My father turns 80 this year. He loves to tease, laugh, joke and spread joy to others. I remember  many times growing up sitting around listening to the “adults”- my dad with his parents, sister and some of his aunts and uncles – enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes the jokes would bring “gut chuckles” to everyone. You know the kind I mean; you laugh so hard tears pour out of your eyes, you can’t breathe and your ab muscles have never received this much of a work out!

He also likes to give "girl" names to boys, and vise versa, but that story can wait for another day.

Something my dad derives great pleasure from is giving children at church candy, more specifically, he hands out Tootsie Rolls. I teasingly call him the “candy man”. He gets to church early so that he can sit on the edge of the pew so he can see the children arrive. Sometimes he teases them by pulling a candy from behind their ear. Other times he hands a squirming or crying child a candy as they are being carried out of the chapel by one of their parents.

I have to be honest here and admit that I didn’t realize how many other flavors besides the original chocolate/cocoa existed: cherry, orange, vanilla, lemon and lime. Such a simple but happy gesture my dad shares with these children; some are a little picky about their tootsie rolls, however. My dad will reach in his suit pocket and pull out a handful of various types of this chewy candy. One little girl in particular will stand and wait for him to pull out the particular flavor that she wants. She will grudgingly accept an original when my dad hasn’t had time to stock up. The older children have taught their younger siblings to wait by my dad when they first enter church to receive this special treat. I don’t know how many parents are happy about this, but I know that this act of kindness cheers my dad up and makes the children a little happier.

My dad received a letter from the Public Relation’s Office from Tootsie Roll Industries thanking him for choosing such a sweet way to show kindness to little children. Along with the letter my father received a HUGE bag of Tootsie Rolls, which he happily displayed for the picture below. How did Tootsie Roll Industries know about this? My nephew Ammon wrote the company a letter about my dad. What a sweet and simple act of kindness my nephew did for his grandfather. It’s good to know that some of these “sweet” gestures have been passed on through the family.

My dad proudly displaying his giant bag of Tootsie Rolls given to him by the candy company.

Just for fun I browsed through the Tootsie Roll website:  Tootsie Roll recipes and found all kinds of recipes. Some of these look so scrumptious! It’s a good thing I was browsing on a full stomach or I may have had to make a mad dash to the grocery store to make one of these yummy looking recipes!

S*M*I*L*E

Spiritually

Minded

Is

Life

Eternal

Have you ever noticed how happy you feel inside when someone gives you a genuine smile?  I love receiving those smiles, but I have discovered recently that I enjoy giving those smiles even more.

I decided to run a "test" the other day. I entered Wal-Mart and made eye contact with everyone that I could--smiling. I found that some seemed happier after that brief encounter while others weren't sure what to make of me. I decided that I like helping people feel happier even if it is for a brief moment.

The temple is my happy place. Getting ready for the temple makes me happy. Driving to the temple gets me happier. The temple grounds are always beautiful. When I am on the temple grounds the happiness I feel inside seems to swell within me and begins to bring a beautiful inner peace. As I walk in the doors and greet others there I know that I am in good company. The sweet sisters greeting me are happy to see me. The brethren at the front desk are the "guardians" but are also part of the "welcoming committee". There is usually a sister by the brethren there to greet and assist in whatever way she can. How can you feel stressful with that many good people smiling and welcoming you? The wonderful people that I work with are some of the best people that I have ever met. They all go out of their way to assist and help everyone.

Something else that makes me smile -- babies and little children! They are so full of reality. When they're mad they let you know it. When they are happy they invite the world to join in! Their contagious giggles and laughter from their pudgy bellies cause me to smile! I just can't hold back.

My cute granddaughter is another reason for joy in my life! Being her "Nana" is seriously one of the BEST titles that I could have in this life. She is full of fun and love and is sweet.

