Gluten Free & God Seeking

Monday, July 15, 2019

Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

For 12 years I lived next to a horticulturist who owned a flower shop in downtown Seattle. Whenever we were both in the yard, she would notice things in my flower beds and give me advice like putting soapy water in a spray bottle would kill all aphids on my lupines without having to use a pesticide. I've used that one over and over on all kinds of plants.She also told me that if I would prune my roses, they would keep blooming. I've done that with my floribundas and sometimes I'll get three blooms!

Over time she transformed both her front and backyards into two different kinds of gardens--all I remember is that one of them was an English garden, ahhh it was so beautiful! This dear neighbor died from cancer, but before her death she asked me to take whatever plants I wanted in memory of her. I chose many and feverfew was one of them.

I found out years later that this beautiful herb which looks much like a dwarf daisy is full of medicinal properties. So like I did with the peppermint and lemon balm that I had also dug up from her garden that day, I researched it.

Here's what I found out:

1. It's an energizing herb and helps our body deal with inflammation.

2. For the respiratory system - It helps with fever hence the name! I also helps treat asthma, wheezing coughs, and sinusitis.

3. For the stomach - It aids in digestion and alleviates stomach aches.

4. For the circulatory system - It reduces blood pressure.

5. For muscles & joints - It helps with muscle spasms, neuralgia, rheumatism, arthritis, and sciatica. I found out that it contains allicin what aspirin is made of so it's great for all kinds of aches and pains.

6. Headaches - Feverfew is commonly used for headaches and migraines. It can also be used to treat vertigo.

How to Dry Feverfew:

(1) You can simply cut the feverfew and put it in a vase without water and let it dry naturally. It's good to let it sit out for about 2 weeks to ensure that there's no moisture left in the herb.

(2) Then just use your fingers to remove both the flowers and the leaves into a large bowl.

(3) Put in a glass jar and label.

Brewing Up a Cup of Medicinal Tea: Put 1-2 teaspoons of your dried tea into a metal tea holder or use a French press and place it into the hot water. Put a plate over the top to keep the essential oils from evaporating, and let it steep for about 10 minutes.

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
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?

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

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.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Insights From Jeremiah - What Does God Consider Evil in Jeremiah 2:13?

By the time Jeremiah came along the Israelites had fallen so far into idolatry that God gave up on them. Eventually He sent the nations (Jer. 32:28-36) to punish them. Because of Israel's unfaithfulness, Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet.

In the opening chapter of the Life-Study of Jeremiah Witness Lee says that Jeremiah's tears show God's compassion towards His people. He brings out in Jeremiah 2:2 that God viewed His people as His bride, and that their idolatry was spiritual adultery. And in Jeremiah 2:13 God tells them that their forsaking Him for idols was evil:

Jeremiah 2:13 My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that held no water.

I found it remarkable that in this verse God likens Himself to a fountain of living WATER. It might seem a bit unusual, but this verse shows us that God likens Himself to a source of satisfaction. And we know that people can't live very long without water. I enjoyed Witness Lee's comments on this verse on pages 18-19 of chapter 3 of the Life-Study of Jeremiah:

"In Jeremiah 2:13 we see not only something positive--the fountain of living waters--but also something negative--the children of Israel's forsaking this fountain to hew out for themselves broken cisterns, which hold no water. This negative thing indicates that Israel, like Adam in Genesis 3, had become fallen. Adam fell by forsaking the tree of life and turning to another tree--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Israel fell by forsaking God as the fountain of living waters and turning to a source other than God. This source is signified by cisterns, which Israel labored to hew out for themselves....This indicates that apart from God as the fountain of living waters, nothing can quench our thirst, nothing can satisfy us" Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Jeremiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1992, Print).

Reading this reminded me of the Lord's talk with the Samaritan woman in John 4. He asked this immoral woman for a drink of water. In that particular Life-Study he shares that the Lord was a thirsty Savior seeking this thirsty sinner. And he showed her that He was the living water that would satisfy her longing soul. Don't think this doesn't relate to you--I've learned that no matter how long I've been a believer, I have to keep drinking from this fountain!

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6 Be the Mighty God?
Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2
Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:26?
Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Monday, July 1, 2019

Luscious GF Raspberry Bars

For me summer means berry picking. In my garden I have a small strawberry patch. My daughter has more raspberry bushes than I do, and she had a bumper crop last year. Along with all the blackberries that line most of our trails and blueberry fields out in the county, we can make all kinds of delicious desserts that showcase our Northwest berries.

I saw this recipe for raspberry bars in my Syre School Cookbook and thought I'd see if I could use some real berries instead of the jam it called for. I didn't use as much sugar as the jam probably had, but these were so full of flavor! If you want to make it from scratch like I did, just let it cool down a bit and check it's consistency and level of sweetness. I didn't have to add any more sugar than I listed here.

