Posts by Kerry Weisser
Chili Cornbread Bake
When two favorite foods are combined into a one dish meal, the results are spectacular. This healthy version of chili made with ground turkey meat and black beans is a delicious high protein base for the savory cornbread biscuit that bakes on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top of the cornbread and broil for 1-2 minutes and you have a fantastic Southwestern style one pot meal.
Ingredients
Chili
1½ pounds ground turkey meat
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
3-4 stalks celery, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 small bag frozen corn, thawed
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
1 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
Cornbread
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground cornmeal (not stoneground)
½ teasppon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons olive oil (or canola)
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large and deep ovenproof skillet and sauté ground turkey, onions, celery and garlic on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. While chili is simmering mix together cornbread. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs and add buttermilk and oil. Wisk together, pour into dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Spoon mixture evenly over chili in 8 big dollops. Bake for …
Read MoreLegacy of Love
Happy New Year!
2016 is here and this year our theme is going to be focusing on FAMILY and developing a LEGACY of LOVE! Staying connected, serving one another, encouraging one another to show LOVE in ACTION! Joy and contentment are in our reach. Peace and fulfillment are ours to strive for.
As we begin our new year sharing our hearts and lives with you we want to pull back the curtain and dig in to the “real life challenges” and offer you a glimpse into the strategies we are using to grow through our experiences we have as a family.
Last week we gathered together to celebrate the holidays-(missing one significant part of our family). We played together and ate together and shared life and fun and laughter. We planned and talked about goals for the new year and prayed for each other. Here are a few of the pictures from our time….with more to come……
The start of a new year can be a great time to think about the changes you want to make but it can also sometimes be overwhelming – getting back into “real life” after the holidays, feeling the temptation to compare the resolutions that friends and family are making, and so on. Something that I always think about in a new year is getting into a better routine of daily devotions but… Which devotion should I pick? What time is best? Do I want a theme for my daily devotions?
For the last year or so, I have subscribed to FamilyLife daily “Moments with You: Daily Connection for Couples” devotion. It comes in my email inbox every morning and really helps me to pause from the busyness of the day to ready about character qualities I want or need to work on in …
Read MoreGraham Cracker Christmas Crunch and Christmas Reflections
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care………the tree is up and the lights are twinkling on the tree and Christmas cookies and sweet breads are baked and wrapped for taking to the neighbors and our Christmas cards have been mailed. Only a few days until all the fun begins. This is technically an “off year” Christmas for our family. All the girls decided together that they would prefer coming home for Christmas all at the same time so every other year we ALL gather here in Alamo and on the “off years” the girls spend Christmas day with their in-laws. We are very fortunate this year that Bethany and Mike are able join us, so we are counting down the days until they arrive!!!!
Bekah was here two weeks ago to help me with the holiday preparations and my sweet hubby has been right by my side helping with cards and food prep for the big day. Spending time with family and friends and gift making and gift giving make Christmas so special. It is one of my favorite times of year.
The greatest gift of all is that Jesus came into this world to show man the way to connect intimately with God. Jesus is the promised Messiah spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus is our hope, He is our savior. the book of Hebrews talks about Jesus….”So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced the same testing we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and …
Read MoreOreo Peppermint Bark
The month of December is like someone handing you a box of chocolates and telling you to eat the whole box at once. I love December and I love Christmas with all the decorating, cookie baking and celebrating. The difficulty comes when all the holiday preparations and traditions take time away from the friends and family you want to spend time with. So how do we balance the “to do” list with all the fun opportunities throughout the holiday season. My typical modus operandi is to sacrifice sleep in order to accomplish all I need to do to be prepared for the holidays and not have to miss out on any holiday gatherings. The problem with that is I usually get run down. I do not say “no” very well and tend to over-commit in December. What I am learning is how to ask for help. It is fun to do all things Christmas with a buddy. Even errands are more fun with a friend!!! Thrown into the mix this holiday season has been a few baby showers and a couple of extra trips to So Cal for kindergarten Christmas programs and Christmas dance recitals. But at the end of the day…I would not change a thing!!!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
As Christmas day approaches, our calendars get filled up with activities….shopping, decorating, gathering together with family and friends. The days are getting colder and the hours in the day seem to get shorter. When dinnertime comes around it is nice to have an easy dinner to serve for your family. One that is filled with wonderful flavors and incredible health benefits is an added bonus to help sustain the energy needed to accomplish all the things you have on your “to-do” list. This roasted butternut squash soup is easy to prepare and lasts for days in the refrigerator. It is a wonderful soup to pull out if a friend stops by around lunch time. Put on your favorite Christmas carols and take an hour to unwind as you fix this delicious soup for your family.
