Love, Serve, Connect & Cooking with Pat

New Pictures.....New Fun

2010-09-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Amy who just loves to see us come to Ocean View. She is especially excited about her nails today beacuse I put a flower on two of her nails. She is a doll and we have lots of fun and lots of hugs when we see her on Thursday mornings for crafts.

WE HAVE A GREAT NEW LOOK

2010-08-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted you to know we have a great new look and a new blogspot at www.loveserveandconnect.blogspot.com . When my journey started I thought it was going to be primarily cooking classes. We did enjoy some great classes but the Lord had more in store for me. We have lots of people in this world who are hungry in many ways. What I have discovered is my calling has been to fill those needs at three local nursing homes. Please watch the new blogspot for lots of stories and pictures. The www.cookingwithpat.blogspot.com is still up and you can access it anytime from the new site which has a convenient link for you.

Have a great day! Love, Pat

2010-08-22T14:14:00.001-07:00

Please me at our new blog to better Love, serve and connect with you at loveserveandconnect@blogspot.com.

This blog will stay up for awhile so you can enjoy recipes and read how love, serve and connect grew into a wonderful ministry that God has blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

love, Pat Howard

2010-08-11T02:48:00.000-07:00

We continue to serve at Ocean View Nursing Home. We have a weekly craft class and as you can see Rose Chamberlin is working with the girls on a painting project. Today we are having a Beauty Day at Ocean View in the upstairs dining room. I have a team of 5 who will be serving the residents. We will do hair, nails, makeup and crafts. Pictures will follow on the next blog. Have a great day and if you should decide to serve with us please come and join the fun.

2010-08-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter Hali and her friend Grace came to Fairgreen Assisted Living to help love, serve and connect with some of the residents. Hali and Grace both attend Edgewater Alliance Church. They were a tremendous help to me and a blessing to the residents. The women loved the hand massages the most. It is truly amazing how human touch is so meaningful. We all left feeling blessed.

Meet my dad, Merrill Evan Cobb

2010-06-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is my Dad, Merrill, who is visiting with two of his great-grandchildren on Friday June 12 over at my home. Emma came all the way from California to see him and Owen lives here in NSB. Please go to www.baldwinbros.net so you can meet my mom and dad, and read about who Merrill Evan Cobb was. We love and miss him! Pat

JUNE RECIPES - SUMMER FUN

2010-06-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

SLICE-YOUR-OWN-SALAD

2010-06-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a quick and easy cold salad that will go with anything. Your children will enjoy this one.
One 16-ounce can sliced pineapple
One 3-ounce package strawberry, raspberry or lime jello

Remove the top from the can of pineapple and drain the liquid completely into a small saucepan. Leave the pineapple rings in the can. Heat the pineapple juice and mix with the jello. Stir until dissolved. Cool and pour back in the can with the pineapple slices. Let them set for awhile and then use a fork to put into the can and lift the slices to allow the jello to get between the slices of pineapple. Cover the can and place in the refrigeraor overnight. When ready to serve open the other end of the can. Shake out onto a plate and slice between the pineapple rings. Serve each ring on lettuce with a scoup of cottage cheese, mayonaise or even whipped cream. This is yummy and great for the hot weather. Enjoy....................................

CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

2010-06-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have altered this recipe because you could use a number of ingredients to stuff in the chicken. I will share what I have cooked twice and we consider it delicious, easy and a family pleaser.
Buy 3 or 4 chicken breasts if you are feeding a family and just 2 breasts for 2.
Take the breasts and put in a plastic storage bag or between wax paper and using a rolling pin or tenderizer pound the chicken until thin and flat. This exercise is a great stress release! :)
The following ingredients are for two breasts so add more of everything if you increase the recipe.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded flat and thin
1 (4-once) piece imported italian fontina cheese (you can use other cheeses, I have, but the fontina is by far the most delicious)
2 slices imported prosciutto (I have used ham off the bone from the deli thinly sliced also and they are both delicious)
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (you could use canola or a different choice)
Salt and Pepper
1 cup portobello mushrooms (I have used a variety of different mushrooms)
1/2 cup dry white wine (if you don't want to use wine you could use chicken stock)
Rosemary if you have it in your spice cupboard, just a couple of shakes
Take your flattened chicken breast and lay it out and place in the center the ham and cheese. Roll the chicken breast with filling into a sausage shape and secure with toothpicks. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil (2 tablespoons) and butter in your frying pan. Quickly brown the chicken roll-ups over medium high heat turning from side to side. Reduce the heat to low and scatter the mushrooms into the pan. Add the wine (or chicken stock) and rosemary. Cook turning the chicken rolls frequently. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes. When the cheese starts to seep out the chicken is done. Remove it from the pan to a cutting board. Cut the roll-ups at an angles and cover to keep warm. Reheat the pan juices and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season to taste. Arrange the chicken and mushrooms over fresh steamed spinach, romaine lettuce, pasta ( your choice) and add the sauce. This is absolutely delicious! Enjoy...............................

