Cooking with C.A.R.E?

Good morning daughters of grace.  As many of you know I am the owner of a business called Cooking with C.A.R.E.  I was very prayerful and specific when developing and naming my business.  I wanted to not only teach people how to cook but also how to bless their families with delicious, healthy meals.  I wanted cooking to become less of a burden and more of a ministry.  C.A.R.E is an acronym that is very special to my heart.  Every cooking class, nutrition class or cooking video I provide starts with this in mind and I do believe today, it will be a blessing to you!  Let me give you a little more detail.

C: Confidence – Many of us don’t have confidence in our cooking.  Either we never really learned how or we have only a few staples recipes and that’s it.  We don’t feel comfortable with our skills, tools or knowledge.  We have picky kids we just can’t please or a husband who can’t decide what he wants.  Sometimes we are just too tired to think of anything new and a pizza becomes the way to go.  Ladies, let me tell you what God says: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” - Phil 1:6 God desires for you to be confident, even in your meals!  You don’t have to be a professional chef but I encourage you that you can and will prepare meals that will bless your family.  Try one new dish each week and keep at it!  Don’t get discouraged! 

A: Artistry – Huh? I know that you are thinking “Chef Robin, please don’t tell me I have to become a food artist!” No, I’m not here to stress you out.  I’m here to help you understand the art of food.  Artistry is simply defined creative skill or ability.  For example always have at least 2-3 colors on your plate.  That not only makes the plate beautiful but it also helps to provide different vitamins and minerals for your family!  That’s a two for one deal for you!  It could be as simple as adding red peppers and carrots to your steamed spinach, fish and baked potato.  Isn’t that prettier than a white potato, cauliflower and fish?  You’re also giving your family vitamins A, C, E, K,B-2 & 6, fiber and a host of others!  All that in the name of a pretty plate - art!  (See the pretty plate at the side!)

R: Resourcefulness – Most people talk about how expensive healthy eating is.  I like to look at it more as an investment.   It’s an investment in the health and future of you and your family.  Did you know that diabetes, heart disease, certain forms of cancer and stroke are all related to your diet and exercise?  That said we must be resourceful so that we are able to choose the best for our families.  A few tips: Make at least one meal a day meatless.  Meat is normally the most expensive part of our plate.  Choose another cheaper source of protein such as beans or nuts so that you can afford more fruits and vegetables.  Shop in season!  It’s fall, apples and pears are the “in” fruits of the season.  Berries and watermelon are out for now.  Eat healthier, local and CHEAPER!

 

E: Ease – Last, but certainly not least for busy moms is ease.  Even though I’m a chef I don’t always "count it all joy" over being in the kitchen for hours.  Sometimes you just want something healthy yet simple.  One way to do this is by freezing meals.  Make a batch of something for another day and freeze it.  On those busy days all you have to do is grab it out of the freezer.  Today I’m giving you a recipe for lasagna rolls.  When you prepare them just make extra and freeze them uncooked for another day.  You can pop them in the oven at 325 for about 20 minutes longer than required and it’s like a tv dinner only so much better! 

I do hope you’ve learned a little more about what I do and my heart for cooking and I hope these tips will bless you and your family.  I leave you with the main scripture for my business “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ – Matthew 25:40  When you take the time to prepare healthy and delicious meals from a heart of love for your family you are blessing the Lord as well.  It’s just like you are doing it for Him!  The Lord loves your cooking too!  How precious is that?!  Ministry starts at home!!  

Stay tuned in a few weeks for some wonderful thanksgiving recipes and be sure to join me and my TMS sisters at The Mom Squad Holiday Luncheon on the 22^nd of November!  I will have a cooking demo and Josh Booth and I will talk food and I will be giving 5 tips only the professional chefs know that will make your life easier!  PLUS Josh will have a crock pot prize pack to give away!  Click here for tickets and more info!

Lasagna Rolls

6 lasagna noodles

1 cup mozzarella (fresh), sliced thinly

1 cup parmesan

1 small onion chopped

1 pepper (your choice of color), chopped

3 cloves of garlic

8 ounces of spinach

1 jar pasta sauce 

1 can diced tomatoes, low sodium

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Cook noodles according to package directions

In a pan saute onions, garlic and pepper.  Add spinach, tomatoes and sauce and simmer.

Spread mozzarella on noodles and top with a little sauce and parmesan cheese.

Roll up the noodle and place in a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Once complete cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 20 minutes.  Remove top and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Conscious Eating: What are you Craving?

Conscious Eating: What are you Craving?

“Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” ~ 3 John 1:2

Good morning daughters of grace,

This morning I write to you with a whole lot of grace because it’s an issue that I struggle with as well: conscious eating.  The term conscious eating is talking about not just what we eat or how much we eat but truly knowing and being aware of everything we put in our mouths.

• Have you ever driven somewhere and once you got there you did not really remember the drive?
• Have you ever done something and forgot the you did it, such as starting the laundry?
• Have you ever looked at the bag of chips in your hand and wondered how it became empty?

That’s called autopilot, something that many of us live in.  We walk, talk and eat on autopilot.  We go through life not really seeing what’s going on around us.  We get through a day never smelling the roses and truly never knowing what we did.  We do everything unconsciously.  

That’s why conscious eating to so important to this spiritual battle of health.  Yes, I believe that our health is a spiritual battle.  No, I’m not teaching a prosperity message that we all should be healthy and wealthy.  Many great women and men of faith died of illnesses (Elisha for one) and that has nothing to do with their level of faith or trust in God.  There are, however, some things that we do and don’t do that affects our health and quality of life.  This is the spiritual battle I’m discussing.  Our doctor has told us that we have high blood pressure yet we continue to eat highly salted foods.  We know we need to lose weight and it’s affecting our lives yet we continue to sneak to our favorite fast food place and tell ourselves that we deserve it and it’s just this last time.  We have to stop!  

Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit. ~ Proverbs 25:28

Knowing what you are putting into your mouth is step 1 to better health. Knowing what you are eating has GREAT benefits!!

• Controlling caloric intake for weight loss.
• Making sure you have enough vitamins and minerals that your body needs.  
• Monitoring food for specific health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Knowing what foods affect your body in different ways (allergies, inflammation)
• Lowering processed foods in your diet

The list goes on and on.  I feel in my heart that we need to talk about this for more than just this one post so I’ll give you some steps that I’m following.  Yes, I’m doing this with you and I challenge you to join me!  

Step 1: Write down every tiny bit of food and drink that you put into your mouth.

I don’t care if you use a notepad or download an app on your smart phone.  Just write it all down!  My favorite apps are My Fitness Pal and Lose it on the iphone.  I use the My Fitness Pal app.  For the next 30 days write down everything you eat and drink.  Don’t worry just yet about calories and all that jazz, just write it down, even that peppermint you ate.  Write that down as well.  Next month we’ll get to step two!  

Of course I’m leaving you with a lovely recipe!  Just make sure to write it down!  :-)    

Marinated Greek Chicken

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic

½ tbsp dried oregano

1 medium lemon, zested

½ tsp salt

black pepper

¼ bunch parsley

3 ½ - 4lbs chicken (a whole cut up chicken)

Combine yogurt, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper.  Using a grater grate the lemon zest into the marinade.  Roughly chop the parsley and add parsley and chicken.  Cover and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees, around 25 minutes for boneless pieces and 40 - 45 minutes for bone-in pieces).  I serve with couscous and a salad.

 **Please make sure to attend Re-Ignite with The Mom Sqaud at Root Candle (in Medina) on Saturday, September 20th. Josie, Lisa and I will be leading a workshop on “Reclaiming His Peace in Hustle and Bustle of Hospitality”.  I’ll be preparing a wonderful healthy cooking demo with samples!  Make sure to register for this great event today! Re-Ignite with The Mom Squad

AFTER SCHOOL

 

Many days after school my kids need to get rid of some ENERGY.  (I know I can't sit for 7 hours!)  Sometimes I tell them to go run around the house 5-10 times.  Another great way to get your kids to move and you also is to have a jump rope contest.  See how many times you can jump rope without stopping or how many jumps you can get in 1 minute. 

Then it's always fun to make a snack together.  Below is a recipe I found at Kids Eat Smart Foundation and LOVE the idea.  All ages can help and it's HEALTHY!

 

Watermelon Pizza 

 

Ingredients

• Watermelon
• Strawberry Jam
• Slices of banana, kiwi and strawberries
• Other berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
• Shredded coconut (optional)

 

Directions

Slice watermelon into thick pizza shaped slices. Add a very thin layer of strawberry jam to the watermelon so that the fruit will stick. Add slices of banana, kiwi and strawberries. Add the other berries to the top of the watermelon slices. Sprinkle with some shredded coconut (optional). Please keep any allergies in mind.

 



Hydrate Your Body And Soul

One thing we cannot live without is water.  Did you know that without water we will only survive about 3 days?  It's 100% natural, free, healthy, low in sodium; calories, fat, and cholesterol free.  It makes up 70% of our body weight, 75% of our muscle, 83% of our blood, 85% of our brain, and 22%of our bones.

