Bursting With Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins

   Fresh blueberries.  They're just not the same as frozen.  For me summer is about beach walks, family picnics, and going berry picking with my grandkids. 

   When we went raspberry picking on Saturday,  we also picked about 12 quarts of blueberries.  Whenever I go blueberry picking, I always like to make a batch of muffins.  Nothing can compare with the smell of fresh blueberry muffins baking in the oven!  

    This recipe is from my Heritage School Cookbook that I bought from the first school I worked at. 

Bursting with Blueberries
 Gluten Free Muffins

1.  In a large bowl:
(1)  Slightly beat 3 eggs
(2) Then whisk in 1/2 cup of olive oil,  1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup of milk with 1 T of white vinegar and let stand for  5 minutes
(3)  And then whisk in 3/4  cup of sugar (The recipe calls for 1 cup, but I usually reduce it just a bit.). 

2.  In a medium bowl stir the dry ingredients:
(1)  3 cups of gluten free flour:  I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup white rice flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, and 1 cup tapioca flour.
(2)  Add leavening & spices: 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 tsp. salt.
(3) Stir until combined.

4.  Combine:  
(1)  Make a well in the dry ingredients with the back of your wooden spoon.
(2)  Pour the  eggs/oil  mixture into the well and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened.  

5.  Fold in 1 1/2-2  cups blueberries.

6.  Baking muffins:  Spray muffin tins or rub with butter or oil.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Check with a toothpick around 15 minutes.  This recipe should make 18  medium sized muffins.  Let muffins sit for 2 minutes and then remove from pan  so the bottoms don't become soggy from condensation.

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)
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:

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 Internet search)

You Can Do It Yourself! How to Make & Can Your Own Raspberry Jam

Last Saturday we headed out with our three international students to a nearby farm to pick blueberries and raspberries. It was as you can see a beautiful Northwest day. This was a first for them, and they told us they enjoyed it. 

For me there's always that element of connecting to my family's farming heritage. Every part of it I enjoy--from the working in the hot sun to the hours it takes to process the fruit.  And just like my grandmother used to do with us, I promised to make them them a berry crisp the next day,  which I will share in a post later this week!

 
Making & Canning Low Sugar Raspberry Jam

1. Prepare fruit: 
(1)   Gently mash a layer of prepared fresh/frozen raspberries in a flat pan or container. I read on an instruction sheet that you have to use a masher and not a food processor because if you do you will break down the fruit's natural pectin preventing it from setting up right.
(2)   After mashing, measure into a saucepan 5 cups of mashed berries (which the instructions for Ball No Sugar Needed Pectin says will take 10 cups of whole berries). This will make six  8 oz. jars of jam.
 

2. Get the canner ready: Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars and bring it to a boil because this takes about 30-40 minutes.

3. Prepare jars: 

(1)  Wash the canning jars you will need in hot sudsy water. 
(2)  After they’ve been rinsed, fill them with hot water until they’re needed. This will keep the jars from breaking when they’re filled with the hot jam.

4. Into the saucepan add:
(1) The 5 cups of mashed berries.

(2) Stir into the berries 1 cup of apple/white grape juice made from concentrate or 1 cup of water or frozen apple juice concentrate (straight out of can). 

(3) Stir  1 package of Ball No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin with 1/4 cup of the sugar you will use for the jam. Whisk to remove lumps. 

(4) Add 1 tsp. of butter to reduce foaming. 

(5)   Bring this mixture to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down) over medium high heat. Stir the jam constantly so it doesn't scorch!

(6) If you want to add sugar:  You don’t have to add any sugar to this kind of pectin to get it to set, but the instructions say the lack of sugar will affect the appearance and the taste will be a bit tart.
1.  Taste the jam to see how much sugar you want to add—this can be from nothing up to 3 cups. 
2.  When I made my jam a few weeks ago, it was still a tiny bit tart, so I removed the pan from the stove and skimmed off any foam, and then I stirred in ¾ cup of sugar. It was perfect, just the right amount without overpowering the berries. 
3.  If you add sugar, let the jam come back to a boil for one minute stir constantly so it doesn't scorch. Remove any foam on the top. 

