Fresh and Spicy Grape Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Slice tomatoes in half, chop cilantro and finely dice jalapeno and onion
2. Combine all ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Chill time: 1 hour(s)

http://what2cook.net/2013/04/27/fresh-and-spicy-grape-tomato-salad/

Elder Rumsey's Turtle Burgers

The first thing I ate turtle burgers see picture.  It's a hamburger with hot dogs shoved through it to look like a turtle, and bacon wrapped on top for a shell.  And on Saturday I got tazed I have a video on it but it wont let me upload it, and I had fried rattle snake via other pictures sent.  That is pretty much what happened.

 

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

1/2 C Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Fat Free Milk
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
3- 3 1/2 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla

Use Cooking Spray and spray bottom and side of deep sauce pot.  Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set.   Unlike the butter version of these cookies, these ones never set up hard.  They stay soft and gooey.  Keep refrigerated.

http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2009/04/when-its-too-hot-to-bake-we-nobake.html

Elder Timothy Rumsey ~ Eating Rattlesnake

Me (Timothy) eating rattle snake, at a rattle snake fair.

Choose the Kids

Independence Day Breakfast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Henson (image by Matt Armendariz)

Last year I saw this fun idea for Flag Waffles and it immediately became our new favorite 4th of July breakfast. They were so yummy!

image from Buzz Critic

And this year I have found a few other fun options from Emily Henson. First is the flag toast pictured above. And the second is a fruit and yogurt parfait:

I will say the cute banana and blueberry flag holder might make in onto a couple plates this 4th of July, even without the parfait. And I might switch out peanut butter as the base on the toast and make it lunch for the kids.

 

http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-breakfast.html

Fruit Flag Pizza

 

Ingredients

1. 1 Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet
2. 2 cartons (about 8 oz. total) Chobani Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt
3. 3 cups blueberries
4. 3 bananas
5. 1 pound strawberries
6. powdered sugar (for dusting, if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. On a greased baking sheet, lay out the Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet to make a rectangle. (Gently shape the edges if need be, and push down the corners so that they do not flare up.) Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked and lightly golden. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.
3. Spread the yogurt on top of the dough sheet so that the entire pizza is covered, leaving a ½-inch border around the outside. Place the blueberries all around the outside to make a border, and then fill in the upper-right quadrant with a rectangle of blueberries.
4. On a cutting board, slice the strawberries and bananas into thin coins, and halve them if needed so that they are about the same size. Layer the strawberries and bananas onto the pizza to make red and white stripes.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a few hours.

http://recipesweet.net/fruit-flag-pizza/

Party Desserts

-- However, I would cover the entire marshmallow in milk chocolate, or white chocolate. This would help to keep it from going stale, besides who doesn't want more chocolate?

 

www.coeurdecaramel.tumblr.com

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispie Balls

Mix together: 2 cups Reduced Fat creamy peanut butter 3 cup rice krispies 1lb (3cup) powdered sugar 1/4 cup melted butter (or maybe replace the butter with Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt) Make balls and dip in melted: 2 (maybe 3) package milk chocolate chips Put on cookie sheets in fridge to harden.

 

www.media-cache-ec4.pinimg.com

 

Weight Watchers – Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

 

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 lb uncooked X-tra lean ground Turkey
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup Fat Free evaporated milk
8 ounces kraft Velveeta reduced fat cheese product, cubed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled

http://pin-and-rest.com/weight-watchers-slow-cooker-cheeseburger-soup/

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

 ~ The chicken comes out incredibly tender and so delish! -- I think we can skip the butter in this recipe and just spray the pot with cooking spray. Also be sure to use a low fat cheese.

 

www.foodfamilyfinds.com

 

Baked Blueberry Ricotta Donuts

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese (whole or part skim)

3/4 cup Fat Freemilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease donut pan (with cooking spray) that accommodates 6 average size donuts and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in dry ingredients and add in eggs, ricotta cheese, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and blend with a hand mixer or with large spoon until combined. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter in batter in donut pan 1/2 full. Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes until lightly brown and firm. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Vanilla Bean Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Fat Free milk

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

In a medium bowl combined confectioners sugar, lemon juice, milk, lemon zest and vanilla bean seeds and stir until creamy and smooth. Dip tops of donuts into glaze and set on wire rack until glaze sets.

Bakers notes-

Use fresh blueberries. If you use frozen and thawed blueberries your batter will become purple unless you drain the blueberries well. 

