Personal Progress Bingo

In my church, we have an organization for young women ages 12-18. In this organization, we have a program called Personal Progress to help these young women develop character and life skills. This program is also intended to set a pattern of goal-setting and -achieving in young women's lives.

To help the young woman (yes, there's only one) in my congregation, we are introducing Personal Progress Bingo!

I originally got the idea from this blog. I tweaked it a little to fit the needs of the young woman in my ward. We (myself and the other leaders) chose value experiences that we thought would be helpful to this young woman. Most of these value experiences require 2-3 weeks to complete. Since school's out, this seems like a perfect opportunity to work on these experiences. Here's what we came up with:

Click here to access a pdf for download

The directions read

1. Select a square above.
2. Read the Value Experience requirements in your Personal Progress book* & complete the worksheet.
3. Show worksheet to your YW leaders and have them sign your Personal Progress book.
4. Get a sticker for each completed Value Experience worksheet.
5. For each BINGO (four squares in a row), you will earn a reward!
 *Refer to worksheet for the Faith #8 requirements

The worksheets came from this website. I took screen shots of the value experiences I needed and printed one per page. I put everything in a folder and gave it to our young woman as a packet. (Your YW might not require worksheets, but our young woman isn't very motivated without specific instructions).

The value experience for Faith #8 is an optional write-in. We (the leaders) came up with a value experience that we thought would benefit the young woman we mentor. This is what we gave her:

---
Faith #8

We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. Make an effort to pray correctly: beginning "Father in Heaven" or "Heavenly Father," expressing gratitude to Him (“I thank thee…”), asking Him for things you need, and closing in the sacred name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, “Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name” (3 Nephi 18:19). Our Heavenly Father is always ready to hear and answer our prayers. Make your prayers meaningful. The prophet Mormon warned that if anyone “shall pray and not with real intent of heart … it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such” (Moroni 7:9). To make our prayers meaningful, we must pray with sincerity and “with all the energy of heart” (Moroni 7:48). We must be careful to avoid “vain repetitions” when we pray (see Matthew 6:7).

Practice praying clearly, respectfully, and with sincerity for 2 weeks. Use language that shows love, respect, reverence, and closeness. Always give thanks to Heavenly Father. Remember the needs of others as you pray. Pray in your YW meetings to help you with this goal. (When praying for a group, say “We thank thee,” “We ask thee,” “We say these things in the name of…,” etc.). Write in your journal the change you feel and share with your parent or leader your feelings.

Check the boxes as you complete the following requirements: 
☐ Carefully read the paragraphs above.
☐ Pray in the correct manner. 
☐ Practice praying clearly, respectfully, and with sincerity for 2 weeks.
 Start date: ________________________ End date: ________________________
☐ Say prayers in YW meetings to help you meet this goal.
☐ Write in your journal the change you feel.
☐ Share with your parent or leader your feelings as a result of this experience.
---

This might not fit the needs of your young women, so you might tailor your own value experience. You could also make your own bingo grid and fill it in with the value experiences that best suit your young women.

We spoke with our young woman at our activity today, and these are some of the rewards that she would like to earn:
   • roller skating
   • ice cream party
   • chocolate fondue party

We'll come up with more ideas as she achieves more bingos. You could also do candy bars, pens, small notebooks, nail polish, or any number of items for rewards. The young woman in my ward responds better to events as incentives, so we will oblige her.

I hope you and your young women get excited about Personal Progress this summer!

Book Club catch-up

I have been a terrible blogger as of late. Life has been busy (out-of-town trips, new jobs, various projects, etc.). I'm trying to catch up, however. Starting with book club.

I never officially selected a book for April because I was finishing up a few series I started a while back (Blackmoore, Allegiant, Extras). I hope you had a chance to read something worthwhile, too. I retroactively declare April "Pick Your Own" month. A cop-out, I know, but that's how the cookie crumbles.

Now that May is well under way, my choice for the month is

Tess of the d'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy

From Goodreads: "The chance discovery by a young peasant woman that she is a descendant of the noble family of d'Urbervilles is to change the course of her life. Tess Durbeyfield leaves home on the first of her fateful journeys, and meets the ruthless Alec d'Urberville. Thomas Hardy's impassioned story tells of hope and disappointment, rejection and enduring love."

From Barnes & Noble: "A ne'er-do-well exploits his gentle daughter's beauty for social advancement in this masterpiece of tragic fiction. Hardy's 1891 novel defied convention to focus on the rural lower class for a frank treatment of sexuality and religion. Then and now, his sympathetic portrait of a victim of Victorian hypocrisy offers compelling reading."

