Dee's News November-December 2011

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No one who has ever met Chris Vallowe fails to love her! Her enthusiasm and support for MAP and the former Amish endear her to many. So it was a privilege for her friends and family to help her husband, Wayne, surprise her with a 60th birthday party on Saturday, September 17th. Chris was
also given a card shower by those who could not make it to her party.

Chris said she could not believe her husband was able to keep such a wonderful surprise from her! It was a special day for Chris, as well as for those who love her!

Baby Girl Fussner

Chris and Lovina Fussner added little Victoria to their family on Aug. 16, 2011. She weighed 8 lbs. 4oz., and was 20 1/2 inches long. She was born on her big sister’s birthday! Congratulations!

Baby Boy Shetler

Bennie and Matty Shetler welcomed Easton Daniel to their home on Aug. 30, 2011. He weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., and was 21 1/2 in. long. Congratulations!

Baby Boy Keim

Menno and Delilah Keim welcomed their little son, Nicholas Bradley Keim, on Aug. 9, 2011. He weighed 8lbs. 11oz. Congratulations!

Discipline is about teaching. How are you disciplining your child(ren) the meaning and significance of Thanksgiving? In some homes, families gather around the table for fun dinnertime conversation -- and a little chaos. Some families spend the day passing out meals at a homeless shelter. My friend decided she and her family would spend the night in a Hilton Inn, enjoy a leisurely day together then hit the malls on Black Friday.

Whatever you do, I hope you remember the value of spending uninterrupted time with your children! It is YOU they look up to; you're on a pedestal. Your attitude and behaviors are picked up by your little, eager learners.

Did you know President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national celebration to unite our country? In 1863 he forever set the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

I hope you enjoy the spirit of gratitude with your children all year. Remember to teach about thanks and giving each day. There is always something to be thankful for.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 (KJV)

Lydia got saved through the SonLight Club sev-eral years ago. About three months ago, she left the Amish church and is now volunteering some of her time at MAP.

Rudy left the Amish several years ago and began attending our Bible study at Arlen and Dee's house. Earlier this year, he moved to IA. Over Labor Day weekend, he came back to visit and happened to be at the baptisms. When pastor Jerry asked if there was anyone else who wanted to be baptized, Rudy kicked his boots off and walked into the pool.

Sam is still Amish and is married to Lena who also got baptized. Like Rudy, he had not planned on getting baptized until Pastor Jerry invited others to come forward.

Lena is still Amish but dressed in English clothes. She is the husband of Sam, who is pictured in another baptism.

• Monroe Raber works construction for Larry Speakman Building
• Tiffany Raber is a dog groomer at her shop, Tiffany's Dog Grooming.
• Mary Troyer has a new job at Ashland Conveyor.
• Joni Hershberger went back to work at Weeks Marine INC.
• Elizabeth Miller is looking healthy & works at a produce place.
• Mosie Shetler and Levi Shetler have been learning about bull riding. Their first ride was on Saturday, October 1. Photos and more will be in the next issue of Dee’s News in January.
• Stephen Schmidt’s singing group released a new CD titled Sweet Memories. Here’s the link to the Conley Schmidt Group’s website: http://conleyschmidt.com/purchase-bluegrass-cds.htm Watch for more news about this great bluegrass group in the January issue of Dee's News.

Joyce Mink shared a safety tip about not giving pretzels to small children since the pretzel can expand when wet in the mouth and block the windpipe if accidentally inhaled. This led to discussions about reminders concerning baby/child safety. Here are a few things from the Family Education
website at http://life.familyeducation.com/safety/chil
d-care/48080.html about food safety and children:

Foods that can cause choking:

• Nuts
• Hot dogs
• Grapes 
• Hard candy
• Popcorn 
• Raisins
• Raw carrots 
• Meat Chunks
• Spoonfuls of peanut butter

The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend giving these foods to children under age 4.

• Foods that are firm and round can be inhaled and block the windpipe completely.
• Seeds from fruit can be inhaled into the lungs and cause infection.
• Lollipops and suckers can cause many problems. Younger children can choke on the hard candy, and older children and toddlers may be injured by the hard stick if they fall with the lollipop in their mouths. Use a lollipop or sucker with a soft loop as a handle in place of a stick.
• Children choke on peanuts more than any other food, and many children have allergies to peanuts which are lifethreatening.
• The roundness and skin on grapes and hot dogs can cover a child’s windpipe and are not easily removed once stuck there. Don't give them to children under 4, and always cut them into small pieces for older children.
• Balloons are very dangerous to children and babies. If the balloon pops, the child can inhale the latex balloon and the material will completely cover the windpipe and be impossible to remove in time to prevent serious injury or death.
• Remember to keep toddlers, babies, and children from running with food or other objects in their mouths. Even a toothbrush can be pushed through the roof of the mouth if a child falls while running with it.

