The UCB
Flier
A publication of
Utah Council
of the Blind
February-March
2019
For the latest news
updates call the Utah Connection 801-299-0670 or 1‑800-273-4569. (You may
also leave a message at the end of the announcement.)
Mail correspondence
to: UCB, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415. E-mail us at ucb.board@gmail.com.
The UCB Flier is available in large print, Braille,
audio CD, as a data (Microsoft Word and a plain text file) CD, and by e-mail.
If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in a different format, please
call the Utah Connection or send an e-mail to ucb.board@gmail.com
and let us know.
In
This Issue
President’s Message.................................................................................. 4
The Price is
Right....................................................................................... 6
Cab Coupon
Program Changes................................................................. 6
Legacy West Pioneers and UCB Annual Easter Egg Hunt......................... 7
New Advisory
Committee to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints......................................................................................................... 8
Donated Clothing for the UCB.................................................................... 9
Community Projects Program..................................................................... 9
Assistive Technology Grants.................................................................... 10
BLAZE EZ:
ANOTHER Choice................................................................. 11
A Power
Beyond Our Own....................................................................... 15
Kitchen Hacks.......................................................................................... 16
Chicken
Enchilada Chili............................................................................ 23
Ingredients.............................................. 23
Toppings:................................................ 24
Instructions............................................. 24
General UCB Information......................................................................... 26
Upcoming Board Meetings...................... 27
Note to Braille and Audio Readers
Article links are omitted from these versions for ease of reading, but may be found in the newsletter archived on our website at utahcounciloftheblind.org
Disclaimer
Articles and
announcements included in this publication are presented for your information
and interest. They reflect the opinions of the respective authors and are not
necessarily endorsed by the UCB.
Have you started your year with a new year's resolution? I know we always seem to have the usual, "This year I will lose weight." "This year I will be better with finances." I have followed my traditional path and blown those resolutions right away. It does not mean I will give up on them, but my challenge to myself each year is to do something new. This is not a resolution I ever wish to break. I always want to be someone who will be willing to learn and grow. My goal is to challenge myself to do things out of my comfort zone. I know that my strengths are with things involving words. I used to write music and poetry. I am hoping that in 2019 I will make the time and start doing that again. I have always said that I was artistically declined. In 2018 I started making hats. In 2019 I am, tying quilts, and so on. These are definitely not areas that I feel confident in, but I can at least know that I have given them my best shot.
Everything that we try makes us grow. I have heard people say that they can no longer do the things that they want, such as crochet, knit, cook, and so on because they are losing their sight. I hope our challenge to ourselves will be to seek a new way to do them. If you need help, reach out to someone. This is what our teacher-trainer teams are for. We can usually find an alternative way to do what you want to do.
The Utah Council of the Blind is made up of a very talented group of people. It encourages me when we are able to share what we do with someone else. Last year Rick and I worked with a lady that was 91 and losing sight very rapidly. She wanted to learn the iPad and other blindness skills. She said. "I think I need to learn basic Braille even if I don't use it for long." We lost her before she could learn, but one of the things said at her eulogy was that she always wanted to know about new things. My wish is that this can be said of us.
Those of you in the Ogden area have probably noticed that Yellow Cab of Ogden is no longer in business. We are thankful to be able to announce that we have a new cab company to work with. We have contracted with Price is Right Taxi Service. Their number is: 801-603-4209. The white cab coupons are the ones that you will use. We sincerely appreciate their willingness to work with us.
We are pleased to announce a major change in
quantity and cost of cab coupons available each month. Starting March 1st,
2019, a blind or visually impaired individual can purchase up to $200.00 worth
of coupons each month. This is an increase of $40 worth of coupons monthly. The
individual will pay only $65.00, which includes shipping. This means a $10 book
of white coupons is $3.00 and a $20 book of Yellow Cab of Salt Lake is $6.00.
This change should make it much more affordable to use cab transportation. If
you have questions or do not understand this change, please call Tina at
801-245-9264.
On April 13th,
2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the UCB, in conjunction with the Legacy
West Pioneers, will be holding its annual Easter egg hunt. Families with
children are invited to meet at the Utah State Division of Services for the
Blind and Visually Impaired at 250 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City. Come and
hunt for beeping eggs; this is a great test of the use of hearing to find an
object. Sighted participants who are up for the challenge will be blind-folded.
Candy will be distributed to all those who find beeping eggs. A hot dog lunch
will be provided to all who participate. Reservations are required by those who
plan to eat lunch. Please RSVP with the number of attendees to either Connie
801-266-2184, Teresa 801-966-0188, or Leslie 801-292-1156. In case of inclement
weather, the egg hunt will be held indoors. So, don’t let bad weather keep you
and your children from enjoying this wonderful event.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has created a new advisory committee to help improve accessibility to those who are blind or visually impaired. They would like to have input from people throughout the world. They are looking for input on all Church-related issues which affect the blind or visually impaired. Issues could include FamilySearch, FamilyTree and other web site issues, materials in alternative formats, music only videos, LDS Tools, etc.
The best way for you to have input is to send any suggestions or concerns to disability@ldschurch.org.
