ENCOURAGING MONDAYS KITCHEN of Healing


Where Faith, Family, and Health Meet the Table

A Peaceful, Nourishing Space Where Food Becomes Ministry, the Kitchen becomes Sacred, and Every Meal Brings you Back to God.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31

Welcome to the Encouraging Mondays Kitchen of Healing

Here, clean eating and spiritual discipline walk hand in hand.

This is a warm, Spirit-led space where:

  • meals are simple

  • ingredients are fresh

  • the kitchen is peaceful

  • cooking becomes worship

  • the body is honored

  • food supports clarity

  • and every recipe is rooted in gratitude and intention

Whether you’re beginning your TempleCare journey, exploring plant-based eating, embracing intermittent fasting later on, or simply wanting a calmer rhythm in your kitchen…

you belong here.

This is a ministry space.

A healing space.

A devotional space.

A lifestyle space.

It is your Kitchen Corner — a resource inside the Encouraging Mondays family.

🥒HERO IMAGE SECTION💪

“Honoring God with the way we eat, cook, nourish, and gather.”

🙏🏼Kitchen Prayer

A Prayer Before Cooking

“Lord, bless this kitchen.

Let peace fill this room.

Let wisdom guide every choice.

Let every meal nourish the body,

renew the mind,

and honor the temple You gave me.

In Jesus’ mighty name — Amen.”

🥗Featured Recipes

By Shawna S

The TempleCare Way

 

🍎Simple Plant-Based Meals & Snacks

🌿These recipes are not about perfection or restriction. They are about listening to our body, honoring God’s temple, and choosing nourishment with intention!


🌿Creamy Whole-Food Salad Dressing (Oil-Free)

Why I love it:

Simple, nourishing, and made entirely from whole foods—no oil, no added sugar, no preservatives.

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole ripe avocado

  • 3 tablespoons almond butter

  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

  • 1 cup salsa (any clean, plant-based salsa you enjoy)

  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder (no salt)

  • Water (to thin to desired consistency)

Instructions:


Add all ingredients to a blender.

  1. Blend until smooth and creamy.

  2. Add water gradually until the dressing reaches your preferred thickness.

  3. Taste and adjust as needed.

Serving Tip:

Perfect over leafy greens, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls.


🌿Simple Healing Crock-Pot Beans

Why I love it:

Affordable, comforting, protein-rich, and incredibly gentle on the body.

Ingredients:

  • Dried beans of choice (soaked and rinsed)

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 2–3 bay leaves

  • Garlic powder (to taste)

  • Water (enough to cover beans generously)

Instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients into the crock pot.

  2. Cover with water.

  3. Cook on low for 8 hours.

  4. Once finished, the crock pot will shift to warm—ready when you are.

Note:

Bay leaves are for flavor only—remove before eating.


🌿Simple Breakfast Yogurt Bowl

Why I love it:

A gentle, grounding way to start the day with plant-based protein and healthy fats.

Ingredients:

  • Plain, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt

  • Fresh or frozen blueberries

  • Raw walnuts

Instructions:

  1. Spoon yogurt into a bowl.

  2. Top with blueberries and walnuts.

  3. Enjoy slowly and mindfully.

Optional:

Add cinnamon or flaxseed if desired.

🌿Green Grapefruit Smoothie

Why I love it:

Refreshing, cleansing, and packed with greens—great for mornings or mid-day resets.

Ingredients:

  • Water (base)

  • Organic baby spinach

  • ½ fresh grapefruit, peeled and chopped

  • 1 cup blueberries

  • ½ cup celery

  • Sea moss (capsule or prepared gel)

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender.

  2. Blend until smooth.

  3. Adjust water for desired consistency.

Tip:

Frozen fruit creates a colder, creamier texture.

🌿Simple Banana Nice Cream (Vanilla or Strawberry)

Why I love it:

A naturally sweet, plant-based treat made with whole fruit—no added sugar, no fillers, and full control over the ingredients.

This is nice on the body, the digestion, and the spirit.

