The Buschel Digest: January 2018

Here are the highlights of what I have read including fiction, non-fiction, and around the internet for the month. I am reading this Chronological Bible reading plan six days a week and the kindle version is on sale right now for $2.99. It is always a great day to start reading your Bible and highly recommend this plan by George Guthrie.

Apple Investors Urge Action on iPhone Addiction Among Kids

“These creators-turned-critics say the software is programmed to trigger rushes of dopamine in the brain that keep users coming back over and over again, with little consideration, beyond profit, of the long-term consequences of that behavior scaled across billions of users.”

Parents, Please Don’t Let Your Kids Watch Logan and Jake Paul

If your kids have access to YouTube you must read this article! “He leveraged a suicide for content. For attention. For views. What Logan Paul did was messed up, no doubt, but what Logan Paul did is simply a single strain of a much larger, multi-faceted disease. Logan Paul’s suicide video stunt exposed the world to a major problem with YouTube and a major problem with social media entertainment in general.”

Millennials Can Leave Evangelicalism. But Not Its Pop Culture.

Brio and Adventures in Odyssey sum up my childhood and I am so thankful for the biblical truths these resources planted in me.

How to Read Through the Bible in a Year with Your Kids

This is hands down one of my favorite articles I have read this year, and I will still be saying that in December too! I am so appreciative when other parents share how they are engaging their children in scripture. Josh and I both loved this example and will be offering this challenge up to our kids when they turn 10 years old.

Intentional Parenting: Family Discipleship by Design (By: Tad Thompson)

If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be convicting. So so convicting. I am thankful for this book and how much it made evaluate my own spiritual growth. I highlighted so much of this book below are just a few! I would recommend it for anyone, not just parents.

Taken (By: L.N. Cronk and Jenn Faulk)

Ugggg. This book. I was so sad for it to end. I was completely surprised by the direction this story went and could not put it down. I might have stayed up until 1am reading it when Josh was on shift. This never happens because I value my sleep so much but I seriously could not stop reading. This is a stand alone book but also is part of the Chop Chop Series by L.N. Cronk. You can read my review on those books HERE. I have read every book these authors have written and love that they are combining their talents! You don’t have to read the series to enjoy this book there is just a crossover storyline.

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My Favorite Instant Pot Recipes from Once a Month Meals

Disclosure: The following post contains affiliate links. This means if you purchase an item from a link I provide to those shops, I might receive a commission. I only share products and services that I would personally use and think are a good fit for my readers. Thank you for supporting the brands that support our family. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

I thought it would be fun to share my 3 favorite Instant Pot recipes from Once a Month Meals. I began using Once a Month Meals a little over a year ago to prepare my freezer full of food in anticipation of baby Jesse’s arrival. Once a Month Meals gives you everything you need to shop, prep and cook the bulk of your monthly meals in just one day — and freeze those meals for when you want to eat them.

In order to get your grocery shopping list, labels, prep sheet, and everything else you need you do need to pay for a membership, but if you are just wanting recipes they have many that you can browse on their website.

Once a Month Meals has two membership options for you to choose between. You can select either a $16 monthly subscription or a $170 yearly subscription. Regardless of whether you choose the monthly or yearly option, your membership will give you the ability to mix and match recipes from different menus and to create your own custom menus in MenuBuilder.

Without further delay here are my three favorite Instant Pot recipes I have found on their website. I also included the links for the same recipe but made in the slow cooker.

Due to the nature of pressure cooking there is always room for inconsistency. The times given here are based on 4 servings fresh. If you are using more servings you may need to increase your cooking time.

Instant Pot Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

I left out the jalapeno’s because I am not a huge fan of things being overly spicy. My husband jokes that I think ketchup is spicy. Anyway…this is really, really, really good and each time I have made it I double the recipe so we can have leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cups dice Onion
  • ⅔ cups seed and dice Jalapeño
  • 3 teaspoons mince Garlic, Cloves
  • 3 ⅓ cups cook and dice Chicken, Boneless Breasts
  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • ⅛ teaspoons Salt
  • ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano, Dried
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth/Stock
  • 10 ounces Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
  • 14 ounces Whole Kernel Corn, Canned
  • 1 cup cook and dice Bacon
  • ¼ cups Pepper Jack Cheese, Shredded
  • ½ cups crush Corn Chips
  • ½ cups cook and dice Bacon

Directions:

  1. Combine onions, jalapeno, garlic, chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, oregano, chicken broth, diced tomatoes and corn in the inner pot.
  2. Lock cover into place and seal steam nozzle.
  3. Choose the soup setting and adjust to 10 minutes or set manually for 10 minutes.
  4. Release pressure.
  5. Set on warm and stir in cream cheese and half of the bacon and cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Serve topped with cheese, chips and the remaining half of the bacon.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can find the slow cooker version HERE.

Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe’s

For this recipe you can pre-cook your ground beef in the Instant Pot!

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups cook Ground Beef
  • 1 teaspoon mince Garlic, Cloves
  • ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 2 ¼ cups slice Onion
  • ¾ cups slice Bell Pepper, Green
  • 1 ½ cups slice Mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon Flour, All-Purpose
  • 10 ½ ounces French Onion Soup, Canned
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
  • 4 individual Hamburger Buns

Directions:

  1. Place the frozen contents inside the inner pot. Saute for 5 minutes.
  2. Lock the lid into place and seal the steam nozzle. Select the the manual option for 8 minutes.
  3. Quick release the steam. Remove the lid and add the cheese, allowing it to melt.
  4. Serve on buns.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can find the slow cooker version HERE.

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

My husband loves French Dip Sandwiches so this was an instant winner in our house.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds quarter Beef Roast
  • ½ teaspoons Bouillon, Beef, Granules
  • 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Rosemary, Dried
  • ½ teaspoons mince Garlic, Cloves
  • ⅓ cups Soy Sauce (I use Coconut Aminos)
  • 4 individual Hamburger Buns

Directions:

  1. Cut as much of the fat off the roast as you can and place in inner pot.
  2. Mix together soy sauce, bouillon, peppercorns, rosemary and garlic.
  3. Pour mixture over roast in inner pot.
  4. Add enough water to cover roast.
  5. Lock cover into place and seal steam nozzle.
  6. Cook on beef setting or set manually on high for 35 minutes.
  7. Release pressure.
  8. Shred roast with a fork and serve on buns.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can find the slow cooker version HERE.

Ready to start saving time in the kitchen by prepping your meals for the month? Once a Month Meals has everything you need to get going. When you have created your meal plan you will print out a grocery list, recipes, prep sheet, cooking instructions, and thaw sheet. It couldn’t be easier!

The Instant Pot and Once a Month Meals have saved me so much time in my kitchen so I can now spend more time with my family! If you make any of these I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

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How the Church Can Engage Millennials

The past weekend our pastor posed a question to the millennials in our congregation, how can the church better engage millennials? He challenged any millennial to send him and the church staff ideas about how to get this generation, my generation, more involved. Normally this isn’t something I would write about, but here I go, about to try.

To preface this post I am writing very broadly. I am not just writing in regards to my own local home church but to the body of christ universally. That being said here are my thoughts on how the church can engage millennials.

Please read, teach, and engage me in God’s word. My generation is used to seeing advertisements and gimmicks so show me something different on Sunday mornings. Show me the goodness and truths in scripture and help me apply it to my life. In a world that is constantly changing teach me about God being the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Read me scripture because I need to hear it. Encourage and challenge me to study scripture and learn at home because it will enhance what I am hearing on Sunday.

When I was little I remember starting out in the sanctuary with the entire congregation and then 20 minutes into the service being led to the children’s class. I am not sure when this exactly stopped happening, but from late elementary school on I can remember only being with my peers unless I begged my mom to let me come with her. As a mom of three young children I would love to bring my kids to a family style worship service a couple times a year. I want them to see other adults engaging in worship.

Don’t hold back. Be bold and preach on the hard topics. Help me see the biblical worldview in a culture that screams otherwise. I love theologically rich hymns that challenge me and allow me to mull over the words even after Sunday worship. Remind me of the gospel message over and over again. I am still dying to myself daily and need to be reminded of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Keep on creating opportunities for real face to face fellowship. My generation has grown up with technology. This has been both a blessing and a curse. Pornography is running rampant, the selfie has made us even more self aware, and I don’t even want to admit how many times my husband has had to retake a photo of me for this blog. Real fellowship and real community is what we crave and as much as we try to cultivate it online it will never replace how life giving and necessary real friendship is.

Speaking of technology, make sure that your church website is easy to navigate. If it is hard for me to find basic information such as service times, statement of beliefs, and the different ministries your church offers there is a good chance I won’t be coming for a visit. To get my generation in the door a simple website with this information is all you need.

When I really think about it, the major way the church can engage my generation is by sharing the gospel. Jesus brings life change. And that life change is what will get and keep millennials, like myself, more engaged in the church. So pastor, keep preaching from God’s word.

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