Posts by Kerry Weisser
Instant Pot Greek Chicken
I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and have just been too busy to try it. FINALLY with the nudging and encouragement of Bethany, I experimented with my first creation in the Instant Pot. We loved the result and I will be experimenting with many more ideas for my Instant Pot in the future. This recipe was easy and quick. I did learn you must factor in about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to warm up before your allowed timer starts to count off the cooking time and you must add about 15 minutes for the Pot to cool down and release the steam. Fortunately I had that extra time as I was waiting for my hubby to get home from work.
So here is my first Instant Pot recipe….
Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken-boneless, skinless breasts or thighs
½ red onion
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 green pepper chopped into small pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup chicken broth
Saute the vegetables in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. You can use the sauté mode in the Instant Pot or saute on the stovetop.
Place vegetables into your Instant Pot, if you sauteed them in a pan over the stove. Place chicken on top of vegetables.
Sprinkle seasoning on chicken.
Pour jar of marinated artichoke hearts on top of seasoned chicken.
Pour lemon juice and broth on top of all.
Place top on Instant Pot and secure for cooking.
Press Poultry button and set for 15 minutes. The Instant Pot takes about 10 minutes to heat up, 15 minutes to cook …
Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna
This vegetarian Mexican casserole is a show stopper. Combining all the delicious flavors of an enchilada casserole with the unique flavors of roasted vegetables makes one of the best Mexican dishes. Using mozzarella cheese adds a flare and thus the name…Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna. I first tasted this at a friend’s home and she was eager to share her recipe. I made a few healthy adaptations and viola…..
Ingredients
4-5 cups butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
1 red bell pepper , chopped into cubes
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa (we used Pace)
12 corn tortillas, 6 inch diameter
1 ½ cups greek plain yogurt
1 bottle Trader Joes enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the vegetable filling:
- Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
- Put butternut squash on a roasting sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and chopped red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder, and saute the vegetables and spices on high heat until charred just a bit. Mid-way through, add corn, then rinsed and drained black beans. Add roasted butternut squash Add more salt if needed. Add more chili powder or cumin, than indicated in the recipe, if needed.
Assemble the casserole:
- Use a casserole dish either 9×13 or 11
A Grandmother’s Love
I have wrestled for 8 years with the nagging question of “what is so extraordinary about a Grandmother’s Love?” I absolutely loved being a mom and embraced every opportunity to pour into my daughters through encouragement, training, teaching, correcting and sometimes disciplining. But there is some indescribable difference about my role as a grandparent. I look at my role as “Gammie” as a mentorship role model. I am more focused on careful instruction and showing great patience and less focused on commanding obedience and monitoring accomplishments. I have more time to come alongside each of my grandkids and more time to listen to their hearts. I also have more wisdom to discern what really matters in the long run and can focus on developing their character. What that looks like on a daily basis was described by a speaker I heard this weekend who was sharing about her relationship with her grandma. She used this relationship with her grandma as a model of discipleship. There were two simple things her grandma did that had a significant impact on her confidence and her ability to persevere through the hard times.
Grandma would sit and watch her dance…..find out what your kids or grandkids are passionate about and take the time to show them that you are passionate about watching them do what they love to do.
Grandma would walk toward her and meet her everyday right where she was…..encourage your kids or grandkids by meeting them right where they are and giving them the best you can offer.
Loving my grandkids is a joy. Knowing that my love has the power to shape their character, build their confidence and ignite their faith is a privilege that I will embrace until the end of my days.
A few principles I …
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Growing Weisser family!
Here are a few of my favorite Valentines……..
So adorable-little Garrett!!!
Rachel, Mikah, Ellie and Hanna fill our hearts with joy!
Adorable Hanna and Mikah …Love and hearts everywhere!
Fun and spunky Sophie who gets the award for #1 BEST big sister to Hezi!!!
Precious Hezi and his new smile!
Jorde having yummy bowl of ice cream!
Zeke making Valentines.
Reese and her new bicycle.
Calvin is always a happy boy.
