[Nfb-editors] New Mexico Newsletter- "Que Pasa"

Tue Feb 22 16:33:34 UTC 2011

This newsletter is 21 pages and 5,228 words long. (I got it off of their
Website.)

Que Pasa December 2010

James Babb, Editor

jim.babb at samobile.net

505-792-9777

In this issue:

PREAMBLE

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

STATE FAIR WALK

SCHREIBER'S HALF MARATHON WALK

ALBUQUERQUE AREA WHITE CANE LUNCHEON 2010

MEET THE BLIND EVENT

GONE TO THE DOGS

2010 ALBUQUERQUE CHAPTER ELECTIONS

ICE CREAM AND COOKIES

AUTUMN IN NEW MEXICO

THUNDERBIRD WINS AGAIN

NFB/eBay ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM

COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND

NFB SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

GOOD EATING

USEFUL WEBSITES

MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PREAMBLE

The National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico (NFBNM) is a 501 (c) 3
consumer organization comprised of blind and sighted people committed to
changing what it means to be blind.  Though blindness is still all too often
a tragedy to those who face it, we know from our own personal experience
that with training and opportunity it can be reduced to the level of a
physical nuisance.  We work to see that blind people receive services and
training to which they are entitled and that parents of blind children
receive the advice and support they need to help their youngsters grow up to
be happy, productive adults.  We believe that first-class citizenship means
that people have both rights and responsibilities, and we are determined to
see that blind people become first-class citizens of these United States,
enjoying their rights and fulfilling their responsibilities.  The most
serious problems we face have less to do with our lack of vision than with
discrimination based on the public's ignorance and misinformation about
blindness.  Join us in educating New Mexicans about the abilities and
aspirations of New Mexico's blind citizens.

(Adapted from NFB of Ohio newsletter.) 

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Christine Hall

Since my last President's Message, we held a Possibilities Fair in
Farmington, New Mexico.  There were 65 people registered for the event, some
of whom were very new to blindness and vision loss.  Archie Silago and Art
Schreiber both gave motivational keynote speeches during the luncheon, and
from some of the comments, I could tell that people were touched by the
remarks giving them hope to move on with their lives with their new
disability.  There were also two breakout sessions facilitated by Don and
Nancy Burns which were beneficial as well.  Thanks to everyone who
contributed to making the Possibilities Fair a success and a special thanks
to members of the San Juan Chapter.  I recently spoke to Tami McCray,
President of the San Juan Chapter, who said many of the people who attended
the Possibilities Fair have begun attending chapter meetings.  One of our
goals in hosting this event was to help this chapter with its membership
growth, and it appears that we succeeded.

In September, there were the two annual parades that NFB of New Mexico
members march in every year.  Even though I was unable to walk in the state
fair parade this year, I understand it was well attended.  A special thanks
to Roger Velarde for coordinating the event and to Ray Marshall for making
the bus available to us.

The Enchilada Fiesta parade in Las Cruces was a success as well.  Members of
the Mesilla Valley Chapter helped put the float together, marched and had a
booth at the Fiesta.  I sent one of the photos taken at the parade of
Fortunato (Nato) Gonzalez, Adelmo Vigil, and Ken Miyagishima, the Mayor of
Las Cruces, to the editor of the Braille Monitor with the hope of getting it
into our national publication.

As many of you know, October is Meet The Blind Month with members around the
state participating in various activities.  The two chapters in Albuquerque
hosted their annual White Cane luncheon celebrating October 15, White Cane
Safety Day.  ShaRon Dandy chaired this event and Art Schreiber, as always,
gave a wonderful talk.  Caroline Benavidez and Terese Garcia sang a Beatles
song.  The winning essays from the blind students on "What My White Cane
Means to Me" were read.  The San Juan Chapter did their annual White Cane
walk followed by a lunch at a local restaurant in Farmington; and the White
Sands Chapter members participated in a White Cane Awareness Walk followed
by a luncheon banquet hosted by the New Mexico School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired.  Larry Lorenzo, White Sands Chapter Board Member, was the
keynote speaker at the luncheon, winners of the essay contest read their
essays, and the NMSBVI choir sang a song they wrote about the white cane.

In addition, there were two Meet the Blind activities in Albuquerque, one a
walk on the Bosque by members of both the West Mesa Chapter and the
Albuquerque Chapter.  Members carried literature with them and passed it out
to people they met along the way.  The same day, Art Schreiber and I
participated in a Health Fair at the Covenant United Methodist Church.

