Welcome to my website, dedicated to sharing with you my passion for the inspired art of cooking. What is inspired art of cooking? It’s viewing cooking, not as an obligation, but as an inspired, creative art form. It involves taking a few ingredients and creating a masterpiece. When I say masterpiece, the meal doesn’t have to be a fancy, elaborate, gourmet dish. Your masterpiece can be small with a couple of ingredients, as long as you put your heart and imagination into it. From that, you will hopefully be inspired and experience fun and creativity while cooking.  Recipes are born out of creatively mixing your favorite foods and flavors together or by recreating a special dish shared in memorable places or moments with someone special. Inspired art includes experimenting and learning from mistakes. Even though you may feel that you have no cooking skills now, all it takes is a little practice, perseverance, and creativity.

We all feel tired at the end of a long day, and most of us just want to pop something in the microwave to serve for dinner. Maybe you don’t know how to cook or have no interest in it. Yet, inspired art of cooking is not about the food in and of itself. It’s about the blessings you can provide for family, friends, and even yourself. Providing a meal not only brings others joy and smiling faces, but it touches you much more in return. It’s about the sense of community when coming together around the dinner table and sharing in delicious food and togetherness.

Please check back often or subscribe to my website. I’ll be posting new recipes, cooking tips, fun food facts, and my future cookbooks and products. I would love to hear from you! Please share your own thoughts, stories, experiences, and tips.  Also, you may contact me directly through the contact page.

If you are wanting to cut calories in a recipe that calls for heavy cream, a low calorie option is to swap it out with silken tofu when making soups or sauces.

Vertical Radio Interview on The Current FM 3.31.12

Ingredients

1 diced onion

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

¼ – ⅓ cup butter/margarine

¼ – ⅓ cup flour

1 cup whole milk

2 cups chicken stock (low sodium)

2-3 cups cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces

½ – 1 cup diced carrots, peeled

½ – 1 cup peas

½ – 1 cup corn

2-3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2-4 cloves grated/chopped garlic

1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1-2 tubes crescent rolls

 Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a high-sided skillet, sauté onion in extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat on stovetop. Sauté until onion is translucent.
3. Reduce stovetop heat to medium heat.  In same skillet with onion, melt butter/margarine.  Add in flour and whisk a few minutes or until creamy.  Slowly pour in milk and stock.  Whisk until creamy to make Béchamel sauce.  Let thicken for a few minutes.
4. Add turkey, carrots, peas, corn, mustard, garlic, liquid smoke, salt, and pepper to skillet.  Mix and let flavors combine for 5-10 minutes.  If too thick, add additional milk or stock until desired thickness reached.
5. Pour mixture into a large baking dish.
6. Then, unroll crescent rolls and lay them flat on top, completely covering the mixture.
7. Bake in oven for 7-12 minutes or until crescent rolls are brown.
8. Let cool and serve!  Serves 6-8.

Chefs’ Tips

- This recipe provides a great way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving Day turkey.

- For corn-on-the-cob, place a small bowl upside down in a larger bowl.  Stand cob upright on small bowl and cut corn off cob with knife, allowing corn to fall in large bowl.

- Feel free to swap out the vegetables in this recipe for others that you love.

- Simply grate garlic with a zester/grater to make garlic paste.

- Alternate way to make garlic paste: Peel and finely chop garlic, add a pinch or two of salt on top of garlic, and rub garlic repeatedly with sides of knife.

- Rub fingers on stainless steel underneath water to remove garlic smell from hands.

- Mashing/cracking garlic first allows for easier peeling.

Alternatives

In this video, I talk about going from not being able to cook to writing recipes and learning to cook, and I share about the process of writing my cookbook. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at Nansemond River Baptist on April 20, 2012. Here is the video from the event:

I am asking a favor for anyone who is interested.  I am in need of some testimonials from anyone who has cooked or eaten anything from Be Your Own Chef.   I am having a lot more people look at my website and have been asked for some testimonials from anyone who is willing to share.  They do not have to be long, just a paragraph or two of  the recipes you cooked or one in particular you liked. If you have been inspired from my website or story feel free to write about that as well. If you have a story to share, will you please write it out and email it to me – karen@inspiredartofcooking.com ? Thank you for your help.