 

www.get2thecorefitness.com

Water is essential for our body to function properly.  It helps to transport fats, proteins, carbohydrates, oxygen & hormones that regulate your metabolism.  It lubricates joints, keeps skin healthy and glowing, reduces headaches and dizziness, regulate body temperature, and helps dissolve nutrients to make them accessible to the body.  Water lessens the burden on the kidney and the liver by helping flush out waste products, and it helps with weight loss as it assists in removing the by-products that occur with the breakdown of fat.  Water is one of the most vital ingredients our body needs.

We will always be thirsty and need water.  But God is the fountain of living water and Jesus can bring us the living water and can forever quench our thirst for God.  In John 4:14 Jesus says,

"People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water.  But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether.  It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life."

Jesus uses water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit which lives in us and fills us once we ask Jesus into our hearts. 

So what's stopping you from drinking water?...... It helps you to feel better, look better, lose weight, and be healthier, but more importantly for eternal life and to never thirst again.  We need to go to the well and drink - it's free!

Chef Robin's Roasted Chicken

Hello daughters of grace!  I did not forget about you!  Today I wanted to show you another of my cooking videos!  I love making cooking videos because I believe that so many of us cook better when we see something instead of just reading a recipe.  Today I'd like to show you how to make your own roasted chicken.  Making a whole roasted chicken is so easy and it's versatile!  Leftovers can be used for chicken salad, sandwiches and a host of other delicious recipes!  I do look forward to seeing you all at the Mom Squad Luncheon this Saturday!  I'm looking forward to God moving!  Let's go ladies!  Tickets can be purchased by clicking here!  

Without further ado . . . Chef Robin's Roasted Chicken!

Am I still Mom? Pushing Past the PTA

A few weeks ago someone posted on the Mom Squad facebook page (I hope that you know that we have one and you really should follow us if you don’t already!) asking us to discuss moms whose children have left home.  This is a very tough subject for me as my son will be leaving for college this year.  However, since I feel the Lord has been preparing me for this I decided to tackle a blog post on it.  I’m sure some of the more “seasoned” moms will have more to add later.

For me this is getting harder and harder as we edge towards graduation.  I keep thinking that in a few short months he will be off to college and I’ll be home alone.  As much preparation as I can do I still know that the last 18 years of my life I have identified myself as Donovon’s mom and that that is changing! To be honest, I questioned joining the Mom Squad because I was concerned that I didn’t count anymore.  My kid, at times, acts as if he no longer needs me.  You all know how I feel!  My question to myself was: Am I still mom?

The answer I keep hearing from the Lord is a resounding YES AND SO MUCH MORE!!!  Mom, our seasons are changing.  We may no longer be defined by diapers, bake sales, piano lessons, car pools and PTA meetings but we will are still defined as prayer warrior, listener, counselor and mother.  Baking cookies may seem to be gone but I bet there will still be times when that child will come home looking for the “home” that they knew - and that home is you.  You are still a mom and you do count!

I mentioned before that the Lord is preparing me for this time and He has been!  My time away with the ski team prepared me to not see my son for extended periods of time and my outside activities have prepared me to not ONLY focus on his needs but the needs of others and myself.  So many of us are ONLY defined as mom and we are to be defined as more than that.  Our definition is Daughter of the King!  We are the “Apple of His eye” (Zech 2:8)!  God’s purpose for you is to not only be a mom but to serve in many areas and build a strong relationship with Him.  Now, don't get me wrong - Motherhood is a precious gift (biological and noon-biological moms) but I don't want us to only define ourselves by this one term. You were God's before you were anyone's mother.  

I can’t guarantee it but I believe that by growing my relationship with the Lord I’ll be better able to give Donovon the space he needs at college and not sit at home suffering and feeling useless and pitiful.  I know it’s going to be hard, especially as a single woman, but I’m counting on the Lord to get me through it.  

As I said, I can’t promise but I hope that by doing the following I can be effective as a mother of an adult and move forward with my life as an individual.

1) PRAY more and develop my relationship with the Lord.  That should be our most important relationship anyway.  He has to come first!

2) Pour into others.  I have a 3 year old god-daughter and several nieces and nephews as well as my church’s youth group that I pour into.  Find a young lady who needs mentoring or just an ear to listen and a heart that is willing to pray for her.

3) Read more.  Choose any hobby!  Mine is reading.  It’s a great way to take the focus off of me.

4) Run a marathon.  My goal is to exercise more but I really want to run a marathon.  Yet something else to take my focus off of me.

5) Spend more time with my girlfriends.  Invest in relationships that may have taken a back burner.  

