Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili

   There's probably hundreds of ways to make chili!  In all the years I've been cooking, and that's been since I was 16, I've tried my fair share of them!!  A few months ago my mother-in-law let me go through her recipe cards and take pictures of the ones I wanted to make.  She like most women  her age are incredible cooks--so all of her recipes come out great!!!

So today after I came home from subbing in a 4th grade class, I started chopping up the vegetables and frying the hamburger for her recipe for chili.    

This chili l has a nice kick.  And you can always taste it and add a bit more chili powder or Tabasco to your liking!

Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Dice 1 onion.
(2)  Dice 1 green pepper.
(3)  Dice up 1/2 cup of celery
(4)  Mince 4 cloves of garlic.

2.  Prepare chili:
(1)  Put hamburger into a Dutch oven and brown, when it's half done, add all the vegetables and cook until the hamburger meat is browned.
(2)  Add 2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes and 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce.
(3)  Add spices:  2 T chili powder, 2 T sugar, 2-3 t salt (I used 2 tsp.), 1 bay leaf, 2-3 tsp. oregano (I used 2 tsp.) , 1 tsp. basil, 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce.
(4) Then add 2 15 oz cans of kidney beans and 2 15 oz cans of white kidney beans.

3.  Simmer chili on stove 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  

Note:  I usually serve chili with Beth's cornbread  (which is the best cornbread I've ever had that I got from my Heritage School Cookbook ) or Toni's outrageous muffins (that I got off of a bag of Bob's Red Mill corn meal).

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 from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine 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)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Vegetable

Creamy Pumpkin Soup  (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

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

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)

How Does the Prophetic Word in 2 Peter 1:19 Prepare Us For the Lord's Coming?

    During the time that Peter wrote his Epistles, there were ones who mocked the Lord’s second coming.  Especially in his second letter I've noticed that Peter talks repeatedly about the Lord’s coming. He points out strongly in 2 Peter 1:16 that the Lord's coming is not a "cleverly devised myth."   After saying that, he reminds the believers that they need to take heed to the prophetic word of God  because it’s like a lamp shining in this dark age  full of spiritual degradation:

I took this picture while walking on the
 boardwalk with my grandkids.

And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hears.  2  Peter 1:19

     Not only is the word of God  a shining lamp, but it’s also the very thing that  prepares us for the Lord’s second coming.  This is brought out clearly on page 71 of chapter 8 of the Life-Study of 2 Peter:

….It is correct to say that the dawning of the day in 1:19 refers to the time of the Lord's coming back. On that day, the Lord will shine as the Sun of righteousness. The time that is is very close to the Lord's appearing may be likened to the early morning, at which time the Lord Jesus will be the morning star to His watchful believers….Actually, in 1:19 Peter covers two matters at the same time. He is saying that the entire world is a dark place and that this present age is a dark night. If we did not have the prophecies of the Bible, we also would be in darkness, for we would not have a lamp.  But the prophetic word is our lamp shining in the darkness. As we give heed to this prophetic word, we receive the shining light. Eventually, this light will shine until a spiritual day dawns within us, and a morning star rises in our hears. Therefore, Peter first is speaking of a spiritual day, a day that dawns within us. He also speaks of a future day, the day of the Lord's coming back (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 2 Peter. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1982, Print).

       This last week I listened to Programs 37-39 on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. One of the brothers highlighted a point from chapter 11 in Program #38 that touched me: Our growth in life will not only prepare us for the Lord's coming but actually hasten it.  And  1 Peter 2:2 makes it clear that we spiritually grow by drinking the milk of the word.  So this fellowship encouraged me to keep coming to the word each morning.

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?

Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares (Made Gluten Free!!)

Here's a different kind of cheesecake.  Instead of being dense, it's light and fluffy.  And instead of going in the typical pie pan, it goes into a 9 x 13!  But I really think the lemon jello is what makes it amazing, with just the right amount of tang. 

  My friend Judi has brought this several times to love feasts, and after having it last week, I had to ask her for the recipe.  She told me this recipe is 56 years old (That make it really tried and true!!), and it was her Granny's special dessert. 

Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares

1.  What to do ahead of time:
(1)  Take out one 8 oz package of cream cheese to soften.
(2)  Put 1 can of evaporated milk into the freezer to get cold (30-45 minutes--it's okay Judi says if it starts to form some ice crystals.).

