Setting Intentions To Love

Love God Love Others

Setting intentions in our hearts and in our minds to love others as we gather together for Thanksgiving.

As we prepare for the Holiday season and time with our families and friends, it’s typical to wrap up a few last items at work, run to the grocery store to buy the essentials, then turn to our family favorite recipes to begin prepping for that special meal.

But, what if we took a moment before we start that sprint to prepare ourselves.  To fill ourselves up first to be our best and give our best to those we love the most? To take a few moments to set our hearts and minds with intentions to love on others throughout this special time regardless of any situation or circumstance that may arise.

Love, the first and greatest commandment—we all need and desire to be loved.

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus replied; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Fill yourself up with love first.  Recognize how much you are loved by God who created you in his image. Special and unique.

1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 John 4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Romans 5:5 “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”

Because God’s love is so powerful, we can love others.

Guard your heart

What does it mean to guard your heart?  To me, it means setting the intention not to take things too personally and to acknowledge that everything good comes from God. Do not look for validation, acceptance, or unconditional love from anyone else.  There is not one of us that is perfect and we all make mistakes along the way.  Be forgiving, as God has forgiven us first!  When we don’t guard our hearts, we are leaving an open door for hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and impacted or severed relationships.  The evil one loves this and it gives him a stronghold.  Don’t do that!

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober minded, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ask the Lord to help you guard your heart and do not allow yourself to get sensitive in the circumstance.  Focus on his love for you, the fact that his powerful love enables you to love others (regardless of their actions), and not change your behaviors based on their behaviors.

SALSA VERDE TACO SOUP

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Salsa verde taco soup made with fresh tomatillos, peppers, green chile, brown rice, and ground beef. This is a fabulous way to enjoy those abundant tomatillos from my summer garden.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes        Yield: 2 Servings
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes        Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 12 ounces tomatillos, cut into 1/2” pieces
  • 2-5 hot peppers  shishito/padron/jalapeno
  • 3 1/4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime plus wedges for serving

EXTRA’s FOR THE GARNISH

  • 1 small avocado
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • chopped cilantro to taste
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a medium size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onions, and garlic.  Cook until meat is no longer pink.
  • Add the salt, chili powder, and cumin. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomatillos, peppers, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil  then and add the rice. Reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer and cook the soup,  stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
  • While the soup simmers prepare the garnish. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a fork until it’s broken down. Add the lime juice, cilantro, and salt and stir to combine.
  • When the rice is tender, add 1/2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and juice of 1/2 a lime and stir. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole.

Herb-Crusted Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

This is a classic and flavorful dish accompanied with green beans.

Ingredients: (2 servings)

Steak

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ ground black pepper
  • 8 – 10 once flank steak
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Tomatoes

  • 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • 6 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
  • 6 pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
  • 8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. For steak: Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Place steak in glass baking dish. Brush steak with olive oil. Rub with herb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
  2. For tomatoes: Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Season tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
  3. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.
  4. Cut steak across grain into ½ -inch-thick slices. Arrange steak slices on large platter. Spoon tomatoes with juices over steak and serve.

Greek Lemon Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

A healthy recipe to enjoy flavors of Greece.

Ingredients: (2 servings)

  • 1 large, sweet potato
  • 1 chicken breast boneless, skinless (8 – 10 oz.)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 small lemon sliced (optional)
  • Parsley for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400ᵒ F.
  2. Cut sweet potatoes in ¼ to ½ inch slices and then cut in halves.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth. Whisk to combine.
  4. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a 9” x 9” baking pan. Place the chicken breast over the sweet potatoes and pour lemon mixture on top. Top with lemon slices.
  5. Roast in oven for 55-60 minutes. Top with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Tuscan Garlic Salmon Skillet With Greens And Tomato

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR THE TUSCAN GARLIC SALMON SKILLET WITH GREENS AND TOMATO

  • 1lb. (450g) salmon fillets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or more, to taste
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 6 oz fresh spinach or arugala
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup (60ml) vegetable or chicken stock (or dry white wine)
  • 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil, optional

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DIRECTIONS

1. To make the Tuscan garlic salmon skillet: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet, on medium-low heat. Add the salmon fillets, red pepper flakes, paprika, Italian seasoning, and salt in the skillet and cook salmon on medium heat on both sides, until salmon is cooked through – about 5 minutes. Remove salmon fillets from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.

2. In the same skillet over medium heat, add tablespoon olive oil or melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and chopped onion and cook gently until fragrant and translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil leaves, fresh greens, and vegetable or chicken stock (or white wine). Cook on medium heat for about 3 – 5 minutes until spinach wilts just a little and tomatoes release some of their juice. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

3. Add cooked salmon back to the skillet to reheat quickly. Drizzle with good quality olive oil just before serving, for extra taste. Serve the Tuscan garlic salmon immediately, and enjoy!

Seafood Medley with Spicy Spanish Chorizo over Tarragon Mashed

Tonight’s special was a Seafood Medley with Spicy Spanish chorizo over a bed of tarragon mashed potato blend. So good!
Even considering the price of wild caught scallops and Argentine Pink wild caught shrimp, this is such an affordable meal. It is absolutely one of our favorites as the seafood takes on the spice of the chorizo! It’s fabulous and simple to make.
No recipe require for the protein but plan to prepare the potato mash ahead to allow for preper timing as the protein only takes 5-10 minutes total.    You can also use rice, pasta, lentils, or just arugala.    There are many options.
For the protein – Just slice the chorizo and start heating on medium in a skillet.  After it releases some of those fabulous spices, drop in the scallops to get them started cooking (especially if you are using  U10 size), then drop in the shrimp.

