Gluten Free & God Seeking

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Great Beef Enchiladas

Almost every Saturday night I make Mexican food. So good and so good for you, too! A few weeks ago I made a recipe out of my church Come & Dine cookbook for enchiladas.

This time I made them with ground turkey. Instead of rolling these up individually, I sliced the tortillas into strips and then made layers (meat sauce, tortillas, cheese). I had a bit of black beans left over so I threw those over the top with the cheese.

What more need I say, the pan was almost empty when dinner was over.

Great Beef Enchiladas

1. Prepare vegetables: Chop up 1 onion and mince 1 clove garlic. Chop up 1 can of black olives and put in a separate bowl.

2. Prepare enchilada sauce:

(1) Cook 1 pound of ground beef/turkey. Then add onion and garlic and cook until done.

(2) Add one 16 oz. can of undrained diced tomatoes, one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, one small can of green chiles, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. ground cumin, ½ tsp. dried oregano, ½ tsp. dried basil, and ½ tsp. of salt. Simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
(3) Taste and make any adjustments.

3. Grate 2-3 cups of cheddar cheese.

4. Preparing enchiladas:

(1) Dip each corn tortilla in the sauce to soften.

(2) In each enchilada put 1 T of chicken, 2 T of grated cheese, and a sprinkle of black olives.

(3) Roll up and put seam side down into a 9 x 13 baking pan.

5. Sauce to top with: Into the remaining sauce blend 1 cup of sour cream and drizzle over the tops of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and olives.

6. Bake at 350 about 35-40 minutes.

Other Mexican recipes on this blog:

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

Tacos, Chimichangas & Etc.
Rachel Ray's Recipe for the Best Fish Tacos   (From Food Network)
Fantastic Baked Chimichangas  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Authentic Chicken Flautas  (My hispanic friend Abbie taught me how to make these!)

Delicious Chicken Fajitas (A mix of many recipes)
Fabulous Vegetarian Gluten Free Fajitas (From an Internet search)
Easy Gluten Free Baked Taquitos (From a newspaper clip)

Beans & Rice
The Best Homemade Refried Beans  (From an Internet search)
Texas Pinto Beans & Rice  (From my Texas airport cookbook)
Baked Chili & Chips (My daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)

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

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

Salads

Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (My own version of something I ate in Seattle)

Sunday, November 1, 2015

What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?

We’re in a battle between God and Satan. And like it or not that’s the stage all human history has been set up on. We know from archaeologists that the earth spun in space submerged in water and covered in darkness for a long time.

A picture collage my son made of his recent NYC trip.

In light of what G.H.Pember wrote in his book Earth's Earliest Ages, I can see that God made the first move in Genesis 1:3-31 to recover the earth and then to create man in His own image and likeness. But not long after that in Genesis 3: Satan came in to make a counter-move—one that involved an intriguing disguise and an outright lie.

But not being satisfied with what he had done with Adam and Eve, Satan lured Cain to fall even farther away from God by helping him come up with his own way of worshiping God.

Obviously none of Adam's family realized that the evil nature of Satan had actually gotten into them when they had eaten that fruit. But when Cain murdered his own brother, they must have put some pieces together. Surely this was a heartfelt tragedy that greatly impacted Adam's family.

And I learned through reading Genesis 4:16-24 that Cain and his kids produced a culture that didn't even need to rely on God at all. They built a city with weapons for their defense and musical instruments for their entertainment. But in spite of this godless culture cropping up, I read that there was still a line of people choosing to take God's way. And in chapter 25 of the Life-Study of Genesis I learned about an important practice that helped them stay on God's way.

And to Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of Jehovah. Genesis 4:26

I saw through my reading that after three generations had been upon the earth, they began to realize there was no way they could face their sufferings alone. And that includes human sufferings and the stuff that comes out of Satan's pit. They needed to call out to Jehovah God to help make it through them. In this chapter Witness Lee explains that the Hebrew word call in this verse means to invoke a person, to call out for someone to come and help. He also gives an in-depth study of how many people in the Old Testament and New Testament called on the Lord's name. On page 332-333 he shares why they began to call on the Lord:

From my son's business trip in NYC

The second name which is especially meaningful is Enosh, which means "frail, mortal man." After the fall not only did human life become a vanity [the meaning of Abel's name], but man also became frail and mortal. We must admit that we are frail, weak, and easily broken. How easily we fail! Man is mortal….When we see that our life is vanity and that we ourselves are frail, spontaneously we will call upon the name of the Lord. This is the reason Genesis 4:26 says, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord." From the time of Enosh, the third generation of mankind, men began to call upon the name of the Lord, realizing their weakness, fragility, and mortality (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print).

We get a window in Romans 10 on why Satan probably doesn't want people to get this truth. It's because there's salvation in the Lord's name! And calling on the Lord's name is not just for our regeneration but for every single day of our life!!

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,

for the same Lord is Lord of all

and rich to all who call upon Him.

For whoever calls upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:12-13

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?

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Jan's Classic Baked Spaghetti Casserole

This is a do-it-ahead version of one of America's favorite crowd pleasers. And it comes from a home ec teacher, and so you know it's going to be good! I had to do some tweaking of this recipe to make the gluten free mushroom soup that goes over the top. The fresh mushrooms I added to this recipe really made it for it!

Also instead of just using 28 oz of diced tomatoes, I added 1 14.5 can of tomato sauce. Our international students loved it! Of course, they love anything with noodles. I really like the way all these layers come together to make a fantastic casserole for a fall night!