2.  Make your favorite gluten free cheesecake crust--enough for a 9 x 13 pan--Here's mine from my Heritage School Cookbook:
(1)  Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a sauce pan.
(2)  Add to it 2/3 cup of brown sugar and let dissolve.
(3)  Take off the stove and then add 2 cups of regular oats and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
(4)  Press into a 9 x 13 pan.
(5)  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile  prepare:
BOWL #1:   In a small bowl empty 1  box of lemon jello into a bowl and pour 3/4 cup of boiling water over it and stir to dissolve.

BOWL #2:  In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 t of vanilla.

BOWL #3: In a medium sized bowl Pour the can of cold canned milk and whip until it's thick just like whipped cream.


4.  Combining ingredients:
(1)  Take Bowl #1 the lemon jello bowl and add it to  Bowl #2 that has the whipped cream cheese and beat a few minutes until combined.
(2)  Then fold  the whipped evaporated milk from Bowl #3 into the lemon and cream cheese  mixture.

5.  Pour over the top of the cooled crust and refrigerate.

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 for 12 years--She was an amazing cook!)

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)
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)
Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits   (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)
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 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   (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)
Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Fruitcake    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

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)

What Does Partaking of the Divine Nature Mean in 2 Peter 1:4?

     Where would we be without God’s promises? Verses like He who has begun a good work in you will also complete it unto the day of Christ Jesus have strengthened my faith many times. For several years I have  been adding to my own personal list of promises.  2 Peter 1:4 lets us know that not only are God’s promises anchors for our faith, but they’re also the means by which we partake of God’s nature.

I took this on a walk around a nearby lake in December.

Through which He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4

     Now partaking of the divine nature may sound a bit strange because normally when we think about partaking, we think about eating food. Actually that's the thought here. God's word is spiritual food. The Lord Himself told us this in John 6 when he told the people who had gathered that He was the true Bread that came down out of heaven (John 6:32-35). 

    Then He said something that many of them could not figure out, "As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me (John 6:57). The Bible tells us that many of them got stumbled by this and stopped following him.  Later on in verse 63 the Lord clarified to His disciples that He didn’t expect them to eat His physical flesh but to receive His word as spiritual food! 

     When I was in college I learned that coming to the word in a prayerful way (See Ephesians 6:17-18) is how to receive God's word as spiritual food.  And I liked the parallel on physical and spiritual eating on pages 44-44 of chapter  5 of the Life-Study of 2 Peter:

Just as we are constituted physically of the food we eat, so the disciples were constituted of the God of which they partook. This should also be our experience today. If we enjoy God and partake of Him, we shall be constituted of Him.  Of course, we shall never become God in the sense of attaining to the Godhead or becoming an object of worship. However, we may be thoroughly constituted of God's nature. We all are constituted physically of the food we eat. For example, someone may eat so much fish and be constituted of fish to such an extent that he even smells of fish. In like manner, we may become so constituted of God that we express God in all that we are and do. We may even give off a divine fragrance.... When others contact us, they will see in us the expression of the Triune God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 2 Peter. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1982, Print).

       Once more I am reminded that in a spiritual sense I am really what I eat! 

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?

Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

A few weeks ago my friend Judi shared with me her family's homemade biscuit recipe. (And you'll find some  of her other recipes down in the list below)  Anyway I've been looking for a great gluten free biscuit recipe for many years. I could never find one that could rival the ones my grandmother used to make.  

 Biscuits have a way of making any meal special. They're also a yummy way to showcase your homemade jams.  And besides that they make the house smell amazing!

 This is her sister's recipe for a double batch that I made a few weeks ago. I used brown rice flour and sorghum flour so the biscuits are a bit darker in color, but they were so light and delicious!!

Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

1.  In a medium sized mixing bowl put:

(1)  2 cups of gluten free flour:  I usually use 1/4 cup white rice flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup sorghum flour, and 1/4 cup tapioca flour.
(2)  Stir in 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2.  Add the butter & buttermilk:
(1)  Cut in 5 T of butter
(2)  Then add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of buttermilk  (She said buttermilk works with the baking powder to help them rise)
(3)  Mix  unti just moist.
(4)  Knead on a floured surface 3 or 4 times.

3.  Prepare biscuits:  Add any additional flour or buttermilk to get the right consistency.  Drop onto a greased baking sheet or roll out and use 2" glass to cut biscuits. 

4.  Bake at 400 to 425 for 12-15 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)

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:
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)
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 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   (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)
Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Fruitcake    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

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)