Cooking around the World
By Lori Fuller
August 29, 2014
My family and I love to try out new recipes from around the world. We especially like to plan these to go along with holidays from other countries and cultures. This can be as simple as making a dish with black-eyed peas for New Years or as complicated as planning a kosher meal around Hanukkah. Making and eating these foods with your family is a great way to learn more about the world.
We pair food and culture together in other ways too. We made borscht in honor of the Olympics this year and easy curry to go along with an Indian film we watched. Not every dish will become a new family favorite or family tradition, but you might be surprised at what new things you find.
This year in the Friend, each month has featured a recipe from a different country. Look on Bulletin Board to find recipes for Russian blinis, Zimbabwean cornbread, Brazilian omelets, and many more fun recipes. Happy cooking!
Nourishing the Soul
By Reyna Aburto, Primary general board
August 22, 2014
As I hear about events and philosophies developing in our day, I often ask myself how can we help children be steadfast and immovable in their faith despite the constant tugs and pulls of the world. The Lord has asked us to “feed [His] lambs” (John 21:15). How do we do that? How can we give lasting nourishment to the soul of a child? Will children remember what we teach them? How do we present gospel truths to them?
In pages 5-7 of Teaching, No Greater Call, we can find answers to those questions and examples of what teachers and parents have done to nourish the souls of children. Here are just a few gems from those pages:
- Just as we need nourishing food to survive physically, we need the gospel of Jesus Christ to survive spiritually. Our souls are nourished by whatever speaks of Christ and leads us to Him, whether it is written in the scriptures, spoken by latter-day prophets, or taught by other humble servants of God.
- Our efforts to help our children establish a heritage of rich spiritual memories are never wasted. Sometimes the seeds we plant may not bear fruit for years, but we may take comfort in the hope that someday the children we teach will remember how they have “received and heard” the things of the Spirit. They will remember what they know and what they have felt.
- If you teach little children, you know that it can be a challenge to teach them the gospel. But little children want and need to hear gospel truths. They will respond to your efforts to present warm, varied, and enthusiastic gospel lessons.
Picture This
By Maggie Zugg
August 15, 2014
I put pictures from past issues of the Friend to good use! I cut them out or copy them from the magazine, trim them, and glue them to colored card stock. Then I cut them to size and laminate them so that they are more durable. These make great matching activities and lesson aids!
Editor’s Note: Click here to find lots of printable Friend artwork.
Sibling Appreciation Night
By Jocelyn Christensen
August 8, 2014
One night a few years ago, we planned a “sibling appreciation night” for family home evening. We were excited to spend the evening showing special attention and love to just one of the children. One of my daughters helped by drawing pictures of the sibling being celebrated, and another helped pick out her brother's favorite candy at the grocery store. As a family, we also created a list of things that we like about him.
When we picked up my son from school that day, we told him that we had a surprise for him. As he read each item on the list aloud that evening, he hugged the person who said each nice thing about him. Our son liked the anticipation of the special surprise—and the fact that he was allowed to pick out of his favorite candies for that evening's treat. He hung the list in his bedroom where it remained for a long time after that.
Since then, we have had quite a few surprise “sibling appreciation nights” with simple activities planned by the siblings to celebrate each child. And although just one sibling gets to enjoy being in the spotlight, somehow we all come away feeling better about ourselves and each other.
A Special Family Fun Section
By Marissa Widdison
August 1, 2014
Have you ever made a puppet theater out of a shoe box? How about camped in your living room? The August Friend has a boredom-busting section full of fun ideas like these! Click here to download seven pages of stories, activities, craft instructions, and recipes. Let us know which activities were your favorite by emailing us at friend@ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