 

 http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/baked-blueberry-ricotta-donuts/

Mission Address

Elder Timothy J. Rumsey

Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission
416 SW 79th street
Ste 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73139-8121

Ritz Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treat

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Ritz-- with Reduced Fat Crackers and Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

 

www.dreamyblog.com

 

Creamy Orange Pops

 Orange juice concentrate + Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/902991/creamy-orange-pops

Onions

Onions stored in pantyhose will last as long as 8 months.  Use a dark, cool, dry place.

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/27-ways-to-make-your-groceries-last-as-long-as-pos

1st Week In Oklahoma

Hey the first week is going great.  My legs hurt from all the biking, but I'm getting used to it.  I took some pictures, but not a lot.  I forgot to bring my camera to the library, sorry next week maybe I will have more.  You can write me through DearElder.com and I will get an actual letter, just printed. 

Timothy.Rumsey@myldsmail.net

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Mission

Herbs

www.designcrushblog.com

 

Strawberries

Follow This One Tip In Your Garden & Get A Ton Of Organic Strawberries!

For many years now, I have been growing my own strawberries. The first year that I attempted to grow strawberries, I was so overwhelmed and very disappointed. I didn’t know which varieties to buy, how to grow them, why my strawberries weren’t producing a lot of strawberries, and what a “runner” was and how it dramatically could effect my harvest! Today we are going to learn about strawberries and how to get the best yield out of your strawberry plants.

So lets talk about the different varieties of strawberries and strawberry types. There are hundreds of different varieties but there are only three strawberry types. The three types of strawberries are June-bearing strawberry varieties, ever-bearing strawberry varieties and day neutral strawberry varieties. Here are descriptions of the 3 strawberry types provided by strawberry plants .org

June-bearing strawberry varieties:

Any list of strawberry varieties will probably contain more June-bearing strawberry varieties than any other. June bearers are tremendously popular and common. They typically produce the largest strawberries, and do so over a period of two to three weeks, on average. Most June bearing strawberry varieties produce a harvest around the month of June, hence the name. However, strawberry varieties are further classified into Early Season, Midseason, and Late Season. By selecting strawberry plant varieties that produce during different parts of the season, you can prolong your harvest and enjoy fresh strawberries for an extended period of time. June bearing strawberries are most often of the Garden Strawberry variety (Fragaria x ananassa). June bearing strawberry varieties are often planted using the matted row system.

Everbearing strawberry varieties:

Everbearing strawberry varieties aren’t really “everbearing.” They generally produce two harvests per year: one in the spring and another in the late summer or fall. Under ideal conditions, it is possible for some everbearing strawberry varieties to produce three berry harvests. Most everbearing strawberry types are of the species Fragaria vesca. In general, everbearing strawberry varieties put out less runners (or no runners at all) than the June bearing varieties, as most of the plants productive energy is directed toward producing multiple strawberry harvests. Everbearing strawberry varieties are often planted using the hill system or in locations where space is limited.

Day-neutral strawberry varieties:

Day neutral strawberry varieties are unique. Unlike June bearing varieties, day neutral strawberries will produce a good yield in the first year they are planted. They flower and set strawberries whenever the temperature is between 35 and 85 degrees. They will still be producing fruit in October during milder years. The drawback to day neutral strawberry plants is that they produce smaller strawberries than do the June bearing and everbearing strawberry varieties. Their fruit is usually small to medium in size, rarely exceeding one inch. Day neutral strawberry varieties are often planted using the hill system or in locations where space is limited.
Here is a great chart that will help you find the right strawberry type and variety for your region as well as the desired flavor you are looking for. Keep in mind, oftentimes strawberries are much sweeter the smaller they are. If they are larger, they often times have a lot of water in them making them not as sweet.

Follow This One Tip In Your Garden & Get A Ton Of Organic Strawberries!

So now that you are a bit more educated about the different types and varieties of strawberries, lets talk about how to get the most out of your strawberry plants! In my garden, I have the ever-bearing strawberries and June-bearing strawberries. We eat strawberries all season long on these plants and they produce enough strawberries for our family that I have no need to even buy them at the farmers markets.
My everbearing strawberry plants are pretty much maintenance free, just plant and pick. My June-bearing take a little more work, but it is well worth it. June-bearing is one of the most planted strawberry types in todays gardens. My first year, I got very few strawberries. What was I doing wrong? I wasn’t pinching off my runners! ”Runners”?? Let me explain.
When you purchase your strawberry plant, you have a central plant. As it grows it produces runners. Runners are long stems that run off the central plant and create baby strawberry plants. These baby strawberry plants suck the nutrients out of the central plant and the central plant will lose its ability to produce fruit.