THE PERFECT SUMMER DESSERT

2010-06-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

This light, moist cake is a family favorite and potluck pleaser.
1 Cake Mix ( any flavor you like)
1 small package jello (any flavor you like)
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup milk
5 to 6 oz. whipped topping or your own whipped cream

Make and bake the cake according to directions. While cake is still hot, poke holes all over the cake with a fork. Mix jello according to package directions and very slowly pour all over the cake. Let soak in good and let the cake cool. Mix the vanilla pudding and milk and let set up a little and then fold in the whipped topping. Frost cake. Keep in the frig. Use a 9x13 pan .
Lemon cake mix with lemon jello or orange cake with orange jello is yummy. The kids will love this and they will be ready to help with the project. A tremendous treat for company or an outing! ENJOY..........................

2010-05-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Taco Shack is up and running and we appreciate the support from all of you. Emily and Mike had a tremendous first week. The food is yummy, the prices are right and the atmosphere is upbeat and fun. Come meet us at the shack...........you will definitely come back!

Emily is on a role, I am packing food and our grandson Dylan is helping with cooking the food.

2010-05-27T17:13:00.002-07:00

2010-05-27T17:13:00.001-07:00

Matty is adjusting to the shack!

2010-05-27T17:05:00.001-07:00

Opening Night with so much support from our friends.

2010-05-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Mike is cooking up a storm!

2010-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

Opening Day - Sara is the first customer! Thank You

2010-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

THE TACO SHACK

2010-05-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

NEWSFLASH......THE TACO SHACK

2010-05-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Emily Colon and her husband Mike are opening the Taco Shack on Rt. 1 in NSBeach. Mike is a culinary graduate and great chef and Emily has her degree in Hospitality Management. They have both been in the food business for years. They have been praying and believing for an opportunity and God has opened this door. The grand opening is May 18th. and they will be open 6 days a week. Their food will have an upscale flair that you will love. Come join us at the Shack!! Congratulations Mike and Emily.

GREG IS LOVING AND CONNECTING WITH THE GROUP

2010-05-07T05:05:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to have Greg come and present the word and study. We had a great time and truly the residents love the Lord. This gathering is special. Thank you Greg for your time.

FROM YOUNGEST TO OLDEST.....WE SERVE

2010-05-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

Our 4 yr. old Owen served today. He is helping Kay with her coloring project. In the picture you see two flower arrangements which were given to us from the sewing class at EAC. The residents were thrilled and many pots were put in the gals rooms. Thank You!

ALL IN THE FAMILY

2010-05-07T04:57:00.001-07:00

My husband Greg came to Smyrna West this week with me and he read the Bible story. I have more pictures to follow as our grandson Owen attended also. Everyone loves the word.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE LOVED

2010-05-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

Grannie is 91 and she comes to our round table every week. It is important to involve everyone and we help them out however we can. Grannie sings, listens to the word through story and participates in our activity. We love Grannie!

FAIRGREEN GALS

2010-05-07T04:48:00.000-07:00

Lorette came to my rescue last week. She served at Fairgreen with me doing nails for these lovely ladies and Lorette served at Smyrna West the day before with Sara and I for our Bible Study. Thank you Lorette, we appreciate your serving spirit.

Meet Victoria - an Angel at Smyrna West

2010-05-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

We love working with Victoria at Smyrna West. Victoria just got married. Congratulations!! Sara is working with Kay. We finished our Bible Study and are doing an activity. You see Rose, Frank, David, Kay and Terry.

COOKING WITH PAT AT OCEAN VIEW

2010-04-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Sharing some pictures of our activity cooking class last Friday the 23rd. at Ocean View. I had a class of seven and this was the first time for all of the gals. We gathered before 10:00a.m. and they went back to their rooms about 1:00 p.m. What a great time we had! We made meatloaf, twice baked potatoes with cheddar cheese, steamed vegetables and frosted baked brownies. It was a wonderful time together as we laughed and told stories from the past. All the girls participated in cutting, stuffing, mixing, decorating and eating...........the best part. :0)
God is so good and we share his love each time we are together. They, all the gals, are happy for this opportunity and I am blessed to be able to give to them and be a part of their lives.
We give our Mighty God the glory and thank Him for each and every opportunity He allows us to Love, Serve and Connect.
God Bless, Pat Howard

Taking a Break

2010-04-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lastly you see Joanie, Barb the activity director and Liz once again. We are enjoying a beverage while I prepare the next steps.

2010-04-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ruth and Mary are also newcomers. Because we have limited space and everyone is in wheelchairs we had to sit in different areas. They also loved our time together.

COOKING WITH PAT

2010-04-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Meet Iris and Mae. This is also a first time in my class. They are frosting brownies. YUMMO!