Jan’s Classic Baked Spaghetti – for 8

1. Prepare vegetables:

(1) Chop 1 cup of onion and 1 cup of green pepper.

(2) Slice 3/4 cup of button mushrooms and ½ cup of olives.

2. Meanwhile cook the noodles: 12 oz.

3. Make sauce – In a large skillet:

(1) Brown 1 pound of ground turkey. Put in a bowl.

(2) Sauté onions and green pepper in 1 T of butter.

(2) Then add 28 oz. of diced tomato, 1/2 cup mushrooms olives, 2 t oregano, and add back the browned ground turkey.

4. Assemble casserole:

(1) Put half of the spaghetti on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.

(2) Top with ½ of meat mixture.

(3) Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

(4) Repeat layers.

(5) Pour Gluten free mushroom soup over the top: Put 2 T of butter into a skillet and whisk in 2 T of tapioca starch/rice flour, then slowly whisk in 6 oz of milk, 6 oz of water, and 2 t of Chicken Better Than Bouillon, 1/4 cup of chopped mushrooms and 1/2 t of black pepper. Taste and make any adjustments. (Recipe calls for 1 can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with ¼ of water over the top.)

(6) Sprinkle ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Other Italian & Greek Pasta Recipes on This Blog:

Italian & Greek Chicken:
Incredible Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki (My son-in-law's marinade recipe)
Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers & Mushrooms  (My mother-in-law)
You've Got to Try This Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan!  (From my church cook book, Come & Dine)

Pasta Cassroles:

The Best Gluten Free Lasagna   (From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini    (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Classic Pastas:
My Mom's Splendiferous Gluten Free Spaghetti  (My mother's amazing sauce!)
Ginger's Family Favorite Gluten Free Beef Stroganof   (From my friend Ginger)
Gluten Free Pasta Aioli - Sausage & Vegetable Penne  (From my daughter and son-in-law)
Incredible Gluten Free Pasta Primavera    (Combination of two Internet searches)
Fantastic Gluten Free Salmon Fettucine
Easy to Make Gluten Free Shrimp Linguini   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Mac & Cheeses
Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese  (Modified from Heritage & Internet search)
Gluten Free Comfort Food - Downright Delicious Gluten Free Tuna Noodle Casserole  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Pizza
Judi's Gluten Free Crazy Crust Pizza - Spinach, Artichoke & Feta Pizza (From a friend)

Soups:
This is the Best Minestrone Soup!  (From my son's Internet search and tweaking)
Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is my friend Debbie's recipe)

Salads:
Tasty Gluten Free Pasta Salad   (I've been making this salad for over 20 years!)
Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad  (From my son-in-law who is half Italian)
Michelle's Greek Quinoa Salad (My daughter came up with this way to use quinoa)

Sunday, October 18, 2015

What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?

It didn’t take long after Adam and Eve’s first two kids grew up before another heartache hit the family. Doesn't the story of Cain and Abel surprise you? Didn't they both grew up hearing the same garden story? They knew all about how a talking serpent tricked their mom, and how they had lost their garden home because of their parent's disobedience.

From a beach walk with family on September 29

But from my reading of the Bible it's obvious that these kids didn't really get what had happened when their parents ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The nature of Satan actually got inside of their flesh. We can see this fact in God's own word to Cain:

Sin is couching at the door and its desire is for you. Genesis 4:7

When they grew up both brothers chose different occupations. Cain grew a garden, and Abel took care of sheep. I learned in the Life-Study that during this time period nobody ate sheep. In Genesis chapter 4 we hear about what happened when they both brought their offerings to God. Cain was first, and he brought some of his garden vegetables, and then Abel gave God a lamb. God didn’t particularly like Cain’s offering, but He accepted Abel’s. This might seem a bit baffling, why would God not accept vegetables, but take a lamb?

Actually there’s something more here than God’s personal preference, and Witness Lee even admits that at first he didn’t understand it either. And this is the excerpt that helped me get what was going on here. It's on page 305 from chapter 23 of the Life-Study of Genesis:

Cain offered the fruit of his own labor to God (Gen. 4:3). He brought the fruit of the ground with no blood for shedding. This means that he had rejected God’s way of redemption which he had heard from his parents. God’s way of redemption as revealed to Cain’s parents was that of a sacrifice in which the blood was shed, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). Man was fallen, ruined, sinful, and polluted in the eyes of God. He needed the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. Although Cain’s parents surely spoke to him of God’s way of redemption, he rejected it, casting it aside. Cain did not care for God’s way; he invented his own way according to his concept (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Genesis. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print).

What I never would have picked up here is that what displeased God so much was Cain’s inventing his own way of worshipping God. He points out in this chapter that this might not seem so bad because he wasn’t doing what we would call evil. but God knew that His enemy was behind this offering. The Bible tells us that God’s reaction caused Cain to scowl, and God came and told him that sin was crouching at his door trying to have him.

I really appreciated it how Witness Lee clearly shares that when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge something fundamental happened to their being—sin came into them. (You can check out Romans 5:19.) And with it came jealousy, anger, murder, and lying—all the things we see in Cain. This is a truth not all Christians see—although you are regenerated, you still have the fallen nature of Satan within you until your body is transfigured at the Lord’s coming. To me this is the battle between God and Satan brought down into our very being. ( Romans 7 is all about this.) And it matters what we choose. The story of Cain and Abel profoundly shows us that.

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