This might sound great, you automatically get more strawberry plants for free, but it is not a good thing! Again, these “runners” strip the central plant of its nutrients and the central plant will produce only a very little amount of strawberries.
So if you want to have a ton of strawberries, You must remove the runners!

To remove the runners, follow the runner to the central plants base.

Notice that the my runners have red stems. Not all red stems are runners though so make sure it is a runner before removing. Also depending on the variety, the stem might not be red. A runner is always longer (or running) from the central plant. Now simply remove the runner at the base of the plant.

By removing the runner you are allowing the central plant to get all the nutrients it needs to produce a lot of wonderful and delicious strawberries! This simple step of removing runners will allow your garden to flourish with strawberries. Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow. So why not give it a try? Once you have home grown strawberries out of your garden, it is hard to go back to store bought. They really are that good! Happy gardening everyone!

http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/gardening/follow-this-one-tip-in-garden-get-ton-organic-strawberries/

Italian Hot Chocolate

What it is
This Italian Hot Chocolate is for the true conneusier of chocolate. It is thicker than standard american hot chocolate and has intense flavors. Typically half the amount of a regular mug is enough to still keep you craving more.

What you need

• 1/2 C - Callebaut CocoaThis is an incredibly good unsweetened chocolate. It has a sharp and complex flavor. I have found it on various websites on the internet. Amazon.com has many sellers and they have low prices. It is about $25 per pound.
• 1 C - Whole Milk (I would use FAT FREE Milk)
• 1 C - Water
• 1 t - Vanilla Extract
• 1 t - Corn Starch
• 1/3 C - Granulated Cane SugarThis is just regular sugar but it is nice to be clear.
• Whipped CreamI prefer to buy heavy cream and sweeten it myself. I then put it in my cream whipper. It is thick and rich. (I would use FAT FREE Cool Whip)
• Ground Nutmeg

What to do

1. Add the cocoa, milk, water, vanilla, corn starch, and sugar to a medium sized pot.
2. Heat it up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit while whisking quickly to mix and keep from burning.
3. Once it is up to temperature carefully pour evenly into 4 small mugs.
4. Top with whip cream and sprinkle nutmeg on top.

http://thetasteoffood.com/how-to/recipes/italian-hot-chocolate-recipe

Birthday Cake

Photo by Rumsey Liebes


















For my #1 Son's 17th Birthday.

Wanted to give some tips on making fabulous tasting cakes that people will go crazy for.  Instead of oil use Unsweetened Applesauce or Fat Free Vanilla Flavored Chobani Yogurt.  Always add a package of pudding mix to the cake mix, chocolate for chocolate, vanilla for vanilla, etc.  Use Fat Free milk in place of the water.  Use cocoa powder instead of flouring the pan for chocolate cakes.  Just some ideas on how to make a moist & delicious cake.

Goldfish Marshmallow Pops

No question about it—these Goldfish Marshmallow Pops are love at first bite. Not only are they a scrumptious little treat, they're pretty much the cutest thing we've seen all month.

You've essentially got a little fishbowl on a lollipop stick. The tiny salted crackers are attached to spongy jumbo marshmallows that have been dunked in blue chocolate melts. Graham cracker crumbs create the "sand" on the bottom of the 'mallow and white pearl nonpareils (cake decorator dots) look like bubbles. These yummy marshmallow pops are the perfect weekend project!

 

http://seevanessacraft.com/2012/07/diy-tutorial-goldfish-marshmallow-pops/

Bile Deficiency: Heartburn, Poor Digestion, Toxicity

 

 

Of your liver's 500 functions, its production of bile is one of the most important. Bile is an essential "de-greaser" and "emulsifier" of dietary fats. Bile is also essential for the utilization of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The bile that is produced by your liver also contains conjugated "already used" hormones, toxins, foreign chemicals and heavy metals.
An insufficient amount of bile salts can prevent proper dietary fat utilization, cause acid indigestion as well as a backup of toxicity.
Bile insufficiency can also cause poor hormone synthesis because of the fact that all hormones are made from lipids.

Functions Of Bile

Bile is produced by the hepatocyte cells of the liver from cholesterol. When acidified food enters into the small intestine from the stomach, bile salts alkalinize the food, preparing nutrients for assimilation in the small intestine.
Bile emulsifies fat, increasing fat absorption. Bile also contains the conjugated toxins from the 2 phases of liver detoxification. These toxins may include carcinogens, xenobiotic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and heavy metals like mercury, aluminum and lead. When hemoglobin is broken down in the liver, bilirubin is conjugated and excreted through the bile.

