Another Great Salad with Quinoa- Janah's Original Quinoa, Cranberry & Feta Salad

This summer  my daughter Janah came up with her very own original quinoa salad.  She's very creative in the kitchen, and she's  they're always coming up with a twist on some recipe. 

 The Lighthouse poppy seed dressing really ties all the flavors together.  She made this salad last weekend to go along with some tilapia and  yams.  I've also included some homemade poppy seed dressing recipes that go well with it.

Janah's Quinoa, Cranberry & Feta Salad

1.  Prepare quinoa:  

(1)  Cook 2 cups of quinoa according to package directions.
(2)  Put the quinoa into a shallow salad bowl to cool completely.

2.  Prepare fruit & nuts:
(1)  Coarsely chop up 1-2 apples.
(2)  Chop 1/4 cup of walnuts.

(3)  Measure 1/2- 3/4 cup of dried cranberries.

3.  Assemble salad:
(1)  Add the chopped apple, cranberries, and walnuts to the quinoa and stir.
(2)  Pour 1 bottle of Lighthouse Poppy seed dressing (or make 1 1/2 cups of your own poppy seed dressing) over the salad and stir to thoroughly combine.

Seasonal variations:  Janah told me this salad easily switches to the season.  In the summer she suggests using raspberries and mango.

Make Your Own Poppy Seed Dressing

Recipe # 1:  This recipe comes from my Syre School Cookbook

Put in a salad dressing jar and then shake:

(1)  1/2 cup of olive oil  and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. 

(2)   1/3 cup sugar (recipe calls for 1/2 cup!)

(3)  Then stir in 1 tsp. poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp. paprika.

Recipe #2:  This poppy seed dressing comes from my Heritage School Cookbook

Put in a salad dressing jar and then shake:

(1)  3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup grapefruit juice

(2)  Then add 1/2 tsp.salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. sugar, and  1/2 tsp.  poppy seeds.

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  (Copycat deli salad; orange dressing from my Syre Cookbook)

Main Dish  Poultry/FIsh 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)
A Great Way to Make a Main Dish Salad Out of Your Garden Veggies - Nicoise Salmon Salad  (From my Heritage 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   (Something my daughter came up with!)
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)

How Does God Get the Living Stones in 1 Peter 2:5?

    Can you believe that wood can become stone?  If you've ever been to a petrified forest, you know it's true.  Now can you believe that God is actually doing the same thing spiritually in you?  He is transforming your fallen, wooden nature into a precious stone. We know this is true because Peter boldly proclaims this in 1 Peter 2:5:

You yourselves also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

      In chapter 18 of the Life-Study of 1 Peter Witness Lee shares how God made us all of clay--the name Adam even means red clay. Then when we were regenerated, the Bible tells us in Romans 8:16 God's divine life entered into our spirit.  Now as God's life gradually grows within us, it changes us bit by bit from clay to living stone.

      But it doesn't stop there because in this verse Peter connects our transformation into stone to God's spiritual house.  Brother Lee mentions here that Peter was probably recalling how the Lord changed his name from Simon to Peter, which means stone. And then he must have thought a lot about the Lord's word to Him recorded in Matthew 16:18.

  God is working on us because His goal is to have a spiritual house, which is the church. Often when brother Lee would speak about transformation, he would use the illustration of petrified wood to help his audience understand this process better. I have been to two petrified forests (the one in Arizona and the one in Eastern Washington), and if I hadn't seen entire logs turned to stone, it would be hard for me to believe that this could really happen.

On pages 152-154 he shares about how our transformation is similar to wood being petrified:

 This is a petrified log my brother saw in Northern Arizona.

 In Arizona there is a place called the petrified forest, an area that contains much petrified wood.  Over a long period of time, water has been flowing over wood and through it.  By means of this flow of water, the substance of the wood is changed into stone. On the one hand, the element of wood is carried way; on the other hand, the element of stone is brought in to replace the element of wood. In this way the wood becomes stone. 

The principle is the same with our experience of transformation. If we long for the milk of the word, this milk will be like a current of living water flowing within us. As we stay in this flow, the current will carry away our natural substance and replace it with heavenly, divine minerals.... Gradually, over a period of time, we shall be transformed or "petrified"; that is, we shall become precious stone.... Transformation cannot take place overnight. The petrified wood in Arizona required a very long time to be changed from wood into stone....God's goal in the believers is to have a house built up with living stones (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 1 Peter. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1982, Print).

I'm thankful for seeing how drinking the milk of the word  causes transformation for God's building!  

