Quinoa Tabbouleh

Chop Chop! Quinoa Tabbouleh! My dish of the week. Ladies Lunch, delivered some to a friend, dinner side, snacked on it all week, and just made more for a nibble during game night with friends!

This is a dish that I have made several times. I follow this recipe exactly as it’s written and I just wanted to capture it for reference for the next time I get a craving for quinoa tabbouleh in the future.

it’s so good!

Mediterranean Spinach Chickpea Gnocchi Stew

This spinach chickpea stew turns a bag of frozen spinach and some chickpeas into a wholesome one-pot dinner to feed a crowd! There are variations of this spinach stew recipe with tomatoes throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East.  I opted for a vegan option, which is just as hearty and satisfying, thanks to the chickpeas and gnocchi!  We enjoyed it with some sourdough fresh bread.  

Ingredients

  • EVOO
  • 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • kosher salt
  • 1 cup San Marzano tomatoes (with juice)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb. frozen spinach (chopped)
  • 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 Cups cooked gnocchi
  • black pepper
  • 1 lemon (juice of)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook, tossing regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
  2. Add the tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and chicken broth. Add the parsley and season with a good dash of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir in the spices.
  3. Bring to a boil of medium-high, then turn the heat down to low and cover partway, leaving part of the top open. Allow the spinach to simmer for 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  4. Bring water to boil to prepare the gnocchi per package instructions.
  5. Plate the gnocchi in a deep bowl and pour soup over it to serve. Finish with lemon juice and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 245.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 15.4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 536.8mg | Potassium: 990.9mg | Fiber: 13.5g | Sugar: 7.9g | Vitamin A: 14923IU | Vitamin C: 53.4mg | Calcium: 250.5mg | Iron: 6.8mg

Living For Life’s Chief Purpose

A friend posted this question recently and I realized that I had more to say than could be put in a response in a post. So this is my response…

With so many distractions in today’s world, how do we best utilize our time and efforts? What should be our main objective and our life’s purpose?

I used to think that it was to be a self sufficient and loving mother, wife, and friend. To give back and pay forward, to come along side people that needed a friend, and just focus on not acting selfishly. Let me tell you, that was a lot of work!

I did these things out of gratitude for the blessings the Lord has given me throughout my life. God is so good! Then I began to realize that my purpose of returning that gratitude fell so short! Yes, having gratitude in itself is a blessing. “Gratitude is the hearts memory”, an old quote I’ve repeated many times. But that’s not enough.

Overtime, I realized that my focus was actually selfish and all about me. I needed to redirect my focus on who God is. Why did God create me. In His image. Who is God? The Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is Sovereign and controls everything. Every single aspect of my life. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, just, forgiving, long-suffering. Jealous, and faithful. Why did He give His life for me on that cross?

I listened to this message recently and it helped me to understand what my purpose in life should be. To Worship and Bring Glory to God. Interestingly enough, the actions to accomplish that are really not so different then how I was behaving. It comes down to my why. Where is my heart. And let me tell you, when you shift your focus from self to God, life changes. God changes hearts and He changes lives.

Take a listen here.

https://youtu.be/GHwZEEjIlA4

Lentil Sloppy Joes – Oh so good!

PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME 30 minutes
Servings 4
Course Entree
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer FriendlyUp to 1 month.
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

LENTILS
  • 2 cups water (I used half water, half  vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup green or red lentils, well rinsed (red lentils for quicker/more tender result or green lentils for more bite/texture)

SLOPPY JOES

  • 2 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, minced (plus more for serving)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp)
  • 1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
  • Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce*
  • 1-2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup  (plus more to taste)
  • 1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-2 tsp chili powder (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin (plus more to taste)
  • 1 pinch smoked or regular paprika (optional)