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Cherry Tomato Casserole with White Beans and Basil

This Italian inspired recipe packs a wonderful amount of flavor and protein. It can be used as a main dish or as a side dish.

Roasting those tomatoes brought out such a sweetness. The crushed chili 🌶 peppers and garlic added some nice spice.

Ingredients: (2 servings)

  • 1 cup cubed (1″ pieces) hearty wheat bread (2.5 oz.)  img_0235
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup packed fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. On large, rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with oil. Bake until golden, stirring halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine tomatoes, beans, basil, garlic, red pepper, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add bread; toss to combine.
  3. Transfer mixture to shallow 6- to 7-cup baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese; bake until top is golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Patience is a Virtue – A Gift from God!

Patience is a virtue they say…..
The bible tells us that patience is one of God’s own attributes. When we seek the Lord and choose to trust in Him and live by His word, we are promised Fruits of the Spirit.
You can find a list in Galatians 5:22
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”
Regardless of your feelings or circumstances, what you are lacking if you are not experiencing God, is God himself. A relationship with your maker. The one and only living God. When you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. When you seek Him!
Janes 4:8. “Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts.”
When you acknowledge who God is, the creator of everything (including everyone that has ever lived or breathed), you realize that you belong to him. And he loves you, as He created you and knows you better than you know yourself.
When you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and that He already suffered on that cross for the sins of the world, was resurrected and ascended into heaven to return again to receive you unto himself (Romans 10:9), It is then that He will help you through by giving you increased understanding and wisdom of the scriptures, UNLEASHING THE POWER of His Holy Spirit. It’s like turning up the heat. He changes our hearts as we understand more about our creator.
“In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:26‬ ‭
The answer to life’s frustrations and sufferings which result in impatience, anger, and bitterness is not for God to just answer our prayers and fix all that and fix everyone else that are the source of all our problems, it starts with Us and OUR relationship with God.
So what can we do?
Draw near to him, seek him with a heart that is turned away from selfishness and stubbornness to do only what you want, in your way, and in your timing. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO LIFE ON YOUR OWN! GOD DID NOT CREATE YOU TO BE OUT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
Get into Gods Word (The Bible) and ask Him to join you there to show you who He is and how much He loves you!
And if you want to learn more about God’s incomparable help in our suffering, listen to this sermon.

Shrimp and Arugula Plate

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 pound shrimp
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 5 ounces arugula
  • Fresh basil torn, to taste

Shrimp basting oil:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2–3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Prepare the shrimp basting oil by adding olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin to a small bowl, and stirring until combined. Set aside.
  • Pre-heat grill to high heat.  Use a grill pan or skewer the shrimp
  • Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
  • Baste the top of the shrimp with the basting oil, then again about 1/2 way through cooking, baste them again.
  • Toss the basil, arugula, and dressing together. Add shrimp on top or put the whole skewers on top.

Optional:

  • 1 cup orzo, quinoa, or a grain of your choice 
  • Cook it according to package directions. Set aside to cool. When it’s cool to the touch, add about a teaspoon of olive oil to it and mix it.
  • Incorporate orzo/grain into arugula basil mix.

Mitigating Low-Grade Inflammation

Researchers now believe that low-grade inflammation is associated with most chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and cancer.
Chronic Inflammation
For my health conscious friends, here are a few things we can do to mitigate low-grade inflamation in our bodies:
Choose protein after fasting (such as for breakfast or if you skip a meal), and during times of stress. After fasting and during times of
stress are two times during the day when the body turns more of whatever you’re eating into sugar, than usual. Choosing protein
helps create sustainable energy, while preventing blood sugar spikes and crashes. This will normalize blood sugars, as well as help
reduce inflammation caused by sugar.
Increase raw, uncooked oils in your diet to help reduce inflammation:
Monounsaturated fats: almond, avocado, coconut (or MCT), and olive oils
Alpha Linoleic Acids (ALAs): chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin seed, and walnut oils

Gum Health Check:

Your mouth says a lot about what’s going on in your body. If you have bleeding gums and/or deeper pockets, there is a core issue that needs to be addressed. Start with switching to a water flosser because that water can do a much more thorough job then standard floss. Use warm water because cold water doesn’t feel too good and is discouraging to many. Add a little peroxide or antibacterial essential oil to the water. Make sure to follow manufacturer instructions to periodically clean and flush the unit.

Know what water you are drinking
Tap water is toxic. These toxins cause inflammation. Even at low levels, it is creating a taxing burden on your body that overtime is detrimental to our health.. If you are drinking from a well, you are still drinking from the same water table and local agricultural practices, pesticides, herbicides, etc. are still getting in your water. We just switched to a counter top reverse osmosis process that reinfuses minerals. and creates mineralized alkaline water. We love it!
A few links for your use:
https://aquatru.com/countertop recently they ran an $80 discount and I don’t think the blue tooth is necessary to manage costs.