MONTHLY COOKING CLASS AT OCEAN VIEW

2010-04-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is Joan and Liz and they attended my cooking class last Friday the 23rd. This was their first time and they are happy to be a part of it!

LOVE, SERVE AND CONNECTING IN OUR COMMUNITY

2010-04-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have just completed a series of picutres from recent events at the homes we serve. I hope you feel the spirit of God and my compassion. As I read through the posts I cried. I remember each and every precious moment and I know that they all count. It doesn't matter if the residents have lost their memory...........we capture the moment. They feel the moment!

If you are interested in serving on our team we encourage you to do so. The blessings are far greater than any work involved. Maybe you have never served and want to do something for God. Contact us and let us help you to take that step and give of yourself in this ministry. Even for a one time serving you will be fed for life.

All Glory and Honor goes to our God..........the mighty God we serve. I thank him for giving me the passion to move forward and make this ministry, His ministry, a reality.

I am blessed and give Him the praise. Pat Howard

MY PRECIOUS STELLA

2010-04-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

As most of you know who read my blog I have adopted Stella. She is 91 and can still walk around when you go and get her. She holds my hand and we walk to activities. Her words are few but she always tells me she loves me. She also sings to me and keeps a wonderful attitude. Does she remember my visits? Probably not! She does however get into the moment. She is holding an egg we found on the bench and she was so happy. He happy makes me happy. Praise God for the moments, the few moments for those who have lost their memory. I am blessed beyond words.

2010-04-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

Rose Chamberlin and I are at Ocean View Nursing Home the Sat. before Easter. We helped to bring about 50 residents outside for an Easter egg hunt done by the children of the employees. We worked hard to get the residents out into open fresh air. It was a huge project and we had few helpers. The residents loved the outing and Rose and I left feeling blessed and very tired....a good tired. When you do God's work it is always about Him. How could we possibly do all this...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Praise God he equips us. We received the blessing and do at every visit. God is center and our work is His. Amen

A SMILE FROM MISS KAY

2010-04-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

This picture is one of happiest I have. Miss Kay wanted nothing to do with Sara and I and my daughter Emily. The first time we tried to get her to join us she slammed her walker and crumbled her name tag and threw it in my face. We smiled and told her God loves her and so do we. We asked her to join the group and have some fun. Do you see her smile? It made my day!
Just this past Wed. she was at our Bible study, sang and did crafts. We made her a necklace with a cross and beads and she was thrilled. Praise the Lord for these precious people who are locked in bodies that are old and not working. When we step into their world a light comes on. We are blessed!

2010-04-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

In this picture you see Rose, who loves the color pink. Beside her is Odael and JJ. The three you see in this picture did not want to be involved in our project. We gently nudged them to come and join us. As you can see they had a wonderful time and we all sang and praised the Lord. We capture the moment with our residents. It is always a warm fuzzy when we connect!

TERRY'S SUCCESSFUL FILLED WHOOPIE PIE

2010-04-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Terry completed her whoopie pie and hadn't taken a bite yet so I told her to hold it up so everyone could see what they look like. Anna is sitting beside Terry. Kay is on the other side of Anna.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY - WHOOPIE PIES WITH GREEN FILLING

2010-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

None of the residents had ever had a whoopie pie. This is a fun and yummy recipe from Maine. I brought the ingredients and we filled the pies. As you can see Dave and Dottie on either side of me could not wait to taste the pies. YUMMO ! They love Pat's baked goods and David loves chocolate.........his favorite. I always try to remember their favorites and bring them goodies. :)

2010-04-08T07:11:00.001-07:00

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY

2010-04-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of our Wednesday morning Bible Studies. JJ, one of the residents, is very happy to hug Sara as she tells the story. This is what we call our "round table" setting. We all join together to praise the Lord, hear Sara's story, sing and pray. After the Bible Study we do an activity craft of some sort as we laugh and tell stories. During this process we find out all about the residents and their lives. This has become a very special time for both Sara and I.

Frosting Sugar Cookies

2010-04-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is Frank and David and they live at Smyrna West Assisted Living Home. I brought homemade sugar cookies and we colored the frostings and became very creative. As you can see David enjoyed a bite of his cookie immediately. This is one of our favorite fun projects.

April "Angel" Recipes.............Enjoy!

2010-04-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, I am posting some fun recipes for April.

APPETIZER

Angels on Horseback

24 plumb raw oysters (shrimp, chicken livers, raw clams or water chestnuts will work)

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 strips of bacon

Drain oysters or others on paper towel. Place in bowl, add lemon juice, tabasco, worcestershire and salt. Stir to coat. Cut each bacon strip in half and wrap the oyster. Secure with a toothpick. Place on baking rack and bake at 450* until bacon is crisp.