You
will be pleased to know that several ladies have donated clothing to the UCB to
be disturbed on a first come first served basis. Most items are women’s sizes
14-16 and include pants, skirts, blouses, night gowns, and much more. You are
welcome to check it out in the UCB office at the Division of Services for the Blind
and Visually Impaired (DSBVI), 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, on Wednesdays from
noon to 3:30. What a great way to update your wardrobe at no cost. Hurry in for
the best selection.
Are
you having difficulties with maintenance of your home? Are there times when
your income is limited so it is difficult to afford food or clothing? Are there
costly emergencies that threaten your ability to remain independent and in your
home? The UCB has a program which may be of assistance. The Community Projects
Program is accepting applications to assist with these and other types of
unexpected expenses. If you feel that this program would benefit your
particular situation, request an application on the Utah Connection or call 801-245-9264.
Applicants are reviewed on a first come first served basis.
To date the UCB has been able to help with a furnace repair, a
water heater replacement, a safety hand rail, some clothing, dog guide
expenses, and more. It is important to note that there are limited funds, which
means that some projects may only receive partial financial support. If you have a question,
give us a call, since the reviewing committee can be flexible and may have other sources of assistance to
recommend.
Grants of up to $500 are
still available to help you acquire adaptive technology to make your sight loss
less stressful. Such items as talking clocks, victor stream book readers,
liquid level sensors, talking food and clothing labelers, talking thermometers,
and timers have been purchased for people with diminishing sight.
Applications for adaptive
technology are available through email, mail, or can be filled out over the
phone. An individual is expected to pay at least 25% of the total cost of the technology.
Grants are made on a first come first served basis. The UCB can also provide referral
to other resources available in the community to help acquire more expensive
adaptive technology. The UCB also has an inexpensive resource for computers.
For more information call 801-245-9264. Or visit our website at: http://www.utahcounciloftheblind.org/adaptivetechnology.html
The machine does have
Internet capability to listen to web radio stations and podcasts. It has an alarm clock, but I'm not sure it works unless the
machine is left on.
HIMS does have another
Blaze unit which is more advanced and does have a telephone keypad.
For more information
on this product go to the HIMS website at www.hims-inc.com.
By Peter Frandsen
There is a self defense
martial arts studio in Ogden that has some specially kept secrets on
mindfulness, martial arts, and inner awareness and perception.
Vibravision
is a training method that allows you to create internal visions by using non-visual
senses. This method has been used in Indonesia by blind people for hundreds of
years.
Vibravision in Ogden offers classes to both sighted and those who are
visually impaired. Some of the things learned by undertaking the classes would
be to detect shapes, color, distance and direction of travel of any object. To
navigate the world completely unassisted, see images, read text, and many other
things.
The
Vibravision Foundation for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that raises
money so that those who are visually impaired will get the opportunity to learn
and experience the Vibravision techniques. The classes are costly, but
demonstrations are available.
By Sandy England
· Bringing eggs and butter to
room temperature—for those times when you want to bake but haven't planned
ahead. Submerge eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. For butter,
cut into small cubes; the increased surface area will help the butter warm more
quickly.
·
Browning or caramelizing onions: Start them dry with some salt, and don't add butter/oil/other
fat until they cook down a little.
·
Keep a bowl or other empty container on your counter for
holding scraps and/or trash so you're not running back and forth to the trash
can.
·
Freeze ginger before grating it. Frozen ginger
micro-planes like a dream. Peel it with a
teaspoon? I've found that works well. Or, I use a serrated peeler—it works well when the ginger is
frozen.
·
Grate the butter for pie crusts instead of cutting into
cubes.
·
Measure oil before honey! Works for any sticky ingredients—nothing sticks to the measuring cup,
so you get a more accurate amount.
·
Clean your work surfaces as you go along.
·
Roll citrus fruits on the counter before juicing to get
more juice.
·
Use a potato masher to break up ground beef/turkey when
browning.
·
Save 1 cup of the water from cooking pasta to thicken your
sauce. Place a measuring cup or coffee cup in the
colander while the pasta's cooking. Then when it's time to drain, the cup is
right there to remind me to scoop out some of the water first.
·
Any dried pasta can be added directly to a pasta baked
dish. Add a bit more liquid than usual (tomatoes, wine, broth) to account for
the extra absorbency of the pasta. Saves time and pot washing, tastes fine. I
learned this trick about a year ago, and I now make lasagna much more often
because I'm often time strapped and this saves me time making it and also
cleaning up—and I just find working with dry
pasta easier than the cooked pasta, which always seems to stick together for me
so I end up ripping sheets of lasagna.
·
Your freezer is your best friend. When cooking rice,
beans, potatoes or pasta, I always make more than I need at the time, often
twice as much. I bag the leftovers in individual servings in labeled and dated
ziplock bags and stack them up in the freezer like cordwood. All of them have
saved me when getting home late. Beans and rice along with some frozen corn
make a most welcome burrito. Leftover soup can always benefit from some added
rice or cooked pasta.
·
Rubbing your fingers on the side of a stainless steel sink
will remove strong food odors like onions and garlic from your hands. I have no
idea how or why this works, but it does!
