A Great Summer Side - Broccoli Salad

    The list of ingredients doesn't always tell you how somethings going to end up tasting! And that's really true for this broccoli salad.  I was making this salad with a mother from Taiwan whose son is going to YMCA camp here, and she, of course, loves broccoli but never saw it put in the same bowl with bacon, sunflower seeds, and raisins!  She was surprised when she took a bite and found out that it tasted delicious!   We had this salad with BBQ burgers, pasta salad, and Kale Copycat Super Salad (listed below).  

  This recipe comes from my Syre School cookbook, and I've listed any changes to the recipe in blue.  

Broccoli Salad - 

Serves 6 to 8

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Slice 1 bunch of broccoli into flowerets
(2)  Chop 1/2 cup of red onions
(3)  Chop 1 cup of celery

2.  Fry 6 slices of bacon (The recipe calls for a pound--It was great with only 6 slices!) and drain on a napkin.

3.  Make dressing - Whisk together in a bowl:  3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 1/8 cup of sugar (The recipe calls for 1/4 cup) and 2 T of vinegar.

4.  In a serving bowl put:
(1)  All the chopped vegetables
(2)  Fried bacon broken into pieces.
(3)  1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
(4)  1/2 cup of raisins.

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)
Jackie's Copycat 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)

Jackson Square Shrimp Salad   (From my Syre School 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   (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)
Make It Yourself GF Macaroni Salad

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

Grandma's Perfect Potato Salad   (My mother-in-law's 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)

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?

    A few weeks ago I started reading the Life-Study of Genesis with a friend.  This is my third time reading through this exposition on Genesis, and it has always been one of my favorites.  It's so eye-opening to see the spiritual meaning behind so many awesome accounts recorded in Genesis. Every time I read this Life-Study, I see something in a new way.  

   In the opening pages of Chapter 1 of the Life-Study of Genesis Witness Lee points out that 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible is God's very breath.  And only something living has breath. So whenever we come to God's word, we should meet God.  

  The Lord in the Gospel of John made it really clear that it's possible to come to the Bible and not meet the Lord there:   You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me.  Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  John 5:39-40

  All of this came together for me on page 3  of this Life-Study:

    Life is the focus of the whole Bible….But what is life, or who is life?  The answer is in the word of the Lord Jesus. He says, 'I am life' and 'I am come that you may have life.' The Bible is a revelation of Christ as life. Whenever we come to the Bible, we must realize that we are coming to contact Christ as our life.     ….Whenever we open the Bible we have to say, 'Lord Jesus, You have to be here.  This is not merely a book, this is Your revelation.  I don't like to read this book without contacting You.  I don't like to hear something from this book without hearing You.  I don't like to read this book without seeing You.  I like to see Your face.  I like to see what You are from the printed page.  O Lord Jesus, enlighten Thy Word and anoint every line that I may touch You.' We need such a spirit to contact this living Word (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis.  Anaheim:  Living Stream Ministry, Print, 1974).

This speaking and especially the prayer touched us both.  And I've read enough Life-Studies to know that in every chapter I am going to be brought to see the Lord, hear the Lord, and touch the Lord. 

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on  Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call theTwo Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?

Scrumptious Gluten Free Blackberry Cake

   In our house blackberry picking is just part of summer vacation.   For the past three weeks, we've had friends from Taiwan visiting us.  They put their kids into the YMCA camp, and they enjoy sharing in all of our favorite summer activities.  So far we've gone raspberry and blueberry picking, and earlier this week we started blackberry picking.  

    Before coming to Washington, they had never eaten blackberries before.  They were surprised at how they grew in so many places and people could pick them for free. 
 Yesterday the mom and I made 24 jars of blackberry jam! We felt like we were running a factory!! To thank everyone for their help today we made a blackberry cake.

     I've had this recipe for over 20 years, and I don't remember where I got it from.  But it is so light and tasty, and the spices  are just perfect.  Tonight I decided to make a warm blackberry sauce to serve over the top of the ice cream.  The plates looked so beautiful. Scrumptious is the  word that came out of my mouth when I took a bite of this delicious summer cake. 