Did you know that buttermilk is lower in fat than regular milk?

That’s because the fat has been removed to make butter, making it low in calories.

Buttermilk  is also high in potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin, as well as a good source of phosphorus.

Buttermilk is tart in taste due to acid in the milk.

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter/margarine

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded/grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup sour cream (reduced fat)

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2-4 slices cooked, chopped turkey bacon

1 chopped green onion

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. In mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, butter, cheeses, sour cream, buttermilk, egg, bacon, and green onion until mixture becomes dough.
3. Scoop spoonfuls of dough (approximately ¼ cup each) onto a pizza stone, greased cast iron skillet, or non- stick baking sheet.
4. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serves 6-8.

Chefs’ tips

- When cracking an egg, a stray piece of shell may fall in with it.  Remove quickly by scooping it up with a larger piece of eggshell.

- To maintain freshness, wash green onions immediately when you bring them home from the store.  Dry off and store wrapped up in paper towels in a Ziploc® Brand Bag in refrigerator.

- Place dried herbs in mortar and pestle and gently crush to draw out flavor.  If you do not own a mortar and pestle, gently rub herbs with both hands.

Alternatives

I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.  ~Author Unknown

The journey of writing my cookbook, publishing it, and staring my new career as an author, speaker, and cooking on TV has truly had its peaks and valleys. There have been days of wanting to give up because few people respond or no one seemingly cares about what I have worked so hard on. Sometimes, it feels like the dream is going nowhere. In the moments of desperation, when you are ready to give up, an inspirational sermon, a quote, a book, or an encouraging word rekindles the fire.

A few months ago, I heard a sermon that really spoke to me about my life and the journey I am on.  I learned that there are 3 stages we all have to go through to achieve the abundant life.  Each stage is very important to guide and direct us on how to make it to the next phase. Without each one, as painfully difficult as they may be, we would not be able to handle what is ahead of us on this journey.

• The “Not Enough” Stage -  This stage is often overwhelming and one I know quite well.  In this phase, we live each day feeling like we are drowning and there is no way out. Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion persists. No matter how much time or hard work put into what we are striving to achieve, failure seems to take center stage.  I remember the days, months, and years of feeling like a mouse on a wheel constantly running around and around. Even after being overcome with exhaustion by working overtime, it still wasn’t enough.  The bills could not get paid without help from others. The thought of going somewhere to get away for a much needed vacation was a cruel joke, and the inability to “live” life like others was the norm.
  Those days really humble you when you have to ask others for help or sacrifice everything you want to do. Money, success, and happiness are elusive. God uses this time to teach us to rely fully on Him for all of our needs. He is molding us for what lies ahead. When we have nothing and have reached full reliance and satisfaction on God, He moves us on to the next phase.  The “Not Enough” stage is what makes us stronger, leading us to grow in our faith.

• The “Just Enough” Stage -  In this stage, we live each day not knowing if or how we will make it financially, emotionally, or spiritually, but God provides.  When it comes  to having food to eat or just plain survival, the struggles continue. In this phase, we are barely paying our bills and have to pick and choose what is most important to get by. This phase can seem like it’s never ending. Some days, I wonder how I will have the strength to speak to groups, but God provides miraculous stamina to pull me through. Chris and I still have those moments when life reverts back to the “Not Enough” stage, as God puts us through trials and sharpens us to put our true dependance in Him.
  In this phase in our life, we have seen many more attacks on us spiritually, mentally, and physically, that try to derail us from living the abundant life. As the abundant life approaches, more and more obstacles will slow your progress. God allows more arrows to be thrown at us to test our faith, to see if we take control in the struggles, or to make certain that we persevere with Him through the storms. While this painful phase seems eternal in the moment, we recognize that we have not been forgotten. It is the “Not Enough” and the “Just Enough” stages that teach us to not take the abundant life for granted and prepares us for what lies ahead.