Next time, we’ll review how to keep our houses safe for babies and toddlers. If you have a tip to share, please send it in!

Crunchy Sweet Potato Casserole
Esther Keim

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle over potatoes and return to oven for 5-10 minutes or till lightly browned.

Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 stick margarine

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Last Minute Peanut Butter Cookies
Dee Yoder

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir ingredients together and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake about 7-8 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

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Buttery Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes
Marlene Yoder

2-3 pounds red potatoes (more if you use the small ones), scrubbed--don't peel
1 to 1 1/2 Cups milk
6 TBS butter
salt and pepper to taste (I also use garlic from time to time--1-2 cloves, chopped very fine)
2-3 TBS dried parsley or 1 TBS fresh chopped parsley

Cut into even chunks about 1 inch in size. Place in boiling water to cover at least one inch. Add salt. Cook over medium heat until tender--about 20-35 minutes. Drain potatoes. Place back into pot and mash with masher. Warm milk in microwave and add to mashed potatoes by quarter cups until you reach the consistency desired. Add pepper and butter (and garlic, if desired). Stir in parsley. This
serves about 6 people.

Use a Crockpot: Lightly spray Crockpot with cooking spray. Place mashed potatoes in Crockpot on low to keep warm.

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Broccoli Salad
Darlene Yoder

1 head broccoli, cut up
1 head cauliflower, cut up
1/2 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup sour cream
1/2 sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together Miracle Whip, sour cream, and salt. Add to broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, and cheese. Reserve a small amount of cheese and bacon to sprinkle on top.

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Thanksgiving Prayer:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Having good manners also means being a good guest! Here are more tips on how to be a good guest and a fun person to be around at parties.

Here’s the link if you’d like to go to the website source for this manners page: http://www.rfc791.org/~churl/lit/manners.html

• Utensils (Silverware): A salad fork should be used for your salad, dinner fork for dinner, and a cold beverage spoon should be used for cold beverages.
• Soup - Never put the whole spoon in your mouth and try not to slurp.
• Chopsticks - If you don't know how to use chopsticks, you should ask for a fork.
• Don't lick your knife - You should not lick any of your utensils. This is especially true with the knife. To clean your knife, scrape the flat side of the knife across a tine of your fork, and repeat for the other side of your knife.
• Don't point - It is never acceptable to point to anyone or anything using your utensils. Pointing is rude.
• Tipping - The minimum tip should be 15%.
• When cooking, the stirring spoon should not be licked and then returned to the pot. Licking the stirring spoon may spread germs into the food through the cook’s saliva.
• When dips are served, “double dipping” (dipping food and then taking a bite, and then dipping the same food again into the dip bowl) can also spread germs to others and should not be done. Instead, serve yourself a por-tion of dip on a plate and dip only from there.
• At a gathering, it is not polite to make fun of or laugh at another guest. Whispering about others is also not polite. Remember to be kind to everyone!
• RSVP - If you receive an invitation that gives a phone number or email to RSVP, always call to say if you are coming. This helps the host prepare the right amount of food. If the note says “Regrets Only”, you do not have to call if you are attending; only if you won’t be attending. Be sure to RSVP before the date requested.
• Don’t take food from someone else’s plate.
• Use tongs or other serving utensils to serve yourself food.
• If you have an allergy to certain foods, let your hostess know before you attend a gathering. As a hostess, it is important to tell gests what is on the menu. Don’t make your guests “guess” what a certain food is—they could have allergies to that food and become sick.

On Monday, September 26th, 2011, Catherine Arlene Yoder, wife of David Yoder, passed away after giving birth to the couple’s baby son, Kevin. She was a lovely young lady and will be missed very much by her husband, family, and friends.

Though David has many friends and family members surrounding him for support, let’s remember to pray for this young man as he grieves for his beloved wife and learns to be a father, too.

A fund had been established to help David plan for his son’s education. If you’d like to contribute, please mail your gift to:

David Yoder
304 East Jefferson Street
Bloomfield, Iowa 52537