Me and my sweet granddaughter

If you're up for a challenge, I would ask you to try the "smile" test. Start genuinely smiling at everyone you meet for one day. You could even begin by trying this at one store. You will be surprised how this simple movement of the lips transforms your face, others perspectives and your own outlook throughout the day.

The scriptures are dear to me. I found a quote a few months ago that I love! I cannot remember where I saw this but it struck a chord with me:

"Scriptures:  Learn them as if they are a foreign language; study them deeply."

Gospel Principles

Scriptures

This simple quote has changed how I look at the scriptures. Why do I read them? Are they important to me? After observing how many missionaries I've seen through the years study them for hours daily I decided that I need to be better with my own scripture study. I began reading the "Pearl of Great Price" and discovered a deep love for these words! I also found myself looking up all of the footnotes. Then I started looking up information in the Topical Guide and the Bible Dictionary. Next I found myself immersed in the Bible Dictionary. This process for me has evolved over the past ten years, but I have discovered that, for me, I absolutely love the Bible Dictionary!

People who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints read and study the King James version of the Bible because we believe this translation to be nearest to the truth.

My path to love of the scriptures has been many years in the making and will continue for many more years I’m sure. The more I study them the more I want to learn. The more I scripturally and spiritually learn, the more I understand that I will probably not get to the point of knowing and understanding everything in the scriptures. Every day I find something that captures my interest and I search for the answer. (Which of course leads to more questions…)

Close to twenty-five years ago I felt a rising desire to have spirituality in my life. I was married and pregnant with my first child. I had been attending church all of my life, following along with my parents and how I had been raised. One day I discovered that I wanted to know for myself if what I had been learning all of my life was truth; I was unsure where to begin. I remember thinking that I wanted to raise my children with God in their life, but I wanted to know the faith we would be a part of would be helpful to them. A few days later I was walking down the hallway in our church building and overheard someone talking about a “Gospel Principles” class. Being a latter-day saint all of my life I was surprised to hear something unfamiliar. I stopped and asked what they were talking about. They invited me to come to their class and see for myself if it was something that I would be interested in. The decision I made to attend changed my life. I had a new interest in life. I began to feel very peaceful and happy in ways that I hadn't known existed. To this day I credit that one choice that led me to where I am today; a thankful member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I think I’ll begin re-reading the “Gospel Principles” book in September, scripture references included!

If you would like to take a look at the “Gospel Principles” book, here is the link:

Gospel Principles

A couple of weeks ago in Relief Society we were given two minutes to make a list of things that we are thankful for. Here is the list I scrambled to compile:

Daily breath

Gospel

Continuing Knowledge

Children

Family

Marriage

Love

Deep love of Savior

Knowledge of eternal value

Temples

Service in the temple

Scriptures

Prophet and Apostles

People who serve for Christ

Our USA military

Freedom

Husband

Friends

Earth

Home

My husband’s job

My sons-in-law

Genealogy

Church Callings

Patriarchal Blessings

Basic necessities

My self-worth

I’ve done this type of activity many times throughout my life. I really don’t know why this time hit me so profoundly. After the allotted two minutes I found that I wanted to keep adding to the list. My heart was full of the abundance of blessings I have in my life. I am not saying that I do not have challenges. Everyone faces challenges. I have decided to use the challenges that come into my life as a “helpful hint” or a “stepping stone” from my Father in Heaven. He knows the potential I can achieve. He loves me and wants what is best for me. I can either accept what is given to me, learn what I can from these experiences; or I can fight every inch of the way and become bitter. No thank you. I’m not too hip into bitterness.

Maybe I’m looking at things differently because I’m getting older. All of our children have moved out of the house and lived in various states. This is a little better for us; for quite a few years we have had children in various countries. Our last family photo was taken when my granddaughter was two. She is now seven. Sorry, I’m digressing. Obviously this is an insight to how my brain works…

I ran into someone this past week that I grew up with. We have both moved away from our hometowns and now live in Colorado. I haven’t seen her for over 25 years. To me she looked the same--beautiful. She still has the great smile, still was calm within herself and welcoming. We are now living only a few miles apart and have done so for seven years. I find it amazing that we haven’t run across each other until now, and in the temple of all places. Believing in “happenstances” is not something I do. I feel that there is a purpose for every interaction. I have had too many miracles “happen” in my life to question God’s hand in my daily miracles. There is something else to add to my life-God’s daily miracles in my life.

