Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Just Because I Can, Doesn’t Mean I Always Do

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I can make mozzarella cheese. I can make Gatorade. I can make bread, pie, bagels, and pizza.

Homemade Gatorade

I share all of these ideas and recipes with people here. It’s so much fun! I talk about ways to save time and ways to save money. I’ve figured out ways to put nutritious meals on the table in less than 20 minutes, letting people know that none of us ever has to rely on take-out.

But just because I know these things, teach these things, and have experienced so much good because of all these things doesn’t mean I always do all these things.

Does this mean I’m a hypocrite? No. This means I’m human.

How about you? Human much?

I bet you know a lot of great tricks for saving money and time. But if you’re like me, sometimes there simply isn’t time to execute the time saving strategies (does this even make sense?). Sometimes the extra few dollars we need to pay for convenience is worth it so that we avoid stress and overthinking.

Check out what I did a few weeks before Christmas:

bagel-basket

I bought four packages of bagels (without reading the ingredient labels, if you can possibly imagine). I bought four bags of different varieties of granola. I bought a box of instant oatmeal pouches. I put them all in a big basket in the kitchen and told my kids, “This is breakfast for the next few days. Make eggs if you want. Always eat fruit. Beyond this, I won’t be making anything for breakfast because I have too much to do before we leave for California and I’m trying very hard not to be a crazy mom.”

I felt no guilt over the extra expense and the extra sugar and white flour. (Okay fine, I did cringe just a little bit, but only for half a second until I remembered my purpose.)

Nothing is worth anxiety and stress – not even the occasional ingredient label I can’t pronounce. Not even the extra few bucks I could have saved making it all myself.

Do I know how to make bagels? Granola? Instant oatmeal packets? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s fantastic to have such great money-saving recipes in my hip pocket. It’s wonderful knowing I’ve done all I can to put the best of the best on the table for my family.

But it’s more important to be able to love my family with a peaceful heart. It’s crucial for my mental and spiritual health that I spend as much time as possible each morning in prayer and reading the Word. And just before Christmas, the priority of enjoying the season with my family meant much more to me than flipping whole wheat pancakes and serving them with homemade blueberry syrup.

Just because I can, doesn’t mean I always do. Just because it sometimes works, doesn’t mean it always works. Just because I could, doesn’t mean I should. Just because change is hard, doesn’t mean change is bad. Just because I’m doing it now, doesn’t mean I always will.

just-because-i-can

Our family is home now after over 57 hours on the road and two weeks away from home. Things are starting to settle back down (sort of, if they ever actually do). I don’t plan to make bagels anytime soon. But I bet I’ll find time to make a batch or two of granola.

No matter what, I’ll seek to make the most important things in life the highest priority, remembering that just because I can do something, doesn’t mean I always should.

How about you? What are some things you (should) give up during times of additional stress and extra full schedules?

simplemeals300

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Hot Vanilla Milk (3 Ingredients)

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Hot cocoa is wonderful. Hot tea hits the spot. I think we all know how I feel about a lovely cup of coffee. (Best thing ever, in case you weren’t sure.) But this Hot Vanilla Milk is a fun option to offer when you need a little variety in your hot drink repertoire.

vanilla-milk

If you want to make it really special, add one of the fun Flavored Whipped Cream options I shared below. As fun as it is to hit a coffee shop sometimes for a special treat, it is not fun to pay $4-$5 per cup of delicious drink. This Hot Vanilla Milk and all the other fun drink options I listed below will save us all loads of money because we can make many great hot drinks at home!

Hot Vanilla MilkYum

Hot Vanilla Milk (3 Ingredients)
 
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Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 3 cups milk (I use whole milk)
  • 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup (give or take)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Whisk milk and maple syrup together in a small sauce pan.
  2. Stir over low heat until milk mixture begins to bubble.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  4. Serve right away.

hot-vanilla-milk

I will now make a list for you of all the hot drink recipes I’ve shared here through the years. With this Hot Vanilla Drink recipe, there’s a hot drink for every day of the week! Plus I included a few fun add-ins to the list. Hot drinks are fun. Hot drinks with flavored whipped creams are even better!

Homemade Hot Cocoa

What are your favorite hot drinks? Do you live in a cold-weather area? My family (here in Nebraska) is doing everything we can to stay warm right now.

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Simple Hamburger Soup

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My mom used to make something like this Simple Hamburger Soup every Wednesday night before church. She called it “Beef Garden Casserole” and usually baked biscuits on top and on the side. I remember coming home from sports practices, starving, and so excited to eat this meal along with several biscuits dripping with butter.

beef-garden-soup

Ah, the memories.