·
When I’m making yeast dough but the house isn't very warm,
I'll turn the oven on for 1-2 minutes, turn it off, and place the bowl of dough
inside. Perfect proofing.
·
Use a potato ricer to squeeze out moisture from frozen
spinach. Works like a charm. Or, use my hands! Just defrost for about 1-2
minutes, half power in the microwave; get a big handful; hold over sink,
squeeze hard. Repeat until done. Hands are easier to wash than a ricer.
·
Any cookie tray or roasting pan that has burnt on food ...
line with paper towels, add a few squeezes of dishwashing detergent, add enough
water to cover, leave overnight. The next day it all wipes off. You also can
put soda on top with a little water and let it sit for awhile.
·
When putting a pot of water on to boil for pasta, or
blanching vegetables, etc. where you need a large amount boiled, fill up your
tea kettle and put that on a second burner (reducing what you'd otherwise put in
the large pot by what's in the kettle). Water ready in half the time! And of
course, put the lid on the pot. It makes a difference in how quickly the water
heats.
·
Keep an inventory of all your spices and dried herbs, as
well as an inventory of what's in your freezer, in files in your phone. Not
necessarily time saved in the kitchen, per se, but it saves time in planning,
·
Keep an inventory of what you have in your freezer on your
lap top or desk top computer and where in the freezer you store the item. What
a time saver this is.
·
Putting meat in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes, no
more, makes it much easier to slice razor thin for stir fries and similar
dishes.
·
Pomegranate molasses is a good exchange when Balsamic
vinegar is required.
·
Keep one shelf in the fridge exclusively for leftovers, so
that items for lunches and quick weekday dinners are easy for everyone to find.
·
When sifting or measuring flour or sugar, put a towel down
first and put a plate under the measuring cup so flour or sugar doesn’t get all
over.
·
Use paper bowls and measure things out in them the night
before baking. It’s then done, and it goes so much faster. I put a towel over
them, or you can put them in baggies. This makes my baking go so much faster
the next day or even the same day. Also, put everything out on a cookie sheet
in order and then you will know that you have everything you need and not
forget to add something. If you want to bake something like brownies twice in
one week, measure dry items twice and put them in baggies and store for the
next time.
·
Make twice as much of anything that can be frozen (or the
components for it). Clearly label the freezer bags. Usually means 1 set of
dishes instead of 2, 1 grocery shop, 1 wash up, etc.
·
For lettuce, remove the outer leaves on all when you get
home, wash them and then stack neatly on wet paper towels and then into several
plastic bags and into fridge ... instant cleaned lettuce. The inner remainders
also get a splash of water then wrapped in wet paper towels and put in plastic
bags in fridge. It is amazing how long they last, they are clean, and a salad
is a snap. I buy the baby romaine 8 pack and 2 packs of bib lettuce with 3 per
pack. I think they are hydroponically grown. Also buy the large container of
mushrooms, strip off the plastic wrap and keep damp paper towels over it in the
fridge. Keeps for more than a week ... rotate them and use from bottom first.
·
You can also put multiple garlic cloves in a pint mason
jar and cover it. Shake like crazy for a bit, and “boom” the cloves are
separated from their papers.
Servings 6 servings
2 chicken breasts
2 cups red enchilada sauce
1 cup green enchilada sauce
1 23 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can corn, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
tortilla strips
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
1. In a large slow cooker, add the chicken breasts and both kinds of enchilada sauce. Cook for several hours on high until the chicken is cooked and will shred into the sauce.
2. Add all the remaining soup ingredients, except the sour cream and cook for 1 more hour. Whisk in the sour cream and turn off the heat.
3. Serve in individual bowls and top with tortilla strips, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.
“We’ve been infected with this idea that love is an emotion only felt between two people. But love is universal. An energy. A contagious force. A gift. To offer money to a homeless man is to love. To save a worm from the sun is to love. To smile at a stranger is to love. To be grateful, to be hopeful, to be brave, to be forgiving, to be proud is to love.”
—R. Lucas
Donni Mitchell volunteers in the UCB Office at DSBVI, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you wish to make a purchase, we recommend you give her a call at 801-520-3766 to be sure she is there when you visit to purchase cab coupons, t-shirts, screwdriver/hammers, 20/20 pens, signature guides, or measuring cups and spoons.
We are always looking for articles,
book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other
interested persons. The deadline for submitting items for publication is the
1st of the month, e.g. the deadline for the December newsletter is November
1st. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to newsletterucb@gmail.com or
send Braille or print to UCB Flier, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415;
please allow extra time for processing Braille or print.
If you have questions or concerns for any board member or to be placed on the agenda of a board meeting, e-mail ucb.board@gmail.com or leave a message on the Utah Connection, and you will receive a timely reply.
Members are invited and encouraged to
attend meetings of the Board of Directors. These are typically held the fourth
Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at DSBVI in Conference Room R (in the north
hallway), except as noted.
·
Monday,
February 25, 2019
·
Monday,
March 25, 2019
·
Monday,
April 22, 2019
·
Monday,
May 20, 2019
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Utah Council of the Blind
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Woods Cross UT 84087-2224