Food for Life...to fuel the body and the soul!

"These walnuts are a delicious snack with just the right “bite” and so easy to make. For variety, use half walnuts and half pecans." Preheat oven to 375 degrees Ingredients: 2 cups walnut halves or pecan halves or combination of both 1 Tbsp sugar ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp canola oil Directions: Spread the nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine other ingredients, except for the oil. In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the baked nuts and stir, coating completely with the oil. Add the seasonings mix and stir until the nuts are coated. Remove to a paper towel to cool. The nuts should be stored in an airtight container. Encouraging words: The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise

  This is by far, the easiest chili dip you will ever make. Very satisfying.  INGREDIENTS: 8 oz. cream cheese 2 15 oz. cans of chili 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese 1 tbsp diced jalapeno’s (optional for those who like it really hot) Sour cream for a drop on the top if you like DIRECTIONS: In a 3 qt. saucepan heat the chili, cream cheese and cheese on medium heat until the cheeses melt and it is completely blended and heated through. Spoon into individual bowls (dollop sour cream on top if you’d like),and serve with tortilla chips.  Word of encouragement: Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. - Psalm 5:1-3 NKJV

This recipe is an excellent way to use up left-over pork after making pulled pork. Use canned vegetables and ready-made pie crust to make it even easier. This is a rustic dish with a deep and satisfying flavor that seems to warm you from the inside out.  Perfect for cool weather. Ingredients:  2 cups left-over cooked pork (if using left-over pulled pork, without the barbeque   sauce), cut into bite-sized pieces 1 whole medium size onion (any kind) sliced 1 15 oz. can mixed vegetables with potatoes in it ½ cup pitted green olives 1 TBLS minced garlic 1 tsp Herbs de Provence 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 8 oz. package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use any good melting cheese that you prefer) 3 eggs (reserve one for the last to brush on the crust) 2 ready-made pie crusts (unbaked) Pillsbury works great Spicy mustard (your choice) 2 TBLS olive oil 2 TBLS Worcestershire sauce Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line a deep-dish pie pan with one of the pie crusts. Using a pastry brus

When you think of hearty dishes, beef stroganoff is one of the heartiest. Having its origins in Russia and having survived a couple hundred years of remakes, it deserves it’s place in the weekly line-up. It is simple and easy to make.  I always make mine with left-over beef. Extra pot roast works great. You can also use steak, cut up into strips or bite-size pieces. Ingredients: Left-over beef of any kind. You need about a pound. Cut this into bite-size pieces or strips. 1 package of sliced mushrooms, 8oz. Use any kind you prefer.  1 small onion sliced or diced (I like to use a red one) 1 cube butter 1 teaspoon Salt ½ teaspoon Pepper 4 to 5 Tablespoon (to taste), Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins for its excellent flavor) 1 teaspoon Herbs de Province ½ lb. bag of egg noodles boiled  Between 1 cup and 1 ½ cups of sour cream. This depends on how saucy you like it. Light sour cream works just as well as the full fat. This will cut the calorie count a bit.  HINT: After the nood

This is an easy dish to make and is full of the Mediterranean flavors of garlic, olives and tomato. So saucy and delicious! Good for company and  good for a hearty family meal.  Ingredients: ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter 1 small onion chopped (I use red onion, but any will do) 1 cup each of sliced carrots and cauliflowrettes  4 cups of cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (roasted chicken from the deli works well) 1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes  ¾ cup pitted whole black olives 1 cup sour cream  2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 ½ cups steamed rice (your choice of white or brown) 1 generous tsp of Herbs de Provence 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp minced garlic Directions: Put the 1 ½ cups of rice on to cook. Flavor the water with the two chicken bouillon cubes. Just let them cook with the rice. Using a rice cooker is the fastest and easiest   way to cook the rice.  While the rice cooks, melt the butter in a large 3 quart sauté pan and Sauté the onions in the butter until translucent. Abou

  The best way to describe this cookie to someone who has not yet tried it, would be to say that, “It’s the cookie that eats like a meal!” It’s full of sweetness and tartness and is moist, in the best, “melt in your mouth” kind of way. At the same time, it has plenty of texture and crunch with the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips. A very hearty cookie and a mouth full of delicious. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will need a 9x13 baking dish. DRY Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup light brown sugar packed 2 cups white chocolate chips (12 oz. package) 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts  ½ cup dried cranberries WET INGREDIENTS: 1 cup softened butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Let it hang out for a while. In a large mixing bowl,  beat together the softened butter, the sugars and vanilla until nice and creamy. Add your eggs one