Something that I should also add to my list is fasting and prayer. What a beautiful doctrine, prayer. We have direct access to a loving Heavenly Father who loves to hear from us, his children, anytime, anywhere. I came across this scripture today:

D&C 59:14

“Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.”

Next Fast Sunday I’m going to keep this scripture in mind; fasting and rejoicing are companionable words. We are meant to rejoice in His goodness as we fast and pray. 

Summer is always a great time to make ice cream! Actually anytime is a great time to make and EAT homemade ice cream! Our family can eat a lot of ice cream. I have often envisioned our whole family going out to a Cold Stone or to Baskin Robbins. The employees would see us coming and start scrambling--first because of how many of us there are, and second because they are probably wondering if they have enough ice cream made to feed the bottomless pits! I firmly believe that if our children (or maybe just my husband!) were to attend an "all you can eat ice cream" event that much money would be lost by the sponsor!

Each summer for at least the past seven years my husband and I have made ice cream for the July 4th weekend. Of course I love my husband so I always make his plain (but yummy!) vanilla. I also like to test out various kinds each year. Some years I make six of more kinds of ice creams or sorbets. This past year I made a vanilla, peach, chocolate velvet "tin roof" and a silky pecan with heath chips. I like to share recipes so please imbibe as much as you think you can handle!!!

Those of you who know me probably know that I do not usually have ice cream, let alone any dairy. I will admit that on occasion I will eat some of my homemade ice cream...yes, I'm a slacker...

We occasionally invite other young missionaries over for "the eating". A few years ago I got extra zealous and made a lot of ice cream. My husband was calling everyone he could think of to help us eat it all! We back up to a Green Belt and anyone walking by was subject to homemade ice cream!

I wish I had pictures to post of the various ice cream recipes I will post today, but to be honest the ice cream is usually gone before I think to take pictures, as you can see from the picture below:

Elder Gardner making sure nothing goes to waste-eating the ice cream paddle. :)

Vanilla Ice Cream – original recipes from my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook

4 cups half and half, light cream, or milk

1 ½ cups sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 cups whipping cream

                In a large bowl combine half and half, sugar and vanilla.  Stir till sugar dissolves.  Stir in whipping cream.  Freeze ice cream mixture in a 4 or 5 quart ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Ripen 4 hours.  Makes 2 quarts.

Strawberry or Peach Ice Cream

Prepare as above, except in a blender container blend 4 cups fresh strawberries, frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed, or cut-up, peeled peaches till nearly smooth (should have 2 cups).  Stir blended fruit into ice-cream mixture before freezing.

*Note: I did this for the Peach Ice Cream I made this year, but I also like fruit chunks in my ice cream so I cut up an extra one cup peaches and added it into the ice-cream freezer.

Chocolaty Velvet Ice Cream -- original recipe from my "Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook

4 cups whipping cream

1 14-ounce can (1 1/3 cups) sweetened condensed milk

1 16-ounce can (1 ½ cups) chocolate-flavored syrup

2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, cashews, or almonds

½ cup chocolate chips (opt)

½ cup marshmallows (opt)

                In a medium mixing bowl combine the whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate syrup.  Beat with an electric mixer till soft peaks form.  Fold in chopped nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows.  Transfer the mixture to an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; freeze about 8 hours or till firm.  Makes 2 quarts.  YUMMY!

Silky Pecan with Heath Chips - based off the original "Chocolaty Velvet Ice Cream" listed above.

