Tandoori Chicken Recipe (Instant Pot)

 This is a recipe that my husband found online several years ago, and we have been enjoying it a lot lately. Some of you may know that I have a bunch of dietary restrictions, so I am always happy when I find something that I can eat. It is also easy AND delicious! It checks ALL of the boxes.

The prep time is about ten minutes, and it cooks for 30 minutes. We often cook rice to go along with the chicken and sauce, and we do that in the Instant Pot too! My oldest daughter loved it when she visited us this summer, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law enjoyed it when we visited them over spring break!

Ready to cook!

So here is the recipe; it is officially called "Coconut Tandoori-Inspired Chicken"

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I use chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons garam masala*

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

14-ounce can of coconut milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Freezer version: Mix everything together in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Place in the freezer and store up to three months. When you're ready to cook, follow the directions below!

Instant Pot: Add everything to the Instant Pot. If it's thawed, cook for 5 minutes on manual high pressure + 10 minutes for natural release. If it's frozen, cook for 15 minutes on manual high pressure + 10 minutes natural release. Shred and serve over rice!

 Slow Cooker: Add everything to the Slow Cooker. If it's thawed, cook for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low. If it's frozen, cook for 6 hours on high. Shred and serve over rice!

All done and ready to eat...yum!

*My note: I make my own version of garam masala with 1/2 Tbsp each of cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and nutmeg.     ALSO, make sure you have turmeric for this recipe!

NOTES

If you let the sauce stand for 15 minutes before serving, it should thicken up slightly and take on the texture of a light gravy or curry sauce. I find chicken thighs are pretty small and cook up quickly, but make sure you check to make sure that they are fully cooked. I like to add a veggie to round out the meal. You can also serve it with rice bowls, cauliflower rice, or even as tacos or burritos.

Thanks to Pinch of Yum for this recipe!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know how you like it!

Numbers 11:4-6
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

New garden area setup

My husband and I have been talking for several years about moving our garden area after our chickens died. They lived longer than we thought they would!  But they all finally died over the winter, so we were able to use their chicken pen as a fenced garden area. Part of the reason we wanted to use the fenced area is that we get a lot of deer in our yard, especially in the past several years. I planted tomatoes in one of our wine barrels a few years ago, and the deer ate the tiny green tomatoes. UGH!

How it all began...

Once the weather began to get warm this spring, my hubby dismantled the chicken coop and began collecting scrap wood. He put the wood along the bottom half of the fenced area, so it would be a solid background for the garden. Then we put plastic sheeting over the wood. We placed long 2-by-4s on the dirt to help everything be more level. Then we began moving the cinder blocks we had around our old garden beds. My hubby did a majority of that work by himself, partly because I have been dealing with tennis elbow in my left arm. I did lift some of the blocks with my right arm. Once we got two layers set, we placed some cut-up wood pallets and other fillers in the bottom of the garden beds.

Our next step was to put garden fabric between the 2nd and 3rd layers of cinder block. We put everything from our compost bin and compost area on top of the garden fabric. It took a lot of shoveling into a barrel, but we were glad to have that step done, and our yard looked nicer!

The garden area is on the other side of the fence that you see...

Our next step was to move dirt from our old garden beds into the new garden beds. There were two beds that were about 2 feet wide by 10 feet long. It took us 3 hours to move all of the dirt bucket by bucket. We took a break for over a week after that, partly because we went out of town for a few days.

Before...

during...

and after!

We have not decided what to do with this part of the yard yet, but we may move our fire pit...

We priced topsoil at the local home improvement store and decided that it would be cheaper to buy compost from the area near our dump. We drove to the dump compost on Saturday and picked up one load. Our son Caleb came to help his Dad shovel dirt from the truck to the garden. It didn't take too long, and we even had some dirt left over! I promised our son that he would get to enjoy the fruit (and veggies) of our labor with us, literally! (haha)

That evening, my hubby and I shopped for veggies and seeds. It was kind of exciting to get to this point after so much work! We bought three tomato plants, three pepper plants, a red lettuce, two cucumber plants, two strawberry plants, spinach plants, and several herbs. We also got flowers for our wine barrels and marigolds to brighten up the garden area.