• The “More than Enough” stage – When we reach this stage we will recognize it, being given all that we need emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially to live each and every day. Expect the most obstacles to emerge in this stage. We are able to handle those situations that attempt to knock us down, distract us, or test our faith. We have learned from our life’s journey that has brought us to this point, as we go to God with our every aspect of our lives. We will not take what we have been blessed with for granted due to those previous trials. We willingly give back to those who helped us along the way, lend a hand to others in need, as well as faithfully live the way God has asked us to live.

I am looking forward to living the abundant life, but in the meantime, I am going to make the most out of what I am given and strive to have complete reliance and dependence on Him. For I am not there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.  -Oscar Wilde

When I think back to the people in my life who have truly lived each and every day to the fullest, a few come to mind.  Trying to decide which one to write about made it difficult, as they have all touched my life and shown me the real definition of truly living. One of those individuals is my grandfather, Rev. Joe Dee Ray.

Joe Dee Ray was such an incredible man of God who never simply existed.  Several years ago, he took my brother, my sister, and me to the mall. My sister and I had gone into a store, and he sat down on a bench to wait on us. When we came out of the store, he was talking to several people like they were old friends. That’s the kind of man he is – there are no strangers, just friends he hasn’t met yet.

He had a smile and a laugh that was so contagious you could not help but smile back.  As far back as I can remember, he was always on the go talking to people, staying true to who he was, and making a difference one life at a time.  When I would go and visit him and my grandmother as a child, I was blown away by the love that everyone he came into contact with had for him.  I was always told how special he is, how lucky I am for having him as my grandfather, and what a difference he made in their lives. Hearing those stories about his selfless generosity and how he transformed their lives touched me in such a way that I wanted to be more like him. He never met a stranger. He built friendships all over the world, making each person feel important to him.  Offering the shirt off his back to anyone in need, he always went over and beyond to do anything asked of him or for anyone.

He also wore many hats.  As a dynamic pastor, he had the opportunity to touch the lives of thousands.  In addition, he was a gifted musician, playing the piano beautifully by ear. When he sang, he radiated joy. In his spare time, he was also a landlord and spent many hours repairing and enhancing the properties through renovations and additions. None of this compares to his most important role – a loving and incredible  father to four daughters and a Godly, loving, faithful, and supportive husband to his wife Jeanne. He is the best grandfather anyone could ask for, but more importantly, an obedient son to his heavenly father.  Leading by example, he did more than just exist in this world. He truly made a difference in each and every life he has encountered.

My grandfather really provided a rare treasure – living life.  It is not just getting up and doing a daily routine of working to pay the bills and hanging out with friends.  Rather, life is about living with meaning and purpose.  It’s about making each day count as if it is your last, touching the lives of people around you by making a difference through your life.  It is giving your time, talents, and giving of yourself to people who are in need.  It is waking up each day with a positive attitude and making the best of every situation that comes along, whether positive or negative. It is treating each and every person with love and the utmost respect, no matter how you are treated in return. It is forgiving those who hurt you and not holding grudges. It is going the extra mile instead of just doing what is asked. It is picking yourself up after being knocked down and never giving up, no matter the difficulties and circumstances. Finally, it is being obedient to God by doing what he asks us to do and sharing his love to everyone you encounter, no matter who they are or what they have done. Each and every one of these qualities reminds me of my grandfather and the life he truly lived.

I only hope that, one day, I can be half the person he was. I want to live my life knowing that I am truly living and making a difference in the lives of people around me.  When my time is up,  I want to have no regrets. I want to have done all I can to make the most out of the life that was given to me by making each and every day count.  I do not want to simply exist in this world. Instead, I desire to be the person God has called me to be. Joe Dee Ray passed away on his 88th birthday, which was March 7, 2012, in Denison, Texas. He is where he longed to be which is in heaven with his Heavenly Father. I’m so thankful for the times spent with him and the impact he has had on my life. Thank you Joe Dee Ray for being my grandfather. You are such an inspiration to me.