I’ve been making this for my own family during the last 22 years, and even though it started out as a simple recipe, I’ve simplified it even more. I now skip the biscuits altogether. I often make it ahead of time so all I have to do is rewarm it and serve.

But then there’s the fact that some people in my family don’t like corn. Of all things not to like, right? So I usually make corn on the side for people to stir in if they like.

Also? I don’t make this as a casserole. It goes into bowls like soup, then we top it with shredded cheese. It’s still one of my favorite meals, and it always reminds me of my mom. You’ll love how easy this is!

Simple Hamburger SoupYum

Simple Hamburger Soup
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound hamburger
  • 3 Tablespoons minced onion
  • 2-3 cups frozen green beans
  • 2-3 cups frozen corn (optional)
  • 32-ounces tomato soup
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 cup shredded Colby jack or cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Brown hamburger and minced onion until meat is no longer pink.
  2. Meanwhile, steam green beans in a separate pot until they are tender.
  3. Stir together cooked meat mixture, green beans, corn, and tomato soup.
  4. Simmer until bubbly, salting liberally.
  5. Serve in bowls with shredded cheese if desired.

simple-hamburger-soup

Other Simple Recipes I’ve Shared Recently:

It’s recipes like this that makes Simple Meals such a life saver for families. We’ll provide the plans. We’ll provide the recipes. We’ll provide the grocery list. All you have to do is take a deep breath and enjoy how simple your life in the kitchen has become! Join Simple Meals!

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A Personal Question For All the Women

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Did I ever tell you about the time I was so busy taking care of everyone in the world, nourishing myself with Pepsi and chocolate chip cookies, and so obviously neglecting my own needs that I landed myself in the hospital for several days, unable to properly care for my husband and little boys for well over a month?

Fun times.

I started learning to take better care of myself after that, but it’s weird. Even though I knew I needed to, I still felt guilty. Guilty any time I laid down for a much needed nap. Guilty any time I spent grocery money on a cart full of produce. Guilty any time it seemed I was putting my needs over those in my care.

a-personal-question-for-all-the-women

Can you relate?

Are you taking good care of yourself?

I mean really taking good care of yourself – being intentional to make yourself a priority? Or are your hormones, emotions, food cravings, and moods running amok?

Yes, it’s hard. I know it’s hard. And very much counter-intuitive. After all, a good Christian woman puts others above herself, right?

Ehhh, I’m not so sure.

Lessons from the airplane and also Mother Teresa

You know how before you take off for a flight, the stewardess instructs that in an emergency, you should always secure your own air mask before assisting someone else? That always sounded so backward to me. How could I possibly consider taking care of my own air mask before helping my children put on theirs?

(Yes, because apparently I think I can help them better if I’m dead.)

I think we get the logic but have a difficult time putting this truth into practice – the truth that in order to take care of others we have to take care of ourselves first.

I was reading a book to my boys recently (ok fine, two years ago) about Mother Teresa. I was so interested to read that even during a major food shortage in India with starving people all around her, Mother Teresa insisted that those serving alongside her eat a large helping of food each day. Why? Because she knew that those caring for others had to stay healthy and strong. That they needed energy to do what they did day after day. That if they didn’t take care of themselves, they could in no way take care of others.

She wasn’t asking the servants to be selfish. She was asking them to be healthy – so that they could serve selflessly.

Taking care of ourselves so that we can serve others is a selfless act.

So how about you?

Are you taking good care of yourself?

Obviously, no matter what we do, we’re going to get sick and run down sometimes. It’s no fun, but it’s life. But I tell you what. If there’s anything I can do to have optimum energy, to keep my moods from swinging from pole to pole, to help myself be fit, to avoid headaches and feeling sluggish – you better believe I’m going to do it. I am so much better as a wife, mom, and friend when I am making my health a priority.

How about you?

I know I frequently harp on getting plenty of water and nourishing food. (You’ve been listening, right?) But there’s more.

As women, we can really be all over the place with hormones and emotions. (Or MaYbE tHaT’s JuSt Me?) This truly isn’t just “our cross to bear.” We can find overall health in this too.

We can find ourselves rested and nourished and well. We can find ourselves at peace and in a place of calm as we enjoy our families, our work, our ministries, and our down time.

We can.

Women, let’s make our health a priority. Then we can selflessly serve those we are called to serve.

Eat well, drink well, rest often. Pray always. Do what you need to do, with God’s strength, so that you can enjoy great health as you serve others.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti

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Well, hi! Did you have a nice Christmas?