Problems When There Is Inadequate Bile

Heartburn can directly be caused if there is a bile salt insufficiency. One of the functions of the alkaline bile salts is to neutralize the food that has been acidified in the stomach by hydrochloric acid. Stomach acid that has not been neutralized is likely to cause heartburn.
A person who complains of feeling abdominal tightness, bloating and having a difficulty digesting fats may very well have a bile insufficiency.
Inadequate levels of bile can cause a build-up of toxins in the liver because of the fact that bile conjugates and carries out the body's burden of toxicity. Liver congestion can result in gall bladder stones and stagnation. If a person's cholesterol production is low, bile production is also likely to be low.
Another important component to fat digestion and utilization is hormone synthesis. ALL hormones are synthesized from fat. Endocrine dysfunction may improve greatly with improving liver function.

Helping The Liver To Detoxify & Produce Adequate Bile

In order for the liver to function properly, adequate protein is essential. Amino acids are primary constituents of phase I and II of liver detoxification. The amino acid L-Taurine is critical for bile formation, while the sulphur-bearing amino acid L-Methionine is the primary methylating agent in the liver. Cysteine, another sulphur-bearing amino acid is a precursor to the antioxidant Glutathione, the body's most ubiquitous antioxidant. Glutathione scavenges free radicals and toxins, which end up excreted through bile.
Proper cellular hydration is also essential for liver detoxification. Approximately 85% of bile is made from water.
The nutrient Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine is one of the most powerful liver detoxificants. Betain is found in the highest concentrations in beets and beet greens.
Individuals with bile acid insufficiency can also benefit from taking bile salts derived from either ox bile or bovine bile salts.

Identifying Bile Insufficiency

On a blood test, if blood cholesterol levels are lower than 170, it is possible there is a bile acid insufficiency. Increases or decreases in the liver enzymes ALT (>30, <10) or AST (>30, <10), GGTP (>30) can indicate dysfunction and/or congestion in the liver.

http://metabolichealing.com/key-integrated-functions-of-your-body/gut/bile-deficiency-heartburn-poor-digestion-toxicity/

Fat Free Crispy Potatoes

 

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds russet potatoes
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Fill up a big pot (I use my pasta pot) about 1/2 full with cool water. Peel the skin off the potatoes, and cut them into evenly sized bite-size chunks (you want them sized slightly larger than the dice you find in board games). Place the potatoes in the water and season the water with several tbsp of salt, the same amount that you would add to pasta water. It's important for the water to be salty so the potatoes are seasoned inside.
3. Bring the whole pot to a boil on high heat, with the lid on. Once the water is boiling, cook for an additional 4 minutes, with the lid off. Drain the potatoes, return the potato pieces to the pot (don't put the pot back on the heat), and sprinkle over the flour. Put the lid back on the pan, and shake it up like crazy until the potato edges are banged up and the flour is nicely distributed.
4. Dump the potatoes onto a sheet pan and make sure they are in a single layer (don't crowd the potatoes, or the edges won't get crispy). Give it a good sprinkling of sea salt and whatever other seasoning you like, and they are ready to go into the oven. Roast for 30-45 minutes at 450 degrees F, but watch them carefully because the roasting time will vary depending on the size of your chunks. Enjoy!

http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/fat-free-crispy-potatoes/

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

Add 1 tbsp Reduced Fat peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mini chips, and 1/4 tsp vanilla to Fat Free Greek yogurt.

www.girlgonecountry.com
 

Homemade Nesquik

2/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Cocoa
Pinch of salt
Combine the three ingredients and store in a sealed container.

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/08/homemade-nesquik.html

Freezing Foods

I have been trying to freeze more foods lately. It saves money, I am not wasting food because the leftovers are not getting eaten, and it actually will preserve the food's freshness. I realized I had a lot to learn when it came to freezing foods. There are so many things that can be frozen that I never knew, shredded cheese, soups, certain fruits. I think I am going to start doing this a lot more often. Especially now that I am finding some good deals at the grocery store. Usually you have to buy in bulk to get the savings, so I never took the deal because it is just the two of us, but I am going to take advantage of my freezer and get on this now!