This book is available from Project Gutenberg! In case you didn't know, that means you can read Tess of the d'Urbervilles for free! You can download an ebook (.epub or .mobi), or you can read it online. Neat, huh? You can also get the Kindle edition free from Amazon. Or, you know, you can borrow a hard copy from the library (which is what I usually do). So many options.

This book gets an average rating of 3.70 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 stars on Amazon, and 4 stars on Barnes & Noble. I hope I enjoy it as much (and you, too).

I'll see you next month! I promise to come back this time ;-)

Mao's Last Dancer Review

Welcome back to my lovely book club. On the agenda today: Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin.

I thought this book was a fascinating look at real-life China but accessible to those from the Western world, such as myself. It's a good thing this is a virtual book club, because I have no idea how to pronounce many of the words in this book, including the author’s name (Kuhnksin? Koonksin? Koonkseen?). Update: I found on the Official Site of Li Cunxin that his name is pronounced “Lee Schwin Sing.”

Li’s writing style is engaging and honest--it caught my interest from the very beginning. I imagine it would be difficult writing an entire book in one's second language, but the author does it masterfully. He writes simply with a straightforward manner, but his story isn't simple. Even though much of Li's story is fraught with adversity and grief, he never tells it like a pity party. He just says what happened, and it resonates powerfully.

Li writes of his impoverished childhood survived only by eating despised dried yams. He describes childhood diseases and ills, such as worms and lice, as well as cuts and scrapes bandaged only with dust. He details his complete brainwashing by the Communist government. He writes about his niang’s (niang=mother) heart-wrenching sorrow that she couldn’t provide better for her children.

The author tells of his rampant homesickness when he left home at age 11 to study ballet, his only comforts found in his niang’s quilt and the weeping willow tree where he confessed his sadness; the internal conflict as he studied—and hated—ballet but wanted desperately to bring honor to his family.

The book progresses with Li's exhilaration as he learned to love ballet and found an all-consuming dedication to mastering technique. As he travels to America, his deep-rooted mistrust of Americans quickly fades as he sees true freedom for the first time. His dramatic defection, rather than solving his problems, causes other problems, one of which being fear for his family.

Ultimately, this is a book about the author's courage, determination, passion, and love.

It's worth a read, for sure. I loved every bit of it.

Stay tuned for my pick for April.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

These muffins are a family favorite. My mom has made them for as long as I can remember. Her recipe calls these "French Breakfast Puffs," but we have always referred to them as "Cinnamon Sugar Muffins." I have seen similar recipes for "Donut Muffins" or "Baked Donut Holes" (when baked in mini muffin tins), but this is my mom's recipe, so I'm calling them Cinnamon Sugar Muffins.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins are a bit high on the calorie side, so I wouldn't recommend them for daily consumption.  Even so, I can't resist making them once or twice a year.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Recipe by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 350º. Grease 12 muffin cups.

Mix shortening, ½ cup sugar, and egg thoroughly. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in alternately with milk, ending with flour.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, combine remaining sugar with cinnamon.

When the muffins have finished baking, immediately roll in melted butter then in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!

The Pelican Brief Review and New Book

Welcome back to SBC!

I hope you enjoyed reading The Pelican Brief by John Grisham.

I enjoyed this one. It's a fairly easy read. The storyline is fast-paced with the right amount of intrigue. It kept me interested, at least.

Darby sure learned how to keep a low profile quickly, which was impressive. She's one of those characters that is a little bit too-good-too-be-true. She wasn't over the top, though, so I can't complain too much.

The storyline never lagged, which was a plus.

On to next month! The book I have selected for March is

Mao's Last Dancer
by Li Cunxin

This one is kind of a cheat: this is the pick for my friend's book club this month. She told me she enjoyed it, so I thought it would be a good pick for my book club.

Mao's Last Dancer is a memoir written by a world famous ballet dancer: Li Cunxin. From Goodreads: From a desperately poor village in northeast China, at age eleven, Li Cunxin was chosen by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to be taken from his rural home and brought to Beijing, where he would study ballet. In 1979, the young dancer arrived in Texas as part of a cultural exchange, only to fall in love with America-and with an American woman. Two years later, through a series of events worthy of the most exciting cloak-and-dagger fiction, he defected to the United States, where he quickly became known as one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. This is his story, told in his own inimitable voice.

Sounds fascinating to me. I'm really looking forward to reading this one!