5. Prepare lids: 
(1)   Put about 1-2 cups of water in a small saucepan and let it come to a boil.
(2)   Put the lids into the pan when the jam starts to boil, but make sure the water in the pan the lid goes in doesn’t start to boil. One site said this could make the seal not work as effectively.
 

6. Ladle the jam into the jars: 
(1)   Empty the jars as you need them of their hot water, and then ladle in the jam leaving about ¼” space. 
(2)  Wipe the rim and threads clean with a damp cloth. If you leave something on the lid, it might prevent a good seal from forming.

7. Put on the lid and screw on the band:  Put the lid on the jar and hold it steady with your fingertip while you screw on the band until it’s what they call fingertip tight (which means don’t overdo it!). I am using the picture from when I made applesauce.

8. Finish the rest of the jars: Go through steps 6 & 7 until all the jam is gone.

9. Process in the canner: 

(1)   When the water is boiling in the canner, put the jars in one by one with the jar lifter. 
(2)  Make sure they don’t touch each other on the rack. 
(3)   Add more hot water if it doesn’t cover the top of the jars. 
(4)   Put the lid on the canner and process jam for 10 minutes—you count the time when it comes to a full rolling boil. Follow altitude directions on your pectin package.
(5)  Let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing.

10. Remove jars: Use the lifter to remove each jar and sit them on a flat surface to cool. Do not touch the jars or the bands for 12-24 hours! If you do, you may break the seal.

11. Test seals: 

(1)   A good seal:  The next day you can check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t flex up and down, it’s sealed.
(2)  A bad seal: If a jar didn’t seal, you can put the jam in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or you can reprocess it with a new lid for 10 minutes.

12. Clean jars & remove bands: Wipe down the jars and remove the bands. Store the jam in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Homemade Jam makes a nice gift!

Other jam and canning posts you can check out:

Making Low Sugar Blackberry Jam
How to Make Low Sugar Raspberry Jam
Homemade Apple Butter
Triple Berry Low Sugar Jam
How to Make & Can Your Own Blueberry Jam
Making & Canning Applesauce  
Tasty Countertop Pickles - Naturally Fermented Without Vinegar!

How did the Lord Spread the Gospel in Acts 8?

     Throughout the New Testament there are references to the Body of Christ.  I have come to learn this is not just a term or a label for the believers--there's a reality behind it.  Through my reading the Life-Study of Acts  I've seen  that the Lord as the Head of His Body carries out His gospel work through the members of His Body on earth.  Peter preached the gospel for the first time in Acts 2.  In Acts 8:1 it's evident that the Lord used some persecution by the Jews to send many of these believers to other places: 

Acts 8:1 says There occurred in that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countries of Judea and Samaria except the apostles.

  This persecution as the above verse shows caused a great scattering of the thousands of believers in Jerusalem to several other countries.  Acts 8:4 tells us what these believers  spontaneously did--Those therefore who were scattered went about the land bringing the good news of the word.  I like the way Witness Lee connected in Chapter 22 of the Life-Study of Acts this event to what the Lord told the disciples in Acts 1:8: 

"It was sovereign of God that the scattering of the believers from Jerusalem to other localities through the persecution should carry out the spreading of the gospel for the fulfillment of the Lord's word in Acts 1:8...Although Satan instigated the persecution against the church, the Lord is over Satan, and whatever Satan does is under the Lord's sovereignty.  Therefore the persecution in Chapter 8 actually worked out for the spreading of the gospel" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Acts. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1985, Print). 

     Then in Acts 8:5 there's a record of how the Lord used Phillip to preach the gospel to those in Samaria.  This was the first time the gospel was preached to those who were not pure Jews

(Page 182).  Because the Lord did not want His Body to be divided,  Peter and John came to lay their hands on these believers. They did this to  show that the believers in Samaria were not a separate work but the spread of the one Body of Christ to another region. You can really see in so many ways Acts really shows the blueprint of so many things concerning the church life of the early believers right after the Lord's ascension. 


You can listen to excerpts from the Life Study of Acts along with excellent commentary by tuning into the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.

