Gluten Free & God Seeking

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Heritage's Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie


Winter comfort food.  What are your favorites?  I like shepherd's pie because it is so versatile.  A few weeks ago I even made it vegetarian, and it was still good.  Well I guess anything smothered with cheese tastes good.

This recipe comes from my Heritage School cookbook from my first teaching job.  I made some adjustments to it like adding garlic, switching out the tomato paste for tomato sauce, and adding Worcestershire sauce.  Have fun with this basic recipe!

Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie 

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)   Chop up 1 small onion
(2)  Chop up 1/2 of a green pepper
(3)  Mince 2 cloves of garlic
(4)  Scrub 6-8 medium size potatoes

2.  Cook the potatoes until tender.  Drain the potato water into a cup.  Add 2 T of butter and mash, then add 3/4-1 cup of milk, 1 1/2 tsp.of salt,  and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper and mash until just right.

3. Prepare filling:
(1)  Brown 1 pound of hamburger meat
(2)  Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
(3)  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
(4)  Add 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of diced whole tomatoes
(5)  Stir in seasonings:  1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of black pepper, 1/2 tsp. of oregano, 1/2 T of brown sugar, and 1 T of Worcestershire sauce.
(6)  Taste and adjust seasonings
(7)  Add 2 can of drained green beans.

4.  Bake:  Pour the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and mound with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 - 1/2 cups of grated cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 335 for 30 minutes.

List of beef recipes on this blog:

Gluten Free French Dip Sandwiches  (An Internet search)
Marilyn's No Peeking Beef Stew    (My mother-in-law's recipe)
My Mom's Amazing Gluten Free Spaghetti  (My mom's fantastic spaghetti)
Fantastic Gluten Free Carne Asada    (An Internet search)
Acapulco Delight - a Mexican Enchilada  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)


Sunday, February 23, 2014

What is the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2?

    Last week I saw something I had not seen before about Colossians 1:25.  Did you catch in last week's post that the stewardship Paul received was to complete the word of God?  Have you ever thought about that phrase "complete the word of God?"  In Chapter 13 of the Life-Study of Colossians Witness Lee talks about what that means.

      First, he shares that Paul's completing the word of God involves two major mysteries--the mystery of God (Colossians 2:2) and the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4, 5:32).  I realized after I read a few of these chapters that God likes to unveil these mysteries to us!

Colossians 1:27 proves this:  To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.   

      And then I thought back over my own Christian life, and then I realized that these mysteries are not theories or doctrines like the excerpt below states but pivotal human experiences. Throughout his years of ministry, Witness Lee spoke again and again on this matter.  He was very burdened for this truth to be shared with all of the Lord's people. And I learned later that the mystery of God is seeing that Christ became the life-giving Spirit so that we could receive Him.  I liked his explanation of this on page 106:
As the mystery of God, Christ must be both the embodiment of God and the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17). All fundamental Christian teachers believe that Christ is the embodiment of God, but very few see that He is also the life-giving Spirit. In order for us to know Christ in reality as the embodiment of God, we need to experience Him as the life-giving Spirit.  Because the enemy
knows the crucial significance of this, he attacks this point intensely....The reality of Christ as the embodiment of God is in Christ as the life-giving Spirit (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Colossians. Anaheim:  Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).
     While I was considering these chapters in the Life-Study of Colossians, I realized that I didn't see the mystery of God all at once, but over a period of many, many years.  For me this revelation has brought added meaning to my Christian life.  It's not like salvation is a ticket, and it doesn't matter how you live.  Paul brings out in his epistles that all the believers need to grow and mature.  And this happens when we contact the Lord each day through things like prayer, reading the word, singing, and fellowshipping with others.  And this is ongoing because daily we need to enjoy and experience Christ as the life-giving Spirit.  

Blog Update 3-12-14:  Here is a beautiful song written by Howard Higashi--What Made You Lord Die For Me?.  And another gospel song that has touched me for years is My Wandering Days (this is song by the New York City Young People, and you can purchase this and other CDs from their website.)

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Colossians given in 1979 on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Colossians:

What is God's Will in Colossians 1:9?
What is the Stewardship of God in Colossians 1:25?
What is the Hope of Glory in Colossians 1:27?
What is the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2? (Part 1)
What is the Difference Between the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2 & the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?   (Part 2)
What is the Greatest Mystery?
What is God's Intention for Your Life?
From the Life-Study of Colossians - What Happens When We Pray?
How Does God Get the One New Man in Colossians 3:10?
What Does Colossians 2:7 Say About Spiritual Growth? (Part 1)
What is the Goal of Spiritual Growth in Colossians 2:19?  (Part 2)
What is Christ Doing at the Right Hand of God in Colossians 3:2?