ANGEL EGGS (known as deviled eggs)

1 dozen eggs or more depending on the crowd

mayonaise, yellow mustard, squirt of horseradish cream sauce, salt and pepper

Boil the eggs for at least 10 minutes and once you can handle them peel immediately. Cut length wise and pop the cooked yoke into a bowl. Add above ingredients (you want enough of the ingredients to help you mix the yokes until they are smooth). I use my small electric beater so they are creamy. Great hint..........you can add drained canned shrimp, scallions and even bits of ham to make them even more yummy!

ANGEL BISCUITS

This is a very easy recipe and yummy. The biscuits can be served with your meal warm or can be used for a strawberry shortcake. Heck.............do both :)

1 envelope dry yeast

2 tablespoons lukewarm water

5 cups unsifted flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand 5 minutes. Measure flour into cup by spoonsfuls. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk and dissolved yeast and mix well. Turn onto floured board and knead two or three times. Roll to desired thickness and cut into biscuits. Place biscuits in a greased pan and use a pastry brush to paint the top of biscuits with melted butter or margarine. Bake at 450* for 12 minutes.

HE IS AN ANGEL (My husband Greg) GREG'S HAM GLAZE

1 cup whole-grain dijon mustard

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons real maple syrup

Combine the above ingredients. Preheat oven to 350*. Score your ham and let it cook for 1 1/2 hour. Remove the ham from the oven and spread the mixture over top and sides of ham. Return to oven and cook another 35 minutes. Your ham should be at least 8 lbs. or larger.

Let your ham sit for 15 minutes before serving.

MUSTARD SAUCE

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 pure maple syrup

Stir together and serve as a dipping sauce for the warm ham

By the way, Greg's does this part of the dinner which is yummy and he does the kitchen clean up. I would say that is definitely "Angel Work" :) Praise the Lord!

ANGEL CAKE DELIGHT

One large angel food cake (you can buy this if you decide not to bake)

1 16 oz. can crushed pineapple

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 9-0unce container whipped topping or 1 pint of cream (whipped by you)

Break angel food cake into small pieces. Drain can of crushed pineapple. Mix angel food cake pieces, drained crushed pineapple. marshmallows and the whipped topping by folding together carefully. Turn into a buttered dish or leave the mixture in the bowl. Chill all day or overnight.

If you put the mixture in a pan you can cut it into squares and serve. If the mixture is in the bowl you can spoon it into pretty glasses and top with a cherry.

Have a wonderful meal with your loved ones as we celebrate Easter.

Love and Hugs from our kitchen to yours, Greg and Pat

WE ARE COOKING ON A BUDGET WITH PAT

2010-03-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Pat's Kitchen - March Recipes

2010-03-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to send along some recipes for this month that are easy, yummy and should please the family.

Quick Cheese Puffs - Appetizer or Snack

1 tube refrigerated biscuits
3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 grated cheddar cheese (mix the two cheeses)
Separate biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Roll each piece in melted butter and then into the grated cheeses. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450* about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Five-Cup Salad

1 cup canned mandarin oranges
1 cup small marshmellows
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chunk-style pineapple
1 cup sour cream
Drain the fruit and mix all the ingredients together. Allow to stand refrigerated 3 to 4 hours to blend the ingredients. Enjoy!

Best Ever Meat Loaf
1 and 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 and 1/2 cups bread crumbs (use white bread and cut in pieces)
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
1 egg
Pinch of sage or poultry seasoning
Mix bread pieces , milk, beaten egg and seasonings together in a bowl and let the bread and mixture sit and soften for 1/2 hour. Mix in the hamburger until well mixed. Turn into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake as follows. 1 hour at 400*, 1 1/4 hr. at 375* or 1 1/2* at 350*
You can throw some potatoes in the oven to be baked at the same time as your meatloaf.

Stuffed Hotdogs................yes stuffed hotdogs and they are yummy and easy!

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 small onion diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon peper
1/2 teaspoon sage
3 cups dried breadcrumbs ( I like to cut white bread into small tiny pieces)
1/2 cup water
Cook diced celery and onion in butter or margarine. Add salt, pepper and sage. Add bread crumbs and water. Split 8 or 10 hotdogs and stuff with dressing. Wrap each stuffed dog with a strip of bacon. Secure with toothpick and bake at 425* for 30 minutes.

Quick Party Bars

1 stick margarine or butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup chocolate bits
Nuts (optional)
Cream shortening and add light brown sugar. Add vanilla and egg and beat until light and creamy. Add sifted flour, fold in oatmeal. NO baking powder in this recipe. Turn into buttered 8 x 8 pan and bake at 350* for 20 minutes. Place on rack to cool and spread melted chocolate chips all over the top. Add chopped nuts if desired. Cool and cut into bars.