Other Blogs on the Life Study of Acts:

In the Book of Acts What is Christ Doing in Ascension?
What Does the Early Church Look Like in the Book of Acts?
According to Acts 5:31 What is the Lord Doing as the Ruler of the Earth?
How Did the Lord Spread the Gospel in Acts 8?
What Vision Did Saul Have at His Conversion in Acts 9:3-8?
How Does the Gospel Reach the Gentiles in Acts 10?
How is Acts a Book on God's Move & Prayer?
Seeing God's Move & Satan's Frustration in Acts 14
Prayer, the Spirit, & the Word - The Way the Lord Carries out His Work in the Book of Acts
Seeing God's New Testament Economy in the Book of Acts - Part 1 of 2 
Seeing God's New Testament Economy in the Book of Acts - Part 2 of 2

How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil, & Salve

    Calendula Officinialis is commonly called pot marigold even though it is technically not a marigold.  Several years ago I purchased some calendula salve.  This salve is used for sunburn, rashes, cuts, eczema, and other skin problems. This summer I have been doing some Internet research on calendula, and I've learned a lot more.

   Whenever I check out something, I read about 3-4 websites to compare the information. Last year I picked up some calendula flower seeds late in the summer and planted them. Only a few of them came up, but this spring they were blooming in May. I transplanted some of them so they could  border my garden because they work  like a natural pesticide. 

Calendula components:  This comes from a site called Tea Benefits:
Calendula has the following components: calendulin, beta-carotene, other carotenoids, isoquercitrin, narcissin, rutin, amyrin, lupeol, sterols, and volatile oils. The calendula flowers also contain complex polysaccharides with immunostimulant properties.

Important note: Calendula belongs to the same family of plants that also includes chrysanthemums, daisies, and ragweed. Individuals who are sensitive to any of these types of plants may also be sensitive to calendula. Also this herb as well as others should be under the supervision of a physician if you are pregnant. 

Health Benefits

Calendula has been used medicinally for centuries. This information comes from Herb wisdom  and an article called How to Improve Health with Calendula Tea on ehow.  I have broken all the information up into groups.
 
Tea: Calendula tea is good for digestion, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), reducing a fever, sore throat associated with a cold. Stimulates the immune system. The  carotenoids in calendula, which act as antioxidants promote healthier skin. Ehow states: " Drinking calendula tea can fight some illnesses and improve overall health, because it has flavonoids that prevent infection and inflammation."

Salve or oil:  Put the salve on eczema,  minor burns including sunburns, warts, and minor injuries such as sprains and wounds.  As an anti fungal, it is good for athlete's foot and ringworm.  Promotes wound healing.

Eye wash:  Traditionally calendula has been used to treat conjunctivitis.  Used cooled tea with cotton ball.

Gargle:  For sore throats (helps reduce inflammation)

Skin wash: Calendula Tea can be stored in the refrigerator and be used as a soothing skin treatment. It can be swabbed directly on inflamed skin.

How to Dry Calendula

This information is from  an article How to Dry Calendula from ehow:

1.  Pick a bundle of calendula after the dew has dried in mid morning.
2.  Put the blossoms bottom side down in a paper bag.
3.  Bind the bag and stems together with a rubber band.
4.  Place the bag on a plate.
5.  Let them sit on the plate for 2 weeks.
6.  Check them and make sure they are fully dried before putting them in a labeled glass jar.

Blog update 8-7-14:  I saw on a website today that you can also successfully dry these in a single layer on a brown bag or rack like you see here.   I usually put my herb racks and plates in my living room and family room. It takes about 10-14 days for them to dry out.  Check them in the jar in a week or so and see if they are okay.  

 

Brewing a Cup of Calendula Tea

 This information is from an article called How to Make Calendula Tea on ehow.

1.  Put 1 - 2 t of dried calendula in a tea strainer and put into a mug.
2.  Boil 1 cup of water.
3.  Pour hot water over the tea and let it steep covered for 15 minutes.
4.  If you desire, add honey or lemon.

How to Make Calendula Oil

This information is from an article called How to Soothe Skin with Homemade Calendula Oil on ehow.
1. Put dried calendula petals into a clean and dry pint or quart  jar.
2. Pour enough olive oil over the petals and make sure all the petals are covered with oil.
3. Cover with a piece of cheesecloth or an unbleached coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.
4  Put on a sunny sill for 10-14 days. 
5. Strain out the petals and pour the oil into a jar or continue to making the salve below.