Here are the basics for freezing foods:

Timeline for freezing foods:

• Bacon: 1 to 2 months
• Breads: 2 to 3 months
• Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked poultry: 4 months
• Cookie dough: 3 months
• Fruit: 8 to 12 months
• Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
• Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
• Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
• Sausage: 1 to 2 months
• Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
• Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
• Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
• Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
• Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
• Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Tips for freezing foods:

- Put foods in the freezer as soon as possible after you purchase them or get them from your garden. It preserves the quality and will be better when you defrost.
- Make sure you label the foods you plan to freeze so you know how long they have been in the freezer.
- Don't thaw foods on the kitchen counter. It is a breeding ground for bacteria. Place in the refrigerator, in a cold water bath, or in the microwave.
- If you freeze in glass containers, make sure it is tempered so it doesn't break.
- You can freeze most foods but, should stay away from freezing eggs. The shell can crack and let in bacteria. - You can freeze mayonnaise, cream sauces, and lettuce, but their quality will not be the same after you thaw them.
- Cool cooked foods down before freezing so they freeze faster, which helps preserve quality.
- You can freeze meat in its original packaging, but if you want to store it for long periods of time, add an additional layer of packaging, such as plastic wrap or bags.

Foods that you shouldn't freeze, and do not thaw well:

• Cabbage, celery, cress, cucumbers, endive, lettuce, parsley, radishes
• Irish potatoes, baked or boiled
• Cooked macaroni, spaghetti or rice
• Egg whites,
• Meringue
• Icings made from egg whites
• Cream or custard fillings
• Milk sauces
• Sour cream
• Mayonnaise or salad dressing
• Gelatin In
• Fruit jelly
• Fried foods

How to freeze fresh produce:
A tip to freezing fresh fruit is to spread out the cleaned, dried, and prepared (cut up) pieces of fruit on cookie sheets and place in freezer. Once the individual pieces of fruit are frozen, you can combine and put in freezer bags. Some people prefer to pack fruits in sugar or sugar syrup to help preserve texture and flavor.

Vegetables usually need to be blanched (boiled or steamed for a short time) before freezing if you want to maintain flavor, color, and texture. Blanching times vary depending on the vegetable. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a chart with blanching times for everything from corn to collard greens and simple instructions for how to freeze a large variety of vegetables.

If you need to find out how to freeze something, check out the list from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

http://www.mythirtyspot.com/2011/07/how-to-freeze-food-timeline-tips-and.html

Writing On Cake

Writing a message on a cake? Write it with a toothpick first to make sure all the letters fit (and if you make a mistake, just smooth it out and try again). Genius.

 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/baking/how-to-write-on-cake-00000000056168/index.html

40+ Cake Baking Tips & Tricks

 

 

Some recipes success depend on a specific ingredient or action. If one of these tips contradicts your recipe, your best bet is to follow what you have.
Enhancers:

• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of meringue powder to your mix to help it rise a bit higher and make it a bit lighter in texture.
• Add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin to the batter, helps prevent the surface from splitting or cracking.
• First add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the butter and sugar called for before mixing the rest of the ingredients. Helps make the cake lighter.
• Take your time creaming the butter, beat/cream for at least 5 minutes to get lots of air into the butter. Add the sugar and beat/cream really well again.
• Separate eggs first–beat yolks till golden and creamy then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat the egg whites until light and frothy before folding them into the butter mixture.

Moister:

• Chocolate: Before adding the bicarb required, mix it with a teaspoon of vinegar.
• Dense or Fruit Cakes: Keep a heatproof dish full of water in the oven while baking (replace water if needed to keep it topped up).
• Substitute oil for unsweetened applesauce or plain yogurt. Your measure can be 1:1 or 50/50. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. Different types of cakes will offer different results for texture and taste, but a good start would try the 50/50. Not only helps for moister results, also cuts fat.

Sifting:

• Measure all ingredients to exact amounts first, then sift.

Prepping Tins:
Homemade Magic Pan Grease: You can buy Magic Grease or make your own. This is used as a substitute to greasing then dusting with flour when directed to do so. Keep unused portion in an airtight container and refrigerate to use next time.