My sweet husband had these gorgeous flowers on the counter for me this morning. I gathered with some wonderful girlfriends to make homemade bagels that I am giving my sweet husband for his Valentine’s day treat.
The following Valentine is my absolute favorite…
Love is in the air…it’s Valentine’s day!!!
This Valentine is sent to each one of us from God!!!
Read it and believe it..it will change your life!!
…
Italian Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Soup
On a cold winter night a big bowl of this hearty soup served with a crusty piece of bread and a salad is a wonderful dinner for family and friends. We had some special friends over last week and I served this and it was a hit. You can roast your vegetables ahead of time and cook your chicken in the crockpot or use leftover shredded chicken. Bethany tried a very similar recipe from www.againstallgrain.com and let me taste it. I loved the Italian spices because it reminded me of the food we ate on our anniversary trip this fall so I made some Growing Weisser adaptations to make it our own. Here are the ingredients I used…
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 carrots, peeled and cubed
- 6 stalks celery cut into ½ inch slices
- 1-2 leeks washed and cut into ½ inch rounds
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cups chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
- 2 pounds uncooked chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2-3 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2-3 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
- 3-4 zucchini cut into ¼ inch slices
- 4-6 cups baby spinach
I chose to cook my chicken the day before in a crock pot. I used a box of chicken bone broth from Costco to add protein and a richness in flavor. I cooked the 4 large frozen chicken breasts on high in the crockpot for 4-5 hours. If your chicken is fresh or thawed you can probably cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. While the chicken was cooking I roasted my vegetables by cutting the onion in cubes and tossing …
Read MoreFruit and Nut Healthy Snack Bars
Fruit and Nut Healthy Snack Bars will be your new go-to snack for on-the-go nutrition. Packed full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods, this bar will be a new family favorite. They are easy to make and they freeze easily. Have fun adding other dried fruits and nuts that you like for a variety of flavors. You can substitute apple sauce or pumpkin puree for the banana. I love having an easy snack to reach for in the mid-afternoon that will curb my sweet-tooth and give me a quick dose of high energy food. For so many of us that over extended in many ways during the holidays (excessive lack of sleep, overindulgence in activities and over eating) , this healthy snack bar is a great option. Bake up a batch and enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coconut flour (nonfat dried milk can be used)
1/4 cup ground flax seed meal
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 ripe banana, peeled mashed (unsweetened applesauce can replace banana)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine the oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, apricots, pecans, raisins, cranberries, coconut flour, flax seed meal, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. In a separate bowl combine the syrup, eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients from food processor to wet mixture in the bowl and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down. Bake 20-25 minutes until the mixture is golden brown and firm to the …
Read MoreMargins for the New Year-Simplifying my Life
Busyness verging on chaos with a schedule so packed I sometimes felt like I had NO TIME for sleeping or breathing. My 2017 was marked by an unexpected remodel of a major portion of our house. This disruption of my regular life was disconcerting and ridiculously frustrating on many levels but in the process, I learned so much about myself. In the end, I LOVE the changes and the openness of the living room, dining room and kitchen area. I love the lightness I feel with so much of the clutter gone and less stuff everywhere. But the process was VERY DIFFICULT for me. I had to face some of the ugly realities of my “too busy” schedule. What could have been fun and enjoyable often felt like a burden and there seemed to be so much wasted time. The experience was stressful for me, since I am the queen of “efficiency”—-someone who really does NOT like wasting time. I spent much of 2017 trying to stay organized in a very disorganized environment.
So in 2018 my theme is simplifying my life-MARGINS for the new year-created by scheduling pockets of unscheduled time in my life on a regular basis. My expectation is to allow more time for God to surprise me with His agenda. Welcoming and having quality time for the unexpected phone call, the spontaneous invitation to go for a walk with a friend, more time to read, send encouraging notes and pray for people I know and love. More time to serve, more time to enjoy each precious moment with my grandchildren. More time to invest in the lives of others. Time to minister to the poor and raise awareness, getting others involved in Gogo Grandmothers where friends and I can be putting our love in action to …
Read MoreSweet and Spicy Chex Mix
Happy New Year! We are back with many wonderful ideas to share. Even though it is a week past New Year’s Eve and most of us have put away all our holiday decorations…there may be a gathering or two that pop up this month and you may need a sweet and savory snack to take to share with friends and family. Here is a tasty and somewhat healthy easy to make snack to make and take.