The New Mexico Association of Blind Students held a student seminar on
November 13, 2010 at the NMSBVI Preschool.  Leaders of the division provided
information on the New Mexico Association of Blind Students and had leaders
of the state affiliate speak about the history of both the national
organization and the state affiliate.  There were many other items of
interest to students on the agenda and there was a representative from the
national organization of blind students.

We have written a letter to Governor Elect Martinez addressing the
importance of maintaining the current leadership at the New Mexico
Commission for the Blind with a copy of Resolution 2010-06 passed at our
state convention last April.  The resolution commends the Commission for its
outstanding leadership and accomplishments in rehabilitating blind people
across the state.

We just received a letter from the Jernigan Institute with a check for our
share of the Imagination Fund money and for another grant for us to host an
all-day Arts Academy Seminar for teachers, parents and blind children.

Wishing all of you a Happy Holiday Season!

Christine

STATE FAIR WALK

By Art Schreiber

We in New Mexico begin celebrating Meet the Blind month in September and
continue through the month of October.  The reason:  The New Mexico State
Fair parade.  Ever since Sherry and Lewis Abraham suggested the NFB of NM
participate in the State Fair parade we have done so.  This year Chair Roger
Velarde did a great job.  Of course, Roger had lots of help and 47 marchers
once again heard the applause and cheers from spectators as we made our way
from the Fair Grounds to the end of the parade route some 3 and a half miles
Eastward.  Adelmo Vigil, Director of the Orientation Center in Alamogordo
brought staff and students.  

Tara Chavez, Student Division President, led the student division.
Long-time counselor of the NM Commission for the Blind, Gladys Martinez and
her husband, walked with us.  And we couldn't have gotten to the Fair
Grounds on time without the assistance of Ray Marshall, who once again
furnished bus transportation.  And again this year, we were awarded a plaque
for Best Non-Marching Band group.  Chair Velarde asks each member of the NFB
of NM to plan to walk in next year's State Fair parade.  If you haven't ever
done this event you are missing out on a feeling of great pride in knowing
you are a member of a proud and successful affiliate.  Roger also thanks his
brother-in-law, Jesus Galarza, for his assistance for all of us.

SCHREIBER'S HALF MARATHON WALK

By Art Schreiber

Have you ever committed to doing something in the future and then wondered
why you ever agreed to do it?  I was talking with my friend, Linda Blanchard
and her husband, Bomi Parakh.  They mentioned the Duke City Marathon and we
agreed it would be fun to try the half marathon walk.  Much later I had, as
one of my guests on my radio program, Dr. Barbara McAneny, President and CEO
of the NM Cancer Center.  Barbara mentioned her sponsorship of the Duke City
Marathon and, with no thought, I said, "I'm going to do the half marathon
walk."  When the program was finished I began to think about what I had
committed to and wondered why?  So, I began training.  I try to work out in
the gym at least six days per week.  I alternate on a recumbent bike and a
treadmill plus weight training.  I began increasing time on the treadmill
and a week prior to the walk I was doing 4 miles in 62 minutes.  That's not
enough to prepare for a 13 and one half mile walk.  I called my friend, Rick
Walsh, and asked him if he would walk with me.  He agreed. 

The Sunday of the big event Rick picked me up and we headed for Civic Plaza.
The half marathon walk began at 8 a.m.  The gun went off and we were off.
Within a few blocks we were trailing the other walkers.  I remembered the
route since it was where I used to run, before I tore up my knees, and when
I lived near the famous bike path along Tingley and northward to the Nature
Center.  Only this walk went much farther than I used to run.  It went 13
1/2 miles!  I lost all track of time.  My ankles began to ache, as did my
knees, and half way I had a terrible cramp in my left calf.  I was too proud
to complain and too stubborn to quit.  We continued and now the half
marathon runners and marathon runners were heading home while I was praying
to turn around!  The turnaround finally came and the cramp in my leg eased
while my ankles and knees didn't seem to hurt as much.  

Finally, the finish line was close.  I told my partner, Rick, to go ahead of
me because I wanted to finish last.  And I did.  The results on the internet
showed 209 walkers finished and Art Schreiber was 209th.  However, I was
first in my age group because I was the only one in my age group!  There was
a 73 year old who had finished and we were the only ones over 69.  My time
was 5 hours and 57 seconds.  Next year my goal is to get under five hours!