Love and Hugs from my kitchen to yours! Pat

SUGAR COOKIE FROST-OFF with our GRANDSON'S

2010-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Our grandson's love to cook , especially when it's sugar cookies. They had a blast frosting the remainder of cookies before I took them all to the Smyrna West Assisted Living Facility. They decided the cookies were good with or without the icing! We had fun. See Pap in the background? He is always there to help out. Love, Pat

SMYRNA WEST - OPENING

2010-03-03T16:37:00.001-08:00

We served at Smyrna West Assisted Living Facility on Sat. Feb. 27th. I was there with Sara and Wanda Langford to serve the residents. We spent the first hour visiting the residents in their rooms getting to know them and then invited those who wanted to participate to come and frost some sugar cookies I had baked and brought to Smyrna West. It was a fun time and we told stories while the residents sat around the table. This gave our new friends time to share about their lives. It is so important to take the time to talk, laugh and learn about each other.

Thanks Wanda for joining us at this event.

Love, Pat and Sara

NEW OPENINGS - FairGreen Assisted Living

2010-03-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

We opened FairGreen Assisted Living Facility last Thursday afternoon on Feb. 25th. I was there with Sara and we had Debbie and Megan Godfrey along with Sandy Smith to help with the residents. It was a great day of serving. We specialized by doing nails and hand messages. The gals loved being pampered and here are the pictures to show their excitement.

Thanks so much to all of you who are willing to Love, Serve and Connect. It matters!

Love, Pat

Adopting Stella

2010-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

These two pictures are of Stella, a resident of Ocean View. I have fallen in love with Stella and we gifted her with one of the quilts from the Thursday Sewing Class. Stella was thrilled! She is one of the residents that I have decided to take under my wing, I am adopting Stella and will spend lots of time with her when I visit. There are many like Stella who would love to be nutured by you.

Love, Pat

Cooking with Pat at Ocean View

2010-02-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Friday Feb. 19th. I was at Ocean View for my monthly cooking class. This time we had 9 residents who participated. We made stuffing and baked 2 large chickens. While the chickens were baking we made hot crab dip and enjoyed with crackers. Lastly I had baked some of my sugar cookies in advance and I brought them for the class to frost. They totally enjoyed this and before the chickens came out of the oven the cookies quickly disappeared. YUMMO, it was a delicious day full of fun and laughter. We told our funny cooking stories and decided that "whatever happens in the kitchen............stays in the kitchen". It was a great day of serving.

Check for my recipes on patsrecipes on the blog. Jan. and Feb.

Love, Pat

Sat. Feb. 20th. Youth from EAC

2010-02-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

On Sat. Feb. 20th. we had a large group of youth from EAC come to Ocean View and Love, Serve and Connect with the residents. Since the building is huge and the residents are many I did not have the time to run around the facility for pictures. I was able to get the group together in the dining room for a group shot. Thank You to the youth who are making a difference in our community by giving back. We are proud of you!

Come back soon, we appreciate you!

Love, Pat Howard and Sara Simpson

TUESDAY TEAM AT OCEANVIEW

2010-02-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share these wonderful pictures of our Tuesday Team Loving, Serving and Connecting with our precious residents. My thank you to Sara, Sue, Joan, Rose and Emily. For those of you who didn't know, Emily is my daughter. She is featured twice in this series. How wonderful to have your children and grandchildren know the blessing of serving and be willing to give.
Rose has joined our team and will be be serving on a regular basis at Ocean View. This was an exciting day for Rose as she was employed at Ocean View years ago and is now visiting with residents and friends once again. I watched Rose as she finished up with her resident and she asked if she could have a prayer before Ruth (resident) went back to her room. Ruth gladly accepted! We are sharing our Mighty God> Thank you Rose for being willing. It is our blessing.

I will be cooking with residents at Ocean View tomorrow the 19th. and we will serve on Sat. the 20th. for the coffee social. We need volunteers who will say yes and commit to weekly, every other week or monthly serving with us. We open Fairgreen next Thursday afternoon with a new team and will open Smyrna West next week also. We need your help.

Come Love, Serve and Connect on our team! Pat Howard

2010-02-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

2010-02-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

2010-02-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

2010-02-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

Feb. 15th. Tuesday Team at OceanView

2010-02-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Coffee Social at Ocean View - Love, Serve and Connect

2010-02-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Sara and I had a team of seven (7) meet us at Ocean View Nursing Home this morning and we helped to serve the residents with visits and bringing them to the social where they enjoyed coffee and donuts. We took the time to visit at each table and get to know these wonderful people. Thank you to Charlotte, Sue, Joan, Judy and Michael. We appreciate your help and availability. We loved the residents, we served the residents and we connected. Thanks for your help.