Scrumptious Gluten Free Blackberry Cake

1.  Cream butter & sugar - In a mixing bowl:
(1)  Cream 6 T of butter for 2 minutes  (I add 2 T applesauce at the end, but if you don't want to adjust the fat content then just use 1 stick of butter.)
(2)  Then gradually add 3/4+ cup of sugar (The recipe calls for 1 cup)  SLOWLY while beating for  a total of 5 more minutes.
(3)  If lowering the fat, add 2 T of applesauce. (Applesauce is a great substitute.)
(4)  Add 2 eggs  ONE at a time and beat after each. 
(5)  Then stir in 1 tsp. baking soda into 4 T of sour milk (I add 1 tsp. of vinegar to milk and let it sit for a minute or two.)

2.  Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium size bowl put:
(1)  1 3/4 cups of gluten free flour:  I used 1/2 cup of sorghum flour, 3/4 cup white rice flour, and 1/2 cup tapioca flour
(2)  Then stir in 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.

3. Combine ingredients:
(1)  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat a total of 3 minutes to combine everything.
(2)  Fold in 1 1/2 cups of fresh (or frozen) blackberries.

4.  Baking:
(1)  Grease and flour an  8 x 8 pan and spoon in the cake batter.
(2)  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
(3)  Put on a rack to cool.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and any additional blackberries if you like!

My recipe for blackberry sauce:   In a small saucepan mash 1 1/2 cups of blackberries.  Mix 2 tsp. of tapioca starch with 1/4 cup of water and slowly stir in.  Add 1/6 cup of agave syrup and cook on medium until the blackberry sauce  thickens.  Taste and make any adjustments.  

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 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)
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)
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)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)
Marie's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies (Also Great Gluten Free!)   (My friend Marie's recipe)
Bebe's Gluten Free Whoopie Pies  (From my friend Debbie)

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)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust  (Internet)
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)

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)

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:

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)

What Does Revelation 22 Say About the Lord's Coming?

Have you ever noticed before that four verses in Revelation 22 talk about the Lord's coming?  Here, let me show you:

I took this picture on a walk at our marina last week.

And behold I come quickly.  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this word.   Revelation 22:7

Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to render to each one  as his work is.  Revelation 22:12

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come!  And let him who hears say, Come!  And let him who is thirsty come; let him who wills take the water of life freely.   Revelation 22:17

He who testifies these things says, Yes, I come quickly. Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!  Revelation 22:20

Out of all these verses, verse 17 stands out because it is the echo of the Lord's bride to what the Lord spoke in verses --come!  I liked the exposition on verse 17 because Witness Lee shares on pages 771-772 in chapter 67 of the Life-Study of Revelation  that when we desire the Lord's coming, it makes us care about sharing the gospel with others:

Verse 17 strongly implies that if we have a desire for the Lords coming back, we shall be very concerned for others' salvation. Do you desire the coming back of the Lord Jesus?  If you do, this desire will stir up a concern within you for the salvation of others. As you are saying, "Come, Lord Jesus," a burden may rise up within you for your parents your cousins, your neighbors, your schoolmates, and your friends…..You will say to the Lord, "Come," and you will turn to the unbelievers and say, "The Lord Jesus is coming. Will you not come also?  Come and be saved. Come to receive your salvation that you may be prepared to meet the coming Savior"  (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Revelation. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1977, Print).  

It  touched me that John's response in verse 20 is the last prayer of the Bible. May we all enter into this prayer and heart for the gospel.  

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Revelation and some excellent commentary on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Posts on the Book of Revelation:
What is the Focus of the Book of Revelation?
What Does the Book of Revelation Show Us About Loving the Lord?
What Does Revelation 4:11 Tell Us About the Purpose of God's Creation?
What are the Golden Bowls of Incense in Revelation 5:8?
What is the Controlling Vision of he Bible Seen in the Book of Revelation?
From the Life-Study of Revelation - What are the Two Sides of Rapture Seen in Revelation 14:1
How Does Transformation Produce the New Jerusalem Mentioned in Revelation 3:12?
Taking a Look at Revelation 12:11 - How Do you Overcome Satan's Accusation?
From the Life-Study of Revelation - The Connection Between Revelation & Ephesians 
Why is There is A Rainbow Around God's Throne in Revelation 4:3?
How Do you Get Ready for the Marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-8?

Make It Yourself GF Macaroni Salad

Sometimes I want a typical deli macaroni salad.  As I was making my menu a few weeks ago, I noticed this recipe for macaroni salad in my Syre Cookbook.  I decided yesterday to try it out.