4 cups whipping cream

1 14-ounce can (1 1/3 cups) sweetened condensed milk

1 16-ounce can (1 1/2 cups) caramel-flavored syrup

1 cup heath chips

1/2  cup mini chocolate chips.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate syrup.  Beat with an electric mixer till soft peaks form.  Fold in heath chips and chocolate chips.  Transfer the mixture to an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; freeze about 8 hours or till firm.  Makes 2 quarts.  YUMMY!

One day I dream of walking the moors of Scotland. 

And exploring castles...

And enjoying the magnificent scenery!

Until then, it is only a dream.  For now I am content to travel within and discover my country and all of the facets of color and variety that exist. In Wyoming there are cowboys to discover (gee darn!), in San Francisco "Chinatown" has its own draw, Florida is filled with alligators and Disney World and New York has…a lot of everything! There are so many cultural and spectacular things to discover right here in the U.S. of A. 

     That being said, I did venture outside of this nation a few years ago. My husband and I traveled to Ecuador to pick up his son Bryan who was serving an L.D.S (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) mission there. We witnessed vast cultural differences in many areas of Ecuador to say the least. 
     We started in Guayaquil and visited tourist shops, walked up the mammoth staircases there-one that led to a lighthouse- and discovered the local lizards, some hanging in trees where they slept at night or walking around the city center plaza looking for food. 
     We then flew on a puddle jumper to Loja where we discovered a huge station of transferring missionaries from our church. Our son was in heaven seeing so many familiar faces.  We went to the zoo there and visited some former investigators. We also hiked up to a castle and the overlook was spectacular!  
     After Loja we journeyed-by a seven-hour bus ride- to Cuenca. (This will always be quite the memory!) We discovered Cuenca to be a very “European” type of city. Here we happened upon a local quite by chance. His name was Carlos. He was so nice! He decided to take the day off work and show us around. I am still amazed at the unselfishness of this man. We saw ruins, had the local pizza (don’t bother if you are looking for American pizza!) and went shopping. 
     We then returned to Guayaquil and attended church at a ward that our son had served in. Everyone was so warm and welcoming to us.  Later that evening we attended a farewell dinner at the Mission President's home. Several missionaries were leaving the next day, returning to their homes in many countries. The spirit was very strong and peaceful as we enjoyed testimonies and songs in Spanish from the the missionaries, elders and sisters alike.  
     What great memories we will always have of the people we met and the wonderful culture we were able to participate in.

This is what the lizards look like that sleep in the trees near the town square in Guayaquil.

The views were stunning!

This particular walk may not seem very steep but I guarantee you it was a workout! The stairs had numbers on them. This particular walkway led to the lighthouse at the top that also served as a church for the local people there. We started at the bottom and walked our way to the top. 

For now I will continue to "persuade" my husband to visit and uncover more of our nation's hidden wonders!

Wind Love Letter

FUN!

What do you consider fun? Well, for me I enjoy writing. Many memories, thoughts and ideas seem to inundate me at the weirdest moments. Sometimes I wake up with stories forming or I "read" to myself of books I am beginning to write. Here is a recent paper I turned in for my English class:

Dear Wind,

            Oh how I love you! You are always with me, beating at my heart with thousands of happy memories that we have shared together; thoughts of you often invade my mind unbidden.  I enjoy picking these memories out one by one and reliving them when you are not around to satisfy my craving for your company.

As I work in the office trying to get caught up on paperwork, I hear you rapping at the window asking me to come outside and play. I look out the window and see children surrounded by you enjoying your titillating breeze as they swing on the swing set, pumping their legs back and forth trying to catch you, and asking you through their body language to take them higher and higher still. Others are happily sliding down the long and short slides at the playground basking in your goodness; they smile and take in your beauty and the sunshine all around them, cheering and singing their happy little made-up songs.

