Importance of Education

BYU Independent Study offers no-cost online classes  

           click here ---   free independent study courses from BYU

The benefit for students taking these courses is not a grade or university credit; as these classes are ungraded. Those taking the classes gain personal enrichment by studying course material prepared by topic experts.

The most popular subject areas for these classes are family life and basic academic skills. - John Taylor, director of independent study at BYU.

Free Course Offerings:

• Intro to Family History Research
• Writing Family History
• Helping children Love Your Family History
• Family Records
• Vital Records
• Military Records
• French Research
• German Research
• Huguenot Research
• Scandinavian Research
• Strengthening Marriage and Family: Proclamation
• Principles and Scholarship
• Building a Functional Family: Essential Elements
• Dating:Romance and Reason
• Rearing Responsible and Righteous Teens in a Wicked World
• Developing Self-Reliant People
• Planning and Preparing your Garden
• Growing Vegetables, Fruits and Nuts
• The Citizen's Guide to American Politics
• Basic Arithmetic, Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4
• Organ Performance, Level 1, Self-Study
• Organ Performance, Level 2, Self-Study
• Organ Performance, Level 2, Certification
• Marriott School of Management: Personal Finance
• Student Finance
• English as a Second Language - Chinese Speakers
• Basic English for Spanish Speakers
• Self-Discipline
• Honesty
• Trust
• Study Skills
• Bowling
• Intermediate Swimming
• Temples Past and Present
• Preparing to Serve the Lord
• The Living Prophets
• 1 Nephi 1 through Alma 30
• Alma 30 through Moroni
• D&C, Sections 1 through 87
• Sections 88 through Official Declaration 2
• The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, Part 1
• The New Testament
• The Writings of John: The Gospel
• Old Testament
• Contractions, Capitalization, and "ei/ie" Words
• Word Endings and Plurals
• Word Pairs

Home Made Graham Crackers

~from Martha Stewart

Once you taste one of these sweet whole wheat crackers, you may never go back to the store-bought variety again. Use them as the base for homemade s'mores, sandwich them with peanut butter, or simply enjoy them on their own.

Ingredients

Makes 20

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons high-quality honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, brown sugar, and honey into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
3. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, and divide into quarters. Roll out each piece between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper into rectangles a bit larger than 9 by 6 inches, about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Using a fluted pastry wheel, trip the outermost edges or each rectangle, and divide into three 6 by 3-inch rectangles. Pressing lightly, so as not to cut all the way through, score each piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, to form four 3 by 1 1/2-inch crackers. Stack parchment and dough on a baking sheet and chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove two sheets of dough from freezer. Pierce crackers using the tines of a fork. Transfer to large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes; transfer crackers to wire racks to cool completely.

Helpful Hint

Crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.