  The original recipe calls for 3 cans of small shrimp, but I just wanted a plain macaroni salad.  When I took it out an hour ago to taste it and see what it needed, I added a bit more mayo and 1 T of Costco's No Salt Seasoning because with just salt and pepper, it needed a bit more seasonings.  I really like the way Costco's No Salt Seasoning doctors up a recipe.  I'm going to serve this salad tonight with some BBQ chicken and KFC Copycat Cole Slaw.  

GF Macaroni Salad

1.  Prepare  noodles:  Put a 16 oz bag of gluten free macaroni or spiral noodles according to directions.  Put in serving bowl and let the noodles completely cool.



2.  Prepare vegetables: 
(1)  Chop up 3-4 stalks of celery.
(2)  Chop  4-6 sweet pickles.
(3)  Slice 1/2 can of olives.
(4)  Slice 3-4 green onions.
(5)  3-4 hard-boiled eggs diced (The recipe calls for 5)
(6)  Optional:  Add 1 chopped carrot and 1/2  zucchini.

3.  Prepare dressing - In a medium-sized mixing bowl put:
(1)  2 cups of mayonnaise  (it may need about 1/2 cup more later)
(2)  Stir in 1/4 cup of sweet pickle juice and 1/4-1/2  cup of ketchup.
(3)  Then stir in 1 t salt, 1/2 t black pepper, and 1 T Costco's No Salt Seasoning.

4.  Combine ingredients:  
(1)  Add the chopped vegetables to the cooled noodles.
(2)  Then add the dressing and stir to combine.
(3)  Taste and make any adjustments.

5.  Put in fridge overnight.   Taste and make any adjustments--needs more mayo?  more salt?  more No Salt Seasoning?


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)
Jackie's Copycat 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)

Jackson Square Shrimp Salad   (From my Syre School 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   (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   (My mother-in-law's 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 Do You Get Ready for the Marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-8?

  The story of God and man is actually a love story.  When I first heard this, I was totally in awe.  I would never put romance and God on the same page with man.  But God has done it repeatedly throughout the Bible,  but unless you're looking for it, you probably missed it like I did most of my Christian life.  Witness Lee was an amazing biblical scholar, and if you read just one Life-Study on any book of the Bible you will be astounded at how he brings out the truth in the word in the way of life not just doctrines and teachings.  His applications, illustrations, and stories bring the truths home again and again.  

  That's the way it was for me when I read  chapter fifty-four of the Life-Study of Revelation last week.  This chapter covers Revelation 19 and the marriage of the Lamb with His wife who are  His redeemed, regenerated, and transformed believers.    Here's the verse on that:

Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.  And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.  Revelation 19:7-8 

  In this chapter brother Lee points out that  the Lord's parable in Matthew 22:12 shows us that every believer needs to have a wedding garment to attend the marriage dinner of the Lamb in verse 9.   Here's the verse:  "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless." And from there he clearly unveils through scripture that each believer actually has two garments, one that we receive at our  salvation which is objective and the other which is produced through our living Christ each day which is very subjective. This excerpt on page 629 really puts it together:

  At the time of our salvation we received a golden garment that enabled us to be in the presence of God.  In addition to this, we need another garment, a garment of embroidery.  This embroidery signifies the transforming work of the Holy Spirit   The Holy Spirit today is working on us to transform us just like an embroiderer puts many stitches into cloth.  Although we have the first garment, our second garment is now being prepared under the embroidering work of the Holy Spirit. This garment will qualify us to see Christ at His judgment seat.  Day by day we are under the needle, the transformation, of the Holy Spirit.  How we need this second garment.  This is a serious matter (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Revelation. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1976, Print).  

   This chapter really gave me  the divine view of what God is doing in my life with all the different environments that surround me.  And He goes to a lot of trouble to arrange just the particular circumstances that will let Him stitch a little more on us.  

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Revelation and some excellent commentary on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Posts on the Book of  Revelation:
What is the Focus of the Book of Revelation?
What Does the Book of Revelation Show Us About Loving the Lord?
What Does Revelation 4:11 Tell Us About the Purpose of God's Creation?
What are the Golden Bowls of Incense in Revelation 5:8?
What is the Controlling Vision of he Bible Seen in the Book of Revelation?
From the Life-Study of Revelation - What are the Two Sides of Rapture Seen in Revelation 14:1
How Does Transformation Produce the New Jerusalem Mentioned in Revelation 3:12?
Taking a Look at Revelation 12:11 - How Do you Overcome Satan's Accusation?
From the Life-Study of Revelation - The Connection Between Revelation & Ephesians 
Why is There is A Rainbow Around God's Throne in Revelation 4:3?