Well I will tell you what, I just love a good Conference Weekend.
I love a break from our regularly scheduled meetings. Having church from my step-down lounge is a very nice perk of being a Mormon. I always wear my General Conference Best Pajamas and wash all the General Conference Blankets in the house so that when I make my General Conference Fort it will smell nice and clean the entire General Conference Weekend.
I love to do the General Conference Snuggle with my man. Sure, we can get touchy at church—and we do—though it is done in a appropriate manner. I usually play the hymns with my fingers on his back (his back is almost as long as a real keyboard. Not kidding.) But General Conference Snuggling is just the right taste of cozy. And since we (unfortunately) don’t have kids to admonish to “sit still” or “be quiet” or “how is your General Conference M&M Bingo coming along?” We get all comfy and try really hard not to take the inadvisable General Conference Nap.
General Conference Nap=guilt.
However, should you miss any talk during your General Conference Narcoleptic Journey you can always wait for the May Ensign. Or watch online. Or listen on line. Or read on line. It’s just too easy to make excuses these days. Which means the once-great General Conference Excuse is extinct.
I mean, I grew up with families who still wore Sunday Best during General Conference Weekend, and that is their thing. I haven’t asked to know if this is Choosing the Right for my family. Right now the General Conference Mojo works for us.
We like to take a walk between sessions, almost because Carole Mikita here in Utah always lures you with her General Conference In Between Sessions Mini-Documentaries. And if you partake of these emotional pieces de resistance you will have watched TV for 6 hours! I am pretty sure there is a commandment against that. Also here in Utah, the LDS booksellers commercials come on directly after the last prayer. When everything is quiet and reflective and you are wondering how, yet again, Elder Scott made you feel like he was looking right at you, the TV goes to commercial and you hear “BUY JENNY SLINE-ROUND-OFF-BACK-HANDSPRING-CHRISTIANSEN’S BOOK ENTITLED ‘I AM NOT A BEEHIVE, NOT YET A LAUREL’ TODAY!”
I don’t intend to leave out the best part, the General Conference Weekend Food. Apple-crusted pancakes, or sausage and cheese casserole, maybe a strong hot cocoa. You just veg and listen, and veg some more. Sing along with the MoTab and veg. Veg and write in your journal. (Though ***WARNING***all this leads to the aforementioned General Conference Nap.)
I like the General Conference Ladies Night Out when the men go to the Priesthood session. In my family we used to do facials and massages. Then my sisters and sister-in-laws had to procreate making it hard for anyone of them to sit at any given time at any given hour while the fruits of their labors are running around. Now it’s a bit more like polygamy. Women and children getting together and sharing diaper changes and roast beef while the man is away. (Yes, I am pretty sure that is how modern-day polygamy works. Please don’t ask how I know.)
Indeed, I am looking forward to this weekend. And I am going to let you in on my tip: The Saturday Sessions are almost always better than the Sunday ones. It’s like a secret treat for the extra-righteous. And yes, I am. That.
Of course, the part where we hear from Prophet, Seers and Revelators, General Auxiliary Leaders and Seventies speak on the Word of God is a nice bonus. But in a different way from the General Conference Cinnamon Roll. That part? Good stuff.
What are your General Conference Traditions?
i just couldn’t resist the attempt at being the first to comment!!! This like, never happens! Mostly we just chill and watch conference at home… Usually i try to slip in some “heritage” (the non-guilt word for scrapbooking) during conference…
When i was growing up, the week before conference was spent calling verious “spots” around the living room to sit during conference, and who got what blanket etc…
Yeah, that’s about it!
I LOOOOOVE General Conference Weekend too. Just love it. I haven’t always but I do now. I am still trying to figure out a tradition for me and my family but I have a friend whose tradition I just might have to look into a little more closely.
I DO like to be showered and dressed in COMFY clothes with full hair and make-up, you know, just in case we get visitors.
I have a friend who scrapbooks all conference weekend long. She ONLY scrapbooks these two weekends out of the year. And, she says, that it’s the perfect amount of time to catch up on the pics from the last 6 months.