Many spectators along the route applauded Rick and me.  I think they felt
sorry for us because we were so far behind.  When they applauded I would
ask, "Is it still Sunday?"

ALBUQUERQUE AREA WHITE CANE LUNCHEON 2010

By Jim Babb

On October 16, 2010 the Albuquerque and West Mesa Chapters held a White Cane
Luncheon and function to celebrate the advent of the White Cane. This event
was held at the Albuquerque Hilton. We feasted on a great pot roast sandwich
and delicious chocolate cake.

ShaRon Dandy was Mistress of Ceremonies and she did a great job of
conducting business despite a no-show on the part of the guest speaker. We
had great door prizes. Our chairperson for door prizes was Veronica Smith
and Brianne Kotschwar did a great job announcing the prize and delivering
same.

Great entertainment was provided by Caroline Benavidez assisted on one song
by Terese. Gail Wagner did a great job of handling and presenting the
student essay winners. The winners were: elementary school, Donovan
Rodriguez. His essay was read by Brianne.

The mid school winner was Tristan Hirtzel  and it was read by Tara Chavez.

The high school essay was won by Lupita Lopez. Lupita is from Mexico and she
did a really great essay. Monica Martinez read Lupita's essay.

The White Cane proclamation issued and signed by Governor Richardson was
great and it was read by Mike Santullo.

Since our guest speaker was a no-show, Art Schreiber did a great job of
covering the subject; pedestrian safety and his experiences of same when he
became blind in the early 80's.

It was a great event; see you all next October. 

MEET THE BLIND EVENT

By Veronica Smith

On Saturday October 23, the West Mesa chapter and the Albuquerque chapter
participated in a "Meet the blind" event.  We took time out of our very busy
Saturdays to stroll through the Bosque, a walking and bicycle path along the
Rio Grande river.  We picked a time and several members picked different
locations to start at and then we asked a friend and made our way.

I for example began at the far north part of Albuquerque and headed south.

The area we walked, my friend Paula, her daughter, and my daughter walked
behind farms with exotic animals.  We saw a camel, several llamas, an
ostrich and an emu.  We also saw many peeps on fast moving bicycles.

We handed out only 5 or 6 packets of info about the NFB, but the important
thing was that these peeps were out enjoying a beautiful autumn day like me.

GONE TO THE DOGS

By Christine Hall

As some of you know, I recently went to Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey
to get my fourth dog guide, my third Seeing Eye dog.  I specify Seeing Eye
as it is a trademark name and all guides are referred to as Seeing Eye dogs
as opposed to guide dogs.  That being said, here is my story about my
history of dog guides.

My first guide dog was a little black lab by the name of Classie who was an
Aussie.  I lived in Hawaii at the time which had strict quarantine laws and
since Australia, like Hawaii, has never had rabies we could bring our new
guides into the islands without putting them in four months quarantine.  I
went to Melbourne, Australia to The Guide Dogs For the Blind.  It was an
excellent training program and Classie was a wonderful guide dog.

So why a dog guide?  At the time I had recently lost my remaining vision and
was going to be living alone as a result of a separation from my husband. I
felt a dog guide would give me more independence in moving about Honolulu.

After moving to Albuquerque and retiring Classie at the age of ten, I began
to research schools in the U.S.  The two I took into consideration were
Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey and Guide Dogs for the Blind in San
Rafael, California both of which are rated highly.  I chose Seeing Eye as it
is the oldest school in the nation with an outstanding reputation, great
follow-up after returning home and I would have my own room as opposed to
sharing with another classmate.  The training for first-time users is four
weeks and for re-trains, three weeks.  You arrive on a Saturday, meet with
your instructor who asks you questions about your needs and type of dog you
desire and do a "Juno" walk.  A "Juno" walk is done with your instructor who
is holding a harness that you hang on to, so that the instructor can get an
idea of your pace and movement patterns.  On Sunday, you do some more juno
walks and on Monday you are given your new dog and hit the road running.
Once you have your dog, you are together twenty four/seven to begin the
bonding process. The training begins that day and is nonstop until you leave
for home with your new guide.  A day looks like this:  up at 5:30, feed dog,
take out to relieve her, groom dog, come back to room get ready to go to
breakfast at 7:00.  Told at breakfast what time you will be going out that
morning for your in-town training, return to school and go to lunch at noon.
Once again, find out what time you are going out that afternoon to work with
your dog, return to the school and have dinner at 5:00 P.M.  That evening
you go to the common lounge for a lecture which is usually over at 8:00 P.M.
If you still have the energy, you get together with classmates to relax and
socialize.  So perhaps you can see that it is not for everyone as it is both
physically and mentally exhausting.