Friday, February 21, 2014

Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken


With spring just around the corner, I'm starting to think of refreshing dinners like sweet and sour chicken.  This recipe is out of my daughter-in-law's family Cookbook. 

There were about four sweet and sour recipes, and this is a combination of them.   I don't usually do this, but I had fun adding different ingredients, tasting the sauce, and then adding something from another recipe to see how it tasted.  

This sauce is good! 



Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken 
For 6 to 8

1.  Prepare chicken:    Rinse 2 chicken breast, and cut into bite-sized pieces..

2.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Slice 1 onion in half and then into thin slices.
(2)  Slice 1 green and 1 red bell pepper into thin slices.
(3)  Slice 2-3 stalks of celery on the diagonal.
(4)  Scrub and slice 3 carrots on the diagonal.  Then steam them till almost tender.

2.  Meanwhile prepare sweet and sour sauce - In a bowl put:
(1)  Drain the syrup from a regular can of chunky pineapple into a measuring cup. Then add enough water to equal  1 1/2 cups.  Pour it into a bowl.
(2)  Then add 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 3 T gluten free tamari, 2 tsp. Better Than Chicken Bouillon, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce,  1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and stir until combined.  
(3)  Taste and make any adjustments.

3.  Stir-fry the chicken & make the sweet and sour chicken:  
(1)  Put 2 T of oil in a skillet and stir-fry the chicken for a few minutes.
(2)  When almost cooked, add the onion, celery,  and green pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
(3)  Add the sweet and sour sauce.  Then whisk together in a bowl 1/4 cup of rice flour with a bit of water and then add it to the pan to thicken the sauce
(4)  Add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes.
(5)  Taste and make any flavor adjustments.

Other Chinese recipes on this blog:
Note about Internet recipes:  For the past 5 years we've hosted international students. Whenever I've made something, they have tasted it, and given me recommendations to make it taste more authentic.  Most of these Internet recipes have been tweaked by their suggestions.

BEEF RECIPES:
Delicious Gluten Free Beef Broccoli Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
The Best Gluten Free Mongolian Beef Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Ginger Beef Stir Fry 
(Modification of Internet recipe)

CHICKEN RECIPES:
Gluten Free Chinese Almond Chicken Stir Fry   
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Amazing Gluten Free Chinese Cashew Chicken Stir Fry   
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Garlic Chicken Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Rose's Chinese Yellow Curry with Chicken & Vegetables  
(From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Gluten Free Chinese - Fantastic Soy Sauce Chicken  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Rose's Authentic Stir-Fried Chicken & Vegetables (Made Gluten Free!)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

TOFU RECIPES:

Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Orange "Beef" Tofu Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)

FISH RECIPES:
Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish with Stir-Fried Bok Choy  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry   
(Modification of Internet recipe)

NOODLES & RICE:

Gluten Free Chinese Fried Rice    (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry  
(Modification of Internet recipe)
The Cheung's Gluten Free Chow Mien  (My Bible study friend Rose taught me this)

SOUP RECIPES:
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Combination of Internet & Yingying a student from China)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup   (From my Syre School Cookbook)


SALAD RECIPES
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Rose's Refreshing Cucumber Salad  (From a Bible study friend)

Chinese Mandarin Salad & Thai Peanut Dressing   (Dressing is from my friend Judi)

Sunday, February 16, 2014

What is the Stewardship of God in Colossians 1:25?

     When I was a kid, flight attendants were called stewardesses.  Everyone loved stewardesses because they smiled and gave you things like balloons, flight pins, pop, and a snack or a meal.  Did you know that way back during Paul's day there were stewards who oversaw the food and household supplies of royal and wealthy families? 


    Paul uses this job to illustrate the stewardship that God has given to all of His believers.  This week I read some Life-Studies that talked about Colossians 1:25:

  Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me FOR you, to complete the word of God. Colossians 1:25


On page 90 of Chapter 11 of the Life-Study of Colossians Witness Lee talks about what this stewardship is:

"The desire of God's heart is to dispense Himself into man. This is the central point of the whole Bible. God's economy is to carry out the dispensing of Himself into man. We share in this economy through our stewardship, our ministry of dispensing the riches of Christ. After the riches of Christ have been dispensed into us, we need to take up the burden to dispense them into others....Day by day we need to fulfill our stewardship of by dispensing the Triune God into man" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Colossians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).

As members of the Lord's Body we all receive something special from Christ as the Head throughout the week that's given to us FOR others. Whenever we gather together, we can share that verse, song, or speaking to encourage our fellow believers. When we speak what we see in God's word to others, we are fulfilling our stewardship like Paul shares here in Colossians 1:25.   