Now, I’m not much of a scrap booker ( I admire people that do it, I’m just not one of them) But I DO like to tie a quilt whilst I watch and listen. Well, I’ve only actually done that once, but it was a lovely experience. I noticed that when I do something monotonous then I can really concentrate on what the speaker is saying AND it keeps my mind alive so that I don’t succumb to the all too common General Conference Nap. I actually practice this in sacrament meeting too by coloring with my little ones. Well, one little one and two medium sized ones.
Maybe this year I will try out the General Conference Cinnamon Roll. Although I do make a kick-A cinnamon roll my own self.
I have noticed that my traditions change every time that I move, but I am in my permanent home now so I think it’s high time that I acquire some kicking permanent traditions.
I will be checking in all day to see if anyone comes up with an idea I can pilfer.
I adore General Conference. I can’t believe I used to dread it as a child. It feels so good to stay in my pajamas, curled up with my softest blanket and listen to the Prophets voice. I love listening to the talks, the choir, the in-between conference reports. But most of all, I love listening to President Hinckley. I love that man. I can’t wipe the smile off my face when he is speaking.
One of my favorite traditions is to go to my Mom & Dad’s house and have eggs benedict with fresh asparagus. My mother makes THE BEST eggs benedict, it is delish. This has been a tradition ever since I was a young girl, and although, we’ve missed a year here and there, it is my favorite thing.
In my best Kip voice…”I love technology.”
Being able to watch it via the internet is great for those of us that don’t get conference on channels 5,11,14,25,36… okay there really aren’t that many. But I like not having to drive to another building [and if your late, having to sit on the cold hard chairs]. My wife tries to create quite “conference related” activities for the chillins.
We watch all the sessions. Growing up was different. Saturday was totally an optional day. It wasn’t until I was sitting in the MTC in October that it was revealed to me what a wonderful day Saturday was. I’ve been hooked since and I am trying to hook my kids in a gradual manner. The older they get the more they are expected to pay attention.
We are usually dressed in a semi-formal manner, which means I can forgo the suit and tie.
Man, those naps are hard to dodge! Especially the afternoon session…unless the kiddos are too restless and then nobody naps.
we don’t get it on our tv… and there is no way I am going to take all the kids to church to watch it (and boy oh boy do I admire those that do…and the ones that dress up all weekend…) I, like Cjane, am of the “eat sausage casserole and be comfy at home and please, please, please don’t take a nap” variety.
I love that you get together with your family. I remember Topher talking about how you all used to go to the cabin and have conference together…… The year that Jacob was born, we were waiting to get him we were at Topher and Lisa’s for conference Sunday and she made THE BEST cinnamon rolls for the day. I can remember how great they taste, even now…. hey, you should have people post what great things they make on conference and leave a recipe (didn’t you do that at Thanksgiving? I LOVED that….)
Can’t wait to hear what others do.
“I am not a Beehive, not yet a Laurel” You’re silly. Last conferece we decided to shake things up a bit so we wouldn’t fall asleep. We got Ginger-Ale and took shots of it after we heard “Brothers and Sisters”. It worked…for the most part.
We try to have a big breakfast (pancakes and eggs). We don’t get dressed. We snuggle up with our favorite pillows and blankets in our p.j.’s and enjoy. The kids have paper and pencils to take notes or draw but that’s about it. No toys, etc. usually. We just lay around and enjoy it.
In between sessions we usually just hang out together. We sometimes go for a walk or maybe go visit grandparents but we don’t necessarily “do” anything. I know that sounds kind of boring but uninterrupted family time these days is rare and we just take advantage of this precious time and enjoy being together.
For dinner I usually make something in the crock pot so it’s easy and I don’t have to worry about it.
Conference weekend is a chance to relax and enjoy for our family.
The other day my husband suggested that when everyone gets home Friday, we make it a pajama weekend where we wear p.j.’s and relax the whole weekend. I think he’s on to something!
Oh yeah! I forgot about the ginger ale tradition.
(Elisabeth you are so silly!)