How to Make Calendula Salve

This information also comes from an article How to Make  Salve from Calendula flowers on ehow. 
1  Take the calendula oil that you made and put 1 cup of it into a saucepan.
2. Add 1/4 cup of grated beeswax.  Heat until melted. 
3.  Pour into small glass jars (I have purchased some at our local co-op) and let  it cool.
4. Date and store in a dark place. This comes out exactly like the kind you buy at the co-op.


Note:  I grow and dry herbs as a gardening project.  Be sure to check with a medical professional if you are pregnant, on medication or have any questions or concerns. 

Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

About Making Your Own Spices:
 How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
 How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey

Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad

     This is one of those incredible summer salads that comes from the Heritage Cookbook I got from a school I worked at.  I have made it several times without chicken so I could use it as a side salad.   A few days ago I made it to go along with some teriyaki chicken. 

    You will notice that this salad doesn't have any ramen noodles or ramen seasoning like the original version (sigh).  I was glad when my friend Debbie (who also has celiac disease) gave me her recipe for this dressing because that's a tough dressing to duplicate.  With this salad, the dressing makes the salad--and she is an amazing cook, and her dressing has the same zip the original has. 

 Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad 

1.  Prepare chicken:  Steam 2 chicken breasts, and when it's cool, cut into small cubes.

2.  Prepare veggies: 
(1)  Thinly slice 1 head of green cabbage. 
(2)  Slice up 4 green onions. 

3.  Put in a salad bowl:
(1)  The sliced cabbage and  green onions.
(2)  Then stir in the cubed chicken.
(3)  Finally add  4 T sesame seeds, and 4 T diced almonds and toss.
(4)  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
(5)  Just before you're ready to eat, pour on the dressing and toss until it's completely coated with the dressing.

4.  Prepare Debbie’s G.F. Asian Dressing:  Mix in a salad dressing container  ½ cup of olive oil, ½ cup rice wine vinegar, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 T sesame oil.  Combine the ingredients and mix well.

List of Other Salads on this Blog:

Greens/cabbage:
Make it Yourself Thai Peanut Dressing for Mandarin Salad  (My friend Judi's recipe)
KFC Copycat Cole Slaw   (A friend shared this with me)
Belizean Coleslaw    (From Internet search)
Antioxidant Rich Kale Super Salad  (A copycat from a deli, dressing from Syre School Cookbook)

Main Dish Salads
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (A remake from something I ate at a restaurant)

Mexican Grilled Salmon & Mango Salad   (From a Betty Crocker summer cookbook)
Jackson Square Shrimp Salad   (From my Syre School cookbook)

Pasta & Quinoa:
Tasty Gluten Free Pasta Salad  (Something I picked up over 20 years ago!)
Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad Bowls   (From an Internet search)
Michelle's Greek Quinoa Salad   (My foodie daughter's own delicious creation!) Another Great Salad with Quinoa - Janah's  Original Quinoa, Cranberry & Feta Salad  (a recipe my daughter 
came up with)
Red Quinoa, Black Bean, & Corn Salad  (A yummy recipe on the Trader Joe's bag of red quinoa)

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

Grandma's Perfect Potato Salad   (Family recipe)
Rose's Refreshing Cucumber Salad   (From a Chinese friend)
A Great BBQ side Salad - Curried Pea Salad  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Dot's Easy Bean Salad  (Recipe from an  83 yr old friend of my father's)

Fruit:
Grandma Marilyn's Frozen Fruit Salad  (My mother-in-law's recipe)

According to Acts 5:31 What is the Lord Doing as the Ruling of the Earth?

    Some words of the Life Study of Acts spoke to me yesterday.  We were driving to the bread store, and I was reading a chapter to my husband that covered Chapter 5 of Acts.   As I was reading Acts 5:29-31 came alive to me.  "Peter and the apostles answered and said, ...This One God has exalted to His right hand as a Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."     