This book earns an average of 4.09 stars on Goodreads, 4 stars on Barnes & Noble, and 4.6 stars on Amazon.

I hope you read with me. See you next month!

Perfect Brownies

I love me some brownies. I love them fudgy and rich. Anything else just doesn't pass muster with me.

I have tried several different brownie recipes, but I found a winner in the Baked brownie. You can find recipes for it all over the internet (like here and here and here and here). This recipe was developed for a bakery called Baked NYC. It is lauded as Oprah's favorite. America's Test Kitchen backs it, too. ATK is king in the kitchen, so I really couldn't ignore this recipe. 

These brownies are perfect. Seriously. I did take a few liberties with the recipe, but the overall brownie is the same. The changes are minor, but they make the process a little more foolproof. The change in ingredients is reflective of the pantry items I usually have on hand, which means I can make brownies whenever I have the craving!

Try it my way, or try the original. You won't be disappointed.

Perfect Brownies 
Adapted from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito and Baked: New Frontiers in Baking 
and the Internet
Brought to you by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 or 3 oz Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, chopped (alter to suit your taste)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Place butter in a bowl (metal or glass) and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop up unsweetened chocolate. When the butter is almost all melted, add the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined. Cool the mixture to room temperature. . 

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add vanilla. Add half of the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in. Add remaining eggs/vanilla to the chocolate mixture and gently stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely. Cut into squares and serve. 

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice Review & New Pick for February

Welcome back to my lovely book club!

If your New Year's resolution was to read more books, you have come to the right place! I set the goal last year to read at least one book a month, and I'm still going strong. Every month I read and review one book here on the ol' blog. To see what else I'm reading, hop on over to my Goodreads profile.

I would love to hear about what you are reading, too. Feel free to friend me on Goodreads, or leave me a comment here on the blog. I'm always looking for suggestions, so don't be shy!

I started this year reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. I really enjoyed this one. I hope you did, too.

I always love Sherlock Holmes, but the real star of the show is Mary Russell. She's full of bits of wisdom: “Always carry a length of rope; it’s the most useful thing in the world.” She and Holmes develop a relationship dynamic that was delicious to read.

Even though Holmes is a confirmed pragmatist, he is willing to listen to Mary Russell’s scripture recitations and the like. He is very respectful of this part of young Russell. There is a tenderness to his character that always seems to take me by surprise, and that piece of his makeup is largely what makes Holmes so endearing to me.

Mary Russell is indeed a match for Holmes. She is as smart as he is. Of course, she has less experience, but she had the essential quality that makes her a partner to Holmes: a sort of detachment, the ability to step back and see the bigger picture. Holmes doesn’t ruffle her feathers. They accept one another part and parcel. Even the parts they could disagree on. Their differences enrich their partnership as much as their similarities.

Their adventures are really what make their relationship what it is, though. Of course, you'll have to read the book if you want to know more! I wouldn't spoil it for you.

Overall, I really liked this one. I would recommend it.

My pick for February is

(source)

The Pelican Brief
by John Grisham

From John Grisham's official website: In suburban Georgetown a killer’s Reeboks whisper on the front floor of a posh home… In a seedy D.C. porno house a patron is swiftly garroted to death… The next day America learns that two of its Supreme Court justices have been assassinated. And in New Orleans, a young law student prepares a legal brief… To Darby Shaw it was no more than a legal shot in the dark, a brilliant guess. To the Washington establishment it was political dynamite. Suddenly Darby is witness to a murder — a murder intended for her. Going underground, she finds there is only one person she can trust — an ambitious reporter after a newsbreak hotter than Watergate — to help her piece together the deadly puzzle. Somewhere between the bayous of Louisiana and the White House’s inner sanctums, a violent cover-up is being engineered. For somone has read Darby’s brief. Someone who will stop at nothing to destroy the evidence of an unthinkable crime.

John Grisham is a well known author, but I haven't read many of his novels. In fact, I've only read one: The Pelican Brief. The Pelican Brief also happens to be the only movie-based-on-a-John-Grisham-book I've ever seen. I read this one when I was in high school as a part of the book club my best friends and I initiated. There were three of us, and we read three books before our book club seemed to go kaput. I remember liking The Pelican Brief, and while I remember the overall storyline, most of the finer details escape me.

If you've never read a John Grisham novel, this is a good place to start. Plus, you can watch the movie afterwards. Double win!

The Pelican Brief earns an average of 3.87 stars on Goodreads, 3.9 stars on Amazon, and 4.5 stars on Barnes & Noble.

Hit me back next month for my review!