• First Version: Mix 1 cup shortening (like Crisco), 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and apply evenly with a pastry brush.
• Second: 2 cups of Crisco and 1 cup of flour

More greasing tips:

• Apply with a paper cupcake holder, a paper towel, a piece of wax paper, the butter wrapper paper or a plastic baggy. You could also use a pastry brush.
• Try dusting the tins with a bit of the dry cake mix or cocoa (for chocolate) instead of flour.
• Apply shortening then line with a piece of wax paper to fit the bottom. Re-grease the top of the wax paper. Pour in the batter. To get the wax paper to size, you can either trace the bottom of the tin and cut it out, or after greasing, smooth a sheet of wax paper into the pan (pressing all around the creases), remove the wax paper and cut out along the crease. This is kinda messy though, better to trace then cut it out.
• To cut fat, try baking without greasing even if the recipe instructs to do so. You can just place a waxed paper liner to fit the bottom, then pour in the batter. This will also help remove the finished product cleanly. For high varieties, you’ll want to still grease and flour sides of pans if specified.

Getting It Level:

• Fill tins no more than 1/2 to 2/3 full to allow for even rising.
• Once you’ve poured the batter in, wobble the pan sideways a bit so the batter reaches up along each side (with the middle being slightly lower). As it bakes the middle and edges will meet and rise more evenly.
• If it rose high and uneven in the middle, you may need to slice a bit off across the top so it’s level.

Oven:

• Preheat the oven first before starting, make sure the rack is in the center (unless directed differently) and keep tin in the center of the rack. If you’re baking more than one at a time, keep them at least 2″ away from the walls of the oven and from each other.

Check For Doneness:

• Using a toothpick, wood skewer or a piece of raw spaghetti, test for doneness by placing the toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

Problems With Sticking To Tin:

• Place a thick, clean towel in the kitchen sink and pour a kettle of boiling hot water over the towel to heat it (don’t plug the sink to retain the water, allow it to drain out). Set the pan on the hot towel and leave it for a minute or two, the cake should turn out easily.
• Turn pan over on a sheet of wax paper or a cooling rack. Place a clean, thin cotton towel on top and using a hot steam iron, heat the bottom for a few minutes. The tin should lift off cleanly.
• Cool cakes completely in the pans before trying to remove them. Don’t cool on the stove where there’s heat, they’re best cooled on a rack placed on the counter. Gently insert a knife between the outside of the cake and the inside of the tin. Run it along the edges to loosen things up before turning over.

Angel Food:

• When done, take it directly from the oven and place it upside down on the neck of a bottle. This will help prevent the cake from falling as it cools. After 30 minutes, you can turn it over then remove from pan once cooled.

Frosting & Icing:

• Don’t attempt to ice it until it’s completely cool. Dust the surface lightly with a pastry brush first, helps reduce crumbs in the icing.
• First ice with a thin layer, then refrigerate (covered). After an hour you can do a complete frosting job. This helps keep the crumbs at bay and your outer frosting layer should be crumb free.
• After frosting, you can use a hair dryer to slightly melt it. This will give things a smooth, glossy look. If you prefer you can use a metal icing spatula or knife first heated by sitting in hot water, wipe dry, then use the heated knife to smooth the icing.
• Have a bag of chocolate chips on hand? Just sit the whole bag in a bowl of very hot water, and mush the bag up every couple of minutes until all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps. Snip the corner of the bag and squeeze out the melted chocolate directly onto the surface.
• Have two favorite frostings and can’t decide which one to use on a layer cake? Try both! Spread one version on one layer, and spread the other on the bottom of the other layer (you’ll want to flip the bottom ‘up’ when frosting). Then put the layers together. The middle will have a delicious two-flavor surprise . Can also use this technique when filling the layers with a combination of fruit and whipped cream.
• To help prevent a flaking or cracking, add a pinch of bicarb when mixing the frosting.
• If icing is a bit too thin or runny, lightly dust the surface with flour then spread the icing. This will help hold it in place.
• For single layers, turn upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat surface.
• Easily Color Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut can be a nice, decorative touch achieved easily. Simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted.

Cutting:

• Heat a knife first before cutting for crumble-free slices. To heat the knife, you can run the knife under very hot water then wipe dry with a clean towel.
• Use unwaxed dental floss to slice (great for the gooey or sticky varieties).
• See this page for ways to get more servings and creative slice shapes.

Keep Cut Slices Fresh:
Once you start slicing, the exposed or cut sides can dry out quickly. Here’s a way to keep things fresh:

• Wrap the leftover cake with a few slices of apple or cubes of sugar or a slice of fresh bread set inside the pan (or in the open space of the plate). Make sure to store it in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap.