On Sunday, I planted the wine barrel plants, but that was all, since it was Mother's Day. I got a nap, and we enjoyed a nice family dinner with my mom. I was busy on Monday, but when the weather was cooler on Monday evening, we planted all the plants and seeds. The seeds that we bought are: arugula, rosemary, and three kinds of lettuce.

Then yesterday we got the watering hoses and small watering bubblers/umbrella bubblers in, as well as a soaker hose for the herbs and marigolds, which are in the cinder block holes. We are so happy to be done with all of that work and hope that everything grows well!

The water hoses are all set up...

Strawberries are all ready to water...

The basil and a marigold with the soaker hose...

I may post an update later this summer when things are really growing. It is so nice to have a garden again! (Although I hope Colorado's drought won't affect things too much...?)

Genesis 1:11-12
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Deuteronomy 11:10
The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden.

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Caleb's hockey

 Our son Caleb decided to join the local recreational league hockey this March. It has been fun to watch him compete in a sport again. He's played golf the past few years, but that is not a spectator sport! He was a little nervous to join, partly because he'd never played a real game. He could definitely ice skate, and he played lots of hockey in our garage (on roller blades) with his sisters.

He has done really well and enjoyed it a lot! He's made lots of goals and learned as he's played. We've also enjoyed seeing him indoors, instead of freezing in the wind, rain, or boiling in the sun (like in baseball!).

He's played the lower levels in his league, which are C and D. They had similar guys on two teams. The last night that they played this season with the D league was their championship, and they won! They even had an imitation Stanley Cup that they got to hold and skate around with. It's been fun to cheer with his girlfriend (now fiancée), our niece, and his sisters. We take a bag of blankets with us to the ice rink.

His first jersey was an old loaner that said "JIM" on the back, so that's what we called him when we cheered.

He got a New Jersey halfway through the season with our last name on it. It was spelled wrong, but he wore it anyway. 

The skates make him seem really tall!

Even if he has grown up, we're still his parents cheering him on!

Genesis 18:3-4
He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree."

Job 37:9-11
The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.

The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters his lightning through them.

Word of the Year 2026: Abundance

Word of the Year: Abundance 

I had a challenging time this year choosing a word to focus on. I needed to appreciate the blessings that I already have. Really, I have been given so much. I dislike the lies that the world tells us that we can't be happy until we have MORE, or the newest, latest & greatest. I have plenty of clothes, books, "toys", purses, candles, food, etc.,

Part of it is the time after Christmas when I want to purge some things. But I really just want to be happy with the "abundance" that I have been given. I chose Ephesians 3:20 for my verse to memorize, and it will help me remember that He can do way more than I think or imagine, and to God be the glory. I don't deserve anything, no matter what anyone says. I deserve punishment for the way I have betrayed my Lord. I have disobeyed Him and dishonored Him. The world says to take a break or buy this thing because "you deserve it." I say no, I deserve nothing. 

God deserves all of the praise for all that I am and all that I have. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for God in my life. I need Him every moment of every day. So I honor God, and say, Now to Him who is able to do ABUNDANTLY more than I ask or think... to God be the glory!

I also found a song that goes along with this verse, called "Abundantly More" by North Point Worship. You can listen to it here. I like the line that says, "Your love for me is better than I imagined." So good!

Did you choose a word of the year? I'd love to hear all about it!

Ephesians 3:20

NKJV      Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

26. 
    
    
    
    
    Matthew 25:29
      For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have, will be taken from them.

    
    
27. Luke 12:15
    Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Christmas highlights 2025

 We had a wonderful Christmas this past year. We had our "big kids" home for a few days, and that was fun. On the 23rd, there was a "Christmas skate with Santa" in the afternoon that my husband and three younger kids went to together. I'm not an ice skater, so I did not participate. My two middle kids have "Elf" costumes that they wore ice skating!  Haha

 

On Christmas Eve, we went to our church's candlelight service and then home to open one gift. My 2 younger girls had gotten Grinch sweatshirts in early December, so we bought the sweatpants to go with them.

Oldest daughter opens pajamas...

My hubby got a new t-shirt...

Here's the girls in their matching sweatshirts and pants!

They played our table-top air hockey before we began "The Polar Express".

