Gluten Free & God Seeking

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Grandma Pitcher's Family Favorite Baked Beans

     I can still remember the first time I had Grandma Pitcher's baked beans. The combination of  the mouth-watering flavors gave these beans an unforgettable taste  Maybe it was all that bacon. This is a family recipe that everyone has and loves to make for family get togethers. 

     Even though we had rain on Memorial Day this year,  we had an indoor picnic of hamburgers,  hot dogs, Grandma Pitcher's beans, and potato salad. This recipe is also a great fall meal to have with baked squash, cornbread, and apple sauce. 



Grandma Pitcher's Baked Beans

 1.  Prepare beans:
Note: Grandma's recipe calls for one 15 oz can of lima beans, one 15 oz can of kidney beans,  and a large can of pork and beans.  I wanted to try to make this recipe with dried beans. Down below you will see I added ketchup and other spices to the original sauce to take the place of the sauce in the can of pork and beans.
(1)  Soak 2 cups of navy beans and 1 cup of lima beans overnight  in water to cover.
(2)  In the morning drain and add enough water to go about 1-2" above the beans and  add 1 t of salt.  (3)  Cook on medium heat for about 2 hours until tender.

2.  Prepare veggies:
(1) Dice 1 large onion
(2)  Dice 1 green pepper

3.  Cook bacon & sauté veggies:
(1)  In a skillet fry up 6 slices of bacon.  Drain on a plate.
(2)  Add the vegetables to the grease and cook until tender.

4.  Prepare sauce - In a medium size mixing bowl put:
 If you use canned beans then add:   2 T molasses, 2 T brown sugar, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce, and 1 t dry mustard.  

 If you use dried beans then add:  1 - 1 1/2 cups ketchup, 1/6 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup molasses, 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar,  2 t dry mustard, and  2 t salt, 

5.  Combine ingredients:
(1)  Stir the sauce into the beans
(2) Then add the bacon and sautéed vegetables and stir.
(3)  Taste and adjust any seasonings.

 6.   Bake at 325 for 2 hours or put in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

List of Vegetarian Recipes on this Blog:

Pasta:
Oh So Good Gluten Free Vegetarian Italian Lasagna
Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese
Making Pad Thai With a Thai Student  (Omit the chicken)

Vegetables:
Cheese & Vegetable Enchiladas
Scalloped Potatoes
Amazing Vegetable Panang Curry
Make Your Own Thai Fresh Rolls

Quinoa:
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa
Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Tofu & Rice:
Gluten Free Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry
Fabulous Gluten Free Fried Rice

Beans & Legumes:
Grandma Pitcher's Family Favorite Baked Beans

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad

  A few years ago my half Italian son-in-law made his own version of a Greek salad for dinner.  The dressing often makes the salad, and that's especially true for a Greek salad like this.  By the way the balsamic and oil dressing that goes on this salad is also Jeremy's recipe.  The amount of vinegar in the dressing gives it just the right  bite, and I used some oregano I dried from my garden last year.  

   Last week when I made chicken souvlaki for gyros, I made this Greek salad to go with them along with some herbed rice. 

Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad

 1.  Prepare veggies:
(1)  Slice 1 red, yellow, and green bell pepper into thin about 2-3" strips
(2)  Slice 2 cucumbers in half moons
(3)  Chop up 1/2 of a red onion
(4)  Chop up 5-7 medium size tomatoes
(5)  Optional:  Put 1/2 - 1 cup kalamata olives

2.  Prepare Jeremy's balsamic dressing - In a 2 cup measuring cup put: 
(1)   1/4 cup balsamic vinegar + 2 T and 1/2 cup olive oil.
(2)   Seasonings:   2-3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. 
(3)  Taste and make any flavor adjustments. 
(4)  I usually double this and put it in a salad dressing jar, and use just what I need.  Everyone really like's Jeremy's salad dressing!

3.  Combining the ingredients: 
(1)  Place all the chopped vegetables into a salad bowl.
(2)  Stir in about 1 cup of feta cheese
(3)  Pour enough balsamic dressing over the vegetables to coat and then stir. 
(4)  Taste and make any adjustments--more balsamic? more salt or pepper? 
(5)  Put in the refrigerator and let marinate until ready to serve.

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)

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)
Red Quinoa, Black Bean, & Corn Salad  (A yummy recipe on the Trader Joe's bag of red quinoa)

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)

Fruit:
Grandma Marilyn's Frozen Fruit Salad  (My mother-in-law's recipe)
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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Reading the Life-Studies of Galatians: What is the Contrast Between the Law & Christ in the Book of Galatians?

      History gives perspective.  And this is also true for biblical history.  Its always helped me when Witness Lee would give in the opening messages of his Life-Studies a background of the book he was covering.  Last Friday I started reading chapter 3 of the Life-Study of Galatians, and in this book knowing the background really helps you understand why Paul’s so fired up.  