I have had three dog guides from Seeing Eye, Gabe (golden Retriever),
Cricket (black lab) and most recently, Tessa (lab/golden retriever black
cross).  She has three quarters lab and one quarter golden retriever.  She
looks like a yellow lab, but definitely has some physical and personality
features of the golden.    She is high energy and keeps me moving which is
what I wanted, I thought.

My favorite form of physical exercise is walking and is one of the main
reasons I have chosen to have a dog guide in my life.  I live alone and know
if I did not have Tessa, I would not be inclined to go out for a walk by
myself.  I know the dog needs exercise and I certainly do, so there you go.

Whenever I speak to groups or individuals about dog guides, I always stress
that it is not for everyone.  Having a dog is a big responsibility and one
that should be taken seriously.  Unlike a white cane that you can put in the
corner when you come home, you need to feed and relieve the dog, groom her
on a regular basis and take them to the vet for regular checkups, shots and
when they become ill.  It is not only a time commitment, but also a
financial one.  In other words, deciding to get a dog guide should not be
taken lightly.  It is also important that you do obedience training with
them on a regular basis and have them under control when out in public.  We,
as blind people, are always noticed more than your average individual by the
public, so whether using a white cane or dog guide, we need to present
ourselves well.  And, as a dog guide user that means having your dog under
control and well groomed.

If you are considering becoming a dog guide user, please be sure to
carefully think about the joys and responsibilities.  Also speak to a
current dog guide user to get the poop, or should I say scoop.

2010 ALBUQUERQUE CHAPTER ELECTIONS

Current Chapter President, Jim Babb, had indicated that he would be glad to
pass the gavel to new leaders so he and Mary could have more time to travel,
etc.

The nominating committee was chaired by Tara Chavez and the other members
were ShaRon Dandy and Brianne Kotschwar.

Elections were held on Tuesday November 16, 2010 and the results are as
follows:

President, Tara Chavez

First Vice President, Brianne Kotschwar

Second Vice President, ShaRon Dandy

Secretary, Alicia Wells

Treasurer, Gail Wagner

New Board Member, Lindsay Sloan

New Board Member, Tonia Trapp

New Board Member, Monica Martinez

New Board Member, Chris Chavez

Current Board Member, Art Schreiber

Current Board Member, Roger Velarde

ICE CREAM AND COOKIES

By Nancy Burns

As the summer season melts away and the cool air of fall arrives in New
Mexico, the aroma of roasting green chiles is a wonderful treat.  The
harvesting and roasting of New Mexico chile is the beginning of numerous
traditional activities.  The sights and smells of the Land of Enchantment
are familiar to residents and a draw for tourists.  The Aspens salute the
season as their leaves turn vibrant red, yellow, and gold.  It is truly an
exciting time of year.

It is also time for the State Fair, followed by the internationally known
Balloon Fiesta.  As the uniquely shaped balloons climb into the New Mexico
clear, blue sky, hundreds of tourists and residents alike are always
thrilled.  

Don and I have attended the State Fair for years. As an avid shopper, I must
browse through the goodies provided by the various vendors and look for
items of interest.  Don likes to stop at the Agricultural center and we
always visit the Indian Village.  There, we enjoy the traditional dances,
food, and, of course, the beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry.  

High on the importance of attending a fair is the sampling of foods.  Green
chile hotdogs, turkey legs, prairie fries, and a variety of other foods are
plentiful.  Recently, the introduction of fried cookies, Twinkies, cheese
cake, etc. has been introduced.  These popular sweets have never appealed to
me but I felt I must have the experience so we bought some fried Oreos.  Not
my thing.  Another oddity introduced this year was green chile ice cream.  I
had to try it.  We chose a sampler of green chile vanilla, red chile
chocolate, and a very spicy peach habanero combination.  The red chile
chocolate was my favorite.  As we left the fairgrounds, and headed toward
the bus stop, our pace was slower, our desire to sample oddities was gone
and we had experienced another fun day at the New Mexico State Fair.

AUTUMN IN NEW MEXICO

By Nancy Burns

Green chilies are roasting, a tradition you know

And hot air balloons create a spectacular show.

The smoke from a chimney adds to the flavor

Of autumn in New Mexico, a time we all savor.

The brisk air of fall seems somehow in place

As it beckons the holidays with sparkling grace.

