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.

Simple Oat & Pecan Blueberry Crisp

 I have tried several times to give up sugar. Over the past few months, I've tried eliminating different foods to see if they could help my pain & swelling in my back & shoulders. I tried giving up caffeine, but it didn't make any difference. I decided to try to give up sugar, again. It is NOT easy. Sugar is EVERYwhere. It is a hidden ingredient in SO many different foods. I bought a book called, "The 40 Day Sugar Fast," and I plan to read it after the first of the new year. So for now, I am doing my best to eliminate sugar on my own. I am having honey as an alternative, and Stevia in some things. Stevia tastes really good in steel-cut oats (which we make in our Instant Pot, but that was my last post!)

The last time that I gave up sugar I found this recipe for a Blueberry Crisp. Over the past month, I've probably made it 10 times. I have been halving it, and making it in a bread tin. It works great and it is just enough for two of us to have for dessert. I like that it is multiple grains, and I use a little bit of flour instead of almond meal/ flour. I do not use the drizzle topping, I always make it without, partly because I am dairy-free. I found it on a blog, and I have posted the link below.

Here is the recipe:

Simple Oat and Blueberry Crisp – refined sugar-free and made with whole grains. Warm, juicy blueberries with a delicious crumbled topping.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup pecan halves (about 3/4 cup chopped)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut (unsweetened, preferably!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup or raw honey
• 4 cups blueberries
  
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the pecans. Combine the oats, pecans, almond meal, coconut, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and maple syrup and stir until well-mixed. GOOD LUCK NOT EATING THE WHOLE THING RIGHT HERE AND NOW.
2. Grease a square baking dish (8×8 or 9×9) and arrange the blueberries in the bottom. Top with the oat mixture. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and has firmed up slightly. If you want, you can top it with additional flaked coconut and return to the oven for another 5 minutes just for some decorative toasted coconut on top.
3. NOTES

For the little drizzle on top, I creamed 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese with 1/2 cup of light coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of raw honey. That will give about 2 cups of coconut “sauce”, which is way more than you’ll need for the crisp, so you could either halve the ingredients to make less or just keep the leftovers in the fridge as a fruit dip like I do! Num. Or just use ice cream, too!

https://pinchofyum.com/simple-oat-pecan-blueberry-crisp

Exodus 27:20
“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning."


Exodus 29:2
And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.

Deuteronomy 8:8
...a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;

Deuteronomy 11:14
...then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil.

Easy Instant pot pinto beans recipe

We love our Instant Pot. We use it ALL of the time. There was one day that we used it THREE times... once to make steel-cut oats for breakfast, once to make beans for dinner, and once to make applesauce in the evening. It is so nice just to load it up and let it cook. There is no stirring until you open it. After you do open it, that is when ALL of the smells come out... the delicious aromas make us hungrier! We use our Instant Pot to make rice, potatoes (baked or prep to mash), and pork for carnitas or pulled pork for sandwiches. It is similar to a crock pot but better-- since it cooks things quicker. Not quite instantly!

My mother-in-law came up with this recipe for instant pot pinto beans. I've used black beans in place of pintos and got similar results. Only an hour and a half from DRY beans to cooked! It saves so much time, instead of taking ALL day to cook in a crock pot or on the stove.

First, I always rinse my beans. It reduces dust, but rocks and other minor things get filtered out a bit too. I've found that rinsing beans (even canned) reduces the gas caused by beans. SO NICE!

The original recipe card I wrote from my MIL

 Instant Pot pinto beans recipe

One cup of dry beans (rinsed)

2 1/2 cups of water (or 3)

Loaded up and ready to start...

Place beans and water into the Instant pot and seal. Cook on HIGH pressure for 50 minutes, using natural release (this takes up to 40 more minutes).

After opening the instant pot...

If they're too wet, you can saute them on high with the lid off to cook off some of the moisture. We always do this, and they go from being wet beans in water to much more like cooked pinto beans that are similar to refried beans! We LOVE them in our tacos. 