Miscellaneous

• Dust the holder or platter with a bit of confectioner’s sugar before placing the cake on it, this will help keep it from sticking to the bottom.
• Use ingredients that are at room temperature, the butter soft but not melted or oily.
• When mixing sticky, goopy ingredients (molasses, honey, peanut butter), try spraying the measuring cups with non-stick spray first (just lightly). The ingredients will come out easier.
• You can make your own cake flour if you’re in a pinch (see this page), simply add two level tablespoons of corn starch to a one cup measuring cup, then fill with bread flour. Sift three times then use as needed.
• Dust nuts and fruit with flour before adding to batter or try toasting nuts first. You can also just sprinkle the nuts across the top of the batter instead of mixing them in, this way the nuts will toast while baking.
• How To Make Bigger Cakes From Mixes: Add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. baking powder to the boxed mix.
• To Clean Edges Of Pan: Dip a raw potato into scouring powder to work on the rusted corners and edges. You could also try using bicarb with a few drops of lemon juice. Source.

And finally–sometimes it seems things just never turn out right. Try running through the following list to see if you can spot what the problem may be. A common issue is that the oven temperature isn’t true to what the dial says. Buy a thermometer, preheat your oven and test.

Has A Hump	Dark Bottom
The oven was overly hot when baking started Too much flour used	Pan too deep or large, keeps top from browning Dark pans absorb more heat, place on higher oven rack (same with pyrex) Pan was warped which caused uneven browning
Has Deep Cracks	Has Fallen
Temperature too high Too much: flour or baking powder	Temperature too low Peeked while baking Removed from oven early Too much: shortening or sugar or bicarb or baking powder Not enough flour
Coarse Texture	It’s Running-Over
Temperature not high enough Batter over mixed Too much baking powder or flour	Temperature not high enough Pan not large enough Too much baking powder or sugar
It’s Tough	It’s Doughy
Temperature too hot Not enough shortening or sugar Too much flour	Temperature too low Left in pan too long after removing from oven
Light In Color	Browned Edges
Temperature too low Another pan too close while baking	Oven too full Tin touching another one or oven wall
Not Large Enough
Temperature too high Not enough baking powder Over mixed batter Oversized pan http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/

Chocolate Cake

Photo by:  Rumsey Liebes

 

 

Any box chocolate cake mix. 
Replace the oil for Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt.
Replace the water for Fat Free Chocolate Milk.

This cake came out flat when done.  I didn't have to shave any off the top, so that I could stack them properly.  If I would have had some, I would have added a box of chocolate pudding to the cake mix.

I frosted the cake with chocolate fudge frosting, 2 cans. 
1 Can in the middle of the two layers of cake, and one can for the top and sides of the cake.

Put Recee's Pieces on the top and border, if I would have had another large bag, I would have put them on the side of the cake too.

Chocolate Lasagna

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package Reduced Fat Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies
• 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1- 8 ounce package Fat Free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Fat Free cold milk
• 1- 12 ounce tub Fat Free Cool Whip, divided
• 2 – 3.9 ounce packages (Sugar Free) Chocolate Instant Pudding.
• 3 1/4 cups Fat Free cold milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
2. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
3. Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the crust.
4. In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
5. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

http://centercutcook.com/chocolate-lasagna/

Email from MTC Timothy

The chairs hurt (he is in class most of the day), food is ok, but I eat a lot of it.  I am learning a lot.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

 

 

 

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana or 1 cup fat free vanilla chobani yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream bananas or chobani yogurt and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto cooking sprayed cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/creamsicle-cookies.html

Pineapple Jello

Drain juice from a can of Sliced Pineapple, replace with jello made with 1/2 of the water required on pkg. Chill until set. Run hot water on can sides & bottom to loosen. Cut bottom from can to punch mold out. Cut between pineapple slices & serve.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/charmandpoise/5806376278/in/pool-362486@N20/

Table Decor Easter

Crockpot Chicken And Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 - 14 ½ oz cans chicken broth
• 2 packets of chicken gravy mix

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour in the chicken broth, cover and cook on high for about 3 – 4 hours or until chicken easily pulls apart.
2. Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth/juices out of the crockpot and into a saucepan. Discard any remaining liquids. Add the two gravy packets into the saucepan and whisk well. Simmer on low until gravy thickens.
3. While the gravy simmers, remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and shred into larger pieces. That’s it! Serve with the gravy over the chicken. Yum!

http://www.recipesquickneasy.com/crockpot-chicken-and-gravy/

Meatloaf In A Muffin Pan

 

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground X-tra Lean Turkey Burger  
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 large egg plus a splash of Fat Free milk, beaten
• 1 cup plain Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 cup Fat Free smoky barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup Fresh tomato salsa
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Cooking Spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Put ground turkey burger into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Spray a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with cooking spray. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through.

http://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/11/meatloaf-in-a-muffin-pan/

Pancake Craters

Pancakes made in muffin tins.