Our family photo after our Christmas Eve service... it took about 10 pictures to get a good one!

My hubby got some new slippers called "Kyrgies" that he really wanted... he loves them!

Our youngest got a Nintendo switch game that she's wanted for a while...

M got an electric tea kettle for her dorm room that she wanted...

The bigs got a blanket that they really wanted...

My mom was here for the day and she loved her pink, striped shirt that we gave her!

M appliquéd letters onto several sweatshirts for gifts... I have one that says, "Jesus Saves."

Our oldest daughter got a hand-stitched bag that says, "Thank You for the Music."

We saved the last gift for M... I began writing a devotional book for her!

After my son's girlfriend got off of work, we opened gifts with her. She liked her new scrub top!

My son bought her this hat that says, "He's Golfing."

We used part of my husband's Christmas bonus to buy a large, wooden shelf to hold our games! We like it because now we can see them all!

We finished our 1,000-piece Christmas puzzle (from my hubby's mom and sister-in-law) a few days after Christmas! It was a good challenge!

How was your Christmas? I'd love to hear about it!

Luke 2:4--15

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Card game: Golf

 Our family loves to play games together, especially on any holiday. Joshua's sister and her husband enjoy games too, and we are always trying to find new ones to play when we get together. But sometimes a good, old card game is fun too. This past Thanksgiving, we played a card game called "Golf." I remember my grandparents playing this game, so it is definitely not new. It is easy to learn and can be played with players aged 5 to 95!

Directions for Nine-Card Golf:

You'll need two decks of cards if you're playing with 4-8 people (leave the jokers in). Everyone gets dealt nine cards face down-- do NOT look at the cards! Arrange the cards in three rows of three cards. Each player will turn three cards face up.

Kings are wild cards, worth -2 points.

Jokers are wild, worth zero points.

You may try to get three cards in a row, up or down, and then each card is worth zero points. 

All other cards are worth face value. Aces are 1;  jacks and queens are 10 points.

The goal of the game is to get the lowest score, just like in golf at the range. You will draw a card either from the top of the pile or from the player on your right, and either discard or pass it to the next player in order. You may decide to keep it if it is a lower card or if you're collecting cards of that number. Suits do not matter.

When the first person turns over their ninth card, each other player has one more turn. This time, however, you may not take your neighbor's turned-up card; you MUST take from the draw pile only.

Then you take score by counting up your cards, and play another round. 

Here is a photo of my husband's winning hand:

I hope you enjoy playing this game! Let me know if you try it and if you have any questions!

Deuteronomy 11:18
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Psalm 33:21
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Luke 22:52
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?

Marching band 2025

 Our 16-year-old had a wonderful year of marching band again this year! She is a junior this year and their theme was "Lines in Motion." They had yellow show shirts this year, which were really cool! They also had yellow shako (hat) wraps which matched the show shirt. They didn't wear their typical blue jackets, and that confused some people at the competitions, because it is hard to tell what band it is when they're not wearing their traditional school colors!

They had a great time playing in pep band and performing at football game halftimes, too. They were in a fall festival parade, and will be in the Veteran's parade next weekend, as well as marching in two Christmas parade. But there will be no more shows! We miss it already. Please enjoy the pictures!

Blogger put the pictures in backwards, so they start with the state competition last weekend... oh well!

Chilly evening watching the bands until 10:30 p.m.!

Bethany's heart clip that she had in her hair...

With Mom and Dad after performing....

love this kid! Daddy bought her a new hat...

Fans listening to the music, it was warmer in the morning sun and the afternoons...

Nana and Auntie were there too, we missed them last year!

The bands lining up for the "retreat" at the end of the night...

Circling up while performing...

There's my girl when I zoomed in!

Zoomed out...

A friend's daughter made a poster for our daughter~ so sweet!

My girl and me... she's so great!

Our band performing...

At State Championships...

Performing again...

Love those yellow and red flags!

Our daughter is standing by the black synthesizer cart on the left...

Can you see the shape in the picture?

The banner holding kids...

Marching in the fall fest parade...

Performing at a local football game...

We can hardly believe that she only has one year left of band and marching band! We have a concert next week, but life will be calmer now!

Psalm 92:1
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,

Psalm 147:7
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.

Ephesians 5:19
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,