I did forget to mention the tradition of finding people in the Tabernacle Choir that look like other people we know or celebrities. Or Cole inpersonating the choir members. That’s always interesting!
But seriously, we do listen to the talks. We just enjoy the day. (Maybe a little too much!)
Apple crusted pancakes???!! SHARE!
We cozy up in the Fmily Room, decked out with the M-n-M Bingo, old Friend magazine activities, and notebooks for the kids to write down words they hear.
We usually only get militant about littlest kids listening on Saturday if the Prophet is speaking. Otherwise, we just kinda keep them all in the family room, and hope for osmosis.
The General Conference Nap is usually Saturday afternoon, as my loverboy husband is worn out from trying to get a whole Saturday’s worth of yardwork into two hours (12:01 - 1:59 p.m.)
And will someone please share the cinnamon roll secret? I want to be a good cinnamon roll maker. I promise to try hard, if someone will just share!
I love Saturday conference because I usually crank it up LOUD on the radio/internet/TV (depending on where we have lived) and spring clean a section of the house that has been busy creating its own terrarium during the long months that I have neglected it. When I lived in my 800 square foot house, I could spring clean the entire thing before the last session was over. Now that my children are older, I guess need to either figure out whatever-the-heck an M&M bingo game is or enlist them in the work. I think the latter idea sounds LOVELY…
Enjoying these comments from my base here on a snowy afternoon in Provo.
According to Lucky Red Hen of blogging fame, this General Conference Cinnamon Rolls recipe is from the woman who makes them for the General Authorities. Which means that the fat from them doesn’t actually stick to your insides. (Talk about holy roll-ing.) (I couldn’t resist that pun.) (I tried.)
General Conference Cinnamon Rolls
A lady in Orem makes these for the Apostles every conference! Start the night before because the first part needs to refrigerate overnight then in the morning you make them into the rolls & put in dish to rise for about 2 hours. Baking is mere minutes.
2 pkg dry yeast
1/4 C warm water
2/3 C instant (dry) milk
1 3/4 C hot water
3/4 C melted butter or margarine
add
1/2 C sugar
2 t salt
(let mixture cool)
5 1/2 C flour (start with 2 then add the rest)
4 well beaten eggs
Layer… (I double the recipe on this part ’cause I like goop)
1/2 C melted butter
2 T cinnamon
6 T sugar
Frosting… (or sub cream cheese frosting, but this is the general conference version)
4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C soft butter
2 t vanilla & water
Put yeast in the 1/4 C warm water. Combine instant milk, the hot water and 3/4 C melted butter. Add sugar and salt; let mixture cool. Blend in 2 C flour then add yeast and eggs. Stir in rest of flour. Dough will be soft.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Turn 1/2 out on well floured surface (coat with flour to handle). Roll out into rectangle. Spread with the layer ingredients: first butter then sugar and finally cinnamon – add raisins/nuts at this point if desired. Roll up and cut into 1†slices with clean dental floss (put floss underneath then criss-cross upwards to make a clean slice without squishing). Put in baking dish/pan.
Raise 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes (watch that they don’t burn).
Frost while warm.
Otherwise, we just kinda keep them all in the family room, and hope for osmosis.
Love it!
I thought I was the only one to make a blanket fort every conference. As a child, my seester and I would make forts, stay in our jammies and pretend we were listening. Now as a grown women (oooh I do not like the sound of THAT) with a daughter of my own, I am sad to say I have yet to make a blanket fort with her on conference days. This year I resolve to repent.
Saturday at our home, every TV and stereo is up full blast as we work around the house and hopefully the yard as well. Sundays are stay in our jammies (I even have some with feet) for the first session, get ready during the Makita break, and then the neccesary “drive” for the afternoon session.
I love conference weekend.
Attendance at La Professora’s is Mandatory for Sunday session. I try really, really hard to pay attention but don’t feel guilty falling asleep, because I will, a lot. I know in my heart this is OK since I learn best visually. As soon as the talks are up online, I take a look. Much better for the mental processing.
Saturday is the day of spiritual meat and in depth cleaning.
