Looking to enter the water's of baptism.....

We had a great time this weekend.  Not only did we get to "fly away" from home, but we were able to be present when one of our grandchildren was baptized.  In the above photo, everyone was checking out the Baptismal Font prior to the service.  You can imagine how intriguing this is to a sweet 8-year-old.  

The Baptism program was done so well, I really wanted to share their 'program' with you. The Stake Primary was in charge of planning the Baptism program.  Six children were being Baptized.  I was asked to be the Chorister, so I arrived early to learn what songs we would be singing.  A member of the Stake Primary Presidency was kind enough to explain their process.

They were sooooooo organized.  I was given a White binder.  Inside the binder were tabs.  The first tab was the Opening Song with a copy of  Baptism (#100) behind the tab. Another tab had a listing of other songs and hymns that were to be sung during the waiting period after the baptism, but before the confirmation (see the list below).  The program was well organized so that everyone knew what was happening and when.  

While I was being oriented, my Grandson and his father were having their photo taken in front of a picture of the Savior.  Then, this sweet form entitled "Baptismal Covenant" was signed.  My Son-in-Law signed on two lines, one for the person performing the Baptism and a second for Confirmation.  The other signatures were from a member of the Stake Presidency who was presiding and a member of the Stake Primary Presidency.  My sweet Grandson decided to put his 'John Hancock" on the form as well.  The photo was printed out and attached to the form during the service!  I was so impressed by this.  

The Opening exercises were held in the Chapel and began with the song Baptism (#100), Prayer, welcome and a talk about Baptism including pictures about the Savior's Baptism.  A special musical number by 2 children (another of my sweet grandson's!) was offered.  We then moved to another room where the Baptismal Font was located.  

After the Baptism, the congregation sang the following while we waited for the children to change and return with their fathers.  (These songs were either printed in order and by hymn number, or had the lyrics to the songs from the Children's Song Book printed on the back of the program).

Come, Follow Me (#116)

I Am a Child of God (#301)

Teach Me to Walk in the Light (#304)

I Know My Father Lives (#302)

Keep the Commandments (#303)

Love One Another (#308)

Afterwards, a talk about the Holy Ghost was given, and then the children were confirmed by their Father's.  A member of the Bishopric gave remarks as did the member of the Stake Presidency.  Each child was given their copy of the Baptismal Covenant and a small gift box that contains small cards with spiritual thoughts on them.

The Closing song was When I Am Baptized (#103) and was sung by the congregation.  

As with anything well organized, there were 'behind the scenes' things that occurred. Each family was given a specific time to come and get their Baptismal clothes, each spaced 5 minutes apart.  This kept the line moving and reverent.

If you are wondering what the Baptismal Covenant said, I found the following download with many different options from the Idea Door.  

It was well organized, efficient, and memorable.  It is a special day I think we all will remember, including those who were not of our faith who were invited to witness.

I just thought you might like to know!

Bringing a little "Italian" to our 'Break-the-Fast Meal'.

Image courtesy of Southern Living Yankee

It was the monthly "Break-the-Fast" meal in our Young Single Adult Ward/Congregation (YSA) this past Sunday.  For those who may be unfamiliar with this event, it is essentially a big "Pot Luck" or "Covered Dish" meal.  After our Sunday Meetings, each apartment is often assigned to bring a dish (enough to feed their apartment).  A prayer is offered to end the Fast from the last 24 hours and the meal begins.

Again, if you are familiar with our blog at all, I have been posting foods and recipes that I take to these meals for several reasons.  Number one, these YSA's are usually college students just trying to get from one semester to the other financially.  Secondly, I know these folks usually depend upon fast and convenient foods.  Thirdly, I like to bring healthy dishes...and most of them (because I know these folks, particularly the Young Men),.....are hungry!  Finally, I often make most of these foods from my Food Storage, which is convenient and inexpensive for me.

The theme of this week was "Italian".  Lots of pastas were brought, and I was asked to bring a sauce.  I may talk about this sauce later, however for this post, I am going to talk about the Salad I took, and in particular the dressing the the salad.  This is a copy cat recipe for the "Olive Garden Salad Dressing".  I love it because it uses Food storage staples.  

One of the main ingredients if Olive Oil.  I am showing you the type of Olive Oil that I store.  It is in a can, and reportedly can last up to 20 years unopened.  It is virgin Olive Oil, and has a great flavor.  I purchase mine from Alpine Food Storage.  

I decided to use my Magic Bullet for this purpose.  Not only does it mix the dressing quickly, it has a screw on cap for easy transport from my house to the "Break-the-Fast" meal.  I put in the Mayo, the Olive Oil, and an ingredient that was a surprise to me.....Corn Syrup.

This recipe calls for both Parmesan and Romano cheese.  I couldn't locate Romano cheese individually. However, Kraft had a combination of both, so I purchased it and put the cheeses in the container.

Put in the spices and Lemon juice.

I made a double batch, and it fit fine in the container.  I mixed it up and took it to the meal.

I struggle getting pictures of the final product during these meals because....quite frankly.....the foods do not last long once they go on the table. 