Love, Pat Howard

Loving, Serving and Connecting

2010-02-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ocean View Nursing Home Coffee/Social

2010-02-06T11:18:00.001-08:00

February 6, 2010 Coffee Social Team at Ocean View

2010-02-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

A New Ministry Of Cooking with Pat

2010-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

LOVE, SERVE and CONNECT

My name is Pat Howard and I am a member of the Edgewater Alliance Church.
I am currently involved in a "Cooking With Pat" project for our church and this
venture led me to the Ocean View Nursing Home where I serve and cook with some
of the residents. We had our FIA (Faith in Action) program last October and
a Team from Edgewater Alliance Church joined me as we served and connected with
the residents for a day.
Our Women's Ministry Director, Tiffany Locke, approached me and encouraged me
to take the nursing home porject to the next level. I accepted and teamed up with Sara
Simpson. We are now in the process of building Teams for three (3) local nursing
homes/assisted living facilities.
If you are interested in working with us and serving a community of people who are often
forgotten please contact us. We will keep you informed through this website as the
"Love, Serve and Connect" Ministry develops. We welcome all volunteers to contact
us. Information will be available at the conneXion center as well as on the Glow Girls blog under Love, Serve & Connect.
Please help us to make a difference in the community with just a few hours a month.
Thank you and God Bless,

Pat Howard and Sara Simpson

love, serve

2010-01-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

LOVE, SERVE AND CONNECT

2010-01-24T05:03:00.001-08:00

SERVE, LOVE AND CONNECT

2010-01-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. I am enclosing a few more pictures of our nursing home experienc yesterday and they include Sara Simpson, my husband Greg, our grandsons and other volunteers and residents. It was a tremendous experience and this coffee social needs help just two (2) saturdays a month. We arrived at 9:00 a.m. and visited residents for an hour. We brought many down to the social and served them and returned them to their rooms. Our eight year old Darek wheeled many to their room all by himself. We were finished by 11:00 a.m. and this made our day. What a blessing! This experience is so healthy and our boys felt so good about "Loving, Serving and Connecting".

Love and Hugs, Pat

We Make A Difference!

2010-01-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

It truly matters what we do in our life time to make a difference.................perhaps you are not a cook, it's ok. Perhaps you are really searching...........it's ok. What matters is that you care, reach out, love and repect and know the difference for our fellow man. God has a path selected and HE will direct our path.

Enjoy the pictures, Love and Hugs, Pat

The Residents are so happy to have us!

2010-01-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Ocean View Nursing Home Vistit Jan. 23rd. 2010

2010-01-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

My husband Greg, myself, Sara Simpson and our 3 grandchildren (3 boys) volunteered this a.m. Sat. Jan. 23rd. at Ocean View Nursing Home. Keeping in mind that the three boys were ages 4, 6, 8 one might think how would or could these young little kids be a blessing.? The pictures below will tell the story and frankly Papa and I decided that this experience would etch a memory in their hearts forever. When we first arrived our boys were nervous and we spent the first hour visiting residents. We then brought the residents to the coffee social. Our little boys served coffee, donuts and brought residents to and from their rooms. The plastic gloves were so large they could hardly get the job done, but they did it! Greg and I were thrilled to see the serving spirit, the caring spirit and naturally the loving spirit. God is so good!

Love and Hugs, "Serve, Love and Connect" Help us love those in need.

Love, Pat Howard

WE NEED YOU ON OUR TEAM

2010-01-15T06:11:00.000-08:00

Calling everyone who is interested in helping us with this new project launch. We are going to serve at some of the local nursing homes and assisted living centers here in New Smyrna Beach. There is so much need and these residents, who are part of our community, are often forgotten. Please reach out and help us.

The above picture shows some of the girls who have already committed to this project. We had our "Project Boards" displayed at the Bagels and Blessings. Many of these gals went to Ocean View Nursing Home during our faith in action project and loved the experience. We had men serve, adult women, young women and some of our youth. This is a great service project and will be a blessing to all who participate.

Please join the team and sign our sheet with your name, telephone number and the available time you have; days, evenings or weekends. Sara Simpson and I will put the programs in place and notify you.

LOVE IS GIVING, LOVE IS SERVING AND LOVE IS CONNECTING.

Thank you for connecting with this new ministry.

Love, Pat and Sara

Papa and Pancakes

2010-01-12T06:39:00.001-08:00

I was getting ready for the Bagels and Blessings event and our grandson's had stayed overnight with Greg and I. They come almost every Friday night for "Boy's Night". We were all up early so I could get ready and this left Papa the job of preparing breakfast. One of our new FAVORITE recipes is cinnamon pancakes. We received this recipe and made the mix at our Women's Retreat in Oct. 2009. These pancakes are absolutely delicious and I make the mix and keep it in our pantry all the time. We gave many jars out during Christmas season and everyone who tries the mix loves it! We also have two little boys who love to cook in Meme and Papa's kitchen. We cook together all the time.

Cinnamon Pancakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

To make delicious pancakes, stir together one (1) cup of the above mix and add 3/4 milk, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix and spoon the batter onto a lightly greased griddle or skillet. This should yield you 8 to 10 pancakes depending on the size you make. Enjoy!

Janurary recipes that will warm your soul !