6) Lastly, but most importantly: Pray for my son and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.  My pastor’s wife told me the hardest part of parenting is learning to let go.  You’ve done your job.  Now it’s time to let the Father do His.  At times, Donovon is going to excel but he’s also going to fall flat on his face.  We all did it and God will get him through it just like He worked in us.  My main job is to pray and be there when needed.  However, I’m still a mom . . . and He’s still working on me.  :-)

I’ll leave you with these two scriptures, which are so familiar yet so encouraging!  

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” ~ Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28 NKJV

A healthy “Mom” recipe to make your day

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

4-6 servings

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1) Mix together dry ingredients.

2) Mix together all wet ingredients.

3) Build a well in the dry ingredients and stir in wet ingredients.

4) Fold in chocolate chips.

5) In a hot pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter.

6) Ladle out ¼ cup batter per pancake.  Cook until bubbly and flip over.  Don’t squash the pancakes with the spatula.

7) Serve with maple syrup.  

Winter Jam 2014!!!

Good morning daughters of grace!

It’s Robin here and I have so much to share with you.  First, I ask for prayers as I travel back to Europe next week to finish up working with the ski team.  Yes, there is skiing after the Olympics and I have to be there to cook for the athletes.  It’s truly an honor.  Pray for safe travels, the safety of my son as he travels by himself to join me the following week but most importantly pray for the salvation of those I work with on the team.

Next, I had the privilege of attending Winter Jam on Sunday and boy, DID GOD MOVE!  If you’ve never been to Winter Jam plan to attend next year.  This event is held each year at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University.  Ten Christian artists for only $10!  It’s such an amazing deal that I must admit I’ve never seen the place not packed.  13,000 people lifting up the name of Jesus.  

The night started off with Derek Minor, Love & The Outcome and Everfound for the pre jam session.  During this time youth leaders and pastors were invited to attend a private session of prayer and encouragement.  It was a pleasure hearing encouraging words from the various artists.  The overall theme that I took from the session was allowing God to do the work in the lives of the youth and continuing to love on them and pour into them but always realizing it’s God who changes their hearts.  Main Speaker Nick Hall prayed with us and we were sent back to the concert with a wonderful bag of free goodies and resources.  As a youth leader it was truly a time of refreshment for me.  During a time when the normal tenure of a youth leader is 17 months it truly was a blessing to be encouraged.  

The concert started off with American Idol’s Colton Dixon, followed by hosts NewSong, Plumb, Thousand Foot Krutch and my personal favorite, Tenth Avenue North!  The place was really rocking!!  Nick Hall gave an awesome and clear message presenting the gospel.  We then had the opportunity to support a child through Holt International.  Finally, lighting up the Wolstein Center and truly lifting up the name of Jesus, comes Lecrae!  The room was literally on fire!  Everyone was jumping and praising and I can honestly say it was breathtaking to be in the room with 13,000 people praising God!  The closing act is a favorite of many.  Newsboys brought another amazing show and closed out the night with one of my favorite songs, God’s Not Dead!!

Lastly, I know the weather is still cold and I know we are tired of it. To warm you up a bit I want to leave you with a breakfast recipe that is warming, healthy, easy and delicious.  Did you know that those who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than non breakfast eaters?  The next time you think about skipping breakfast prepare my delicious baked oatmeal.  It's packed with fiber, protein and all around tasty goodness.  Remember to read through the recipe as this dish needs to be prepped the night before. Once the recipe is made you can keep it for a few days for an easy breakfast.

Chef Robin’s Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal

6 Servings

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------    ------------     --------------------------------

2              cups                Regular oats

1/2           cup              Light brown sugar or agave

1/2           cup                 1% low-fat milk, soy or almond milk

1/2           cup                 Unsweetened applesauce

2              whole              Apples -- Chopped

1             whole              Egg

2              whole              Egg whites

1 1/2        teaspoons      Baking powder

3/4          teaspoon        Salt

1               teaspoon        Vanilla extract

1               teaspoon     Cinnamon

1/2          teaspoon        Nutmeg

3/4          cup                 Dried Cranberries or raisins

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2)      In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3)      In a separate bowl mix together milk, eggs, applesauce, brown sugar and vanilla    extract.  Mix with oat mixture.

4)     Fold in apples and cranberries

5)      Pour into a casserole dish, greased with butter flavored cooking spray.

6)     Refrigerate overnight if using regular oats.

7)      Bake at 325 for 25 - 30 minutes.

8)     Serve hot, topping each with vanilla yogurt if desired.  You may also add nuts if

        desired.

Per Serving: 255 Calories; 7.4g Fat (13.7% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 58g Carbohydrate; 4.7g Dietary Fiber; 15g Sugar; 27mg Cholesterol; 329mg Sodium.