FOR SERVING optional

  • Gluten-free or whole-wheat hamburger buns*

Instructions

  • If using green lentils: To a small saucepan, add liquid (I used 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable broth for added flavor // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and rinsed green lentils and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 18-22 minutes, or until tender. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
  • If using red lentils: To a small saucepan, add liquid (water and/or vegetable broth) and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add rinsed red lentils and bring back to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until just tender. You want them to be cooked through but not mushy. Drain well and set aside.
  • In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  • Sautè for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the peppers and onions are tender and slightly browned.
  • Next add tomato sauce, pure maple syrup, worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika (optional). Stir to combine.
  • Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the skillet as well, and stir to combine.
  • Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally – about 5-10 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili powder and/or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or worcestershire for depth of flavor.
  • Serve the mixture on toasted buns with sliced onion. Best when fresh, though leftover sloppy joe mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, adding water or vegetable broth if the mixture has dried out.

Vegetarian Mexican Rice and Beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

  • ½ large, sweet onion, diced small.

  • ½ large red bell pepper, diced small.

  • ¾ cup carrots, shredded.

  • ¾ cup corn, frozen.

  • ½ cup peas, frozen.

  • ½ 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed.

  • 1 cup cooked rice, brown.

  • 1 teaspoon cumin.

  • ½ teaspoon salt.

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground.

  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.

  • 2 green onions thinly sliced.

  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely minced.

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, and cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until it begins to soften; stir occasionally.

  2. Add the bell pepper, carrots, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender; stir occasionally.

  3. Add the corn, peas, beans, rice, cumin, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, stir to combine, and cook for about 2 minutes or until warmed through; stir occasionally.

  4. Add the green onions, cilantro, lime juice, stir to combine, taste and check for seasoning balance and add additional salt, pepper, cumin, etc. if desired.

  5. Serve immediately.

Only God truly can look after us

The people of this country are suffering. They are suffering so badly right now. And there’re feeling desperate because there’s nobody looking out for them.

However, only God truly can look after us.

Romans 10:13 tells us: For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But wait! As Romans 10:14 tells us: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

If you read this and do not know what God has done for you, read John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

We must recognize who God is. Our Creator and our Savior! Then put our faith and trust in Jesus, who suffered and died on that cross for our sins! What a friend we have in Jesus!

John 15:13. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. ”

Thank God for what He has done for you. Ask Him to come along side you and show more of himself to you so that you can get to know this friend.

God promises that if you draw near to Him then He will draw near to you.

Janes 4:8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world..”

Help someone in despair, share this message.

Grilled Chicken with Pesto Pasta and Roasted Tomatoes

I recommend ALWAYS roasting some tomatoes and adding them to your pesto pasta dish.
This was fabulous!
I had some three week old tomatoes so I decided to use them.
Homemade basil pasta with pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a Parmesan Romano blend.
Grilled seasoned chicken and toasted French baguette!
Some extra pesto to put into the freezer and Charles was aggressively taking possession of the leftovers. When he does that then I know it was a fabulous dish!!
Pesto Pasta with roasted Tomatos2

Love Came Down Once – And Love Will Come Down Again!

Love Came Down Once – And Love Will Come Down Again!

Love Came Down

As we celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ birth, we must not just look back at that day and that event.  We must look forward to when Jesus will come again.  We need to understand the purpose of his birth, his suffering and death, and his coming again one day.  There was a clear purpose and that purpose was driven from the expansive love that God has for every single person!

His love is expansive – “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19

Jesus is love – “We love because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19;   We can live a life of loving others because of His love for us.  He went first!

When we didn’t deserve his love, he still lavished it on us – “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”-  Romans 5:8;   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Prophesy is documented and preserved in the Bible

God’s word is truth and God is a promise keeper.  So just as prophesized in the Old Testament Books of the Bible, Jesus came to save the world.  And just as prophesized in the New Testament Books of the Bible, Jesus will come again!

The Old Testament – Love Came Down Once – Prophesy Proved True!

Born in Bethlehem  “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  (from eternity) Micah 5:2

Born of a Virgin  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  Isaiah 7:14

From the line of Abraham  “And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.”  Genesis 22:18

A descendant of Jacob “I shall see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near, A star will come out of Jacob a scepter will rise out of Israel”.  Numbers 24:17

Called out of Egypt  “When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son” Hosea 11:1

The New Testament – Love Will Come Down Again – And It Will Prove True!