Base Ingredients (Vanilla Nice Cream):

  • 1 whole ripe banana

  • Plant-based milk of choice (coconut or almond work well)

Strawberry Nice Cream Option:

  • 1 whole ripe banana

  • 1 cup fresh strawberries

  • Plant-based milk of choice (coconut milk is my favorite)

Instructions:

  1. Add the banana (and strawberries if using) to a blender.

  2. Add a small splash of plant-based milk.

  3. Blend, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

  4. Add milk a little at a time until the texture is creamy and smooth.

Important Tip:

Go slow with the milk—you want creamy, not soupy.

Texture & Equipment Notes:

  • Fresh fruit blends easier in a standard blender and is gentler on the motor.

  • Frozen fruit creates a thicker, ice-cream-like texture but works best in a food processor or high-speed blender.

  • If using frozen fruit in a regular blender, allow it to thaw slightly before blending.

Serving Options:

  • Enjoy immediately as soft nice cream

  • Freeze briefly for a firmer texture

  • Top with fresh fruit, nuts, or enjoy just as is

Kitchen of Healing Note:

This is a celebration food—made with intention, balance, and awareness.

It’s not about deprivation. It’s about choosing what loves you back.

🌿 Slow-Cooked Plant-Based Greens (With Options)

A nourishing blend of collard, kale, and mustard greens—prepared with ease, intention, and flexibility.

Ingredients

  • Collard greens, chopped

  • Kale, chopped

  • Mustard greens, chopped

  • 1 onion, sliced or chopped

  • 2–3 bay leaves

  • 4 cups of Vegetable broth (or water, or a combination of both)

  • Seasonings of choice (garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, etc.)

Optional (for those who use meat):

  • Meat of choice (added at the bottom before the greens)

Instructions

  1. Add sliced onions to the bottom of the crock pot.

  2. Pour in vegetable broth (or water) just to cover the bottom.

  3. Add bay leaves and seasonings.

  4. (Optional) If using meat, place it in the bottom at this stage.

  5. Layer collard, kale, and mustard greens on top.

  6. Place the lid on the crock pot.

  7. Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours (or overnight).

  8. Greens will be tender, flavorful, and ready to serve when you return.

Kitchen of Healing Notes

  • This recipe is plant-based, but adaptable.

  • The method stays the same—only the choice changes.

  • Slow cooking allows flavors to develop gently while freeing your time and energy.

  • A beautiful way to prepare food ahead for holidays or busy days.

Encouraging Mondays Reflection:

Caring for the body doesn’t have to be complicated.

Sometimes healing begins with preparation, patience, and rest—letting nourishment happen slowly.



Clean Eating Staples

Easy, everyday meals for beginners and seasoned clean eaters:

  • Veggie stir-fry

  • Lentil soup

  • Green or berry smoothies

  • Rainbow salads

  • Sweet potato + steamed greens

  • Overnight oats

  • Veggie wraps with hummus

  • Fruit bowls

  • Raw mono meals

Mono-Meal Ideas

Simple, single-ingredient meals that give the digestion a break:

  • A bowl of grapes

  • Cherries

  • Watermelon

  • Peaches

  • Cut apples

  • Fresh oranges

  • Pineapple chunks

  • Baked sweet potato

Eat until satisfied — not restricted

🥗21-Day TempleCare Challenges

Encouraging Mondays Kitchen of Healing supports your TempleCare journey with seasonal challenges:

  • December: 21-Day Clean Eating Challenge

  • January: 21-Day TempleCare Challenge (details coming soon)

  • February: 7-Day TempleCare Challenge (details coming soon)

Each challenge will include:

  • clean eating encouragement

  • spiritual reflections

  • simple recipes

  • Scripture-based motivation

  • journaling prompts

  • and real-life inspiration

🥑Kitchen of Healing Inspiration & Tips

  • Eat until satisfied — no guilt, no pressure

  • Hydrate with intention

  • Slow down while eating

  • Protect your peace while you cook

  • Reduce processed sugar

  • Choose God-made foods over man-made mixtures

  • “If you want to think clear, you better have the right gear.”

  • “If you want to be cute, then eat your fruit!”

  • Think Clear → Eat Clear

  • Think Light → Eat Light

  • Think Strong → Eat Strong

🍇Kitchen Gallery🍇

A visual collection of kitchen memories!