1. Make crust - In a medium-sized mixing bowl put:
(1) 2 1/4 cups of gluten free flours - I used 1 1/2 cups of white rice flour, 1/2 cup of tapioca flour, 1/2 cup of fava and garbanzo flour.
(2) Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar (recipe called for 1 cup, but I always cut it down) and 1 cup of oatmeal.
(3) Cut in 1/2 cup of butter (recipe calls for 1 cup, but like the sugar I usually cut that down, too)
(4) Stir in 1 egg.
(5) Put 1 1 /2 cups of the flour mixture in a small bowl for the topping.

2. Prepare filling: The recipe calls for 10 oz. of raspberry preserves, but because I had some raspberries in the freezer, I thought I'd try to use them for the bars. If you want to use frozen raspberries here's how I did it:
(1) Put 2 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries with their juice into a saucepan.
(2) Stir in 2 packs of unflavored gelatin and 1/4 cup of sugar.

(3) If the mixture doesn't thicken up which mine didn't, add 2 tsp. of tapioca starch mixed with a tablespoon of water. I let this sit for a few hours and when I spread it, it had the consistency of jam!

3. Do the bars:
(1) Press the rest of the flour mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 pan.
(2) Spread the raspberry filling or 10 oz. of raspberry preserves evenly over the top of the crust. (I wonder since I had about 2 cups of raspberry filling if 10 oz. of jam will be enough.)
(3) Crumble the reserved 1 1/2 cups of the flour mixture over the top of the raspberry filling.

4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool and cut. It says it makes 2 dozen.

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)
From New Zealand - Triple Berry Pavlova (A friend's recipe - Heritage School Cookbook)
A Northeast Classic - Blueberry Grunt (From a student)

Monday, June 24, 2019

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Seeing Christ's Resurrection & Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Isaiah 53 gives not only an incredible prophecy about the Lord's crucifixion, it also mentions His burial, resurrection, and ascension. Over all of these details God exercised His sovereign control to match all the Old Testament prophecies.

View from a friend's cabin

Without the help of chapter 49 in the Life-Study of Isaiah, I wouldn't have seen how this chapter also contains prophecies concerning both the Lord's resurrection and ascension. Isaiah 53:10-11 says, "When He makes Himself an offering for sin, He will see a seed, He will extend His days, and the pleasure of Jehovah will prosper in His hand. He will see the issue of the travail of His soul, and He will be satisfied; by the knowledge of Him, the righteous One, My Servant, will make the many righteous; and He will bear their iniquities." .

Without this chapter I wouldn't have picked up that the word seed here implies all the believers in John 12 that would come forth when Christ as the grain of wheat fell into the earth and died. Nor would I have joined the Lord seeing the issue of His travail to the Lord selling all in His death to gain the church as the pearl of great price. I was impressed again and again with the light in these chapters!

These excerpts on pages 382-383 of chapter 49 help explain what's being unveiled in these verses in Isaiah:

"Third, the prophets' report and Jehovah's revelation unveil Christ as the resurrected life-giver....Although the term life-giver is not used in these verses, the thought of a life-giver is implied in the seed mentioned in verse 10. That seed surely is produced by life....The seed produced by Christ in His resurrection is His believers for the building up of His Body as His continuation" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).

In Isaiah 53:12 the Lord's ascension is unveiled where it speaks of dividing the spoil with the strong. In this section Witness Lee ties this verse to what Paul's talking about Christ leading a train of captives in Ephesians 4:8. We're the spoil the Lord took from Satan.

At the end of this chapter he says we have to believe Isaiah's report that this Christ who through His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled God's eternal desire!! I hope you will take the time to read these chapters online.

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Just Like Starbucks Date Scones

Scones make a beautiful addition to a breakfast table. I don't make scones very often so they're a big deal around my house.

I've had my Come & Dine church cookbook for over 20 years, and I've never made this Starbucks copycat recipe. I had some dates I needed to use up and so I was game to give it a try.

This recipe is easy to follow, and I would suggest that you not use coconut flour because you don't want scones to end up on the dry side. .

These scones were delicious with scrambled eggs, fruit, and, of course, a cup of tea.

Just Like Starbucks Date Scones

1. Prepare dry ingredients - In a large mixing bowl put:

(1) 2 cups of gluten free flour
(2) 2 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. cinnamon
(3) Stir in 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
(4) Cut in 1/2 cup of chilled butter into the dough until it's crumbly.