I open the window to spend a little time with you before getting back to my work. Your warm whispering breath teases through my hair causing me to smile and remember so many times that we have shared together. One such memory comes to my mind; our “adventure” in the backyard last weekend as we were preparing the flowerbeds for the pansies, peonies and other perennials we were going to plant. You were such a tease! As I would pull a weed out of the soil to shake it out, you would send a short breeze my way just as I was tamping out the extra dirt, causing the excess to fly in my face. Shaking off the dirt I smiled at you with love and a teasing light of my own, remembering other times when I had been the tease.

            Other memories come so easily to my mind such as the many road trips we have shared together. I remember how we enjoyed the winding road that follows the river while driving north on I-25 in Colorado, outside of Grand Junction, or heading to Mt. Rushmore with the sunroof open listening to our favorite music on the CD player. There were many trips riding to Utah with my cousin Cindy, singing with the windows down and the sunroof open so that you could beat out a rhythm of your own. So many more loving and warm memories I have that include you, almost always with a smile.

There have been other trips that we have shared together. We went sailing on a houseboat at Lake Powell, where I felt your warm breeze upon my face. In Ecuador we rode a bus filled with the sounds of the chickens and the children playing around us. How you would tease the children unmercifully, taking their toys and sending them down the aisle with little wisps of your breath! The time we spent in Boise during a snowstorm is vividly etched in my mind; your icy fingers seemed to trail up and down my spine for hours.

You can be temperamental and moody, twisting this way and that; you flow sweet with the fragrance of lilacs, or powerful as you prove to the world that you are indeed here to stay, to face any challenge thrown your way. Whatever your mood, you are to me one of the sweetest gifts that life has to offer.

As I look out the window I see you waving to me, beckoning me to join you on some unknown journey. My heart smiles because I know that whatever adventure awaits us, life with you will always be beautiful.

                                                            Lovingly yours,

Denver Botanic Gardens Chichuly Display

Did you know that you can be a member of the “Empty Nester’s” Family Home Evening group at the ripe ol’ age of 40 something…? Yes, I am actually closer to 50 now, but I consider that a sweet milestone, when at one time I thought I would be dead at this age! Ha ha!

We get together as a group once a month. Sometimes we have spiritual learning and other times we just enjoy spending time together. This past month we attended the “Chihuly” display at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I highly recommend this!!!  I had never heard of this type of glass art of the artist. What a brilliant discovery!

I hope you enjoy the display as much as I did. I recommend going at dusk and staying until the Gardens close.   Enjoy!

Denver Botanic Gardens Chihuly display

The wedding and happy beginnings

Last month my daughter got married.  It took me a minute to write that first sentence, and immediately after, I exhaled. (True! I have a witness!)  It was a beautiful event and worth every tear that was shed and every hug that was shared! Having one of my children cross this threshold has caused some serious contemplation on my part. Have I done enough? Have I taught them what they need to know? What is my role in their lives now? The questions seem endless and the answers sometimes seem daunting, unfamiliar or unknown. I have been struggling between not beating myself up and telling myself that I’m a good mother. I guess I’ll be going through this internal struggle for a lot longer…

As I was thinking back to the wedding I recalled how happy I was the first time I met my new son-in-law Karson. He was a little nervous to meet me, and me being the helpful person I am, I tried to ease him down from the ledge by asking him about his car. That perked him up! He asked me if I wanted a ride. Me? YEAH! OF COURSE! Just a side note here-I love driving! I could drive all day long!!! Ok, back to the story-Karson helped me into the car. Score one for opening my door! Score two: He asked me if there was someplace I wanted to go. Score three: He opened up his T-top! Woot! Woot! Needless to say, looking back on this experience I can see why Karson was smiling when we got back to my parent’s house. I had my head out the window almost the whole drive, dancing to the music! Yep. That’s me when I let myself be me.

One of the best things I have discovered when one of your children gets married is the extended family they marry into. Karson’s family is wonderful to Becca and she adores them as well. This makes my heart very happy. I don’t think that I can put into words the comfort this adds to my life. Shout out to Karson’s family:  We love you!