I’m assuming you’d like to stay in “vacation mode” for just a few more days. Perhaps you’re planning to hit the stores and grab some 75% off sales. (Get me some wrapping paper and multi-colored tree lights while you’re there, will you?)

Today I’ve got a fun new Simple Meal to share with you. This one is a bit different from those I’ve shared recently. You’ll be happy to learn that it includes bacon. And cream cheese. It’s like I’m giving you a late Christmas present. Best of all, this meal can be thrown together at the last minute with no prior planning!

Here’s how this Creamy Bacon Spaghetti can be considered a “last minute meal” even if you didn’t thaw bacon in preparation: Bacon will thaw quickly when placed in a pan of hot water. In just a few minutes, you can cook it and stir it into your pasta.

Easy, peasy, bacon, cheesy.

bacon-spaghetti

Here’s another great bacon tip for you: Cut it into pieces with kitchen shears, like this…

bacon bits 1

While your bacon pieces are cooking, you can boil your spaghetti. When both are finished, you stir them together with cream cheese, Italian dressing, and parmesan. A couple minutes later, your meal is served.

Last Minute Creamy Bacon SpaghettiYum

5.0 from 5 reviews
Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces whole grain spaghetti
  • 1 pound uncooked bacon, but into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup Italian dressing*
  • 4 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
  2. In the meantime, cook bacon in a skillet.
  3. Drain grease from bacon.
  4. Drain water from spaghetti.
  5. Immediately pour hot spaghetti into the skillet with cooked bacon.
  6. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until cream cheese is melted and dish is well combined.
  7. Serve right away.

*Here’s my Italian Dressing recipe if you like!

simple-last-minute-creamy-bacon-spaghetti

Other Simple Recipes I’ve Shared Recently:

It’s recipes like this that makes Simple Meals such a life saver for families. We’ll provide the plans. We’ll provide the recipes. We’ll provide the grocery list. All you have to do is take a deep breath and enjoy how simple your life in the kitchen has become! Join Simple Meals!

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Merry Christmas from the Coppinger Family!

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Dearest Friends,

Our lives are blessed because of you.

family1sm

 

Thank you for being a part of our community here at HeavenlyHomemakers.com.

You sure are fun to have around.

family-sillysm

 

From our house to yours, Merry Christmas.

How wonderful it is to celebrate Jesus with you.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Boy Who Saved Christmas

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This post was originally published on December 20, 2013

After having three baby boys within four years, Matt and I ceased to have the ability to finish sentences or call our children by their given names. Our little fellas became accustomed to answering to “A-Jus-El-um-um-COME-HERE-BUDDY!” Having more than three children didn’t seem to make sense to us since obviously, we were no longer making sense.

When those three little boys were ages 5, 2, and 6 months – my mom was diagnosed with ALS. Thus began a journey in our lives that was filled with grief, pain, and hardship as we traveled back and forth to Kansas to be with Mom as often as we could during the next 22 months. If I couldn’t get my act together before, I certainly couldn’t even find my act during this time.

I remember crying out to God during one of my lowest points, just a few months before she died. It had been a year and a half since her diagnosis, and she was failing quickly. Knowing that we were soon going to lose her, I fell on my knees and asked God to help me find joy again. He listened. He heard. And He answered. Just a few weeks later, we were shocked to find out that we were expecting baby number four. Now that was a surprise we had not anticipated! Indeed, we were filled with joy.

We were able to share the news with Mom (who was convinced that we would surely have a girl this time). Suddenly all of us – my dad, my brother, all of us – had a reason to smile. We had something to look forward to! God is so much fun. Little did we know how this baby would continue to be the perfect blessing we would all need during the coming months.

When I was about four months into the pregnancy, Mom finished her race. We were relieved, sad, grateful, devastated, and exhausted. We all began a new journey of life without her – enduring that year of “firsts” that families experience when they lose someone. The first birthday without her. The first Mother’s Day. The first Thanksgiving. The first Christmas.

Oh, Christmas. Mom loved Christmas. How would we ever have Christmas without her? Should we try to carry on the same traditions she loved? Should we plan the same menu? Should we have Christmas at Dad’s or would it be too painful and empty without her there?

As it turns out, the new baby we were expecting answered all the questions for us. On December 20 (twelve years ago today), our fourth baby boy was born. It was decided that all of the family would come to Nebraska to meet him and to celebrate Christmas in our home. We would eat whatever we found in my freezer and we would keep the holiday simple. That sweet baby boy was just what we all needed to be able to smile through our tears as we shared our first Christmas without Mom.