The aroma of pies, pinon coffee and such

Are all gifts of love with a magical touch.

New Mexico presents autumn colors so bold,

As the Aspens are changing to red, yellow, and gold

The best thing of all about this time of year

Is the caring and sharing with those we hold dear.

But just keep in mind all of those who have less;

Share your gifts with others-happy holidays, God bless.

THUNDERBIRD WINS AGAIN

Submitted by Jim Babb

We are not talking about a car race but the Thunderbird Restaurant at
Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque operated by Robert Vick. It's the 7th
time that Robert has won the Golden Plate award; this is the top award for
food service facilities in the Air Force for bases located in the United
States! Robert will also compete for the Hennessy Award in February 2011. He
has won that award several times also!  

Robert has 46 employees and 29 of them are persons with disabilities.

We are very proud of you Robert!

NFB/eBay ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM

On September 15, in a joint press release, the NFB and eBay announced the
NFB/eBay Entrepreneurs Program. 

We are now seeking blind people who want to participate in this innovative
pilot program.

Business Start Up Pilot

The NFB/eBay Entrepreneur Project is looking for serious entrepreneurs who
want to create new eBay businesses or expand existing businesses to include
eBay selling. We will offer successful applicants intensive eBay training
and connect them with successful blind business people and other experts who
will provide assistance in specific areas, such as business planning,
development, and working with accessible accounting software.

Individuals chosen for the Business Start Up Pilot will take part in an
intensive training program at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore. They
will receive transportation, lodging, training classes, accessible training
materials, and ongoing mentorship support.

If running your own eBay business appeals to you, please write us at
entrepreneurs at nfb.org and request an Entrepreneur Program package. Your
letter of interest should include:

a resume describing your employment and education history, with particular
emphasis on entrepreneurial projects;

a brief description of the product or service you intend to market using
eBay; (Is this a completely new enterprise, or are you intending to create
an eBay outlet for a business that already exists?)

a basic budget outline.

Because this is a pilot program intended to demonstrate the viability of
eBay businesses run by blind individuals, we must select from applicants
those with the strongest plans and the greatest willingness to mentor the
blind people who will follow. 

Training the Trainers

In order to provide opportunity to as many people as possible, we will train
interested blind people to be eBay certified education specialists. EBay
Certified Education Specialists are people who buy and sell on eBay
themselves and want to create a business teaching others how to do it. The
trainers we train will be equipped to teach other blind people who use
screen readers; they will also be certified to teach the sighted. With
ninety-two million people already using eBay and more joining the community
every day, the business opportunity for anyone who can teach them how to be
more effective is enormous!

The Certified Education Specialist training will consist of a program that
will take place at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, plus follow-up
individualized support and group teleconference training. Those selected for
the "Train the Trainers" program will receive transportation, lodging,
training classes, accessible training materials, and ongoing mentorship
support.

Is being an eBay Certified Education Specialist for you?

If you have a deep desire to be of service to others, an entrepreneurial
spirit, the aptitude to teach, and basic computer literacy using screen
readers, we want to hear from you. 

Because selling on eBay has not been readily accessible to blind people in
the past, you will not need to have experience as an eBay seller to take
part in the first "Train the Trainers" class. However, you will need to
demonstrate success in buying and selling on eBay in order to graduate and
receive certification. 

You will need some ability to use a screen reader to access web sites,
though it is not necessary to be a screen reader power user. 

To apply to enter the "train the trainers" inaugural class, send a letter to
entrepreneurs at nfb.org explaining your background, qualifications
(particularly your entrepreneurial and/or teaching experience), and telling
us why you want to become an eBay Certified Education Specialist. 

Testing the Waters

Even if you do not yet have a perfectly developed business plan, we still
want to hear from you. As eBay trainers receive certification, we will help
connect you with them so that you can get started on the path to running
your own eBay business.

Contact entrepreneurs at nfb.org or phone (410) 878-2660 for further
information or an application package.

Mary Ellen Gabias Coordinator,

NFB/eBay Entrepreneurs Project

phone: (410) 878-2660

e-mail: mgabias at nfb.org

COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND

Here is your chance to have a powerful computer with software allowing blind
and visually challenged persons to be able to join family and friends, doing
what they are doing. 