All done!

Since I have a lot of food sensitivities, I love knowing exactly what is in them. I usually add salt and pepper before serving. It is an EASY recipe and so delicious!

2 Samuel 17:27-29
When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileaditefrom Rogelim brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans, and lentils,  honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.”

Ezekiel 4:9
“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.

Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Stew

I was telling my sister recently about this stew, how we love eating it in the winter and it's easy to make. I thought I had put it on my blog, but I didn't... so here it is! Our family has fallen in love with this stew, it's so yummy. It meets my favorite cooking requirements... easy and delicious!

Yummy stew, all steamy and ready to eat! (no peas this time, I ran out!)

I'm not sure where I got this recipe. I just searched Pinterest and didn't find it, so I don't know! But it is tried and true in our house, one that I crave. When my hubby and youngest daughter were gluten-free, this was a stew that we ate a lot in that winter, and in the winters since. I also like it because it doesn't have tomatoes in it, which I can no longer eat. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

You can vary the vegetables and amounts of this stew to meet your own needs. This recipe isn't finicky, it works just about any way you do it. You can use russet potatoes (that's what I usually have) but can use red or yellow potatoes also, in fact, they hold together better in this stew.

Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Stew recipe
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 or 4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 or 5 carrots, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, diced (and peeled if you like)
2 to 3 teaspoons dried thyme
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed ( I use roasted)
3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable-- I usually do chicken bullion)
2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder, or corn starch (depending on how thick you like it)
1 cup frozen peas
3 or so cups of chopped cooked chicken breast (or 2-3 cups cooked beans)
large handful of fresh parsley (I use a tablespoon of dried)
sea salt or Herbamare
black pepper

Browning the chicken...

Heat a large 11-inch skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. (I usually brown my chicken in the mixture first, since I don't buy cooked chicken for many recipes. If yours if cooked, then you do not need to brown it in this step.) Add diced onions and saute' until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery and potatoes, then saute' a minute more. Add garlic and thyme.

Combine the stock and arrowroot powder (or corn starch) and whisk well. Add this mixture to the pan. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Add peas, cooked chicken (if needed) and parsley. Cover and simmer for 5 or so more minutes or until veggies are cooked to your liking. Add sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

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I think my kids like this recipe because of the thyme in it. It makes it taste so good! I have run out of thyme because I have used it in this recipe so often. 😃

Let me know if you make this recipe, I'd love to hear your review. It cooks up pretty quickly, so it is a nice meal for a weeknight.



Genesis 25:29-30
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” 

2 Kings 4:38
Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”

Recipe: Easy baked meatballs

This is a favorite recipe of ours, It truly is easy. We love meatballs! It's mostly from a recipe that I found on a blog, but I have altered it to my own tastes and preferences.

Easy baked meatballs recipe
Prep time: 10 mins     Cook time: 28-35 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I like to use half Italian sausage)
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley - I've used the dried spice, and it's still good!
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (regular or Italian)
1/2 cup milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Gently mix the ingredients together by using your hands or a stand mixer. Make sure the ingredients are well blended.
4. Arrange aluminum foil on a baking tray. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
5. Scoop a small portion and roll into a ball. Place on greased baking sheet.
6. Place tray with meatballs in the oven. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, or until the inside part of the meatballs are fully cooked.
7. Remove the pan from oven and serve with pasta or rice with your favorite sauce!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you make it, let me know what you think!



Genesis 9:3
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Judges 6:21
Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

Daniel 10:3
I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

This is a meal that I found recently during our gluten free stage. We liked it, and I've made it several times since then, even though we are not strictly gluten- free anymore. We generally like casseroles at our house, and we like chicken and rice. I had a wild rice and BEEF casserole that we used to love, but it has tomato soup in it, which I can't eat anymore since it hurts my mouth. 😒

I'm not sure where I found this recipe, it may have been Pinterest...? But no matter, it is delicious and easy, which are my requirements for cooking! 😉 I also like that it uses ingredients that I usually have in my house! (My comments below are in italics)

Onions, celery and chicken...