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash (2-2 ½ pounds) peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped fine
1 tablespoon butter
1 large leek, washed and chopped (2 cups)
4 cups fat free, low sodium, organic chicken broth (vegetable both for vegetarians)
½ cup sherry
6-8 fresh sage leaves chopped fine
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Mix cubed squash with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl and spread on a foil lined 15×10 jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 45-50 minutes until squash is fork tender. Allow the squash to cool. While squash is roasting melt the butter in a large stock pot and add the chopped leeks. Turn heat to medium and cook the leeks until translucent, stirring occasionally about 6-8 minutes. Add the cooled squash and the broth, sherry and sage and turn heat to high. …
Pumpkin Harvest Hummus
I hope and pray that each one of you felt the peace and joy that comes with stopping to be grateful for all the blessings we have in our lives. Our Thanksgiving celebration was an amazing experience as we reflected on our year and shared about all that we are thankful for. As we head into the Christmas season, we will all be invited to many potlucks, hors d’oeurve parties and probably have many friends stop over for a spontaneous visit. This Pumpkin Harvest Hummus is absolutely the perfect snack to have on hand to take to a holiday party or to whip out and serve with carrots, cucumber slices and pita chips when friends come by. I made some for a party last week and it received rave reviews so I thought I would share it with you.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons Tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons water (if needed to thin as you blend)
Put all ingredients into a Vitamix or blender and mix until pureed to the consistency of hummus. Use a bit of water to thin it out if you think it is too thick. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to use. Serve with carrots, cucumbers, pita chips or pita bread. It also makes a great spread for your turkey sandwich (with a bit of cranberry sauce, lettuce and tomato).
Thankful Hearts
“I am thankful for my faith and the freedom we have in our country to worship and share our world view with others. I am grateful for God who gives me life and breath and purpose. I am thankful for my precious husband who is faithful and devoted to our family and fills my life with fun and adventure. I am grateful for having wonderful relationships with each one of my daughters and am blessed by how they follow Jesus in their lives. They have all married excellent men and all choose to honor God and serve Him together and I LOVE being a Gammie to 7 almost 8 grandchildren. They keep me young and bring me joy! I am thankful for the gift of good healthy and the opportunity to gain “wellness wisdom”. I am thankful for my incredible girl friends, hiking buddies, prayer partners. And I am extremely thankful for the opportunities that I have in my life to love and serve the women in my community and the women and orphans in Malawi, Africa.”
Harvest Pumpkin Spice Granola
Preparing for family and friends coming for Thanksgiving week? Wondering how you can be proactive regarding the “other meals” you need to have prepared and organized? When you have family coming from out of town that will stay with you for a few days before and after the Thanksgiving day meal it is wonderful to have some nutritious and delicious food available for your guests. Harvest Pumpkin Spice Granola can be made a week or more ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Put it out for breakfast with yogurt and fruit or fill ziplock bags for snack time when you go on a walk to the park.
Ingredients
8 cups oats
5 cups Grapenuts
1 cup oatbran
1/2 cup flaxseed or ground flax meal
1/2 cup wheatgerm
2 cups almonds
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut
3 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons vanilla
3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup honey
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
Other add ins: chopped dried apricots, chopped dates, walnut pieces, sesame seeds
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except dried fruit. In a small bowl combine melted coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla until well mixed. Pour liquid over dry and toss carefully until mixed thoroughly. Pour into two large roasting pans and bake in 325 degree oven for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. When golden brown, remove from oven and add dried fruit. Stir and allow to cool before placing in airtight container. Will keep for 2-3 weeks if you don’t eat it all up while your company is visiting.
Hesed-Showing Lovingkindness this Thanksgiving
“HESED”-Showing Lovingkindness this Thanksgiving
“Hesed” is the Hebrew word for loving-kindness and steadfast love. Hesed is a word used in the Old Testament to describe God’s covenant love for His people. In the book of Exodus 34 God is described as merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness. Hesed is more than LOVE, it infers a loyalty that is not fleeting or transitory. Hesed is best described as we look at the character of the God of the bible. He is a covenant keeping God; faithful, merciful, full of grace, kindness and loyalty. His love is freely given, not out of obligation or duty, but because of His desire to express His character to His beloved children.
During this month of November, I like to keep my mind focused on all the people and circumstances in my life that I can be grateful and thankful for. My husband, daughters, SILs and grandchildren are at the top of my list of gratefulness. It is a joy to serve them and show them steadfast love. This Thanksgiving season, I want to show kindness to others outside of my family as well, not out of duty or obligation, not to gain anything in return. I want to be an ambassador of God’s hesed, a messenger of hope and joy.
I have posted a few times this past month about Gogo Grandmothers. (to see previous posts about Gogo Grandmothers and how to participate in Hesed love projects, click here). Working with this organization gives me an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to show God’s hesed love to orphans and widows.
My heart is connected with these beautiful people even though I have not met them. I have a sense of …
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. I like to celebrate the fall season with PUMPKIN, (you may have figured that out by now). Each time I have brought a pumpkin treat to a women’s event this year, I am asked whether or not it is gluten free. So, I have experimented with a new recipe that I just received from a friend and adjusted a few things to make a delicious gluten free, high protein, low sugar alternative to the conventional Pumpkin Bread that I make this time of year. For quick access to a few of my other favorite pumpkin recipes click here for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies(Gluten Free version available in the same post) and Pumpkin Pie Cake. I just made this Pumpkin Pie Cake for my women’s bible study group and substituted a box of Trader Joes Gingerbread cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix and it was absolutely 100% tastier. So here is my newest pumpkin creation. Hope you like it! Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond meal flour (or your favorite gluten free flour blend)
1 ½ cups organic oats
3 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon hemp seed
1 Tablespoon chia seed
¼ cup whey based protein powder (vanilla or pumpkin flavored)
¼ cup brown sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons almond milk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade apple butter)
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup slivered almonds
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until moistened throughout. Add nuts and raisins and stir just a …
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