We have a breakfast of crepes- filled with vanilla pudding, fruit, and whipped cream. (Does that even qualify as a breakfast food?)
And I agree. Saturday sessions are almost always ‘better’ than Sunday sessions. Too bad so many people miss out on them.
One of the best things about moving from st. louis to utah was conference on t.v. it is really amazing. i appreciated the kip quotation above since last april conference i was in labor with my 3rd and watching napoleon dynamite and actually still laughing during a contraction. thankfully that will not become a tradition. usually my husband and i watch it in the living room and the three wee ones run rampant around the house being completely annoyed that they are being completely ignored. i think we will trap them in the living room with us so they atleast feel ‘apart’ of the action. and i think i’m coming over to some of your houses for conference. i pretty much take a cooking break. i used to work at cinnabon (my first job ever) and cinnamon rolls are my favorite so don’t give out your addresses or else you might receive some unexpected guests - watch our pflower - i know you have makeup on so there will be no excuses. i love elder holland and elder bednar was the president at ricks while i was there - he reminds me of what people say about pres. young and i love it.
I was not so fortunate as to grow up in Utah and watch General Conference in my jammies. Likewise, no time-release seminary. Oh, how I suffered! But really, as kids, we LOVED watching General Conference at church in the dark. We would try our darnedest to color sans eyesight and then I always ended up falling asleep with my head in my mother’s lap while she stroked my hair. Those are sweet memories.
Now, we fork out the big bucks for the good cable and have all our friends over to watch on BYU TV and share in a delicious breakfast feast.
Ah, how great it would be to have the choice to stay
home and watch it! (I tried once with my mother-in-law who pays for the channel but she talked the whole time so maybe I get credit for charity (?))
My favorite conference weekend was with my 3 best friends. We all happened to have primary stake callings in 3 different stakes at the same time so we drove all night Thursday night from Sacramento. Got to Salt Lake one hour before the Primary meetings began, dressed at Denny’s and slipped in just in time with a smile. Conference, the next day, then was on a blanket with the 4 of us spending quality time, (with our beloved sisters.) At one point I got up and went to the doors of conference, peeked inside and could see our prophet way off in the distance but I could see him! I stood there the whole session and held back tears, maybe not completely. It wasn’t what was said, it was the termination that, during the time those solid wooden doors were closed, I didn’t want to “left” outside, with the saints inside.
Now I live in the east and southern part of the nation and miss all the little extras that were available in the west, (conferences, lectures, visiting speakers, etc.) Count your many blessing.
Noelle,
You don’t scare me…..I’ll be ready!!! We have a nice big 72″ TV with lots of Monster Sacks and a swing set in the back for the kiddies. Come on over, I dare you!
Saturday conference is spent doing chores and working in the yard. We do blast the radio and TV so we can hear it from wherever we might be. It seems to make the chores more worthwhile and meaningful, perhaps a little more inspired.
We too sport the comfy pj’s and blankets on Sunday. I don’t think we even shower until the late afternoon. Gross, I know. We have family come over and relish in the abundant revelation we hear from the speakers, it helps us stay awake. I think we devour approximately 3 large bags of m & m’s between six or so of us. We don’t play bingo, we just hope they all end up in our mouths instead of the couch cushions. We try to take a walk in between sessions to re-energize for the next session. Our family room becomes a little stuffy too, that fresh air is required or we might suffocate.
Wouldn’t that be terrible? I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to miss the last session of conference for that reason.
Is it in bad form to serve Crystal Lightâ„¢ with cinnamon rolls?
I remember the days when Conference was in the tabernacle and Temple Square just wasn’t as flooded as it is now. When I was attending BYU it was fun to go up for a day, whether we had tickets or not, and cruise for guys while listening to the brethren.
These days I try to pay attention while wrangling children and poking my hubby(whom I DID meet on Temple Square. Just kidding, we met at BYU, same ward, so cliche. But wouldn’t that be a great story for this post?!) to make sure that he stays awake. For him the inadvisable GCN happens every Sunday in all meetings. It is inevitable, and so embarrassing. I mean, he is one serious nodder. The kind that people snigger at, because if it’s not your husband it IS pretty funny to watch.