2010-01-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share these recipes because they are simple, fun and delicious. I get raves every time I make them and they are very easy to put together. I wanted to comment that you can save money by buying split chicken breasts which come with the bone. They are cheaper and you can cut them up yourself and get two breasts per piece plus the bone with some remaining chicken meat. Those can be used to boil and make a chicken soup. Chicken thighs are also very delicious in this recipe!
Since we are having a cold snap the warmth of the oven is a pleasure and the aroma is simply amazing.

Some of the most significant moments of the church occurred around the table. Stories of the Passover, the Wedding reception at Cana of Galilee, the feeding of the 5,000 and the Lord's supper. With these recipes comes my sincerest hope that you and your love ones will make the time to enjoy a new dish together. A new dish always brings a new experience, some that last a lifetime and become tradition in your homes.

January - New Year Appetizer - Crowd Pleaser Dinner - Yummy Ending

Hot Shrimp Dip

1 stick butter
1 package 8oz. cream cheese
1 4oz. can shrimp
Handful of chopped scallions (green onions)
Few drops Worcestershire sauce

Heat the above ingredients slowly in a small crock pot, electric fondue dish or on the stove.
For best results you need to keep the mixture warm so it won't separate. Dip with crackers.
This dip is absolutely delicious!

Touch of Chicken
Chicken breast, thighs or even tenders are fine
Bacon
Sour Cream
Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mix one can of mushroom soup and one container of sour cream in a bowl. Take a package of bacon and your chicken
meat and wrap each piece of chicken with a slice of bacon and place it in a baking pan. If you are cooking for a large crowd
double the soup and sour cream and use a 9x13 baking dish. Once you have wrapped the chicken and it is placed in your baking
dish cover the wrapped chicken with the soup and sour cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the frig. for 24 hours.
Bake at 275 for 3 hours. The slow cooking at a low temperature is important. Your home will smell delicious and you will sing
your way through this meal. YUMMO!
Serve with rice and a vegetable.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

In a large bowl combine:
1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tea. baking soda, 1/2 tea. baking powder and 1/4 tea. salt.
Add 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup cooking oil and 1tea.vanilla. Beat with an electric beater on low to combine ingredients then to med.
for 2 min. Add 1 egg and beat two additional minutes. Pour into greased and floured pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 min.
Served plain, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Love and Hugs from my kitchen to yours.

COOKING ON A BUDGET WORKSHOP

2010-01-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

Come join us on Saturday January 30th. from 10:00 a.m. until noon as we start our new adventure in cooking. We will start this new year creating great foods and working on a budget. It is amazing what wonderful foods you can create that are healthy and don't have to cost you a fortune. I have some fun kid's recipes and lots of great ideas in store for you. We will also learn to plan a menu, how to shop wisely and some of the best buys for your dollar.

Bring a notebook, paper and pen. My goal is to help all of you create your own personal cookbook that is full of fun, pictures, and favorite eats!

This is a day of fun and fellowship. Bring a friend.

Love, Pat

Attention All Girls...Calling you!

2010-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

We have decided to keep our Faith In Action by reaching out to others. The experience at Ocean View Nursing Home opened a door of opportunity for many residents who are part of our community here in New Smyrna Beach. We had a chance to show these people what LOVE truly is when Christ is the center focus of your life.
To love is to serve. To love is to give of your time. To love is to give a smile and a hug. To love is to show someone you care. We do love and we care and we are going to show it monthly at some of the nursing homes/assisted living facilities in our area.
Please join us in your commitment to serve one day a month. I personally need a team of women to work with me at the Ocean View Nursing Home in New Smyrna Beach and Sara Simpson needs a team of gals to work with her in this adventure.
WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
Thank you in advance for making a difference. See you at the B&B this saturday and gather more information. Love, Pat

Christmas Bake Art Project

2009-12-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share some cute pictures of my
granddaughters making ornaments for Christmas. I had given my first two classes this recipe. It is fun and easy and can be done for any occasion.

Please take notice in one of the pictures who is in the kitchen doing the dishes! My husband is truly a doll and supports me totally in my cooking projects. Hali and Miriah worked for hours and the ornaments came out great. What a great way to express your love to another family member or a friend. Labor of love that keeps giving!

Bake-Art Dough

4 Cups Flour

1 Cup Salt

1 1/2 Cup Water

Blend flour and salt, add water and stir. Work dough into a ball and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and pliable. Add more water if dough is dry or more flour if dough is sticky. Roll out on floured surface. Cut out and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

We used a straw to make a hole in dough before we baked them so we could use ribbon as a hanger. You can make flower arrangements or anything that has to do with an event or time of year. This is a fun project and very rewarding! Enjoy

Cooking together with Greg (my husband)

2009-12-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

Greg had ordered me two cookbooks for Christmas. One of the books is Perfect Pasta and the other is Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Needless to say I am thrilled. Infact, I received lots of goodies for my kitchen.

On our way home from church Greg and I decided to make fresh pesto and pasta. Our grandsons gave us a basil plant which is growing like crazy and I quickly cut all the leaves for this dish. We worked as a team in the kitchen, Greg used the food processor and I prepared the ingredients. It was absolutely YUMMO and very easy to make.