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Colossians given in 1979 on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Colossians:

What is God's Will in Colossians 1:9?
What is the Stewardship of God in Colossians 1:25?
What is the Hope of Glory in Colossians 1:27?
What is the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2? (Part 1)
What is the Difference Between the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2 & the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?   (Part 2)
What is the Greatest Mystery?
What is God's Intention for Your Life?
From the Life-Study of Colossians - What Happens When We Pray?
How Does God Get the One New Man in Colossians 3:10?
What Does Colossians 2:7 Say About Spiritual Growth? (Part 1)
What is the Goal of Spiritual Growth in Colossians 2:19?  (Part 2)
What is Christ Doing at the Right Hand of God in Colossians 3:2?

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Rebecca's Favorite Gluten Free Chicken & Chile Enchiladas

  Sometimes you want a different kind of enchilada. This one is it!  I'm always on the look out for good Mexican recipes for my Saturday night dinners.  One of my Hispanic friends made this a few weeks ago, and I asked  her for the recipe. 

    Okay, I have to be honest and say I thought it was going to be a secret family recipe.  Then she gave me some cans of enchilada sauce and told me that was her recipe.  I've always been a little bit skeptical about the recipes on the backs of boxes and cans. Sometimes they look they're stretching it a bit--like they're really trying hard to  find a way to use their product.  


   Well, I've learned when you're gluten intolerant you've got to have an open mind when you're trying to figure out what to eat.  The only thing she did different was add olives to the top of the enchiladas. 

 Gluten Free Chicken & Chile Enchiladas

1.  Warm up corn tortilla shells:  Put 20 corn tortilla shells into aluminum foil and warm at 300 for about 15 minutes.

2.  Prepare chicken filling:
(1)  Poach 1 lb of chicken breast until it is no longer pink.

(2)  Then shred it apart with forks.
(3)  Stir in 8 oz of cream cheese and one 4.5 oz can of green chilies.

3.  Preparing enchiladas:

(1)  Spoon about 2 t of chicken filling down the middle of a corn tortilla and roll it up.
(2)  Lay seam side down in a 9 x 13 pan or you can use 2 different sizes like I did here.
(3)  Pour a 19 oz can of Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
(4)  Scatter sliced olives over the top.
(5)  Sprinkle 2-3 cups of Mexican cheese over the top of the enchiladas.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Other Mexican recipes on this blog:

Mexican Casseroles
Texas Style Gluten Free Stacked Enchiladas  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Acapulco Delight - A great Mexican Enchilada (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Michelle's Favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas   (From my daughter)
Kathy's Baked Chili & Chips Casserole  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole  (From an Internet search)
Fiesta Gluten Free Tamale Pie   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Authentic Chicken Enchiladas Verde  (From a church friend)
Rebecca's Favorite Chicken & Chile Enchiladas  (From a church friend)
Delores's Chicken & Tortilla Casserole (Made Gluten Free)  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Tacos, Chimichangas  & Etc.
Rachel Ray's Recipe for the Best Fish Tacos   (From Food Network)
Fantastic Baked Chimichangas  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Authentic Chicken Flautas  (My hispanic friend Abbie taught me how to make these!)
Delicious Chicken Fajitas  (A mix of many recipes)
Fabulous Vegetarian Gluten Free Fajitas   (From an Internet search)
Easy Gluten Free Baked Taquitos  (From a newspaper clip)

Beans & Rice
The Best Homemade Refried Beans  (From an Internet search)
Texas Pinto Beans & Rice  (From my Texas airport cookbook)

Mexican Chicken & Beef
Anna's Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Fantastic Gluten Free Carne Asada!  (From an Internet search--a combination of sites)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter's family)

Soups
Mexican Chicken Soup- A Great Remedy for Colds & Flu  (I got this over 25 years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (From a friend in Califiornia)
Southwest Turkey Soup   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Salads
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (My own version of something I ate in Seattle)
Mexican Salmon & Mango Salad  (Modification of a Betty Crocker recipe)

Sunday, February 9, 2014

What is God's Will in Colossians 1:9?

    Is the will of God only about us?  Does it only concern our job, our family, and what kind of house we buy?  We often seem to make the will of God all about us when it really centers on God Himself.

   Last week I started reading the Life-Study of Colossians, and in Chapter 3 Witness Lee shares on the apostle's prayer in Colossians 1:9-11 which opens with a verse on God's will. 

Therefore we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease  praying and asking on your behalf that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

    As I read through this chapter, I was reminded again what God's will is centered on:  
 The will of God is profound in relation to our knowing, experiencing, and living the all-inclusive Christ.  In verse 9 Paul was not praying that the Colossians would know whom to marry, where they live or what kind of job they should have.  His heart was not occupied with such trivial things.  In this verse God's will refers to Christ....God's will for the Colossians was to know Christ, to experience Christ, to live Christ and to have Christ become their life and their person.  God's will for us is exactly the same (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Colossians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry,  1979, Print).
      As we pray and open up all the major decisions of our lives to God, He can impress us with His desire and direction for us.  A few years ago I heard a message about God's will that touched me, and I wrote down a prayer this brother encouraged his listeners to pray--"Lord, do whatever You want.  Lord, do whatever is in Your heart and according to Your will concerning me."  