Sadly for us, we will not be partaking in the drool inducing, delicious sounding cinnamon rolls. Two words: weight watchers. And the fact that I cannot control myself when homemade baked goods are around.
And CJane, there is no way that Elder Scott is looking at you because he is always looking at me.
Reading these comments leads me to wonder how well they’d describe the families in their tents listening to King Benjamin’s final address.
I love conference! In my family, those two weekends are the biggest weekends of the whole year. Growing up, we always had conference blaring from every radio & TV in the house. It was great on Saturdays because we could do our work and still listen. Dad and the boys would go out to the old El Azteca after the priesthood session and order milanesa. Nowadays, they still go out to eat afterwards, but they haven’t yet found a decent substitute for El Azteca’s milanesa.
As for the women, now that there are enough of us, we take the kiddos out to a pizza buffet during the priesthood session. The pizza may not be the best ever, but not having to clean up a kitchen afterwards certainly is.
Our Priesthood session girls event has morphed into a cake decorating extravaganza. We all show up with a cake and 7 gallons of frosting (which totals somewhere around 8 cakes and a metric ton of buttercreamygoodness. We all decorate with strange tips and cake paraphanalia, and declare ourselves fabuloso.
We spend all Sunday eating cake, as one can well imagine. Then we spend all Monday running and doing cardio-kickboxing to repent for the cake. Good times.
we like to have a big breakfast: carmel rolls, bacon, eggs, etc. (though now i want to try to GC cinnamon rolls) we hang out in pj’s. we go outside in between sessions. we enjoy being our little family.
ps. thanks for the blogging mention…i hope i didn’t make you feel like you HAD to! hehehe. can’t wait for more thai food. soon.
I love Saturday sessions! They are definitely the most spiritually packed of the weekend. I usually find myself folding mounds of laundry during Saturday morning session, but somehow the folding doesn’t bother me so much at these times.
I make the most fabulous cinnamon rolls. Just had to plug for myself. Yes, I’m totally smug about them. They rock!
Sunday we are all dressed because like Pflower, I need to be ready if somebody comes knockin! My in-laws usually mosey on over, a little late, but that’s the joy of DVR, we can start any old time! We have a big breakfast, whole wheat pancakes, yummmmm, and all the fixins. For lunch this year I am dying for BLT’s on Costco croissants topped with a hefty pile of avocados. Mmmmm, I can’t wait for Sunday!
Cjane, I’ve always been in awe of Elder Scott’s talent for starin me down!
Ah, how great it would be to have the choice to stay home and watch it!
You can! On the internet, it’s possible now! Cuddling around the computer isn’t quite the same, but it’s possible!
Snowing in Utah?
We’ve got 85 degree weather here in Florida and
going through the change, I am already so over
heated I dread the coming summer. No wonder we
have so many snow birds here coming from up north during the so called winter months (temperature goes down to the 70’s then)
It sure makes giving callings hard, knowing that
they’re leaving soon.
Maybe I’ll just bring the laptop out by the pool. . .
Oh yeah, you girls have the energy to stay up until 1:00 in the morning to be on the computer???
Get this–when I was little and living in western Nebraska, they only broadcasted conference at the Stake Center . . . which happened to be 2 hours away in Cheyenne, Wyoming. So every 6 months, we’d make the trek there and back (I think only for Sunday) and I hated it. Even though we live in NY now, we have the internet and my hubby has a cable that can plug into the TV, so we can still watch it on the “big screen.”
We’re still early in our married life so the traditions are still a coming, but we’re going to make cinnamon rolls this year (none of this overnight stuff–we have a recipe that is 1 hour flat and they are AMAZING!). We also go through our 72 hour kits and eat the stuff that’s going to expire, then buy new stuff for the next 6 months.
