Celebrating Our Roots...Something Extraordinary!

We loved seeing so many of you at our garden party earlier this month and we missed those of you who weren't able to come! It was a wonderful evening to spend time together and celebrate our roots as sisters in Relief Society. This is the video we had prepared and planned to share, before running into technical difficulties. We hope as we all find time to watch this video and we will all be reminded of our roots and all that we are capable of accomplishing together!

Garden Party Recipes

Here are some of the recipes for the delicious food we ate at our garden party earlier this month. Thanks to everyone who helped in the kitchen!

Wild Rice - Spinach Salad
1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 1/4 cups cooked regular rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
4 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Soy Sauce Dressing (see recipe below)

Rinse frozen spinach and drain. Mix spinach and remaining ingredients except dressing. Pour Soy Sauce Dressing over rice mixture and toss. Chill. Makes 8 servings, 265 calories.

Soy Sauce Dressing
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Shake all ingredients in a tightly sealed container.

Chicken Salad
4 cups chicken, shredded or canned
3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 cups celery, diced
3 green onions, diced
3/4 cup apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup toasted pecans
Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix and enjoy!

Pasta Salad
12 oz bow tie pasta
12 oz rotini pasta

Cook, drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

Then, add:
2 20oz cans of pineapple tidbits
2 bunches green onions, sliced
1 package of grapes, cut in halves
6 stocks celery (chopped)
1 cup of dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients together.

Dressing
Mix 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 3/4 cup of mayonnaise and 24 oz coleslaw dressing. Add this mixture to pasta mixture and combine.

Optional: add 1 cup of cashews before serving.

Keep refrigerated.

Come Celebrate Our Roots Tonight!!

Tonight is our garden party, "Celebrating Our Roots" and also celebrating the birthday of the Relief Society. Please join us at the church at 7:00 p.m. to spend a lovely evening together. We can't wait to see you there!!

Two Weeks Away!!

Just a reminder about the upcoming RS Birthday event, "Celebrating our Roots" on Tuesday, March 5. Join us for some delicious garden party fare, a fun service activity and a celebration of the wonderful organization we all belong to, Relief Society. We encourage you to bring a friend and especially your VT sisters. A nursery will be provided. We hope to see each of you there!

Kristi Chesnut

"Celebrating Our Roots"

As March is quickly approaching, our thoughts begin to let go of the lingering grays of winter and are renewed with the breath of fresh air that spring promises. Life begins to take root, building a foundation that is strong enough to endure all of the showers and storms that are ahead.

In March of 1842, the Relief Society was formed and began to take root. Our foundation was built on love and service for one another. There couldn't be a better time for a birthday celebration.

Please join us at the church on March 5 at 7:00 p.m. for a Garden Party as we "Celebrate Our Roots". This will be a great opportunity to get to know one another and extend a hand of fellowship to our friends and neighbors.

Kristi Chesnut

"OH HOW GENEROUS YOU ARE"

Dallas 4th Ward Sisters - Thank You, Thank You! Not only for your attendance at our annual Relief Society Birthday Party, but for your marvelous generosity and help in putting together our various service projects. Last night we assembled nearly 200 humanitarian kits for Buckner Children's Home, and The Genesis Project. We also made 83 Bunnies and 95 "carrots" for the Veterans Hospital of Dallas .

The service projects, combined with your various assigned food offerings made this evening a rousing success. We had every table filled, with a few sisters left over, fortunately, we didn't all sit down to eat at the same time!

Your combined "many hands" made this evening a true joy! Again, thanks for your happy, cooperative, generous Spirits. We need you - and we love you!

"MANY HANDS GIVE SERVICE - AND THE WORK BECOMES LIGHT!"

March wind and weather is here in full measure today, and March always brings the celebration of the Birthday of Relief Society. The Prophet Joseph, inspired by the Lord's love for his Daughters, turned the key in this dispensation for us to be "undershepherds" combined with the Priesthood Quorums in restoring this great Gospel of Jesus Christ back to the earth.

What a great gift we have be given - no wonder we rejoice in it's rebirth. This year, we are celebrating with gifts of service and compassion from the many hands of our sisters. The line from one of our hymns says - when we have been given much, we too must share, and we are going to share with the Dallas Veterans Hospital, the Humanitarian Service of the Church, and with a local women's shelter.

Yesterday, Chester Hollingsworth, stopped by my home to make certain that my lawn mower was ready for another summer season. I showed Brother Hollingsworth, who is a veteran of World War II, the bunny and "carrot" tray favors we will be making for the VA hospital for Easter Sunday Dinner. He got a little teary-eyed, and said "they are kind of a forgotten generation now, and there are fewer everyday - it's nice of you sisters to remember".

Relief Society gives us the opportunity to stop looking in the mirror, and worrying about our little pile of troubles - and looking out the window, at the world, and seeing whom we can serve and remember.

Tuesday, March 27th is the date, 7:00 p.m. is the time, and dinner will be served. Remember to check the list of items we need donated for the hygiene kits, as well as bags of goldfish crackers for our tray favors - we have only two more weeks to collect your donated items after Stake Conference this Sunday.

Who are you assigned to "watch and care for? Does she know about the Birthday Party? Does she have a ride to church and a friend to sit by? Is she less-active and needs to feel that Spirit of Sisterhood once again? Is she a great friend or the neighbor across the street, you have been searching a way to tell about the gospel? The R.S. Board is planning a lovely, quality event that you would feel confident to bring these sisters to. Wiggle out of your" comfort zone", and just ask, so many sisters are waiting to feel loved and have an opportunity to give service themselves. What if they say no? You have reached out - you have cared. and that little voice within you says "you have done the best you can!" . . . .and that is all the Lord is asking.

Fiesta of Friendship Follow-up

Thanks Caiti for all these fun pictures! We're so glad so many of you came to our RS Birthday Party.

A FIESTA of FRIENDSHIP!

This past month we have had so many great interest groups with the women of Dallas 4th Relief Society. I honestly did not know how this "small group" concept would work. But I have so enjoyed our little book group at Barbara Doerk's house and then learning to make baby hats for Parkland hospital at Shirley Medaris's house then hearing about the wonderful fireside/seminar at Ruth Powell's home last Sunday - all bringing a different configuration of women together! I now think I get it - we have been having ..... A FIESTA of FRIENDSHIP.
As we think of celebrating the birthday of the Relief Society in March (maybe you haven't thought of it yet but we who have to plan it have), we have come up with a super fun theme that follows what is all ready transpiring amongst us - A FIESTA of FRIENDSHIP! (With a great Mexican menu being created at this very minute by Bonnie Muir.)
More info will follow in the coming weeks. So... Adios!