Coming Soon — Encouraging Mondays Kitchen of Healing (The Book)📖📗

🌿 Inspiration • Lifestyle • Reflection

Memories, laughter, and stories shared from the heart. 💛

🍲Cooking With Love — A Reflection on Thanksgiving Day

By Shawna S

Today felt like a whole journey in one apron—

a little comedy, a little chaos,

and a whole lot of grace.

Running on barely two hours of sleep,

straight off a third-shift night

with another one waiting for me tonight,

yet somehow God carried me

with a joy that didn’t make sense

except that it came from Him.

My kitchen became a testimony of love:

celery, peppers, and onions sizzling in the pot,

cornbread cooling with a warning label—

“Y’all, you can’t eat this! It’s for the dressing!”

Green beans stretching and improvising

because I ran clean out of French style,

yams roasting with a little too much ambition,

marshmallows caramelizing like they had something to prove.

And me?

Laughing at myself.

Talking to the pots.

Making little “don’t mind me” videos

as if cooking while sleepy was a spiritual adventure.

But truly… it was.

Because when you cook with love,

every imperfect moment becomes holy.

Every pan becomes ministry.

Every plate becomes a blessing.

I packed everything up—

foil-wrapped, steaming hot,

layered neatly inside my old DoorDash bag.

Not delivering an order…

delivering love.

Thanksgiving on the go.

The Encouraging Mondays way.

The Kitchen of Healing way.

When I reached my son’s home

and saw the joy on their faces,

I realized something:

The food fed their bodies,

but the love fed their souls.

And God fed mine.

Even in my exhaustion,

He gave me strength.

Even in my rushing,

He gave me peace.

Even in my serving,

He reminded me:

This is healing.

This is worship.

This is love made visible.

And I am thankful.

Deeply thankful.

For the grace that carried me,

the joy that kept me,

and the love that filled my kitchen

from simmer to serving.

Amen✨

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

— 1 Corinthians 10:31




Kitchen of Healing – “Quiet Reset”

“After the Thanksgiving rush came a moment of holy calm.

The kitchen rested… and so did my spirit.

This is where the shift happens — in the quiet, in the stillness, in the whisper that says,

‘Prepare your heart… something new is beginning.’

As we enter the 21-Day Plant-Based Challenge, may our kitchens — and our bodies — become places of healing, nourishment, and worship.”



🌿Shawna’s WHY — The Journey from the Candy Factory to the Healing Kitchen

I wasn’t always the healthy eater people see today.

In fact, for YEARS… people called my home “the Candy Factory.”

And it was TRUE.

Everywhere you turned — the kitchen, the dining room, the cabinets —

there were sweets, snacks, marshmallow twists, caramel candies, popcorn tins…

everything you could imagine.

If you wanted candy, you didn’t go to the store —

you came to my house.

My kids and grandkids knew it, too.

But the truth is…

even while I was surrounded by all that sugar,

I was also surrounded by something deeper:

the desire to be a better example

the desire to break cycles

the desire to honor God with my health

and the desire to lead my family in a healthier direction

And that didn’t come easy.

I’ve had cravings.

I’ve had slip-ups.

I’ve had “start again tomorrow” days.

I’ve had seasons where I ate clean…

and seasons where I returned to old snacks out of habit or fatigue.

I’m human.

But I’m also determined.

I don’t want my family to just hear about health —

I want them to see it in me.

In the same way I share the Word of God,

I want to share the lifestyle of temple care.

I want my choices to preach louder than my voice.

So when I decided to do this 21-day plant-based challenge,

I realized something:

This isn’t just about me.

It’s about legacy.

It’s about leadership.

It’s about showing that even someone with a “Candy Factory” past

can build a Healing Kitchen future.

And I knew if I was going to do it…

I wanted to bring people along with me.

Not as followers — but as a community.

Because someone else may think they can’t change their habits.

Someone else may think they love sugar too much.

Someone else may think they’ve failed too many times.

But if they can watch MY journey —

my struggles, my progress, my discipline, my joy, my transformation —

then maybe they’ll believe they can do it too.

This is why I’m leading the challenge.

This is why I’m opening my journey publicly.

This is why I’m choosing better.

This is why I’m committing — with no cheat days, no returning to old habits, no going back to the “vomit” the Bible warns about.

I’m doing this with love, with intention, with grace, and with God’s strength.

