Page 6
The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2012
Food for Thought
by Rebecca McGaugh
For those days when you want something hearty, but don’t want to heat up the
house here are a couple of slow cooker recipes and a couple of simple breads to
try.
CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES
1 lb small potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cut up carrots, also about 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen small whole onions, thawed
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1-1/4 lbs)
1 jar (12 oz) chicken gravy
1-1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker,
place potatoes, carrots and onions. Add chicken. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Pour gravy over top.
Cover; cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours.
Stir in peas, increase heat to high, cover and cook about 15
minutes more.
Serves 6.
SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN
2 lb pork tenderloin
1 envelope (1 oz) dry onion soup
1 cup water
2 T honey
3/4 cup red wine
3 T minced garlic
3 T soy sauce
pepper to taste
Place pork in slow cooker with soup packet contents. Pour wa-
ter, wine and soy sauce over the top, turning pork to coat. Spread
garlic over the pork. Sprinkle with pepper, cover and cook on low
setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side or over
the top.
Serves 6.
EASY BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
3/4 cup milk (can be low fat or regular)
1/ cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and
margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured
surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared bak-
ing sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush
loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into
the center of the loaf comes out clean. You can continue to brush the loaf with the
butter mixture while it bakes.
Makes 20 servings.
Children need unstructured play time
Remember when you were
a child and summer was the
time to play? You may have
had some responsibilities, but
for the most part, your time was
unstructured. Today, children
may have more structured time
during the summer because of
camps, swim lessons and sum-
mer school.
Some believe that lack of
unstructured time is the reason
many teens/young adults have
trouble problem solving. The
trend of youth being overly re-
liant on electronics to stay busy
and involved leads to a need
for immediate gratification.
Summer is also the time for
a vacation, but not all family
budgets allow one. A staycation
is a vacation that is spent at or
nearby your home. The follow-
ing are some examples of pos-
sibly family staycations:
• Backyard exploration: Dig
for worms, plant a garden, look
at the clouds, watch a spider
spin a web, make mud pies,
build a fort, run through the
sprinkler during the day and
catch fireflies at night.
• Community exploration:
Visit the local park for a picnic,
try out walking trails or play
equipment, check out a book
from the public library that the
family can read together, go to
a farmer’s market or produce
stand to get fresh berries or
peaches for homemade ice
cream.
EASY IRISH SODA BREAD
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 T white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Source: Leanne Spengler, Human
development specialist, University
of Missouri Extension
Church Directory
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
C OVENANT C HURCH V ERNONIA
P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP
Carl Pense, Pastor
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
Pastor John D. Murray
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
503 860-3860
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
John Cahill, Pastor
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-1161
www.pbfalive.com
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m.
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
Preheat oven to 450° degrees.
In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until
mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Make a well in the center of
the dry mixture and pour in the milk. Stir until dough begins to pull
together then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Press dough together and roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2-
inch round biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden.
Makes 4 servings.
• Family exploration: Take
time to share family traditions
like foods, crafts or hobbies, let
your child teach you something
new, give your children a dis-
posable camera to capture
their perspective of the world.
Whether you take a vacation
or a staycation, give yourself
and your children some free
time to play and explore this
summer. The memories of free
time can strengthen family
bonds through shared experi-
ences, as well as provide a
mental vacation during times of
stress.
Larry Gibson, Pastor
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
503 429-8301
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Wayne and Maureene Marr
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
503 429-0373
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-8841
Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon
Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m.
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
Ralph Young, Pastor
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-6790
Sunday Bible Classes 9:00 a.m.
Family Praise & Worship 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer 6:30 p.m.
Thursday Ladies Study 7:00 p.m.
Nursery 10:15 a.m.
Vernonia Community Preschool
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
503 429-5378
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 10:45 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Sam Hough, Minister
410 North Street, Vernonia
503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
(meets in Youth & Family Center)
Various Home Group Meetings
Marc Farmer, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.