Chex Mix has been an American favorite for years. This special sweet and savory version is an adaptation from a recipe that a dear friend makes every year. We were recipients of this snack mix for many years before I decided to ask if she would share her secret concoction. I have adapted it so that it is a bit healthier.
8 cups dry cereal (Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Crispix)
1 cup goldfish
1 cup mini twist pretzels
3 cups unsalted mixed nuts
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-2 teaspoons worchestershire
3-4 cloves garlic smashed (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1-2 Tablespoons curry powder
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave0. add brown sugar, chili powder, worchestershire sauce, garlic and curry powder. Stir until all flavors are blended and the butter is melted. Pour melted flavored butter sauce over dry ingredients and mix carefully to coat all. Pour mixture into a large shallow baking tin or two and spread out so chex mix will cook evenly. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 1 ½ hours. Stir every ½ hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container. Lasts for a few weeks. This is one of our favorite …
Read MoreEmmanuel-God with Us
From the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל (‘Immanu’el) meaning “God is with us”. This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings Emmanuel and Immanuel.
This is not a personal name. In Isaiah 7:14 it is fulfilled, not in the naming of Jesus, but in the whole account of His origin and naming. It is not that Jesus ever bore the name Immanuel but that it indicates His role, bringing God’s presence to man. Matthew showed that the virgin conception was not something new, but that it had been predicted by the prophet Isaiah. God is now with the people to save them as the prophets have predicted. Therefore “God is with us” would not so much describe the exact nature of Jesus, but rather that God has been gracious to His people by sending His Messiah.
When the conception of Jesus was announced to Joseph the angel told him that a son would be born who would be called Immanuel – God with us. The phrase may be emphasizing the truth of the gospel that God became a human being in Jesus Christ. It is also possible that Matthew is emphasizing that God was faithful to His promises in sending the Messiah to His people the Jews.
Devotional about Jesus our Emmanuel….
This is another name given to Jesus. Jesus was truly one with God – taking on humanity to bring reconciliation between God and us.
This was the only way to bring us back into relationship with God. God came as a baby, then grew to be a man – He walked, talked and had fellowship with humanity in the person of Jesus – Emmanuel – God with us.
Wonderful Counselor
Jesus is called our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
Isaiah calls the Messiah the “Wonderful Counselor”, which indicates the kind of character this coming King has. The word wonderful in this passage literally means “incomprehensible.” The Messiah will cause us to be “full of wonder.”The same word for “wonderful” is used in Judges 13:18 when Manoah, Samson’s father, asked the LORD what His name was. The angel of the LORD responded, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” In other words, “Why do you ask my name, since it is beyond your understanding?”
Jesus demonstrated His wonderfulness in various ways when He was on the earth,
His conception in the womb of a virgin (Matthew 1:23)
His power to heal (Matthew 4:23)
His amazing teaching (Mark 1:22)
His perfect life (Hebrews 4:15)
His resurrection from the dead (Mark 16:6)
The second part of the Messiah’s title is the word counselor. In ancient Israel, a counselor was portrayed as a wise king, such as Solomon, giving guidance to his people (1 Kings 4:34; Micah 4:9). Isaiah uses this word again in 28:29 to describe the LORD: “This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.” Jesus is a wise counselor. Jesus always knows what we are going through, and He always knows the right course of action (Hebrews 4:15–16).
- PRAYER
- Thank you, Jesus that you are our Wonderful Counselor. We can trust you to listen to our problems and guide us in the right direction (Proverbs 3:6). Thank you for the reassurance that you are always listening because you tell us to pray to you about our worries (Philippians 4:6; James 1:5). We have confidence that you have our best interests at heart because you love us (1