Another perk from the wedding is good wedding pics! Here is a sweet picture of my two children:

 

Becca and Markus (the new groom Karson is in the background!!!)

My husband and I have a blended family: he has five children, I have two, and we have been married for thirteen years. Yep, you heard me-thirteen years. You are probably asking yourselves right now if I am still sane, or maybe I am writing this from a padded cell somewhere. Close, very, very close!  We love our children and I am enjoying this part of my life: observing our seven children on their individual life journeys. This is a picture of us, minus our son-in-law Anthony (darn!!!) at the wedding:

Thirteen years and counting

 

Yep! We're goofs!

Our family (minus Anthony and Bryan - darn!!!)

I have now come to a point in my life where I am a Nana (to the most beautiful and brightest and sweetest and…ok I’ll stop now!) and a mother-in-law two times now. I will admit something; I am a shameless Nana when it comes to sending packages. I send many and I find even the most frivolous reasons to send something. No Target or Kohl’s is safe if my husband and I are shopping with our granddaughter in mind. So, yes she’s a cutie and has worked herself deep into our hearts!

When did this happen??? I was just surfing through my life and all of the sudden *WHACK*I got a good swift reminder to my age limit. Wait a minute! There is NO age limit for me!!!!  I guess this is my new frontier…I have decided to welcome it with open arms...maybe.

Ogden Temple Open House

I love the temple!!! I was made to serve in the temple! I currently work in the Denver, Colorado temple and look forward to seeing those I work with and the patrons weekly. These are some of the most wonderful and dedicated people I have ever known.

Heads up!!! If you would like to attend the Open House of a temple-from whatever faith you practice-of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you can click this link to find information for the upcoming event in Ogden, Utah:

Ogden Temple Open House

Jude 1:21-22

I was recently released from the Stake Relief Society presidency here in Colorado. I thoroughly loved this calling and worked with many AMAZING and AWESOME people! I have seen an abundance of love, unselfishness and service.

I came across this scripture the other day and feel that it applies to Relief Society:

Jude 1:21-22
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
And of some have compassion, making a difference:

In Memory of Matthew Madsen Palmer

To honor my sweet nephew Matthew Madsen Palmer who passed away June 26, 2014 while serving a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in Madagascar.

Matthew has always been a bright spot in our family. He has always had a tremendous love of people and of service. He knew that serving the Lord for two years would be of great benefit to many. He faced challenges as a missionary, but he knew that whatever he did for others would help several. Matthew learned Malagasy, one of the languages that are spoken in Madagascar. Through his daily interactions with the people of Madagascar Matthew was able to develop a love for them and found a renewed love for missionary work.

Matthew in Madagascar with a newly baptized member.

Right before his funeral I had the privilege of hearing 8-12 returned missionaries sing, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" in Malagasy. What a truly tender spirit permeated the room; not a dry eye could be found, but what an abundance of love we felt for him and from our Heavenly Father. What a beautiful blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is and how fortunate we are to know that Matthew is well taken care of and serving others now. As a missionary, your primary objective is to serve the Lord. He is doing this now, to those who have passed on.

My sister Rowena and her family have received tremendous support from their neighbors and have been witness to many tender mercies. Below are some of the articles about Matthew and this experience if you are interested in knowing more:

Deseret News article
Davis County Clipper Article

Here are some pictures of Matthew:

Elder Matthew Palmer - right before he left for Madagascar

Elder Matthew Palmer - in Madagascar

Elder Matthew Palmer-"the wheat is ready to harvest"

Matthew has always loved music. He had one year of piano lessons and did not like that style of learning. He did love playing the piano however and learned to play by ear. If you are interested in hearing some of his music, you can go to this website:

Matthew's music

Quotes of the day

This is a shout out to my niece Kelsey!  She is leaving to serve an LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint) mission in the Dominican Republic next month! Kelsey spent her day today helping me set up this blog. She loves fun and memorable quotes. Kelsey, these are for you!