Just as prophesized in the New Testament – Jesus (Love) coming down again

Jesus said

“For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”  Matthew 23:39

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”.  1 Corinthians 11:26

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”  Mark 13:26

Additional scriptures

‘After this I will return and rebuild” Acts 15:16

“God is just……This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful Angels.   2 Thessalonians 1: 6-7

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and flowing their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is the ‘coming’ he promised?  Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.  But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanted anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3: 3-13

To prepare for Jesus’ return, we ought to be striving to live Godly lives – check out my articles A Life Devoted to God .  And also my article The Trinity, as the Holy Spirit definitely can help you achieve this since we are born with imperfection with our hearts are bent toward selfishness and sin.  But God gave us help through faith in Him.  Thank God!

What Child Is This?

To know Him is to LOVE Him! Praise and honor to the The Father, Jesus Christ The Son, and Holy Spirit.

“This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7:22-28‬ ‭ESV‬

Love Came Down – But There Was No Room!

There Was No Room – Love Makes RoomNo Room

Bethlehem didn’t make room

While they were in [Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:6, 7)

Why do you suppose that there was no room for them in the inn?  Was there really no room inside?  Could they have possibly made room by moving things around or removing something that wasn’t necessary at the moment?  Was it an inconvenience for the hospitality staff?   Did a woman answer the door? Could a women turn another woman away that was in labor?  Who was it that suggested they should go deliver the baby in a manger with the livestock?

Jerusalem didn’t make room

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  (Matthew 2:1-3)

Why do you think that King Herod and all of Jerusalem was disturbed?  Do you think perhaps it was because they were confused about having two Kings in their life?   How would they determine who really was King?  Some say you cannot serve God and money or you cannot serve God and yourself.  You must choose.  And each of us make this choice each and every day.

Who made room for Jesus? 

  1. The shepherds were able to make room due to their humble place.
  2. The Magi were able to make room due to their faith.

The shepherds lived a life of simplicity, they had lots of space, probably not a lot of stress.  They were living very humble lifestyles.  Humble doesn’t mean impoverished- that’s not required to be humble.

The Magi were likely men with means and wealth. Remember they came with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  It was their faith that created the humble space to desire to follow Jesus.   The journey was probably several months long, into the desert—it’s wasn’t a vacation hot spot they were heading to for sure!

Remember these two examples of “those who made room for Jesus”.  It wasn’t about what they had on the outside, it was about what they had on the inside – Jesus looks at the inside – at the heart!

 Jesus made room for us

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:5-8)

When we were powerless (fearful, lack of faith, living in sin and guilt, heavy burden, without strength to deliver ourselves), God made room for us.  You see we couldn’t all fit into heaven, not the way we were with the sin we were carrying.  But God did not turn us away because there was no room!  God made more room through His sacrifice.

It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)  

God made room for us by moving things around – getting rid of some stuff.  God took away our sins so we could fit!   God is the justifier who took care of our sin (he removed it) and then welcomes us in!

We should make room for Jesus and others

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1, 2)

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

You see, God could have saved us in a second, but instead he sent a child to allow us to decide in our own heart of hearts which King we are going to follow.   Do we have room for Jesus today?  Do we make space for him each day?  When everything cannot fit, we must decide to set some things aside, change some things, or give up some things.  It will costs us—-a sacrifice just like it cost Jesus.

When we look around at others that are suffering, people that are feeling down and weary, can we make room for them?   Can we take some time out of our busy days to lend a hand, say a kind word of encouragement, or thank them for their service with a smile?

God Bless you today as you ponder on these scriptures and these words during the Christmas Season!   You can also check out some of my other articles that may help you consider how to make more space for Jesus and others in your life.  Look for “A Life Devoted to God” and also “The Trinity” as the Holy Spirit definitely can help you find some extra space!