Miggy,
We had to watch GC at the stake center too. Dressed up and OHHHH so boring as a child. I now wish that I had payed more attention to Pres. Kimball. I just love that man! I’m so glad that we are studying him this year. BTW, I’ll need that 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe if you can spare it
thanks
When I joined the church and read the BOM I fell in love with King Benjamin and every conference I always likened it to pitching our tents towards the prophet. My daughter already mentioned our eggs benny fest(and thanks for the props daughter). I love gathering my family around and being all cozy (I always stay in jammies, but then that is one of my vices I could stay in my jammies forever.) The GA’s voices are so soothing and reassuring. Even if you fall asleep their words just gently slide inside and warm your heart (and besides I record it in case I miss something.) Funny how I can be pretty asleep and then I somehow hear Pres Hinckley and am suddenly awake and at attention. I am now afraid if I sleep I might miss something. I almost missed the announcement that we were getting a temple because I was dozy. And you are right CJane the Sat sessions are the BESTEST! Reward for giving up your Saturdays I guess.
My mom always has a big conference dinner on Sunday. We wanted to start a tradition with our little own family, so a few years ago we began going to the Sat. morning session at our stake center. We live in Utah where most people watch at home, so the chapel is usually empty except for us. It’s actually fun for the kids to sit in a dark chapel and watch conference on a huge screen; they can each have their own bench if they want. It has made me appreciate the efforts of faithful high council members who make sure the broadcast is ready to go even though the chapel is likely to be empty.
We pitch our tent outside with the opening toward the Conference Center.
But this time, I think I’m goin to pflower10’s house to watch 72 inches of live revelation!
Ok, here is the 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe. To be fair it’s not my recipe and in fact I only got it a couple weeks ago after a friend made them for us and I thought they were SO good and must have taken ALL day. My hubby made them one time so far and they turned out great. The directions are a little loosey-goosey, so it might take more than one try. . . but they’re still easy. Enjoy!
CINNAMON ROLLS
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 Tbsp salt
Mix these ingredients together and let sit for about 10 minutes, until frothy.
Add 1 large egg, beaten. Then add about 5 cups of flour- enough to make a good dough.
Turn out onto a board and knead a little until dough feels good. Roll out the dough and spread cinnamon mixture:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cups sugar
6 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon
Roll up. Cut & place on greased pan. Let rise about 10 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes at 425 F.
Frost while still warm, but NOT hot!
3 Tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 cup milk
3/4 tsp vanilla
orange zest (optional)
GEO,
I’ll be ready!!! We have LOTS of room. And LOTS of beds for napping after going into sugar shock from all of the cinnamon rolls.
Does anyone have any cool Easter Traditions???
Miggy,
Is that Rapid Rise Yeast or just normal yeast??
Thanks for the recipe!
I LOVE PJs for conference. When we were little elementary kids living in Bountiful, Ut - my Dad had wired all the speakers in all our rooms to that LDS radio station that broadcasts conference…so that’s what we woke up to. And once we were up we were to stay in front of the TV… it became a habit…then as I got older it was me camped with my journal. Now… it’s cuddle time with the babies in our bed. Thank heavens for Directv.
Normal yeast. . . the sugar helps it rise rapidly.
cjane - I made the general conference cinnamon rolls and they were FABULOUS! I made them with whole wheat, but that was the only substitution I used.
That recipt makes about a bazillion cinnamon rolls btw. We were walking all over the neighborhood handing them out yesterday!
And did anyone else bawl their eyes out when Elder Faust spoke!?!? What a great weekend.
Justine I am so glad! And good for you and the whole wheat substitution. And yes I cried when Elder Faust spoke. I love him like my own father.
Loved Elder Holland’s talk as well. But he is always my fav. (I hope it’s kosher to have a favorite.) (I hope it’s kosher to be kosher and Mormon.)
What a fun thread! I have to admit, my parents are converts, and they never really grasped the concept of general conference, so our conference weekend tradition was road tripping to visit relatives. So my traditions are still in the works. But in college, I had a friend that would have people over for “Gordon and Pancakes” for the Sunday morning session. Now I’ve moved into the “ladies night out” phase where we get together with friends and do a pot luck dinner before priesthood session, and then the women sit around talking about politics and women’s roles in the church.
Gordon and Pancakes is awesome!