Happy 12th Birthday, Malachi Mark! God gifted you to us, bringing us tremendous joy and hope. May you always allow yourself to be used by God to be a blessing to others.

malachi1sm

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Win 2 Christian DVDs and a $25 Target Gift Card!

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Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.

This year, our family enjoyed putting together some little goodies for several people in our disabled and low income community who have become our friends. It isn’t much, but hopefully it showed the love of Christ. I hope these dear ones know how special they are and how much they’ve come to mean to me.

Can you tell those candy canes are supposed to form a heart?!

community-gifts

Our prayer as of late is that God will help us to:

  • See people through His eyes
  • Learn how to truly love people

You wouldn’t think either of those would be difficult, but we most definitely need God’s help in these simple areas. He is faithful. It’s been amazing how He’s opened our eyes and hearts and helped us learn to love better. It’s been amazing who we “see” at church and in the community when we ask God to “help us see who you need us to see today.” Truly amazing. I encourage you to try it.

As the countdown to Christmas is winding down, here’s a fun and inspirational giveaway for you! Grace Hill Media has recently released two DVDs, Hillsong: Let Hope Rise and Greater. I love watching films like this with my family!

I haven’t seen these yet, but they are to arrive in my mailbox soon. Guess what else? I’ll be receiving copies for one of you, too!

AND, they are sending a $25 Target Giftcard to share with the winner! What a fun Christmas package that will be!

Enter to win this set of DVDs plus the Target giftcard in the Rafflecopter below. I’ll draw a random winner on Friday, December 23.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. These movies will be available December 20. Check them out here: Greater and Hillsong: Let Hope Rise.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple 5-Minute Italian Chicken Bake

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I am so thankful for how this Simple Italian Chicken Bake practically makes itself and feeds my family so easily!

italian-chicken-and-green-beans

Here’s what was going down in my house: Matt was working across town. Justus had just left for his college class. Elias was upstairs reading his English assignment. Malachi was practicing his piano. I was finally sitting down at my computer to write posts, answer emails, and edit pictures.

This is when my stomach growled. You’d think lunch wouldn’t have slipped my mind, seeing as I’ve been eating this meal every day for the past 43 years. But there it was, 11:30. There was no lunch and there were no leftovers to fall back on.

I got up and put chicken and green beans in a dish, doused it with Italian dressing, and put it in the oven. Five minutes later, I was back at my computer writing. While our meal baked, we all got work done (work that did not involve being in the kitchen). An hour later, we were eating lunch. If this meal doesn’t define “simple” I don’t know what does.

Simple 5-Minute Italian Chicken BakeYum

Simple 5-Minute Italian Chicken Bake
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2-3 cups frozen green beans
  • 1 cup Italian dressing*
Instructions
  1. Lay chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Pour green beans over the chicken.
  3. Pour Italian dressing over the beans and chicken.
  4. Cover and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink.

*Here’s my Italian Dressing recipe. I try to always have some on hand for quick meals and salads.

The baking time on this recipe varies depending on your oven and the thickness of your chicken pieces. If you want this meal to be ready to serve in a shorter amount of time, cut your chicken into small, thin pieces.

You will love how easy and flavorful this meal is!

simple-italian-chicken-and-green-bean-bake

Other Simple Recipes I’ve Shared Recently:

It’s recipes like this that makes Simple Meals such a life saver for families. We’ll provide the plans. We’ll provide the recipes. We’ll provide the grocery list. All you have to do is take a deep breath and enjoy how simple your life in the kitchen has become! Join Simple Meals!

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Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

50% off Palm Shortening Plus Free Shipping!!!

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I rarely share deals here anymore. (Instead I send out special emails about deals like this to people who’ve joined specific lists like our Heavenly Homemakers Savings Club. It’s free! Join here.)

Today I’m making an exception because this is one deal everyone needs to hear about!

Tropical Traditions is offering free shipping this weekend PLUS 50% off Palm Shortening! This is a rare double deal, and offers incredible savings.

palm_shortening

Therefore, I just ordered three gallon-sized buckets of Palm Shortening. Yup. I decided to take advantage because I don’t know when this deal will be offered again.

The Palm Shortening is only on sale through Sunday, December 18. Use the code 191612 at checkout for free shipping to apply.

I use Palm Shortening for pie crusts, to fry chicken or French fries, and to make this super creamy peanut butter. I love Palm Shortening!!! I’m excited to take advantage of this deal that happens about once each year.

Grab your Palm Shortening here!

The links I used above are my referral links. That means if you made a purchase through the links, I will receive a referral certificate as a “thank you.” It also means you’ll receive a free copy of a great Virgin Coconut Oil Cookbook!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!