  
     Witness Lee connected this verse to Revelation 1:5 which says:  "And from Jesus Christ, the  faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood."  What I saw in these verses and in others in the Scripture was  that the Lord is the Leader, the Ruler, and according to Revelation 19:16 He has a name on His garment and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

    Then he asked a question on page 146 that touched me: "For what purpose is the Lord Jesus ruling the earth?  As the Leader, the Ruler, He is ruling the earth for the purpose of our salvation.  He is ruling so that we may be saved...The Lord exercises His authority to cause so many foreigners to come to this country.  Then once they arrive, they become open to Him.  This is an illustration of the Lord's ruling the earth for the sake of saving people" (Lee, Witness. Life Study of Acts. Anaheim:  Living Stream Ministry, 1985, Print).

     I don't think I ever thought that the Lord was made Ruler so that He could save people, I  thought it was to deal with His enemy Satan who has usurped this earth and damaged so many people.  Then in the next paragraphs (Pages 146-148) he explains further how as the Lord He uses His position as the Ruler to arrange our environment to prepare us to repent and believe in Him.  He even says that our believing wasn't even up to us but up to Him! 

     Today at lunch I was able to share this part of the message with an older Chinese believer whose unbelieving sister is coming this week from China to visit her.  She is very burdened for her sister's salvation, and this portion of the Life Study of Acts really encouraged her. I hope it encourages you, too, and helps you to see like it did me that the Lord is working in so many situations to cause people to believe in Him. 

You can listen to excerpts from the Life Study of Acts along with excellent commentary by tuning into the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.

Other Blogs on the Life Study of Acts:

In the Book of Acts What is Christ Doing in Ascension?
What Does the Early Church Look Like in the Book of Acts?
According to Acts 5:31 What is the Lord Doing as the Ruler of the Earth?
How Did the Lord Spread the Gospel in Acts 8?
What Vision Did Saul Have at His Conversion in Acts 9:3-8?
How Does the Gospel Reach the Gentiles in Acts 10?
How is Acts a Book on God's Move & Prayer?
Seeing God's Move & Satan's Frustration in Acts 14
Prayer, the Spirit, & the Word - The Way the Lord Carries out His Work in the Book of Acts
Seeing God's New Testament Economy in the Book of Acts - Part 1 of 2 
Seeing God's New Testament Economy in the Book of Acts - Part 2 of 2

Outstanding Gluten free Sukiyaki

     In June two Japanese students moved into our home, and in the past few weeks I have been researching online and in my cookbooks for some authentic Japanese recipes.  So far I've tried a few soups and salads, and they got some oohs and aahs, but not as much as this sukiyaki recipe I made last week. Believe it or not this recipe came from my Better Homes & Garden Cookbook!  I doubled the sauce and added a bit more vegetables to double the servings, and it came out perfectly.

Outstanding Gluten Free Sukiyaki - for 8

1.  Prepare beef:  Slice 1 pound of sirloin or tenderloin in thin pieces against the grain.

2.  Prepare vegetables:
(1) Slice 2 cups of green onions in 1" pieces on the diagonal, and 1/2 of yellow onion in thin slices and put in a bowl.
(2)   Slice 1 1/2 cups of celery on the diagonal  and put in a bowl.
(3)  Rinse and slice 1 1/2 cups of fresh mushrooms and put in a bowl.
(4)  Rinse and drain 8 cups of spinach and put in a bowl.
(5) Drain 1 can of bamboo shoots.
(6) Lightly rinse 1 pound of bean sprouts.

3.  Prepare stir-fry sauce:  Mix together 1 cup of beef broth and 2/3 cup gluten free tamari. 

4.  Stir-fry meat & prepare sukiyaki:
(1)  Put 2 T of coconut oil into a wok/large skillet and add the meat and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned.  Sprinkle with 2 T sugar.

(2)   Pour stir-fry sauce over meat and push it to one side.

(3)  Keeping everything in separate groups, add the green and yellow onion with the celery.  Continue cooking and tossing each group for 1 minute on medium-high heat.

(4)    Now make a third group by adding the rest of the vegetables--mushrooms, spinach, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts, and cook each group for a minute or two.

(5)  Then I added 2-3 T of cornstarch mixed with a bit of water to thicken the sauce a bit and combined all the groups together and stir-fried everything for 1-2 more minutes.

 Serve with rice.

Other Japanese recipes on this blog:

Easy Steps to Make Your Own Sushi!
Outstanding Gluten Free Sukiyaki
Delicious Gluten Free Yakisoba
Incredible Gluten Free Teriyaki Chicken
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)