When dreams become reality…
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add edamame and carrots and cook for 4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Add pasta to water and according to package directions). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
When pasta has cooked for about 5 minutes, add olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. Add vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until vegetables look glazed and are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the drained pasta and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and toss well. Transfer to a large, shallow serving bowl and toss with parsley.
Add “ricotta” to hot pasta by spoonfuls and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. If pasta appears dry, drizzle in a little more cooking water. Serve immediately.
You could also saute the mushrooms in some olive oil on the stove and then serve over polenta. Yummy too!
Add all ingredients into rice cooker and stir. Turn on and rice cooker will turn off when done.
Today, begins 21 days of Awakening. The definition of awaken is to wake up or arouse. What does God want to wake up in me?
In a period of fasting and prayer, I can choose if it will be just a sacrifice of the food I am fasting from or a sacrifice of my will. I want to lay everything at the feet of my Father and say,”It’s all yours, every part of me, everything I have, accomplish in me what you want.”
Whether you are giving up sugar, drinking fruit juices only, giving up meats and processed foods, or going on a media fast ask God “What do you want to wake up in me?” Maybe, he wants to wake up a dream or bring you closer to him. I don’t know what he wants to wake up in me, but I am preparing for it to happen.
Last Sunday, Bryan preached a great message. He gave 7 keys to fasting. I have been pondering them all week. I hope they will be a help to you through this journey.
2. Make a commitment- if you are fasting caffeine stick with it
3. Prepare yourself spiritually
4. Prepare yourself physically
5. Put yourself on a schedule
6. End gradually
7. Expect results
In Ezra 8:21 Ezra proclaimed the people fasted and humbled themselves before God. Today, I come and humble myself before the God who created the universe. Thank you God for loving me even when I am unlovely. I lay aside my desires and ask you to use me how you choose. Awake in me your plans for me.
Sorry for the delay in posting these recipes. It seems I have twisted my back and I was pretty much down for the count yesterday. I appreciate your prayers.
Please don’t get overwhelmed by these recipes. Please email me if you are not sure about an ingredient or a technique.
Tuesday
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
* 3 pounds tomatoes – cored, peeled, and quartered ( you can use canned)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* sea salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1 quart vegetable broth
* 1 cup rice milk, soy milk or almond milk
* 8 sprigs fresh basil for garnish
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 15 minutes.
2. Transfer soup to a blender (or use an immersible hand blender), and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and gradually mix in the your choice of milk. Pour soup through a strainer before serving. Garnish each serving with a sprig of basil.
Wednesday
Add portabella and button mushrooms along with red, yellow and green peppers to tomato sauce.
Polenta
1 cup polenta
1 quart water
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the polenta, water and salt in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together, and place in the oven. Bake 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a fork or a spatula to stir the polenta well, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and stir again. Carefully taste a little bit of the polenta; if the grains are not completely soft, return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Thursday
Chili (make sure you make enough because you will use this on your Baked potatoes tomorrow night)
Vegetarian Chili
2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red peppers
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 16 oz. cans tomatoes (juice and all)
2 16 oz. cans pinto beans (juice and all)
2 16 oz. cans black beans (juice and all)
1 4 oz. can mild green chilies
1 4 oz. can of tomato paste
Chop and sauté in oil the peppers and onions. Add the chili powder, salt, ground red
peppers, and corn. When all the vegetables are soft but still firm, add the tomatoes, all the beans, the
green chilies and the tomato paste. Stir until just blended. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Let
simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Friday
Saturday
Lasagana
Prepare the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain carefully and set aside on a towel.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside. Place the tofu, soymilk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.Cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles. Follow that with a layer of half the tofu and half the spinach. Continue in the same order, using half the remaining tomato sauce and noodles and the rest of the tofu mixture and spinach. End with the remaining noodles covered by the remaining tomato sauce.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tomato sauce bubbles.
Enjoy these recipes! Please come back and share.
Having family home is quite a pleasant adventure and can make posting a challenge. Today, we hooked up one of our gifts and set up our new leather furniture. Bryan and I also spent some time helping out a friend.
The recipes are fairly easy and a lot of them can be made ahead and frozen in individual containers. This may be helpful for you if you are single or work outside the home. I find it to be helpful to me because when it is time for dinner, there is not prep or waiting.
Sunday
First you have to make the refried beans: soak the pinto beans overnight, then cook the pintos in a crockpot with a bottle of salsa. Fill water within 1 inch of top. Cook on high for 1 hr and then low for 4 hours. Fill the tortillas with cooked beans.
For Tofu sour cream: I buy Tofutti sour cream I tried making it last year and it was horrible.
Chips- I buy the Garden of Eatin chips because they don’t have anything but blue corn in them my kids eat them and they are right tasty.
Monday
Enjoy the recipes and come back tomorrow for the rest of the week!
Do you wander how you will plan and prepare meals for you and your family for 21 days? This was my dilemma last year. I have scoured the web, recipes and resources to come up with 21 days of menus.
Today, I will be sharing with you the first week of my menu for the Awakening Daniel Fast that I have developed. Please understand this is my version of the recipes and is a plan to be a guide. I in no way am an authority on nutrition or give medical advice. With each menu I share there is breakfast, lunch and dinner. I hope you find this helpful.
Menu Week 1
January 10th-January 16th
Sunday
Breakfast-Oatmeal with blueberries and honey
Lunch- Thai Carrot soup and salad with balsamic dressing
Dinner-Bean burrito w/ tofu sour cream and Garden of Eatin blue corn chips
Monday
Breakfast- Blueberry muffins
Lunch-Hummus with Garden of Eatin blue corn chips and cut up veggies
Dinner- Pesto w/ 100% whole wheat pasta (check ingredients) salad w/ balsamic dressing
Tuesday
Breakfast- Toasted cinnamon Ezekiel bread w/ all natural Smuckers Peanut butter (the kind you have to stir)
Lunch-Tomato basil soup
Dinner- Corn and potato chowder w/ salad
Wednesday
Breakfast-Banana muffins
Lunch-Basmati brown rice w/ curried vegetables
Dinner-Tomato sauce w/ mushrooms and peppers over polenta
Thursday
Breakfast-Breakfast tortilla
Lunch-Leftover Tomato sauce over polenta
Dinner-Chili and corn chips
Friday
Breakfast- Ezekiel bread w/ honey
Lunch- Thai carrot soup w/ salad
Dinner- Baked potatoes with leftover chili
Saturday
Breakfast- Blueberry muffins
Lunch-Portabella wrap
Dinner-”Lasagna”
Tomorrow, I will start posting the recipes to these menus with detailed instructions.
