Sweet Day

It was a conference day today.  Everything revolved around General Conference.  SK went to the priesthood session at 11.  He came home and told me some of the things that were said, and we agreed that we must sit down together and watch soon.  I love the spirit and the inspiration that come with hearing such great thoughts.

At 1:30 we loaded up the car with all sorts of things to take to the center for the dinner.  The session started at 2, and like yesterday, I stayed in the kitchen cutting lettuce, tomatoes, grating chocolate, seasoning the chicken that I had cooked in the crockpot all night, and making refried beans.  I barely got everything done by 4 when conference was over.  Suddenly the kitchen was filled with YSAs, each ready to help get the table in the classroom set and all the food carried out.

I made quesadillas with the huge tortillas we found at the Costco wannabe.  They were on sale for a smoking good price and we bought a ton.  I made burritos out of 4 dozen and they are in the freezer.  I took 2 dozen to the center and we still have some here in the apartment.  I seasoned the meat with honey, lime, Penzey's chili powder and garlic (Erin and Ethan's honey-lime enchilada filling).  I put that on the cheese and topped it with a little sour cream and folded them in half and voila!  A quesadilla.  I didn't start cooking them until conference was over, because they really are best hot.  They cooked up fast and they disappeared as fast as I could cook them.

Dessert was all kinds of fun.  It was a chocolate eclair cake....basically chocolate eclairs but easier.  I saw the recipe years ago and found it again online.  Instead of making individual cream puffs, you spread the batter out in a 9x13 pan and bake it for 35 minutes.

After it has cooled, spread the chocolate on (2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted in 2 Tbsp. butter then mixed with a cup of powdered sugar, a tsp vanilla and hot water enough to blend smooth.

The filling was 8 ounces of cream cheese softened, whipped and blended with 4 cups of milk and then mixed with my 3 boxes of instant vanilla pudding.

Let set in refrigerator and top with sweetened whipped cream and grated chocolate.

It was a hit with a lot of the young people....I think the sweetened whipped cream was a little too much for a couple of others.  But I sure liked it!

We had an hour and a half to get the meal on, eat and clean up before "Music and the Spoken Word" was broadcast for a half hour and then the Sunday morning session aired at 6 p.m.

Many of the young people had attended the priesthood session at 11....and we had around 25 at the 2:00 session....most of whom stayed for the 5:30 program and the 6:00 session.  It was amazing.  I sat at the very back of the room and looked around at all of them.  at 5:30, they were all in their seats listening attentively to a half hour of music and inspiring thoughts.  After that they sat for another 2 hours listening and taking notes.

Every one of them was there because they wanted to listen to what our prophets had to say to us....many had traveled by bus or train for an hour or more.  I think we were all amply rewarded.  There was a wide range of topics but I thought there seemed to be a few common themes that were very timely and inspiring.

After it was over a dear young woman announced that the institute director's daughter has a brain tumor and is in serious condition after an operation to remove it.  She asked any who would like to help to fast tomorrow until 8 p.m. and then as a group we knelt and prayed.  Such great faith in that room!

I hate to see General Conference over for another 6 months, but what a blessing it is to be able to access any talk anywhere on our little phone.