29:34).

Lesson Title: “Seeds of Self-Reliance”
As President of the Church, Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) encouraged members “to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive.” For more information, go to Seeds of Self-Reliance. It gives personal stories about gardening from different areas of the world, gardening on a budget, sharing a garden, finding space, using containers, learning by doing, never giving up, and reaping the blessings.

Activity: (Pick one method of gardening that works best for your family situation)
Start your own garden or sprouts. For gardening, go to the following websites for information on supplies needed:  Star Nursery or Life 123. If this is your first time planting a garden, you may need to visit your local plant nursery for more information regarding how to do this properly. For sprouts, see the sprouting guide.

Closing prayer:

Growing Sprouts

Several of us grew sprouts in a mason jar for our Self-Reliant Sisters meeting.  Everyone had success and a lot of fun.  Here are some links to grow your own sprouts and other important information.

• Sprout Nutrition from Good Sprout News
• Nutritional Advantages of Sprouts from The Sprout People
• Sprouting Seeds by Weblife
• Step by Step Directions by The Farm (This is the handout we passed out Tuesday night)
• Self-Reliant Sprouting Class from May 2009

Ensign Article - Seeds of Self-Reliance

Found in the March 2011 Ensign magazine, Seeds of Self-Reliance gives personal stories about gardening from different areas of the world, gardening on a budget, sharing a garden, finding space, using containers, learning by doing, never giving up, and reaping the blessings.

University of Nevada - Horticulture Programs

The University of Nevada has a Cooperative Extension's horticulture program.  This program teaches homeowners and park and golf course managers to irrigate wisely, save water, and adopt environmentally friendly landscape techniques.  There are 238 publications listed on their main page, and these are my favorites

• Becoming a Desert Gardener
• Growing Tomatoes in Southern Nevada
• Home Vegetable Production in Southern Nevada
• Container Gardening - Perfect for Apartment Living!!

Star Nursery Gardening Helps

Star Nursery is a local gardening store in Las Vegas.  They have a wonderful section on their website called "Star Notes".  Here are some of my favorite gardening tips from their website

• The Gardener's Calendar
• Growing Herbs in the Desert
• Fruit Trees for Desert Climates
• Vegetable Gardening Cool Weather & Warm Weather

Master Food Preserver Training!

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) is announcing its first-ever Master Food Preserver class in southern Nevada. An outreach of Utah State University’s volunteer program, Master Food Preservers are taught, through hands-on classroom training, the basics of canning, drying and freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. In exchange for this valuable information, volunteers are required to teach these basics to others in the community through a variety of educational opportunities.

The Master Food Preserver class is being offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for three consecutive days, March 21-23, at UNCE’s Lifelong Learning Center at 8050 Paradise Road in Las Vegas near the intersection of Windmill and I-215. The registration fee of $100 covers canning supplies, learning materials such as binders and manuals, and training by Utah State University Extension faculty. After becoming a certified Master Food Preserver, participants are expected to give back through volunteer service.

The Master Food Preserver class teaches the fundamentals of home food preservation in six sections: canning, drying, freezing, pressure canning, pickles and relishes and jams and jellies. The course uses researched-based methods to train volunteers on proper food preservation techniques following USDA guidelines. Some seats will be available for nonvolunteers at $150 per person.

Anyone interested in learning more about food preservation can apply but class size is limited. For more information email Robert Morris at morrisr@unce.unr.edu or call the Master Gardener helpline at 702-257-5555.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is an outreach arm of the University that extends unbiased, research-based knowledge from University of Nevada—and other land-grant universities—to local communities. Educational programs are developed based on local needs, sometimes in partnership with other agencies and volunteers. For more information about University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, please visit the website at www.unce.unr.edu.

The Prudent Homemaker - Upcoming Garden Tour!!

We were so blessed to have Brandy from The Prudent Homemaker guest speak for us last night!  Due to the high interest she has schedule another garden tour!  Brady writes,

"I have scheduled a new garden tour for Saturday, April 16th, from 10 am to 12 noon. If you would like to attend that day, please email me (brandy@theprudenthomemaker.com) with the number of people who will be attending."

Here is some more information about her tour

"Garden tours are limited to 35 people and are adults only. The tour is a class that is around 2+ hours in length. As we tour the garden, you will learn about dirt, drip irrigation, watering times, growing food year-round, pruning fruit trees, getting rid of bugs, mixing food and flowers to create an edible landscape, fruit tree selections for the desert, espaliered fruit trees, how to make use of the walls for growing space, and more."

I highly recommend going, I went in May 2009.  Her tour is inspiring as well as educating.