Each computer comes complete with monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and
all associated cables. It also comes with preloaded software. Software
includes: Open Office for word processing/bookkeeping, NVDA screen reader,
demo version of WindowEyes (will function for 30 minutes before computer
restart), and 60-day demo version of ZoomText. For only a donation of $100,
the Texas Center for the Visually Challenged will send your new computer
right to your door. As of this morning, they have sent over 3,600 computers
to visually impaired individuals. Computers can only be shipped to the
United States or Canada.

Subscribe to the internet service of your choice and send a $100 gift and
you are ready to go! 

Call Lee Mann at (214) 340-6328 for full information. Please pass this
information on to other people who may need an inexpensive, fully-accessible
computer. 

NFB SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Do you need money for college?

The NFB Scholarship Program application is now available online.  This
national scholarship program is available to persons who are legally blind
and living in the United States or Puerto Rico.  There are 30 awards, from 

$12,000 to $3,000.  In addition, each winner will be assisted to attend the
NFB Annual Convention for 2011 in Orlando, Florida.  The annual contest
began the first week of November 2010; all documents required from the
applicants must be postmarked by the March 31, 2011, deadline. 

Applications and full details are available online at
www.nfb.org/scholarships.

Questions may be emailed to

scholarships at nfb.org

Thanks.

Patti Gregory-Chang

President, National Federation of the Blind of Illinois 

pattichang at att.net 

www.nfbofillinois.org 

GOOD EATING

Autumn Chicken Salad

Submitted by Ermelinda Miller

You'll love the sweetness of a juicy red pear atop bright and crisp lettuce.
Chopped

walnuts lend a savory flair and extra crunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 red pear, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 head Boston or bibb lettuce

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

1.     

1.      In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, thyme, lemon
juice, lemon peel,

and salt. Add the chicken, celery, and pear. Toss to coat well. Cover and
refrigerate

for at least 1 hour.

1.     

2.      Evenly divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Top with the chicken salad
and sprinkle

with the pecans.

Nutritional Facts per serving

Calories 423.1 cal

Fat 21.2 g

Saturated fat 6.3 g

Cholesterol 136.5 mg

Sodium 525.2 mg

Carbohydrates 11.8 g

Total sugars 5.8 g

Dietary fiber 2.8 g

Protein 46 g

My friend and I saw this recipe on a television show last year right before
Christmas so we decided to try them out.  Oh my goodness, they were so good,
we made several batches.--Veronica smith

Sweet Potato Balls

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups shredded coconut, sweetened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large marshmallow per potato ball

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the potatoes until tender, then peel and mash them. Stir in the brown
sugar, orange juice, zest and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, toss the coconut
with the sugar and cinnamon. Press mashed potatoes around each marshmallow,
creating a 2 to 3-inch diameter ball. Roll the balls in the coconut mixture.
Bake for no more than 15 minutes; the expanding marshmallows can cause the
potato balls to burst open.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Monday Nov 23, 2009

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.directionsforme.com 

This site was developed by Horizons for the Blind. It currently has more
than 300,000 separate directions (nutrition, chemical composition, etc.) for
a vast array of food, OTC drugs, cleaners, car products, etc.

A lot of us don't have a KNFB reader or scanner with text to speech
software, and even a willing reader is not always available. Go to this
accessible site and put in the search field Betty Crocker Cake Mix, for
example, and it will tell you the mixing and baking directions as well as
the nutrition label. Do the same for Tide energy efficient (HE) Laundry
Detergent, Carnuba Car Wax, Mr. Clean, Dish Washing Detergent and much more.

Navigating this site is very simple and if you are low vision you can
increase the font size.

www.trueprice.net   

Get the true price of your Air Fare including taxes, baggage fees, special
seating arrangements(some (airlines even charge for isle seats, sitting near
the front in coach, etc.)

www.travel.state.gov or 1-888-407-4747 

To get the latest on how your name needs to appear on your boarding pass,
when you need a passport, trouble areas, etc.

www.bedbugregistery.com  

Yep they're back with a vengeance! Check if the state/city/hotel you are
traveling to has a reported problem with these irritating and very expensive
to exterminate critters.

MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Washington Seminar, January 30-February 2, 2011

NFB of NM State Convention, Albuquerque Hilton, April 8-10, 2011

2011 Youth Slam, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, July 17-23, 2011

NFB National Convention, Orlando Florida, July 3-8, 2011 

Robert Leslie Newman

President, Omaha Chapter NFB

President, NFB Writers' Division

Division Website

 <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org

Personal Website-

 <http://www.thoughtprovoker.info> http://www.thoughtprovoker.info