Sensational Souvlaki Salad aka Another Way to Eat a Gyro!

 A lot of people are trying to reduce carbs.  I'm always thinking of gluten free recipes.  This summer I took my son-in-law's yummy souvlaki recipe to another level. 

 I did have some pitas available for people who wanted them. So many amazing flavors come together in this Greek salad!  

                      

 Souvlaki Salad

1.  Prepare chicken souvlaki:
(1)  Rinse chicken and put into a plastic Ziploc bag.
(2)  Prepare marinade: This is my son-in-law's marinade: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. 
(3)  Grill or cook in 2 T of oil in a cast iron skillet.
(4)  Put in a serving dish.

3.  Meanwhile prepare vegetables - Put in a compartmentalized serving tray:
(1)  Chop up 1 red pepper.
(2)  Slice 3-4 or green onions.
(3)  Chop up 2-3 tomatoes.
(4)  Chop up 1 cucumber,
(5)  Feta cheese

4.  Prepare lettuce and put in a serving bowl.

5.  Make some tzatziki sauce: 
(1)  Toss 1/2 cup of grated cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
(2)  Ina small bowl put 1 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 T lemon juice, 1/2 T rice vinegar, 1 tsp. dried dill (or 1 T fresh) and 1 tsp. olive oil.
(3)  Mince 1 clove of garlic.
(4)  Squeeze all the juice out of the cucumber, then stir it into the yogurt mixture.  Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt an 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
(5)  Put in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Let everyone assemble their salads.

Why is God's House Important in Psalm 25-41?

    The history of the Jews is centered on both the tabernacle and the temple. Back in the book of Genesis God spoke individually to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and several others. But after bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt in during the exodus, God gave Moses instructions on building a tabernacle so that He could finally dwell among  His people and speak to them.

When I read the Life-Study of Exodus, I learned that the tabernacle was like a tent that didn't look like much on the outside with its red porpoise skin and other layers, but inside were wooden boards overlaid with gold and beautifully embroidered curtains. You can see here again that God's not about the outward appearance of things but the inward content.

    
   For the 40 years of their wilderness journey all the children of Israel's living, service, and worship were centered around this tabernacle.  When they entered into the land of Canaan, the Israelites set up the tabernacle first in Gilgal and then in Shiloh.  But something happened when David became king.  

   When King David had his palace built, his heart was troubled that God still dwelt in a house made of curtains (see 2 Samuel 7). He wanted to make God a permanent dwelling place. God let him know that his son Solomon would actually build this temple; so David spent many years gathering and preparing all the necessary materials.  In chapter 12 of the Life-Study of Psalms and on page 151 I really liked Witness Lee 's explanation of why the tabernacle and temple were so important to God: 

"We have to realize that God is located!  On the one hand, He is not a wandering God, but on the other hand, He is omnipresent, He is everywhere. Thus, He is the universal God, yet the universal God today is located! The house in which we live has an address, which indicates that we are located. People can write us letters if they know our street address and the city in which we live....In Psalms 25-41 we can see the location of God. This location is also mentioned in the foregoing psalms. The universal God is located in His house, His dwelling place" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

     And all of this reminded me of what I learned from the Life-Study of Ephesians that all the believers are  being built together into a spiritual dwelling place (Ephesians 2:22).  Many of the psalms on God's house touch my heart, especially the one below that expresses David's earnest desire and love of spending time with God in His house.
     

One thing I have asked from Jehovah;

That do I seek:

 To dwell in the house of Jehovah

All the days of my life,

To behold the loveliness of Jehovah,

And to inquire in His temple.   Psalm 27:4

  
  You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.


Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119?

My Grandma's Pennsylvania Apple Bread

For me fall means crisp, sunny days, golden, red, and orange leaves, and  apples.  I have gotten bags of apples from my neighbors that I made into applesauce, apple crisps, and apple cake.  I still have lots of apples in my fridge, and so a few weeks ago I decided to make my grandmother's apple bread. I remember my grandma's huge crab apple tree that  stood near the lane of my grandmother's house.  When we helped her pick apples, she made delicious applesauce, pies, and apple butter. I've tried to follow a lot of her fall traditions.  I'm sure you'll like it!