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Colossians given in 1979 on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  Program #3 is on the apostle's prayer in Colossians 1.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Colossians:

What is God's Will in Colossians 1:9?
What is the Stewardship of God in Colossians 1:25?
What is the Hope of Glory in Colossians 1:27?
What is the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2? (Part 1)
What is the Difference Between the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2 & the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?   (Part 2)
What is the Greatest Mystery?
What is God's Intention for Your Life?
From the Life-Study of Colossians - What Happens When We Pray?
How Does God Get the One New Man in Colossians 3:10?
What Does Colossians 2:7 Say About Spiritual Growth? (Part 1)
What is the Goal of Spiritual Growth in Colossians 2:19?  (Part 2)
What is Christ Doing at the Right Hand of God in Colossians 3:2?

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Jeannie's French Market Soup


   Soups are a mainstay during these cold winter days.  In these past weeks it's  freezing here.  And every week I've  enjoyed making a different kind of soup.  


    This week I tried a recipe a friend of mine gave me over 20 years ago.  French Market Soup is a unique combination of chicken, sausage, beans, and vegetables that tastes absolutely yummy!   What I like about this recipe is you can add a lot of your own touches to it--vegetables that need to be used up or some different spices. 





Jeannie's French Market Soup
 
1. Prepare beans - The night before: 
(1)   Put a 2 cup mix of pinto, navy, northern, lentils, split peas, black eyed peas, black, and red beans into a glass bowl and fill with water to about 1" above the beans.  
(2)  In the morning drain the water off the beans. 
 
2.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Chop 2 large onions.
(2)  Chop 2 stalks of celery.
(3)  Chop up 2 carrots.
(4)  Mince 2 cloves of garlic and 2-3 T of chopped parsley
(5)  Chop up 2 cups of spinach with the stems. (This is something I added to this recipe)
(6)  Put 2 T of oil into a skillet and sauté the vegetables about 5 minutes.
3.  In a crock pot put:
(1)  12 cups of water and 1 skinned 3 lb chicken
(2)  Two large cans of diced tomatoes
(3)  Add the drained beans that you soaked.
(4)  Then add the sautéed vegetables.
(5)  Stir in 1 T of salt and 1 t of black pepper.
(6)  During the last 1-2 hours add the chopped spinach, 3 links of sliced Amy's chicken sausage, and parsley.
(7)  Cook on low for 8-10 hours
(8)  Taste and make any seasoning adjustments.
Blog Update 12-4-14  I had some extra green beans, and so I chopped them up in smaller pieces and added them to the soup.

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes

Beef 
Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)
Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht  ( a Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry
This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)
Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A mom friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country-Style Lentil Soup   (From my heritage School cookbook)

Vegetable
Creamy Pumpkin Soup  (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food Network & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Garden Vegetable Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (From a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Adapted from our students)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

What's the Connection Between Forbearance and Anxiety in Philippians 4:5-6?

  Anxiety.  Or you could just call it stress.  It eats us up sometimes. No one is exempt from it. Family, kids, job, house, education, illness--you name it, everything causes it.  This past week I had my fair share of it--with job challenges, getting sick, house responsibilities, and doing taxes. And you undoubtedly had your own set of situations to deal with. 

Winter day at the marina.
    That's probably why this phrase "God's assignment" really caught my eye in chapter 60 of the Life-Study of Philippians: 
If we would have a life free of anxiety, we need to realize that all our circumstances, good or bad, have been assigned to us by God...We need to have this realization with a full assurance...If this brother has the full assurance that his circumstances come from God's assignment, he will be able to worship the Lord for His arrangement...All the sufferings we undergo are assigned to us by God for a positive purpose...Although God has assigned such sufferings, He has not assigned anxiety. After God made His assignment, Satan came in to cause anxiety through the sufferings assigned by God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Philippians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1981, Print).
So nothing's accidental. God assigned it.  And just like in winter time--there are cold, gray and drizzly days--especially here in Washington.  And in the closing chapters of this Life-Study of  Philippians,  Witness Lee points out that in Philippians 4:5-6 you see forbearance in verse 5 and anxiety in verse 6. The footnote in the Recovery Version says that forbearance is Christ and anxiety comes from Satan to disturb us from living Christ.  

What I got out of all this was when we receive the bountiful supply of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in Philippians 1:19, we get the life supply that swallows up anxiety. This made me think of John 6:63 where the Lord says  ...the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.   Stress can't eat us up when we spend time eating the words of life!

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Philippians given in 1980 on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  The commentary is excellent.