SCAVI NEWS A monthly newsletter of the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired SCAVI, P.O. Box 2216, Bedford, IN 47421 Newsletter written and produced by President Rita Kersh. Rita can be reached at 812-278-3038 or e-mail at hoosierrita60@gmail.com August 2023 WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCAVI Our next meeting will be on Monday, July 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the Free Methodist Church, 630 R St. in the basement fellowship hall. We will begin our planning for our chili supper scheduled for Tuesday, October 17. We need to know who is committed to doing certain jobs so we know where the Noon Lions need to help us out. SCAVI BIRTHDAYS Mike Sowder Aug. 5 Denise Mullis Aug. 16 SCAVI CHILI SUPPER Our annual chili supper fund raiser will be held on Tuesday, October 17 at First Baptist Church in the CLC. We need chili, corn muffin, sandwiches, desserts, servers, and silent auction items. Our plan is to partner with the Bedford Noon Lions for this event, with them helping us do the same things we will be doing. We will get the tickets made up and distribute them at our September and October meetings, plus give some to the Noon Lions members to sell. White Cane Safety Awareness Day is on October 15, so we want to promote this at our supper. Maybe we can have some hands-on experiences under the blindfold. There will be a signup sheet at our August and September meetings, so start thinking about what job you’re able to do. RECIPE CORNER Hamburger Rice Casserole 1 pound ground beef 1 small onion, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of celery soup 1 soup can milk 1 1/2 cups minute rice (Be sure it's minute rice) Brown ground beef in skillet. Add onion and cook until tender. In casserole dish, combine cooked ground beef, onion, both cans of soup, the can of milk and the minute rice. Stir well. Cover dish with lid or heavy-duty foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Skillet Sweet and Tangy Chicken 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 boneless chicken breast halves 1 (10.5 ounce) can tomato soup 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 4 cups hot cooked rice In skillet, heat oil. Add chicken. Cook until browned on both sides. Add soup, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until done. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings. Quick Sweet and Sour Pork 2 tablespoons corn oil 1-pound boneless pork, cut in 1-inch cubes 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice 1/2 cup Karo Light or Dark Corn Syrup 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 small green pepper, cut in 1-inch squares 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water Hot cooked rice or Chinese noodles In large skillet, heat corn oil over medium-high heat; add pork and brown on all sides. Add pineapple, corn syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until pork is tender. Add green pepper. Mix cornstarch and water; stir into pork mixture. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Serve over rice or noodles. Makes 4 servings. Ranch Chicken and Rice 2 cups instant rice 1 1/4 cups milk 1 cup water 1 package ranch salad dressing mix 1 pound chicken breasts; cut into 1/2-inch strips 1/2 stick butter, melted Paprika Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rice into greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. In bowl, combine milk, water and dressing mix, set aside 1/4 cup. Pour remaining mixture over rice. Top with chicken strips. Drizzle with butter and remaining milk mixture. Cover. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until rice is tender and chicken juices run clear. Sprinkle with paprika. SCAVI MINUTES The South Central Association of the visually impaired met on July 10 at 9:30 AM at the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Those present were Sofia Boling, Cynthia Brooking, Doug and Brenda Eads, Sue Fleener, Ida Galey, Rita Kersh, Denise Mullis, Mike and Dolly Sowder, Jim and Karen Veen. Our guest speaker was Dennis McKinney, representing Advanced Low Vision Technology. His presentation included a demonstration of the Envision glasses technology. This amazing device can learn faces of friends and identify them to you when they approach you. It can give you directional guidance to help you find items. It can describe scenes. It can enable persons the full enjoyment of TV. In addition to Envision, other programs include “Be My Eyes”, OrCam, and AIRA. We had a brief discussion about our picnic that was held on June 17. It was well attended and enjoyed by all. Expenses for the picnic included $75 rent for the shelter house and $75.18 for chicken and drinks. Our letter writing campaign yielded $450. It had been mentioned that half of the money be given to ACBI. Cindy moved that we keep the money. It was seconded by Sue Fleener. Our current balance is $4,822.49. August 5 will be the ACBI board meeting. The convention will be held in Columbus, OH this year. If enough want to go we will consider arranging for van transportation. Loney Galey recently completed a month-long rehabilitation program. He is doing well but could not join us due to a scheduling conflict. Our next meeting will be on August 7 at 9:30 AM at the Bedford Free Methodist Church. Respectfully submitted, Denise Mullis, secretary