My Grandma's Pennsylvania Apple Bread

1.  Bowl #1:  Cream together 1/2 cup of coconut oil or butter (I used 1/2 cup of olive oil and it came out great!) with 1 cup of sugar (I always reduce sugar a bit).

2.  Bowl #2:  Put 4 T of sour milk or buttermilk into a small dish and mix with 1 teaspoon of soda.

3. Bowl #3:  Beat 2 eggs and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

4.  Bowl #4: In a bowl put 2/3 cup each of rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

5.  Bowl #5:  Dice 2 cups of apples.

6.  Take the contents of bowl #2 the sour milk/buttermilk and add it to Bowl #1 the sugar mixture. Then mix in the contents of bowl #3 the eggs and vanilla.

7.  Stir in the contents of bowl #4 the flour mixture until combined and then fold in the diced apples in bowl #5 and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

8.  Put into a greased loaf pan. 

9.  Optional topping:  2 T of rice flour, 2 T of brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 T of melted butter.

10.  Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes (I always check 5 minutes early) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Breads & Coffee Cakes: Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread  (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From a former neighbor)
Here's a Zucchini Bread with a Hawaiian Twist! Gluten Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Dot's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread   (From my father's friend)

Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2

   Who would have thought that Psalm 23 reveals 5 stages of the Lord's shepherding?  I know I didn't see it. In this post I'm continuing looking at these stages.  It amazed me to read that all these stages are both progressive and continual. Someone asked on the last post for some more elaboration, and so I am putting first Witness Lee's overview  of these stages on page 139 of chapter 11 of the Life-Study of Psalms:



my grandkids at a nearby park

This psalm also tells us that Christ's shepherding of us is in five stages. The first stage is of the pastures and the waters of rest (v. 2)....The second stage is the stage of the paths of righteousness (v. 3). The paths of righteousness indicate our walk. After we enjoy Christ, are filled up with Christ, and are nourished by Christ, we walk on the paths of righteousness. The third stage is the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4). The valley, the shadow, and death are not pleasant. Christ's shepherding leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The fourth stage is the battlefield (v. 5), where we are fighting against the adversaries. At the battlefield a table, a feast, is spread for us. Finally, the last stage is to dwell in the house of God all the days of our life (v. 6)" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

      The 4th stage may sound a bit strange. After knowing the Lord in the valley, it  all of a sudden says God spreads a table before us in the presence of our enemies. When I read this, it made me think about Ephesians 6 and how the Lord equips the Body with the heavenly armor to stand against His enemy. 

    When we're at this stage, the Lord begins to show us that every day we're in a spiritual warfare, and  the Lord shepherds us to fight the battle with Him. I've realized that every day this battle starts as soon as my alarm clock goes off! 

      I was really touched with the 5th stage of the Lord's shepherding that brings us to dwell in His house. In Psalm 23:6  David proclaims "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  The New Testament tells us that all the believers make up God's house.

  I didn't see before that God's shepherding has a destination and it's God's dwelling place.  Wow!  To think that all of this is pictured in Psalm 23!! That's why I like to read these Life-Studies on the Bible.





 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website. 

Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119

I Can Make It Gluten Free From Scratch! - Yummy Pulled Chicken Sliders

I'm always on the look out for a delicious, easy to make weekend meal.  These  pulled chicken sliders will have your family asking for more!  When my husband was helping a friend paint their house this summer, I put all of this in my crock and brought it over for dinner. Cole slaw, watermelon,  and potato chips make this a perfect Saturday supper. 

I modified this sauce recipe when I made it last year, and sorry I don't remember where my daughter got that initial recipe. I really like making sauces from scratch!!  For this recipe I used Trader Joe's chicken breast tenderloins, and one 2.5 bag was enough for 5 people and 3 of them were ravenous hard-working men!! And I still had enough for leftovers. 