I encourage you to step out and try something new. Go through your cookbooks with the family and ask what they would like to eat then work as a team. This is a great opportunity to teach your children how to set a table and help out with the process. It doesn't matter if they are male or female, they should learn about the kitchen.

Enjoy a meal together soon.

Pat

A Blessful visit at Ocean View Nursing Home!

2009-12-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share some pictures and a brief story of our experience at the Ocean View Nursing Home. I was asked by the Activity Director to do a cooking class for a small amount of residents who wanted to be involved in the process. On Wed. Nov. 25th. I went to the home with my granddaughter Hali who is 13 and met Marianne and Sandy there also. We proceeded to make two apple pies and two pumpkin and had a wonderful social time with the residents who participated. I have a heart for the elderly and so many residents at the home are part of our community, unfortunately they are often forgotten. It was a great time of sharing and the lesson that my granddaughter Hali learned is so valuable. To serve is to love, to give of your time is to love, to smile and hug is to love and lastly to break bread together is to love.
Hali was taking the pictures so she is not in them but you will see myself, Sandy and Marianne.

We all left feeling blessed and rewarded. It was a great experience!

Our First Cooking Christmas Workshop with Pat and Friends

2009-12-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Gal's,
I wanted to share some pictures from our Dec. 11th. workshop on "gift giving". It was a wonderful evening and I enjoyed sharing with all of you. Gosh, you all successfully made "Gram Jam" and many other items to take home. Congratulations! I have spent days in my kitchen preparing gifts to be sent to family members because nothing shows more love than a gift made from our own kitchens. In fact, we were at our connection group last night and exchanged gifts. Linda received ours and it was gram jam and hot cocoa. She was thrilled!

Since our workshop I have made the chicken soup in a jar. This is easy and fun.

Today I will make a chocolate chip cream cheese coffee cake to try out.

The recipe makes 2 large loaves or 3/4 mini loaves.

1. 1/4 lb. butter ( 1 stick)                  6. 2 cups flour                         1/4 cup sugar
2. 8 oz. cream cheese                       7. 1 tsp. baking powder           1 tsp. cinnamon
3. 1 1/4 cups sugar                           8. 1/2 tsp. baking soda            1/4 cup pecans
4. 2 eggs                                          9. 1/4 tsp. salt
5. 1 tsp. vanilla                               10. 1/4 cup milk
                                                       11. 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix 1-5 in large bowl and beat until creamy. Combine 6-8 in separate bowl and blend slowly into large bowl. Stir in milk and chips with wooden spoon.
Grease pans and fill w/batter 1/2 to 3/4 full. Combine 3 topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of each loaf. Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. Test by sticking a knife in loaf and if it comes out clean, it's done.

Don't forget to release air from your zip lock bag containing your starter and you can bake on Sunday Dec. 20th. A friend of mine sent along a recipe for Friendship Cake. It requires 1 1/2 cup of starter and is a 30 day process adding fruit every 10 days. This will definitely be a labor and love and something you can all do with 1 1/2 cup of your starter this Sunday. If you want to join me on this project then reserve 1 1/2 cup starter and add 2 cups of sugar and one 16oz. can sliced peaches. Stir together in a bowl (remember no metal bowl or metal spoons) and cover loosely. This will sit on your counter. I will give more instructions as the days follow.

Merry Christmas to you and your family. I am planning the next workshop for Jan. and will release a date in a few days. We will start out the new year with "Cooking on a Budget". Please remember to keep a notebook with all your recipes. One of my goals is to help you create your very own personal cookbook that you are comfortable with and can enjoy. Looking forward to an exciting year cooking all together and loving the Lord.

John 6:35

I'm the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.

Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Gram Jam in the making!

Faith,Cathy, Linda & Katie making gram jam. Yummy!

Busy, mixing, pouring, measuring, and packaging. Pat put us to work. But we love it!

Gram Jam, Cookies in a Jar? Oh My! Wanna trade my cookies for your jam?

No way. Let's share. Lisa and Rose having fun.

Holiday Gift Giving from the Kitchen

2009-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Learn new ways to create something special using food that your loved ones will enjoy for Christmas.

Decemeber 11th / Friday

6:30- 9:00pm

EAC worship center

We will meet you in the kitchen!

Cost is $10.00 per person.

Must RSVP by Wednesday December 9th

Email us at womenateac@yahoo.com to reserve your spot.

Cooking with Pat

2009-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

“Cooking All Together & Loving the Lord”

You have been asking and praying and the Lord is providing. Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find, Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.”

In March 2009 I asked God to give me a cooking ministry. I was baking a fresh lemon meringue pie and looking out my kitchen window at all of God’s beauty. He heard my prayer and has blessed me with all of you women who desire a cooking class.

Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path and as well as cooking.