Kelley Roxie - Stir my soul: recipes to nourish and inspire

ROXIE KELLEY is a best-selling cookbook author and the founder of three restaurants, a home decor store, and a manufacturing company, all based in Lake of the Ozarks. She finds her inspiration through her faith, family, and close friends. She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri. You may find some of her bakery creations at local farmers' markets in the St. Louis area.

Illustrator KATHLEEN TAYLOR has worked as a corporate designer, as well as a painter, a mixed-media artist, a writer, an editor, and a photo stylist. She owns her own studio aptly named the Kathleen Taylor studio. Her art has been licensed for many gift products. It has also been featured in numerous books, magazines, and film. Kathleen's work is available at www.kathleentaylorstudio.com.

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Stir My Soul text copyright 2014 by Roxie Kelley. Illustrations copyright 2014 by Kathleen Taylor. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4494-3586-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012940550

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To Jerry Huisenga, my father who became my friend. With love, Roxie

To my parents, who gave me art lessons and encouragement; and FDA, who believes I can do anything. With love and gratitude, Kathleen

HELLO AGAIN, MY FRIENDS!

I m so excited to be able to share Stir My Soul with you.

After writing several cookbooks, I began to notice that the words used to describe the actions required in cookingstirring, folding, measuring, blendingwere the same words and actions that describe my daily living. My friends and family were part of my fold, and I found myself measuring my words when I spoke to my children... you see where this is headed. Because I love words, I found a certain pleasure in that realization, and I wanted to share it with you. A coming to terms with terms, if you will.

All the steaming, stewing, tenderizing, and even the aging in the course of my life, had, like good recipes, led to a satisfying resulta becoming, like a completed favorite dish or dessert. There are times in life when compartmentalizing is helpful. But sometimes its good to see how all of our ordinary moments blend together to make an extraordinary life.

And so, this book is a compilation of some fabulous and faithful recipes with some thoughts on not just what we are doing with our actions but also who we are becoming in the process. Life is, after all, not only about the list of actions we undertake in the recipe of our days. It is about the people we are becoming and the flavor we add to the lives of those around us.

And speaking of adding flavor: Sharing her incredible and flavorful art with you is Kathleen Taylor, whose work Ive admired and enjoyed for years. Kathleens art is featured prominently in our restaurant, the Paint Box Caf, and I often wish I could record our customers comments and play them back to her. Her work always produces smiles, and collecting it is definitely habit-forming.

We both thank you for the privilege of sharing our process of becoming with you and sincerely hope these pages will stir your soul.

My Best to You,

Roxie Kelley

This appetizer comes together very quickly. I like the idea of using fresh rather than frozen spinach, as is seen in most spinach artichoke dip recipes. This is especially beautiful when served on a large platter.

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach, chopped

cup cream

1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (7-ounce) bag multigrain tortilla chips

1 (6-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups salsa of your choice

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a medium pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic in the butter for 30 seconds. Add the spinach, cream, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook until wilted, about 1 minute Stir in the artichoke hearts.

Scatter the tortilla chips on a large ovenproof platter or baking sheet. Spoon the spinach mixture evenly over the chips. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Serve warm with the salsa on the side

Ive served these meatballs at several parties in the past few years. I like preparing them a day or two in advance to minimize the number of last-minute preparations required in entertaining.

SERVES 8 TO 10

2 pounds ground beef chuck

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1 (1-ounce) package dried onion soup mix

1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce