Mom's favorite treat in New Orleans.

French Market Beignets  

1  (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1  cup warm water (105° to 115°)
3/4  cup evaporated milk
1/4  cup sugar
1  teaspoon salt
1  large egg, lightly beaten
4  to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar

Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.Combine yeast mixture, evaporated milk, and next 3 ingredients. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Cover and chill 8 hours.Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Roll dough into a 15- x 12 1/2-inch rectangle; cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.Pour oil to depth of 3 to 4 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry 3 or 4 beignets at a time, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain; sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 dozen

how we are doing‏

We have another snow day today. This makes for the third one this week. The kids seem to be handling it well. I just don't want to have to go to July for school, Braden won't be able to go that long, because we have Youth Conference at the end of June and he is wanting to come out to EFY at the beginning of July. Anyway, we had 23 inches of snow on Sunday and now we have about two more, with more to come throughout the day. It is a good thing that I grew up in snowy weather and have lived in blizzard like conditions before. I think I would go crazy if I had come from California, or Florida like some of our friends. The land of eternal sunshine this is not. 

I am very thankful for a snowblower. The snow drifts on Sunday were so deep in places that we had to plow, pull the blower back, let the snow cave in and then plow again. Our blower in over two feet tall, that meant that the snow had blown to drifts over 28 inches. We aren't as bad as some of the people in the Stake who have had over three feet of snow. We have had power the whole time, which is more than a lot of people in our Stake. We have been very blessed. The children thank the Lord nightly that we have power and heat in our homes. That makes me very happy that they feel that they have been blessed as well. 

Thank you for keeping us informed about David and family. It is good that you and Barbara communicate. Funny how things tend to make or break people and we do want some good to come out of this situation. 

Take care of yourself. You need to do that, or this could destroy your cholesterol and your stomach. Get some rest. 

I love you!
Melanie

History of the War Service

Donnette wrote: No, I don't have a history of Raymond. They just want the part about the war or service experiences. Not the whole life story. Do you have anything about just his service experiences? I'll get a form to you to sign. It has to be the closest relative. I think they'll really like the group pictures.

Donnette

Myrna wrote: I do have a brief history of just his war (and Claude's) war service. Myrna

Siovhany-b-bonny

Siovhan wrote: I am SOOOO sorry. I have been really busy with homework and the start of new classes. Oh poor Mary--she reminds me of my little Mikaela. I don't think it was my car--although it may have been, depending on on where the car was. 


Great minds think a like. I was going to email you this weekend telling you that I'd like to come see you soon. I've just been really busy. I definitely want to come visit and come down for Sunday dinner soon. I think it will have to be at the beginning of the new month, though. I was recently called as the Compassionate Service Leader for the ward, and I have meetings the next two weeks (one ward, one stake). I will certainly give you a call. 

I love you dearly, and I'm sorry I have kind of neglected you lately. I love you so much.  

Love, 
Siovhany-b-bonny

Myrna wrote: I am really glad to hear you are among the living. (So is Grandpa!) He tried to call you but he never leaves a message so no one ever knows. 

We are happy to hear about your new ward calling. That is a hard job. I know that because I worked so closely with my Compassionate Service Leader when I was RS president. It takes a lot of time. Let us know if you need any help.

We love you and are proud of you.

Grammy

Letter to Else from Leonard, Jan. 23, 2005

Dear Else , Erling and Family:

We just got home from Stake Conference. The meetings were all good. There was an older sister that talked to us and told us a little about her life and how as a teenager she went to young woman's and primary. Then for some reason latter on in life she was excommunicated from the church. She said she was baptized in 1996 by her son. She bore a strong testimony about the truthfulness of the gospel. One of the witnesses at her baptism was the bishop who held the court when she was excommunicated. Her two home teachers were sitting on the stand and they were President and Sister Francom, he is the first counselor in our temple presidency.

The other talks were also good. As we were sitting eating lunch I looked at the calendar and expressed that it was the 23rd of January and it was just a week ago when it was the 23rd of December. I cannot believe that time is going by sooooooooo fast.  The Lord said he would speed up time in the last days to protect the saints. I believe that.

Our second son is being transferred to the state of Ohio. He will be about 1,724 miles from here. Melanie, our oldest daughter, lives just out of Boston , which is 2,395 miles. That is why when we travel there we fly.

Thank you for giving Sister Jensen our address. I received a nice card and a copy of page I had written on in the Doctrine and Covenants. It was good to hear from her and know that she was still active in the church. Thank for letting me know that you had met her in the temple and had talked to her. I wrote a, not so good letter in Danish. She might need the Urim & Thumon to translate it. I asked her about her kids and if she could read English. I told her how sorry I was that we did not find her or her husband's name in the computer so we did not pursue it and how sorry I am now. She was probably at the Saturday program and the temple dedication.