I like to listen to the Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee while I'm cooking or typing. You can listen to live excerpts of these messages that were given in 1982 along with some outstanding commentary. 

What is the Sanctification of the Spirit in 1 Peter 1:2?
What is Obedience to the Truth in 1 Peter 1:22?
How Do Believers Grow According to 1 Peter 2:2?
How Does God Get the Living Stones in 1 Peter 2:5?
What Does 1 Peter 4:1-2 Say About Sufferings?
Why Does 1 Peter 4:17 Talk About God's Judgment?
What Does Partaking of the Divine Nature Mean in 2 Peter 1:4?
How Does the Prophetic Word in 2 Peter 1:19 Prepare Us For the Lord's Coming?

Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Gluten Free Fruitcake

Growing up we began our own tradition of making a fruitcake each year.  Everything got dumped into our giant bamboo salad bowl. We cracked and chopped black walnuts  and other nuts I can't remember.  My father was a big nut fan. Then we dumped in raisins, dates, and all kinds of containers of candied fruit--citron, pineapple, and cherries (which were my favorite).  Each one of us kids had a special job to make that fruitcake.  


When my kids were young, I made that fruitcake hoping it would become our family tradition. Hardly, after trying it the first time, I ate most of it!   So for many years I haven't made it at all. A few years ago I tried a Polish fruitcake when we hosted a student from Poland. 

This year I wanted to make it again. So when I visited my father in Arizona, I brought back some oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.  And instead of tossing those organic peels, I soaked them in sugar and then stuck them  in my dehydrator so I could make fruitcake.

  I used a recipe  from my Heritage School Cookbook, and I added some extra things from another cookbook that reminded me of how our family used to make it.

Don't worry about strictly following  this recipe.  Some of the things I didn't have exact amounts of or some I didn't even have at all,so I substituted other things.

Gluten Free Fruit Cake

1.  Prepare dry ingredients - Put in a medium-sized bowl:  
(1)  1 cup of white rice flour, 1 cup of sorghum flour, and 1 cup of tapioca flour
(2) Stir in 2 t of baking powder, 2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t nutmeg, 1/2 t cloves, 1/2 t allspice (I used pumpkin pie spice), and 1 t salt.

2. Prepare  candied fruit and nuts - In a large bowl put:
(1)  2 1/2 cups of candied orange/lemon/grapefruit peels 
(2)  1 1/2 - 2 cups of raisins, and  1 1/2  cups of yellow raisins.
(3)  1 1/2 cups of chopped dates.
(4)  Optional:  Add 1 1/2 cups of candied cherries (because  I try to avoid red dye, I omitted)
(5)  Chop 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of pecans.   (I just used all walnuts today)

3.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the candied fruits and nut and stir till completely coated.

4.  Prepare liquid ingredients - In a medium-sized bowl put:
(1)  4 eggs and beat them until foamy.
(2)  Then slowly add 1 cup of brown sugar  (recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups) and beat about 1-2 minutes.
(3)  Then add 1 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of molasses, and  1/2 cup of olive oil (recipe calls for  3/4 cup  melted butter--you decide). 
(4)  Add to the fruits and nuts and stir to combine. 

5.  Prepare pans:  
(1)  Grease one regular size loaf pan and 3 mini loaf pans or any combination or pans. 
(2)  Then cut parchment to fit and line the bottoms.  
(3)  Fill each pan 3/4 of the way full.

6.  Baking:
(1)  Bake at 300--the small loaf pans will need about 45-50 minutes.  check at 45 minutes.  (2)  The larger loaf an needs 1 1/2 hours--but adjust the timing according to your oven.  Mine was done in about 70 minutes.  
(3)  Cool for 1 hour
(4)  Cover with foil and allow to cool thoroughly.
(5)  Remove from pans.
(6)  Wrap in foil or in juice moistened cheesecloth. Then wrap with foil.
(7)  Store in the refrigerator.  

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)

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--she's a great cook!)
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)
Grandma's Gluten Free Applesauce Cake(From an Internet search--tastes like my grandma's!)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake (From my grandma)
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)

Cookies:
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)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

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)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust(Internet)

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) Blueberry Cobbler) (My husband's grandma)
Gluten Free Lemony Rhubarb Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies(Modified from back of the Libby's can)
Incredible Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies(From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies(From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie (Modified 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)

Muffins:

Banana Nutty 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 Internet search)

Grandma Pitcher's Old Fashioned Sandies (Made Gluten Free)

The cookies our Grandmothers used to make hold a special place in our hearts.  This week when I told my husband I was going to make some cookies, he immediately said spritz and snowballs.  His mother is known for her spritz cookies.  But  one of his favorite his Grandma Pitcher made were  sandies.  Our family likes to call them snowballs because that's what they look like.  She wrote this  and other favorites  up in a recipe book for my bridal shower gift. 