 

Pulled Chicken Sliders

1.  Rinse 2.5 pounds of Trader Joe's chicken breast tenderloins.

2.  Chop 1 onion and 1/2 of a large bell pepper.

3.  Put the chicken tenderloins into a crock pot.  Put the chopped vegetables on top and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.  Drain off all the liquid.

4.  Meanwhile prepare this amazing from scratch sauce - In a bowl put: (cover until needed)
(1)  1 1/2 cups of ketchup
(2)  1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
(3)  1/4 cup of agave syrup and 1/3 cup of brown sugar
(4) 1 T g-f Worcestershire sauce, 1 T of Dijon mustard.
(5)  Mince 1 clove of garlic
(6) 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

5.  After draining the liquid off the chicken, pour the sauce over the top of the chicken and let the chicken cook for 4 to 5 hours on low. 

6.  Use a fork and shred the chicken.  Mix until all the chicken is covered with sauce. 

7.  Taste and make any adjustments. (I love it the way it is!)


These sliders are delicious with a bit of KFC Copycat Cole Slaw on top.

List of other chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my friend Rose)
The Real Deal GF Teriyaki Chicken  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Soy Sauce Chicken   (Modified from Internet search)
Tasty Gluten Free Filipino Chicken Adobo  (Modified from Internet search)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (From me!)

Italian & Greek:
Chicken Souvlaki   (Marinade for chicken from my son-in-law)
Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore With Peppers & Mushrooms  (Modified from my mother-in-law)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken
Delicious Chicken Florentine Lasagna  (From my church cookbook)

Mexican:
Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter's family)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)

American Favorites:
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken   (From my sister-in-law)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken  (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken - (From my  church Come & Dine cookbook)
Saucy Chicken 
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce   -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Summery Lemon Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

BBQ:
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Amazing BBQ Chicken    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Blackberry BBQ Chicken - A Tasty Sauce You'll Have to Try! (Off a package of blackberries)
Ray's BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Jeremy's Original BBQ Rub For Thighs  (My son's very own concoction!)

Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2

     The 23rd Psalm is famous.  Most people either have heard it or can recite it from heart. I heard this psalm in Sunday School when I was in 1st or 2nd grade.  For most of my life this psalm just conjured up pictures of a kind shepherd leading his flock through lush green pastures to a pristine lake.  That's all I would still be thinking if it weren't for chapter 11 of the Life-Study of Psalms.  I learned from reading this chapter that all the imagery of this psalm actually depicts five stages of the Lord's shepherding us. Who would have thought?!

     In the first two verses of this psalm  I learned that the contented sheep signify the 1st stage of the Lord's shepherding that occurred when we first got saved.  Instead of feeding on the dry stubble in the world, we are now feasting on the rich pastures in God's word and drinking the refreshing life-giving water of the Spirit. What a difference! 
 
     In verse 3 David speaks of the shepherd restoring our soul and guiding us on the paths of righteousness; this is the 2nd stage of the Lord's shepherding. This causes me to picture a shepherd using the crook of his staff to bring back any wayward sheep on the path.  In this section Witness Lee says to restore is to revive, renew and transform. 

    So this showed me that in this stage the Lord's shepherding is more personal.  I've found that as I'm feeding on the word and drinking the Spirit every day, the Lord within me will point things out that are taking me off the path of righteousness. 

     I learned from reading the Life-Study of Matthew that righteousness means being right with God and man. Like you I'm not always right with God or people in my life.  Inside my heart the Lord kindly reproves me, and that's His way of correcting me so I can return to the path of righteousness. 