Review:  Here are my thoughts on this recipe.

• With the exception of the Cheeses, I had everything in my pantry to make this.  The cheese could be easily stored and frozen.  The container was just over $6.00. I figure that I used about $3.00 worth to make this double batch.  So, the out-of-pocket expense to feed 20+ YSA's...about $3.00 (plus the cost of the produce...which was minimal).  I had the rest in my storage.  Using your Food Storage Staples saves you money!
• The Flavor was reminiscent of the Olive Garden Salad, no complaints there.
• I also used the recipe for the Olive Garden Salad Mix, also from the CopyKat site.  The only challenge in gathering these ingredients were the peppers.
• 
  

I will definitely be using this recipe in upcoming family gatherings.  It was wonderful.

Here is the recipe:

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:  (CopyKat Recipes)

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3/ Cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I used olive oil and it tasted great)
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons Romano Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or one clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Sugar (optional)

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.  If this is a little too tart for your own personal taste, add a little extra sugar.  YOu can enjoy your Olive Garden Salad Dressing for about 10 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Another great use for the Olive Garden Sala Dressing is a marinade for vegetables or even meats that you might like to grill.  So you can see the Olive Garden Salad Dressing can be used more than one way.  

Give it a try!

In the Service of the Lord....

There has been significant amount of excitement around our neighborhood and our quiet little town.  There is also a lot of media poking it's head around from the New York Times, to other national media outlets. Why you might ask?  Well, the Basketball team from Lone Peak High School just won the state championship.  "Big Deal" you might say, and if I didn't know the situation like I do, those would be my words as well.

This team not only won nearly every game (season wins 26/27) they played in the league, but also games across the United States.  They are rumored to be ranked the number one High School Team in the Country.  Is it a big deal yet?

Add to that the fact that they don't just win, they dominate and often win their games with double digits.  Is it a big deal yet?

To me, as great as their accomplishments are, what is even greater are the commitments of the 5 Seniors on the team.  You may be thinking of College recruiters and scholarships. There are plenty of those, but that is not the big deal in my view.

So what is the big deal.....watch.  I am grateful that we have such tremendous youth in our area.  They are supported by their families,  friends, congregations and the school.  Be amazed....as you should.

Living with Loss, lessons to be learned

It is hard is hard to believe that the tragic Trolley Square Shootings happened 6 years ago.  I remember being shocked that it happened in our neck of the woods  and could only verbalize how senseless the entire event was.  

After the news stories move on, we often forget about those who are left behind in the aftermath.  I was so impressed by this Sister in the video.  I hope that you learn from her strength and Testimony as I have.  

The Lord is very mindful of us all, what matters is what we choose to do when faced with extreme difficulty.  I hope to always be in a position to pass the test as well as this brave mother and wife has.

Why lies behind these doors...revisited

These are my actual cabinets.  A few years ago, I showed you what I had behind them. You can see the 'before' here.  It worked functionally, but as with my pantry (that I posted about a few days ago) it became frustrating as 'certain folks' would stick things...wherever they felt like it.  I decided today is the day to address this space, so I picked up a few things to help me.

I let my fingers do the walking....on my computer.  I purchased these 'clips' to hold my small spice containers.  I liked how you could put up a whole strip or just cut them individually to fit your space.  You may note that one clip is not filled...this is by design.  I actually put a red "X" in it so that 'certain folks' would not put a container in that space.  There is a real reason, which I will provide to you later in the post.

I used these same clips on another door to hold these bottles.  Most of these are plastic bottles, but surprisingly, the glass bottles are also held securely with these clips as well.  I had to shuffle some of them to allow for the cabinet closure.  Can you see the space between rows 2 and 3?  this is to allow for the shelf when the doors are closed.

For this section, I used 'stair step racks'.  I am using two types.  Two of them I already had, but the third (clear) rack I ordered here.    Please note the labels that I put on the lids and I arranged these bottles in alphabetical order so that I can easily locate what I am looking for.  As you can see, there is some space under the wire racks, so I put my Popsicle sticks, toothpicks, and food colors underneath them.  

Put my big square (plastic) bottles on their sides and labeled their contents.  I got tired of pulling bottles out of the cabinet and looking for the spices I needed.  This way, I can see what I have and easily pull it off the shelf.  Most of these containers are square, but 2 have sides that are angled.  They will work even if they are not perfectly square!

On the top shelf, I used the baskets that I took out of the Pantry when I reorganized it.  They are filled with duplicates spices that I found that I had.

Here is one side of the cabinet.

And, here is the other side.  I did keep one lazy-susan for the miscellaneous items that I need. Remember that 'clip' that I put an 'x' on? Well, if I put a spice jar in that slot, the jar will hit the top edge of the lazy-susan and the door will not close.  I think I can live with that!  You can also see some of the spines of my bit cookbooks peeking through from the next compartment:).

Here's the finished product.  I absolutely love it!  I look forward to making 'anything' now that I can easily find things both in my Pantry and my spice cabinet.  

See what you can do to make your kitchen easier to function in!