Because change starts with one courageous decision —

and then it becomes a lifestyle.

And then it becomes legacy.

Kitchen of Healing | Day 18 Reflection 12-18-25

This morning, I invited you into my kitchen — hands-free — to show how healing doesn’t have to be complicated.

I started from scratch and talked through each choice:

  • Water first (I like my smoothies closer to juice consistency)

  • Baby spinach as my base — always

  • Ginger and cinnamon (powdered works when fresh isn’t available)

  • Blueberries

  • Fresh grapefruit for extra potency

And I said what I really wanted you to hear:

It doesn’t take long.

It doesn’t take much.

Sometimes we skip nourishing ourselves because we think it’s going to take extra time or extra effort.

So we reach for coffee… pop… something quick… a milkshake from the store.

But healing can start right here — in your kitchen — with what you already have.

I even skipped celery today because when ginger and grapefruit come together, they’re already doing powerful work.


This wasn’t about perfection.

It was about choosing care and convenience.

Because even though this wasn’t store-bought, it was convenient.

It took about a minute and a half.

A few ingredients.

Simple swaps.

Healing doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.


Care doesn’t have to cost more time — just a little intention.

Care and convenience can live in the same kitchen.


Doesn’t take long. Doesn’t take much.

Thank you for being in the kitchen with me this morning.

— Shawna S.

Kitchen of Healing | Encouraging Mondays

Kitchen of Healing | TempleCare Challenge

Day 19 Reflection (12-19-25)

Good, Blessed, Encouraging Mondays

Day 19

Last night, I soaked my pinto beans.

Today, they’re going straight into the Crock-Pot.

That’s the convenience.

No stove.

No watching water levels.

No standing in the kitchen all day.

You put them in the morning,

set it for about 8 hours,

and by the time kids get home from school—or you get home from work—

the beans are ready.

My Crock-Pot even switches to warm when it’s done.

Dinner waits for you.

Plant-based.

Protein-rich.

Filling and gentle on the body—without meat.

This didn’t take long.

It didn’t take much.

Care and convenience can live in the same kitchen. 💛

Yogurt Fresh Blueberries Raw Mixed Nuts

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most nourishing.

Today I chose plain, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, fresh blueberries, and raw mixed nuts—real food, real fuel.

No added sugar. No guesswork. Just intention.

I shared this because during the holidays especially, we often think “sweet” has to mean processed.

But fruit is sweet.

Whole foods are satisfying.

And when you combine healthy fats, fiber, and protein, your body actually feels full and cared for.

This bowl works for breakfast, a snack, or any time of day.

It’s gentle, grounding, and supportive—Temple Care in action.

And yes… if we want to be cute

Let’s eat our fruit.

The Gift of a Quiet Kitchen

As Christmas approaches, the kitchen takes on a different kind of glow.

Not the bustle of holiday rush…

but the calm of hearts preparing room for Jesus.

The quiet hum of a tea kettle.

A single candle flickering on the stove.

A countertop cleared and ready for whatever the Spirit speaks next.

This space — the kitchen — becomes a sanctuary.

A place where peace settles in.

Where we breathe slower.

Where we remember that the Prince of Peace meets us in the ordinary.

Let our kitchen be a reflection of your heart this week:

Simple, uncluttered, peaceful, expectant.

As we nourish our bodies,

may Jesus nourish our spirits.

As we prepare meals,

may He prepare our hearts.

As we embrace stillness,

may we welcome Him —

the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Let the peace of Christ fill our kitchen and our hearts,

as we finish this year in grace and begin the next in strength.


🥗STAY CONNECTED

Encouraging Mondays is more than a website — it’s a growing community of faith, reflection, and peaceful transformation. If God has been speaking to your heart through these messages, I’d love for you to stay connected throughout the week. Each platform gives you a unique way to receive encouragement, grow spiritually, and walk in God’s perfect peace.

LinkedIn — Weekly Encouragement & Reflections

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-stately-853771390

YouTube — Encouraging Mondays Video Messages

http://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingMondays

Podcast Devotionals With Shawna S. — Listen on the Go

https://open.spotify.com/show/3pT2RcBNOKpa8A2vuYIJ4W

Wherever you choose to connect, may these messages speak life to your spirit and peace to your heart! 💛