Wild Rice & Chicken Casserole

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice (or microwave package)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of chicken)

2 cups cooked chicken cubed (or any other meat)

1 1/2 cups frozen vegetables

1/2 cup cream or milk (I've used dairy-free)

1 tablespoon butter (I've used dairy-free)

1/2 onion diced

1/2 stalk celery diced

salt

pepper

about 1 cup grated cheese, any kind you have (she says Swiss sliced cheese)

1/3 cup slivered almonds (she says to toast them, but I usually do not)

Rice mix, soup and veggies...

After adding the almonds( one daughter doesn't like them)

Instructions

Cook box of rice according to packaged directions. In skillet, melt butter and sautee onion and celery over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, spoon rice into large bowl. To the rice, add cream of mushroom soup, chicken, vegetables, cream, cooked onion and celery, and salt and pepper. Spread into a casserole dish. Top with cheese and almonds. Cover with foil and warm thoroughly at 300 degrees for at least 30 minutes (and up to 60). Serve with a side salad.

Ready to go in the oven  (no cheese for the non-dairy people)

You can find the original recipe here. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe too, and if you make it, be sure to come back and let me know what you think! 

Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Proverbs 15:17
Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

Romans 14:2
One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

New banana bread recipe

This recipe is from our church cookbook. My oldest daughter made it for us a few months ago, and it is a huge hit in our house. It is usually gone within 24 hours of making it! The recipe was submitted by four different people, and the note on the bottom says it must be good, and it is delicious!

 I've made it several times, and we had it for brunch on Easter with fried eggs, so yummy!

Here is the recipe:

Banana bread

5 medium, over-ripe bananas
3 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup nuts, chopped (I've used walnuts)

Put bananas, soda and water in blender and run for 5 minutes or more until thickened. In large bowl, beat eggs; add sugar, butter and vanilla. Add flour alternately with banana mixture to egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into well-greased large bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.

*I've also floured the pan and it turned out better.

The last time I made it, I noticed that there are no spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice. It is still delicious, and doesn't need anything else added!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know your review!

Leviticus 24:5
“Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf.

1 Kings 19:6
He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Food Friday: Baked Granola

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted a recipe on my blog. This recipe is from my sister-in-law and my niece, Norah. When we visited them in August, we had this baked granola almost every morning. We loved it! It tasted great, and filled us up for the whole morning. We love granola here, but our kids go through it so quickly! I like that this lasts a little longer.

Enjoy the recipe!

Hearty Baked Granola

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, beaten

6 cups rolled oats

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

Extras: 1 cup nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins or raisins, 1/4 cup flax seed, 1 cup dried fruit... get creative!

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9 X 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

To serve: cut a piece, put into bowl in microwave for 30-60 seconds, and milk and devour. Yum!

Before baking...

Ready to eat!

Let me know if you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your review!

Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

Exodus 16:31
The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Monster cookies recipe

I've looked for a good monster cookie recipe for a while. I had a few recipes that I've tried in different cookbooks that I own, but they were not what I wanted. So this year I turned to allrecipes.com. Why do I need a cookbook? There are tons of recipes online, and allrecipes.com is one of my favorite recipe websites.

The monster cookie recipe that I found has chocolate chips, m-n-m's, peanut butter and oatmeal in it. I was amazed that there is NO flour in this recipe! They turned out great, and the kids asked to make them again, which is always a good sign! My youngest daughter proclaimed them as her favorite cookie!

You can find this recipe online here.