"The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him."-Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Often, the answer to our prayer does not come while we're on our knees, but while we're on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us."- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Whoever you are and wherever you may, you hold in your hands in the happiness of more people than you can imagine." -Henry B. Eyring 

BYU Idaho Pathway Poster Child

I have been on a journey this past year; a journey to regain my working brain functions!

All kidding aside, this past year I have been involved with the Pathway Program, a program that has helped me to feel more secure about my daily journey of knowledge. This program is in partnership with BYU-Idaho, and can be accessed on-line or at the University in Rexburg, Idaho. This program is for all ages 18 and up.

After applying, registering and being accepted, you begin your "Academic Start" part of the program. This entails three semesters to get you ready for some in-depth learning. For the first year you will meet each Thursday evening with a group at a designated location, usually a church building. Your group stays together and everyone in this group can be a great source of strength and assistance. Everyone has the opportunity for growth and learning.

There are two groups: 18-30 and 31+. The first group will meet together for two hours each week on Thursday evenings. The second group will meet for one hour each week. Besides the benefit of assistance to each other, there is increased learning-both spiritually and academically. The lessons for each week are discussed and any questions are worked on by the group.

Usually you begin with a "General Studies" course and study the first half of the "Book of Mormon" the first semester. This is followed by a "Math/Personal Finance" class and the second half of the "Book of Mormon. The third and final semester of "Academic Start" is "English/Critical Thinking" and "The Teachings of the Living Prophets". All of these classes will help those who have been out of school for quite some time and need some "refreshers" as well as those who have just graduated from high school or need to obtain their GED.

At the end of the "Academic Start" year you will matriculate into the BYU-Idaho University Pathway on-line program. You also have the chance to attend BYU-Idaho at the University in Rexburg, Idaho as well. However, the tuition will be higher for you if you attend the university.

This program is available to people throughout the world and more locations are opening all of the time!

I could be the poster child for this program!


BYU Idaho Pathway Program

20 Benefits of Walking

Intro to Indexing

Okay, here is my big plug for Indexing. For those of you who are not aware of what Indexing is or what this may entail, please follow the link below.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the members believe in helping those who have already passed on who have not had the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. If you like more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka, "Mormon", please go to mormon.org

Please do not feel that you need to be a member of this religion to assist in Indexing! There are several ways that members, and those who are not members of this faith, can help in this work!!!

        

Indexing for Beginners

Cranberry-Orange Loaves

Cranberry-Orange Loaves  - adapted from the Martha Stewart website

Ingredients: 

*2 sticks unsalted butter

*3 1/2 cups GF Flour-From Land O’ Lakes* website

*1 tablespoon baking powder

*1 teaspoon fine salt

*1 cup whole milk

*2 Tbsp grated orange zest plus 10 tablespoons orange juice, divided

*2 cups granulated sugar

*4 large eggs

*1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, chopped

*2 cups confectioners' sugar

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and “flour” 12 2 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans, 3 regular loaf pans, or use cupcake liners for muffins. (I like to do 2 pans (24) muffins and 1 loaf pan.) Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together milk and 1/2 cup juice. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 8 minutes. Add zest, then eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture; beat until combined. Fold in cranberries.

Step 2

Transfer batter to prepared pans and bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 45 to 50 minutes for loaf pan, 22-28 minutes for muffins. Let loaf pan(s) cool in pans on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, 30 minutes. For muffins, cool in pan 5-10 minutes, then remove to rack. Remove loaves from pans and let cool completely on rack.

Step 3

Whisk confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons juice to make glaze. Drizzle over loaves and let stand until set. (Store in airtight containers, 3 days, or freeze unglazed, 3 weeks.)

*GF Flour Blend – Land O’ Lakes

2 cups rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients in large bowl; stir.

Use mixture in baking recipes. Store mixture in container with tight-fitting lid; stir before using.