Only fill the tin 1/2 full and it will create the crater when it bakes.

Fill with fresh berries, Jam, Jelly, Honey, etc.!

Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar.

Mini German Pancakes
1 cup Fat Free milk
6 eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender. Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings. (Mine was a dusting of powdered sugar and triple berry sauce. I have other suggestions up top)

 

www.realmomkitchen.com

 

1st Email from Elder Timothy Rumsey

Dad everything is going great!  My companion is my best friend literally!  We have the same mind set, and there is a third one. Oh, and I do need money for my lugage when I leave on the 16th.

Peanut Butter Granola

 

 

Sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt or enjoyed on its own, this peanut butter granola is made with pantry staples, making it an easy recipe to whip up without making a special trip to the grocery store.

Ingredients:
Makes four ¼ c servings

2 tbsp. Reduced Fat creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. honey
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. oats

 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine peanut butter and honey in a bowl and microwave until peanut butter melts (approximately 20 seconds). Stir.

Stir cinnamon and vanilla into peanut butter and honey mixture. Add oats and stir until oats are completely covered in peanut butter mixture. Spread out oat mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 7 -8 minutes until granola is slightly browned. Let cool until granola is crunchy.

 

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/10-healthy-peanut-butter-recipes?page=2

Fruit Tacos With Chocolate Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 small papaya
• 1 mango
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries
• 2 kiwis
• Juice from one lime

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk all the ingredients to combine.

Add coconut oil, agave nectar and warm water to the bowl of dry ingredients.

Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until a large ball of dough forms.

Transfer the ball of dough to a floured work surface and knead the dough for five minutes, adding additional flour if the dough becomes too sticky to handle.

Cut the ball of dough in half and roll both pieces back into a ball. Continue to cut the balls of dough in half until you have 16 even pieces. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Transfer one ball of dough to a floured work surface and roll the dough into a circle that is one- quarter inch thick and about five inches in diameter.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Do not add oil to the pan because the tortillas need to be cooked on a dry surface. Once the skillet is hot, add the rolled out dough and cook for 30 seconds.

Flip the tortilla and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat until all of the dough has been used and you have 16 cooked tortillas. Transfer the tortillas to a plate lined with a damp paper towel.

Wash all the fruit for the fruit salad. Measure blueberries, chop strawberries, peel and dice kiwis, dice mango, remove the seeds from papaya and peel the skin. Dice the papaya into bite-sized pieces and place all of the fruit in a dish. Drizzle the fruit with the juice of the lime.

To serve, place one chocolate tortilla on a serving plate.

Add a handful of blueberries, several pieces of diced kiwi, a few pieces of chopped mango, several pieces of diced papaya and a handful of strawberries to the center of one chocolate tortilla.

Top the fruit with additional toppings of your choice. Chocolate sauce, shredded coconut, fresh mint and honey all work wonderfully.

http://www.quickneasyrecipes.net/fruit-tacos-with-chocolate-tortillas/

Recipe from: sheknows
Photo from: recipebyphoto

Orange Creamsicle Summer Fruit Dip

1 8 oz container whipped topping, 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 6 oz container of frozen (concentrated) orange juice.

 

http://www.madiganmade.com/2011/04/orange-creamsicle-summer-fruit-dip.html

Apple Crunch

 

Get crunchy with lunch!  Mix up Fat Free granola and Reduced Fat peanut butter and spread between two thick apple slices for a hearty, fruity sandwich.

www.aestheticgeneration.com

 

Energy Foods

I couldn't get this to show up any larger.
Go to the following website, and you'll be able to read it easier.

http://www.weightlossfoodlist.com/energy-foods-infographic.html


 

Tator Tot Casserole

1-2 Pounds X-tra Lean Ground Turkey
1 Can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
Low Fat Shredded Cheese
Cooking Spray

Brown Ground Turkey
Add Soup
Put in Cooking Sprayed Casserole Dish 9 x13
Top with Cheese
Cover with Tator Tots
Cook 15 minutes at 375 Degrees
Add cheese on top, and cook 5 more minutes
Let rest 5 minutes
 

Try Harder

Timothy And Cousin Ashley

 

 

 

Photos by Ashley J. Rumsey

 

On their way to drop Elder Rumsey off at the MTC ~ Ashley picked him up from the airport in SLC, Utah, and took him to the Provo MTC.