Monster Cookies

Original recipe makes 6 - 7 dozen

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups rolled oats (I used quick oats)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a very large bowl, beat the eggs.
Add the remaining ingredients in order, mixing well.
Use an ice cream scoop to put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes: I read the reviews, and made them a little less sweet by cutting the sugar a little bit. Also, we made them big using our Pampered Chef scoop, since the reviewers said they were not as good when small. Someone said that they liked them with butterscotch chips, but I have not tried them that way. They are good with mini chocolate chips too. We'll be making these again!

Have you made monster cookies? If so, what recipe do you like?

Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

Exodus 16:31
The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Leviticus 20:24
But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

Mom's Spiced Pecans recipe

My mom has been baking Spiced Pecans at Christmastime for over 25 years. She has given the recipe away many times to anyone who asks. She used to get the pecans cheaper in bulk. She gave them away in little cups or tins to the mailman, the neighbors, people at her work, my Dad's work and at church. Everyone loves them!

I don't make them as much or as often as she does, but I do try to make at least one batch a year. They are pretty easy. I hope you will enjoy them too!

Spiced Pecans
1 tsp cold water
1 egg white
1 lb pecans
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Beat water and egg white together until frothy. Add pecans and stir. Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Stir into nuts. Butter 10 X 15" pan. Spread pecans evenly into pan. Bake at 225 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

They are delicious!

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear your review!

Genesis 37:25
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

John 19:40
Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Easy Fudge recipe

I have been baking up a storm lately! The cool weather and the Christmas season combined make for perfect circumstances to bake. This recipe is one that I got from an older church cookbook (we've had two since I've been there!). When I was a child, my Dad would make fudge. I don't remember that exact recipe, but this one is similar. Enjoy the chocolatey goodness!

Easy Microwave Fudge
16 oz chocolate chips
1 can Eagle brand (sweetened, condensed) milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Microwave the chocolate chips and sweetened milk on high for 2-3 minutes. Stir after one minute. When chips are melted, stir thoroughly then add vanilla and nuts. Stir and pour into greased 9X 9" pan. I did mine in a 7 X 11" pan and it was just right. Cut into small squares when cool.

That's it! It is so easy, takes only five minutes to make. It is very sweet and you don't need a big piece of it.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to read your review!


Nehemiah 8:10
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lordis your strength.”

Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Recipe: Tollhouse pie!

This pie is one of our family's very favorites. It is like a chocolate chip cookie in a pie crust. How can you go wrong with that?! It is ooey, gooey and delicious! You must try this recipe! And there are nuts in it, so that makes it nutritious, right?! :- D

Tollhouse Pie

2 eggs
3⁄4 cup flour
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted 
1 cup chocolate chips 
1 cup walnuts
1 7 or 9 inch pie crust 
whipped cream

1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
   
2. In large bowl, beat eggs until foamy.
   
3. Beat in flour and sugars until well blended.
   
4. Blend in butter.
   
5. Stir in chips and nuts.
   
6. Pour into pie crust.
   
7. Bake for one hour.
   
8. 
   Serve warm with whipped cream. 
   

Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear your review! 

Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Recipe: Kirkridge porridge

I haven't posted a recipe for a while, I feel like everything original that I have has been posted, but that is not so! Enjoy this breakfast recipe for a nice twist on oatmeal!

This recipe is from my mom, who got it from her mom. I remember my Grandma every time I make it. It is a good recipe for a cold, snowy morning. We often have it on Christmas morning when we are at my parent's house. I hope you'll try this hearty, family friendly recipe!

Kirkridge Porridge
Boil 4 cups of water then add:
1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup raisins,
and return to a boil.

Add 2-3 chopped apples
1/3- 1/4 cup wheat germ, and
2 cups quick oats.

Boil one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, add 1 tsp vanilla. Let stand.

Optional: Add a chopped banana before serving.

Toppings: chopped pecans or walnuts, brown sugar or cinnamon sugar.
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This recipe is easy to double if you have more than 6-8 eaters. It is good as leftovers the next day too!

Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear your review!


Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

Proverbs 7:2
Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Song of Songs 2:5
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.

Chocolate brownie recipe

For Caleb's recent birthday party, he wanted brownies for a cake. It worked well with our football theme, and I'm always saving money so... I found this recipe that I found a while back. I like it because it is very chocolatey and sweet. It only takes a few minutes to mix up, and it tastes as good or better than brownie mix from the store! You can find on the original blog here.

Our Favorite Fudgey Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup melted butter
2 cups sugar
3/4 c cocoa
2 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Directions:
Combine melted butter, sugar, and cocoa powder.   Stir in the eggs and vanilla making sure the eggs are thoroughly mixed in.  Fold in flour, salt and baking powder.  If you are picky you can sift your flour, salt and baking powder together before you add them to the batter, but I never do and my brownies always come out perfect.  Just dump in the flour first; then put the salt and baking powder on top of the flour.  They'll all stir in just fine.   When the flour is mixed in, pour the batter out into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before you attempt to cut.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Don't make the same mistake I did though, and add a TBSP of extra flour and an extra five degrees temp for HIGH altitude. 

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear your review!


Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 24:13
[ Saying 26 ] Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

Food Friday: Guacamole!

Summertime is so great because there are so many ripe veggies and fruit in the produce section! One of our favorite summer recipes is Guacamole. It really is so easy to make, you just need avocados, cilantro and tomatoes! Our tomatoes are not ripe yet in the garden, but this will probably come into use again when they are! 

Joshua's sister Allison has a great, simple recipe for guac that we make. I use it every time we make guac for tacos! My other sister-in-law has posted this recipe on her blog here. But I wanted to post it again so it is easier to find, and to share it!

Allison's Guacamole

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe* avocados

2-3 tomatoes

Juice of one lime

Fresh chives or green onions

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and Pepper

TIP: *A ripe avocado will be firm to the touch ... but not hard like a rock.  Avoid anything soft, because that usually indicates that it is bruised.  I like to buy my avocados a few days before I need them and let them ripen a bit on the counter.  Of course, you can never be sure until you cut into it ... I guess it's a bit of a gamble.  

To prepare the avocado, cut it in half by running your knife around the outside from the top to the bottom and back up.  Twist the two halves in opposite directions and you will end up with one side with the pit and the other without.  Lay the side with the pit on the cutting board and carefully tap the knife blade into the pit.  Turn the knife 90 degrees and the pit will come out.  Next, cut through the avocado. Then hold the avocado over the serving bowl and press your thumbs against the skin.  The green, yummy goodness will peel away from the skin and you can scrap it into the bowl.  Repeat with each avocado.

Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped chives or green onions, garlic and lime juice.  Mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Daniel 1:11-13

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”

Daniel 1:15-17

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

Rhubarb bars

Last week, a lady from our church gave us some rhubarb. I've not had rhubarb in many years, and searched online for what to do with it. (I also looked for ingredients that I had IN my house!) I found a delicious recipe on Allrecipes.com for rhubarb bars. Now if I ever get rhubarb again, I've got a great dessert recipe I can use with it!

I thought you might like to see and use the recipe too, so here it is:
(The original recipe is found here.)

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 30 bars

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 
  

• 5 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O® 
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. (I used a 9 X 13" pan)
2. In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of flour and baking powder. Cut in 1/2 cup of butter by pinching between your fingers or using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the egg and milk just until the mixture is moistened. Pat into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread rhubarb over the crust in an even layer, then sprinkle the dry gelatin powder over the rhubarb.
3. Prepare the topping by stirring together 2 cups white sugar and 1 cup flour. Cut in 1/2 cup of butter as you did for the crust. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the rhubarb.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is golden brown and the rhubarb is tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Cool and then cut into bars to serve.
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Let me know if you try this recipe-- I'd love to hear your review!


Exodus 29:2
And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.

Ezekiel 16:19
Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Matthew 13:32-34
Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.