Sandies are easy to make--with no eggs or baking powder, you can mix them up in a few minutes.  When I popped one of them into my mouth, it  almost melted in my mouth. 

Old Fashioned Gluten Free Sandies 

1. Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium sized mixing bowl put:
(1)  1 cup of white rice flour,  1/2 cup of sorghum flour, and 1/2 cup of tapioca flour.
(2)  Stir in 1 cup of  chopped walnuts. (Some people like to substitute pecans)

2.  Cream butter & sugar:
(1)  Cream 1 cup of butter
(2)  Then slowly add to the butter you're beating 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
(3)  Then add 2 t of vanilla and 1 T water.
(4)  Add the flour/nut mixture.

3.  Form dough into small balls.  (They will expand.)

4.  Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 300 for about 15-20 minutes or until light brown. 

5.  Let cookies cool a few minutes and then roll in more powdered sugar and place on a platter.  Makes 3 dozen.

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)

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--she's a great cook!)
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)
Grandma's Gluten Free Applesauce Cake(From an Internet search--tastes like my grandma's!)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake (From my grandma)
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)

Cookies:
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)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

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)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust(Internet)

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) Blueberry Cobbler (My husband's grandma)
Gluten Free Lemony Rhubarb Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies(Modified from back of the Libby's can)
Incredible Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies(From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies(From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie (Modified 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)

Muffins:

Banana Nutty 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 Internet search)

How Do Believers Grow According to 1 Peter 2:2?

     Don't confuse spiritual growth with learning more Bible knowledge.  They're not the same.   Peter 2:2 shows us that spiritual growth comes from eating and drinking just like our human growth.

As newborn babes long for the guileless milk of the word, that by it you may grow unto salvation. 1 Peter 2:2



Ebey's Landing in December

     I really liked this excerpt on page 128-120 of chapter 15 of the Life-Study of 1 Peter because it shows the difference:

"We received the divine life through regeneration, and we need to grow in this life and with this life by being nourished with the milk received in the word of God....Many Christians think that to grow is to gain more knowledge....However, he may not hear a word that helps him to realize that through regeneration he has received the divine life and that now he needs to grow in life. He may only be helped to learn the stories in the Gospels and then the stories in the Old Testament.  Gradually, he may pick up more Bible knowledge and some may regard this as growth.  This concept of growth, however, is altogether contrary to that in the New Testament. According to the New Testament growth is the genuine increase in the measure of life. Knowledge does not help us to increase in the measure of life" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 1 Peter. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1982, Print). 

      After that Witness Lee points out that it is only through gradually receiving healthy nourishment over many years that a 6 pound infant can grow to be 180 pounds! Think about it.  God has really given us an excellent picture of what spiritual growth looks like. No mother would be so foolish as to just read menus to her kids or show them pictures of food.  Every mother is an expert in preparing nutritious meals for her children.  I felt this chapter was  calling me  to just come to God's word and get nourished. 

      Another amazing point that he brings out in this chapter is there's divine antibiotics in this spiritual milk!  I learned here that Peter uses the phrase guileless milk because it counteracts the guile that's in my fallen nature in the same way that a healthy immune system continually destroys cancerous cells in our bodies. 

I like to listen to the Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee while I'm cooking or typing. You can listen to live excerpts of these messages that were given in 1982 along with some outstanding commentary. 

What is the Sanctification of the Spirit in 1 Peter 1:2?
What is Obedience to the Truth in 1 Peter 1:22?
How Do Believers Grow According to 1 Peter 2:2?
How Does God Get the Living Stones in 1 Peter 2:5?
What Does 1 Peter 4:1-2 Say About Sufferings?
Why Does 1 Peter 4:17 Talk About God's Judgment?
What Does Partaking of the Divine Nature Mean in 2 Peter 1:4?
How Does the Prophetic Word in 2 Peter 1:19 Prepare Us For the Lord's Coming?

Other Posts on Spiritual Growth:

From the Collected Works of Witness Lee
What Causes the Seed to Grow in the Parable in Matthew 13?

From the Life-Study of Colossians
What Does Colossians 2:7 Say About Spiritual Growth?
What is the Goal of Spiritual Growth in Colossians 2:9?

From the Life-Study of James
How Spiritual Growth is Connected to the Lord's Coming in James 5:7-8