       Take a look at Galatians 1:6-7 which says,  I marvel that you are so quickly removing from Him who has called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another; only there are some who trouble you and desire to pervert the gospel of Christ.   Paul's talking about the Judaizers in these verses--people who went around teaching the new believers that it wasn’t good enough to just have faith in Christ but they also needed to follow the law.  

     

 This particular background gave Paul the opportunity in this Epistle to give a stark contrast between God’s Son and Judaism. So Paul opens up by telling the Galatians  that as a top Pharisee he persecuted the believers until the day the Son of God revealed was revealed to him on the road to Damascus (Gal 1:15-16).  And that caused him to ask the question, "Who are You, Lord?" (Acts 9:5). I heard a brother say once in a message  that through the rest of Paul's Christian life,  the Lord answered that question. 
     Paul wanted the Galatian believers to see who Christ is--He is not a doctrine or someone distant in the heavens, but He is a living Person who indwells all the believers. I like these excerpts from pages 22, 23, and 25 because they explain why there's such a stark contrast between Judaism and Christ:
  As the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16), Christ is far superior to Judaism and its traditions (Gal. 1:13-14). The Judaizers bewitched the Galatians so that they considered the ordinances of the law above the Son of the living God….In his experience, Paul realized that there is no comparison between the Son of the living God and Judaism with its dead traditions from his fathers….Therefore, what Paul preached was not the law, but Christ the Son of God….Instead of focusing his attention on this living Person, man has a natural tendency to direct his attention to religion with its tradition....The focal point of the Bible is not practices, doctrines, or ordinances—it is the living Person of the Son of God. (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Galatians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print.) 
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Delicious Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake

    Rhubarb is another sign of spring.  Years ago I had a rhubarb plant, and every spring I would make rhubarb pie and rhubarb sauce for my children.  Now it's a tradition, and so every spring I buy some rhubarb so I can make a pie or a crisp.  
This year I decided to try making a cake that I saw in my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook.  I made the necessary gluten free adjustments, and it came out great! 

 Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake

 1.  Prepare rhubarb:  
(1)  Rinse and dice up 3 cups of rhubarb.  (2)  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar (or a bit of agave if you're trying to reduce sugar) and toss.
 (3)  Let it sit while you're doing the rest of the cake preparation.  
(4) Drain off any excess liquid before you add to the cake batter later. 

2.  Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium sized mixing bowl put:
(1)  2/3 cup of rice flour, 2/3 cup of sorghum flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour, and 1/3 cup garbanzo flour. 
(2)  Add leavening:  Stir in 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

3.  Prepare liquid ingredients - in a  large sized mixing bowl put:
(1)  1 cup of softened butter (I put 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup of applesauce which works as a fat substitute in recipes.) and cream it with 1 1/4 cup of sugar.
(2)  Stir in 1 cup of sour cream and 2 eggs and beat together.

4.  Combine ingredients:  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.  Beat with a mixer for 3 minutes on high.


5.  Make cake topping: In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.  I'm sure this cake would be fine without it. 

6. Getting the cake ready for baking:
(1)   Spread half the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
(2)  Spread rhubarb over the batter.


 (3)  Spread last half of batter over the fruit.
(4)  Sprinkle topping over the batter.

7.  Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes.  
Other Gluten Free Baking & Desserts on This Blog:

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)


Cakes:
Gluten Free German Apple Cake   (From my grandmother)
You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free Carrot Cake (From my daughter's husband's grandma--whew)
Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake    (From a church friend)
Judi's Gluten Free Orange Chiffon Cake    (From a church friend)
Marilyn's Spectacular Gluten Free Oatmeal Cake   (My mother-in-law's specialty!)
The Best Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Delicious Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake   (From my grandmother)
Rosie's Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Overwhelmed By Your Bumper Crop of Zucchini? Try Claudia's Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake!   (From my former neighbor Claudia of 12 years)
Decadent & Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Debbie's Delicious Hot Water GF Chocolate Cake   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Debbie's Less Oil Carrot Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Cookies:
The Ultimate Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Mom's Go To For Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies    (From a church friend)
Mark's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made Gluten Free!   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Bebe's Gluten Free Whoopie Pies  (From my friend Debbie)
Gluten Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons  - (Recipe on Baker's bag of coconut)
Dale's Gingersnaps Made Gluten Free  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Chewy Gluten Free Molasses Cookies (From my daughter-in-law's Family Reunion Cookbook)
Janah's Oatmeal Cookies with a GF Spin  (My daughter's recipe)
Homemade Gluten Free Butter Cookies   (From My Heritage School Cookbook)
An Old Fashioned Favorite Made GF - Hermit Cookies- Hermit Cookies  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A New Twist on Holiday Peppermint Cookies (You can make them Gluten Free) - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits   (My friend Judi's sister's recipe)

Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother. She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie    (From a church friend)
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)
Simple & Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie   (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Judi's No Fail Gluten Free Pie Crust    (From my friend Judi)