We have told all our family and friends what a spiritual experience we had, and are still having, while we were there with you and how much you and your family had contributed to it. It would not have turned out like this with out your help. Again I want to express our appreciation for what all of you did to help us. √ √THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been to California with a truck load of honey bees. Both My son in law and I drove trucks with the bees on, then he had a big truck come in and haul the rest. I come home early and he just got home early this morning. We won't be going down again till in February. At that time we will move them into the almond groves and after they are finished there we will move them back into the orange groves and then in May and June we will move them back to Utah. It is quite a business. He runs about 2,500 hives.

We have been off from the temple for the last two weeks. They close it for two weeks in January to clean it. We have to go to a special meeting on Friday to receive new training on initiatory. We don't know just what the change is.

We have also learned that we will be getting our 25th grandchild this fall.  AnnMarie, our second oldest daughter will be having the baby this fall. It will be their fifth child. They, at present, have two boys and two girls. Their oldest daughter will be flying to Boston in March to participate in and All Youth Chorus. I wish we were going to hear them.

Sincerely yours   Leonard & Myrna Trauntvein

Interviews

Dear Donnette:

Are they still doing interviews with service people? My Dad served in World War II. He is 86 now. I would like someone to interview him. We don¹t get a lot out of him when we get him on video. I have done his childhood and some few experiences.

Myrna

Dear Myrna:

They aren't doing any more interviews of WWII vets. They wouldn't come do Richard who just turned 80 last summer. But I did tape an interview with him myself and have that transcribed. Try visiting him again with open ended questions on a tape. That is less intimidating than video.
Donnette

I am worried

I am worried about Garth Childs. He called me yesterday and he has a great problem that may be the end of his mortal life. They did not get all of the cancer when they did the prostate surgery. They will do a bone scan at the end of the month and if the cancer is spread there they will probably not be able to do anything. Otherwise, on Feb. 5, they will begin the hormone treatment that they have used with Grandpa Pitts. This will be more aggressive because the cancer that Garth has is more aggressive.

The family is no stranger to cancer. Alyce, Garth’s wife, and her two sisters and mother, have all had breast cancer. Richard Childs died of cancer. Grandpa Ray Smith died of cancer as did some of his siblings. Great Grandpa Pritchett died of cancer. His son, my grandmother’s brother, also died of cancer.

Don’t tell me that the Pitt’s don’t have cancer. My Aunt Bea died of it. My cousin, Kenny, had his leg amputated.

I hope you will all pray for Garth. I love him so much.

I love you all! M

Todd Trauntvein Family

So, we are moving. We are going to Columbus, OH. I report to work out
there on 02/07. I get to fly the family out there for on the 29th of this
month for a few days to start looking for a school and then a home. I will
get to come home each weekend until the home sales and then we will be there
as a family--1700 miles away from here and 1700 miles closer to Melanie. We
will be 8 hours from Nauvoo and only 2 hours from Kirtland. I think I know
what we will do in the down-time while we are there.

If you know anyone who works for Discover Card, you can't tell them about
this yet until after Tuesday of next week (Kim, can't tell Gordon), because
it has not been announced here until that day. I will be in Ohio for the
announcement.

I will miss the family, the camping, the bee-keeping--yes, I love helping
Jim when I can. It is rewarding work. So, there you have it. Any
questions? My house is for sale. It is well kept as you all know and I
love it dearly. I love the neighbors, the ward and the proximity to the
school, the rec-center and now the stores. If you know anyone who is in the
market, send them my way.

That Darn Recorder That Grammy Gave

Ok, thanks, ouch, my ear is a bit sore-do lessons come with that recorder? s :)

He is NOT taking it in the van today to SLC to meet Dad and Todd's family.

Myrna wrote: Hide it in the van and have Todd show him how to play it. It CAN sound quite wonderful. Todd was actually quite good at it.

I was worried about the card. Mikaela never did get one of her cards. I sent it again. Love, M

Kimberly: He did sneak it in the van, but Toren caught him and took it back in the house.  :)

Myrna wrote: 

I thought Shawn said Dane was going to learn to play it at school. If that isn’t the case, then it could end up on a high shelf while he was at school. Mr. Nobody gets the credit when it can’t be found. Then, it can come out of hiding when he does get a chance to learn to play at school. M

Kimberly wrote: he's really happy about it, and he's really not that bad, no shelf for that recorder, he's too happy about it :)