2. Mix liquid ingredients - In a small bowl put:
(1) 1 egg
(2) 2/3 cup of buttermilk
(3) 2/3 cup of chopped dates.

3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix together BUT DO NOT OVERMIX. If the dough is sticky, add a couple tablespoons of flour and work it in until the dough doesn't stick to the bread board.

4. Working with the dough:
(1) Knead the dough 8 to 10 times.
(2) Either pat it out into one circle like below or divide the dough in half and shape each part into a circle about 1/2" thick.
(3) Cut out 12 wedges.

5. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 for about 20 minutes. Optional: Brush the tops with melted butter.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

The record of Isaiah 53 is very moving to me. It's hard to believe that this book was written about 700 years before Christ was even born. The details given here are phenomenal when compared to the actual events portrayed in the Gospels.

A friend climbing a nearby mountain

Verse 1 of this chapter says: Who has believed our report?/ And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?" In chapter 49 of the Life-Study of Isaiah Witness Lee says that Jesus is the arm of Jehovah mentioned here. He was the tender plant growing up before God in verse 2. And He didn't choose to be good looking either.

Isaiah even foretold that Jesus wouldn't have a life of ease just because He was God. I'm glad that the Lord was willing to be a man of sorrows so that He could relate with us on every level. I really love that verse in Hebrews 4:15 that says we don't have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tried in all respects like us yet without sin. We see a lot of these sufferings from the way the scribes and Pharisees treated Jesus--even going so far as to plot to kill Him. It's hard to believe that the hearts of the Jewish leaders were so hard.

Probably the part of Isaiah 53 that touches me the most are verses 4-6 where Isaiah tells us: Surely He has borne our sicknesses, And carried our sorrows; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded because of our transgression; He was crushed because of our iniquities; And the chastening of our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we have been healed. We all like sheep have gone astray; Each of us has turned to his own way, and Jehovah has the caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon Him.

Many years ago I read this article by a physician about the physiological affect of the Lord's crucifixion on His body. I had never considered before that when the Lord was beaten by the Roman guards they most likely used a cat-o-nine whip that ripped the skin off of His back. So when He was nailed to the cross, which probably wasn't sanded, He had to scrape His back up and down on that rough beam to catch a breath. Think about it--this process was excruciating for Him! But He was willing to bear the smiting, wounding, crushing, and chastening that Isaiah speaks about on OUR behalf. Isaiah saw that Jesus would come like John the Baptist said in John 1:29 as the Lamb of God who would TAKE AWAY the sin of the world.

Reaching the summit!

What I see here in Isaiah 53 is the depths of God's great love for us. He wasn't willing to let man go, so He became incarnated. He knew that fallen man needed a sin offering that wouldn't just cover his sins but one that would heal man from the inside out. And He was willing to take our place to accomplish that. Now that deserves a hallelujah!

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Overnight Raisin & Walnut Crunch Coffee cake

Coffee cakes add a special touch to a Saturday morning breakfast. Whenever I try out a new recipe, I never know if it's going to work with the gluten free flour I use. And besides that, I didn't have any buttermilk, so I added a tablespoon of vinegar to almond milk.

So I was a bit skeptical as I put all of this together and stuck it into my fridge!! I've never made this kind of coffee cake before; so as I baked it the next morning, I was wondering if it was going to even rise. This recipe came from my Heritage School cookbook, and it's full of delicious recipes that I've frequently posted from.

Anyway back to when the timer went off. I was surprised when I checked it to see that it had risen. I was picturing it coming out more like a pancake than a coffee cake! When my husband and I had a piece, we were like this tastes great!

Overnight Raisin & Walnut Crunch Coffeecake

1. Prepare dry ingredients - In a medium-sized bowl put:

(1) 2 cups of gluten free flour

(2) Stir in 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. powdered milk, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

2. Cream butter & sugar: In a large mixing bowl put:

(1) 3/4 cup of butter (I used 1/2 cup)

(2) 1/2 cup of brown sugar and cream them together

(3) Beat in 2 eggs ONE at a time.

3. Combine ingredients: Add the dry ingredients alternately with 1 cup of buttermilk to creamed mixture. Beat well after each addition.

4. Make streusel topping - In a small bowl put:

(1) 4 tablespoons of melted butter

(2) 1/2 cup of brown sugar (recipe calls for 1 cup!)

(3) Stir in 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1 tsp. cinnamon

(4) Chop 1 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of raisins

(5) Stir together.

5. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and:

(1) Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the pan.

(2) Sprinkle with half of the nut mixture.

(3) Add the remaining batter to the top.

(4) Sprinkle with the rest of the nut & raisin topping.

6. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before baking.

7. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until done.

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)

Dot's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread (From my father's friend)

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