Desserts with Fruit:
Sensational Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake   (From the back of Costco's organic sugar)
Terrific Gluten Free Strawberry & Peach Trifle  (Modified from an Internet search)
My Favorite Gluten Free Strawberry Cheesecake (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Just Like Grandma's (But Only Gluten Free) Berry Cobbler (My husband's grandma's recipe)
Gluten Free Lemony Rhubarb Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Old Fashioned Strawberry Buckle (Made Gluten Free)   (A recipe I picked up from a berry farm)
From New Zealand - Triple Berry Pavlova  (A friend's recipe - Heritage School Cookbook)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies  (Modified from back of the Libby's pumpkin can)
My Family's Favorite Gingerbread Cookies (Now Made Gluten Free!)  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies  (From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie   (With extra spice-- from back of Libby's pumpkin can)
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake   (From back of cream cheese box)
Gluten Free Polish Fruitcake  ( Modified from Internet search)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Nordy Bars  ( From my Syre School Cookbook)
Grandma Pitcher's Old Fashioned Sandies (Made Gluten Free)  (My husband's grandma)
Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Fruitcake    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Homemade Gluten Free Butter Cookies  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Muffins:
My Favorite Banana Nut Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Toni's Outrageous Gluten Free Corn Muffins    (From back of a Bob's Red Mill package)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Puddings & Ice Cream: 
Dairy Free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (And other ice cream favorites!) (From searches)
Baked Coconut Pudding   (Something I worked out from my Aunt Sue's rice pudding recipe)

Tangy Lemon Pudding   (From my daughter-in-laws family reunion cookbook)


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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Why Didn't the Lord Remove Paul's Thorn in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9?

      Here’s my favorite definition of grace:  "Grace is the Triune God doing everything, being everything, and giving everything to us in the way of enjoyment."   This must be the grace God wanted Paul to know in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9: 
"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan,...Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness...."   

      During the last two weeks I heard two different messages on grace, and then a few days ago I read the Life-Study that covers 2 Corinthians 12 about Paul's thorn.  The first message I heard was from a conference that  was posted online.  What helped me was hearing that it's up to God if the thorn will be removed or not. The big question is if He doesn't remove it, then what will we do?  Will this harden our heart, or will this cause us to pray, Lord, I need Your grace today. I've heard this message a few times, and I would like to share the link to it because it was so good:  Message 4 – Experiencing and Enjoying the Processed and Consummated Triune God as Grace for the Building Up of the Body of Christ 

  Then I heard  a message through our webcast subscription on Living Stream Ministry’s website. Guess what?  It was on the same subject!  This  brother spoke on Paul's asking the Lord three times to remove the thorn.  Here's a part that spoke volumes to me: 
... He wasn’t a hero, he prayed for the thorn to be removed, no answer. He prayed again for the thorn to be removed, silence.  And according to the principle of praying three times, he prayed again and then the answer came, "My grace is sufficient for you"-- that’s the discovery, "for you." ...The pain is too piercing, this is beyond what you can bear as a human, your only recourse is to contact God, and He’s silent.  But eventually He breaks the silence and says, "My grace is sufficient for you."  
And here's the excerpt from the  Life Study of 2 Corinthians Chapter 55, page 488 on this verse that soothed my aching heart:
“Sufferings and trials are often the Lord’s ordination for us, that we may experience Christ as grace and power.  For this reason, the Lord would not remove the thorn from the apostle as he entreated...The Lord answered Paul’s prayer, but not according to Paul’s way....The Lord seemed to say, '…Paul, My grace is sufficient for you.  Don’t ask Me to take away the thorn….
  But I shall grace you and support you so that you may be able to bear this suffering.  Also, in your experience, My grace will become power made perfect in weakness.  The thorn exposes your weakness.  Without it, you would not realize how weak you are.  Now you need Me to be your grace.  In your experience,  My grace will become power tabernacling over you’” (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 2 Corinthians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1982, Print). 
I realized after reading this message that the Lord had also given me these three messages to remind me that His grace IS sufficient for me!!  And I needed that word; and it has come back to comfort me over and over since then. 

 Here's a link so you can listen to any of the programs on the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee that are on the book of  1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.

Other Blogs on the Life Study of 1 & 2 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians:
How did the Lord Solve the Problem Among the Believers in 1 Corinthians?
The Fellowship of the Believers in 1 Corinthians 1:9
What is God's Farm in 1 Corinthians 3:9?
What is God's Building in 1 Corinthians 3:9?
From the Life-Study of 1 Corinthians - How Do the Believers Build With Gold, Silver, & Precious Stones in 1 Corinthians 3:12?
Seeing the Revelation of the Body in 1 Corinthians 12
How Did the Early Believers Meet in 1 Corinthians 14:26?

2 Corinthians:

How Can You Be Like A Letter of Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:2?

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