      The 3rd stage of the Lord's shepherding of us is seen in Psalm 23:4 where David talks about walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  This includes all the sorrows that are part of our Christian journey. I got a lot of help from brother Lee's fellowship on pages 144-145  about knowing the Lord's shepherding in the valley:

 When we are in the valley, the best way for us to deal with it is to rest.  The tests in the valley always tempt us to do something so that we can come out of the valley.  But the more we do, the more the valley extends. We just need to be quiet, to rest.  Our resting in the Lord will shorten the valley, reduce the shadow, and remove the death. We should not talk about our being in the valley. The more we talk, the wider the valley becomes. The best way is for us to forget that we are in the valley, because we have the Lord with us. We do not fear evil, because He is with us....If we have had the proper experience in the valley, we can testify that it was a place for us to enjoy the Lord's presence in such a close way (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

        Through such beautiful imagery, David leads us through all the stages he had experienced of the Lord's shepherding him. Every day we can know Him a little more as our shepherd!   Next time I'll post  the last two stages of the Lord's shepherding.
 
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.


Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119?
  

Take Off the Heat With A Carne Asada Salad

     I love to cook, but I'm not like one of those geniuses in the kitchen that comes up with their own recipes.  With the summer heat, I had to think of ways to not use the oven. My salad garden was going bonkers, so I had loads of lettuce and kale.  To solve that problem,  I made  a lot of  main dish salads. When my husband was helping a friend work on their new house, I offered to make some dinners. 

     I had purchased some grass fed beef; so I thought about using my carne asada recipe, which by the way is a mix of three recipes I came across on the Internet.  I pulled a little bit from each and wa-la came up with an amazing marinade.   Then I thought I'd put some fun choices together so everyone could build their own salad.  It was a  definite hit!

CARNE ASADA SALAD

1.  Prepare meat: 
(1)  Rinse 1.5 pounds of flank steak or something else you'd like to use.
(2)  Marinade -1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar,  1/4 cup lime juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
(3)  Refrigerate for 4- 6 + hours.
(4)  Grill or cook it in a cast iron pan. Cut in strips.

2.  Prepare quinoa - Put 2 cups of water into a small saucepan with 1 cup of quinoa and cook according to package directions.

3.  Prepare vegetables - Put in a compartmentalized serving tray:
(1)  1 chopped red pepper
(2)  2-3 chopped tomatoes
(3)  3-4 sliced green onions
(4)  Quinoa
(5)  Drained canned corn
(6)  Chopped avocados

Serve with tortilla chips and ranch dressing

List of Other Salads on this Blog:

Greens/cabbage:
Make it Yourself Thai Peanut Dressing for Mandarin Salad  (My friend Judi's recipe)
KFC Copycat Cole Slaw   (A friend shared this with me)
Belizean Coleslaw    (From Internet search)
Antioxidant Rich Kale Super Salad  (A copycat from a deli, dressing from Syre School Cookbook)

Main Dish Salads
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (A remake from something I ate at a restaurant)

Mexican Grilled Salmon & Mango Salad   (From a Betty Crocker summer cookbook)
Jackson Square Shrimp Salad   (From my Syre School cookbook)
A Northwest Salad Favorite - Cobb Salad with Blackened Salmon & Shrimp

Pasta & Quinoa:
Tasty Gluten Free Pasta Salad  (Something I picked up over 20 years ago!)
Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad Bowls   (From an Internet search)
Michelle's Greek Quinoa Salad   (My foodie daughter's own delicious creation!)
 Another Great Salad with Quinoa - Janah's  Original Quinoa, Cranberry & Feta Salad  (a recipe my daughter came up with)

Vegetable:
Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad   (My son-in-law's recipe)

Grandma's Perfect Potato Salad   (Family recipe)
Rose's Refreshing Cucumber Salad   (From a Chinese friend)
A Great BBQ side Salad - Curried Pea Salad  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Dot's Easy Bean Salad  (Recipe from an  83 yr old friend of my father's)
A Great Summer Side - Broccoli Salad  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Fruit:
Grandma Marilyn's Frozen Fruit Salad  (My mother-in-law's recipe)