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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Hope you guys are doing well on this beautiful Sunday afternoon in the Midwest. Be blessed! Here is a recipe for Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of oatmeal
  • 2 cups of almond flour
  • 1/2 cup of chocolate chip chunks
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/3 cup of coconut flakes
  • 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal
  • 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup of sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup of walnuts
  • 3/4 cup of almond milk
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Directions

  • Grab a large bowl, mixing all of the above ingredients.
  • Place parchment paper onto two cookie sheets.
  • Scoop the mixture with a small ice-cream scooper, making sure that you press the sides of the scooper against the bowl in order to drain off excess liquid before placing the scoop on the parchment paper.
  • Bake at 320 degrees for about 25 minutes.
  • Enjoy!
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Pasta with Spinach & Quinoa

Background Story for Pasta with Spinach & Quinoa

It is amazing how we are all are wired up differently, and with this wiring, we all have different things that take us back to childhood. For the last few nights, I have been taking a quick five minute walk in the neighborhood in order to get a whisp of the slightly cool, fresh air and to hear the sound of the crickets. These two things have been my favorite since I was a kid. They remind me of visiting my relatives in Memphis and hearing the calming effect of the crickets at night.

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Photo by Katina Horton

About a week ago, I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. My mind landed on the box of pasta that was still in the cabinet. I decided to jazz it up with my two favorite ingredients for most meals: spinach and diced tomatoes.

Here is the recipe:

Total Prepping and Cooking Time:

45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of penne pasta
  • 2 jars of tomato and basil pasta sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of thyme
  • 3 tablespoons of parsley
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of cut-leaf spinach
  • 1/3 cup of quinoa
  • 1/4 cup of oil

Directions:

  • Boil a pot of water, adding the oil to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking.
  • Add the pasta and the quinoa once the water has started boiling.
  • While the pasta and quinoa are cooking, saute the spinach and diced tomatoes.
  • Drain the pasta and quinoa in a colander and dump them back into the pot.
  • Dump all the rest of the ingredients into the pot and stir.
  • Eat and enjoy!

Food for thought:

What foods do you eat, or activities do you participate in that take you back to your childhood? Would love to hear your comments!

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Simple Chicken Burgers

Background on the Simple Chicken Burgers

I have been reading a variety of books lately.  Along with this fact, I’ve also been listening to a lot of sermons.  Sometimes, I have listened to so many sermons, and read so many books at one time, that I start to second guess myself as to which book or preacher said what.  At this point, I usually have to go back and double check that I am giving the right author credit.

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In this season of my life, I have been hearing God’s small voice repeatedly encouraging me along the way.  I can picture myself taking off at the starting point with my number on, and God on the sidelines with his flag shouting, “Keep running!  You can do it! ”

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Earlier today, I was reading more of the book on leadership by Brene Brown.  The chapter that I am now focusing on is dealing with empathy.  Later this evening, I listened to a sermon by Joyce Meyer.  As God would have it, she was also preaching on empathy.  The key points that were stated from both is the following:

  • Empathy means being able to connect through the emotion that someone else is feeling.
  • Empathy doesn’t mean giving advice.
  • Having empathy shouldn’t lead to a comparison game of who has had the worst suffering.

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A few nights ago, I decided to make what I call Simple Chicken Burgers.  They turned out super moist and required very few ingredients.

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Here is the recipe:

Activity:  Making Simple Chicken Burgers

Total Prepping and Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of oatmeal
  •  cumin (1 tb)
  •  onion powder (1 tb)
  •  garlic powder (1 tb)
  • 1 16 oz. pack of ground chicken
  • 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal
  • 3 tablespoons of water

Directions:

  • Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.
  • Dump all of the above ingredients into a bowl.
  • Make burger patty shapes with your hands.
  • Place the six patties into a skillet, or as many as you can at once. (use 2 skillets if necessary)
  • Take the burgers out when they are brown on both sides.
  • Top with hummus and garnish with basil or spinach if you like.
  • Enjoy!

God Bless,

 

Katina