Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

How to Use a Cast Iron Skillet like a Pro

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I’ve loved and recommended using a cast iron skillet for years. Today, Tasha will tell you how to use one like a pro!

How to use a cast iron skillet like a pro

by Tasha Hackett

I didn’t know how to properly cook with a cast iron skillet until very recently. 

Even though I have prepared food almost exclusively on my cast iron skillet, I continually burned food or the food stuck so badly I spent far too long scraping it off the bottom and reseasoning again. 

I burned the pancakes on my cast iron again and I was sad. As I served my family I said, “I know it’s burned. Sorry. It is what it is. This is the last of the flour, I’m not making anything else. Sorry. Just eat it. I know it’s burned. Sorry. Don’t ask me why it keeps burning.” 

I burned the zucchini patties and I was sad. “I don’t know why they’re burning! The bottom is burned before I can even flip them without it falling apart! I turned it down and they’re still burning.” 

The scrambled eggs stuck to the bottom of the pan so badly I felt like I sacrificed two whole eggs to the cast iron gods. 

Please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with the cast iron skillet? 

Figuring out how to use a cast iron skillet shouldn’t have taken me this long.

 

With all my struggles, you may be asking, “Why do you even use it if it causes so much trouble?” A few reasons. 

Now that I know how to use a cast iron skillet, I love it even more.

Foremost, I like the simplicity of it. I use this one pan multiple times a day. I clean it after each meal and it lives on my stovetop. The nostalgia that this is the same type of pan the pioneers used hundreds of years ago speaks to my author soul. I don’t wear 1800’s dresses, or travel by horse or train or write letters with an inkwell, but by golly I can cook with the same pan! (In theory, except I was disproportionately burning everything.) Another main reason I like to use it is that I don’t trust modern technology when it comes to our health. Teflon is bad for you–correction, teflon is bad for you when heated. HA! 

I know there are other non-stick pans out there today that claim to be non-toxic, but I haven’t had the time to look into them yet. (I’ve been far too busy wondering why I keep burning the Simple Tuna Patties.)

cast iron eggs

Here are my how-to tips for using your cast iron skillet:

  1. Start with a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Which I have. Many times. Keeping it well-seasoned was my problem. Seasoning a skillet is simple: Clean. Dry. Rub a teaspoon of vegetable oil or lard all over. Top, bottom, outside, underneath, and the handle. Bake upside down in a 350* oven for an hour. Let it cool in the oven before putting it away.
  2. Be patient. Let the pan preheat at a low temperature for up to five minutes before cooking on it. A drop of water should immediately sizzle and then you may add the oil. If the butter, oil, lard, etc., is smoking, that means your skillet is too hot. Heating a cast iron skillet/pot/pan on high heat right away, especially on an electric stove, causes the iron to expand and heat unevenly and can cause warping. This is one of the only things that will ruin your skillet.
  3. Preheat the oil. Do this after the pan is preheated. Again, if the oil smokes or burns, this is a bad sign. If the butter is burning, the pancakes will soon be burning. (You’d think I could have figured that out sooner.) On my gas stove, I do most of my cooking just above Low or directly between Low and Medium. On my stove, the butter burns at Medium. Once the pan is heated, if you turn the temperature down it will not immediately make a difference. One of the pan’s strengths is the ability to hold heat. Therefore, adjusting the temperature up and down while you’re cooking isn’t going to work well for your food or your taste buds. Or your family’s trust in your cooking abilities. Have patience while preheating, and you will quickly learn where to set the temperature and can leave it there.

  4. Do the sizzle dance.

  5. The food should sizzle as soon as it touches the pan. Food that doesn’t sizzle means your pan wasn’t preheated enough and now your food is going to stick and then probably burn. (Preheat the skillet even if you are baking cornbread in the oven. The sizzle as you pour in the cornbread batter will create a delicious crust and keep the wet cornbread from sticking to the pan.)
  6. A properly seasoned cast iron skillet is easily cleaned with a wipe-down of a paper towel or hot water and plastic scraper. Boiling water in the pan, using soap, or not properly drying will cause your pan to rust and this is bad. If the pan rusts, you get to scrub it off with a steel brush and do the reseasoning thing again.
  7. Whenever dry spots appear on the pan, it’s time to reseason. If you use enough oil while cooking on the pan, you shouldn’t have to do the reseasoning thing more than a few times a year. If that. But… if you were anything like me and frequently burned the food and then had to scour it off with hot water, reseason it as often as necessary until you’ve perfected the patience that is required for preheating your pan. 

And that’s how to use your cast iron!

cast iron onions

This pan was not preheated. There was no sizzle when the onions were added. The butter wasn’t melted and then it will later burn.

I’m curious, how many of you have skillets passed down from your grandma? Years of history and thousands of meals prepared in a pan that is still in great use today? Amazing!

I love to invest in things that will last. Cast iron is just one of those things. Now that I know how to really use mine, I foresee some delicious pancakes in my family’s future. 

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura, is fueled by sunshine or chocolate, whichever is more readily available. Recently embarking on a paleo journey to combat some chronic inflammation, she is still finding ways to eat chocolate. Though she proudly sings every word of the Wee Sing Silly Songs albums and often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women—specifically young moms. Most of her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. Her debut novel, Bluebird on the Prairie, a heartwarming Historical Romance will release spring, 2021. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or on Instagram @HackettAcademy. 

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Tips and Tools to Make Menu Planning EASY

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It really is possible to make menu planning easy, even if it’s a task you’ve never enjoyed. Here are my best tips and recommended resources to help. :)

Tips and Tools to Make Menu Planning EASY

Let’s just dive right in, shall we? Here are some of the tips I’ve found that are really helpful for simple menu planning. After I share these, then I will present you with some really great tools. :)

When it comes to figuring out food for your family…

1. Decide to have a good attitude about menu planning.

If you’ve always hated figuring out what to feed your family every day, keeping a good attitude about it can be tough. Even if you don’t mind or even actually enjoy menu planning, the daily grind of it can sometimes get old and tiresome. But the truth is that we all need to eat every day; therefore we do need some sort of plan so that we don’t become stressed out over food.

It’s possible you hate menu planning because you don’t plan your menus. (Eh?) What I mean is, if you don’t decide on a simple meal plan before it is mealtime, you’ll find yourself trying to figure out food for your family at the point in which they are all hungry, you are too hungry to think of good ideas, and you’re trying to make plans AND make food in the middle of ALL THE HUNGER.

This is no fun. It does not work. And it gives our brains the message that meal planning is hard and awful.

Take a deep breath. Pray. Choose joy over stress and angst. Menu planning can become easier. Learn what works for you (lots of ideas below), and decide to believe the truth that YOU CAN DO THIS.

2. Recognize that there are many ways to plan – so figure out what works for you!

Some people make a menu plan for an entire month. Some for each weeknight. Some for every single meal and snack of the day. Some subscribe to a menu planning subscription. Some make a plan each morning to carry out through the day. Some write down all the specifics on meal planners. Some make plans on a marker board. Some don’t write anything down at all.

These are only some of the methods and options – which proves that there are many ways to plan and that no one way fits the needs and preferences of every person or family.

If I was a once-a-month menu planner (which I am not, but if I was), and I told you “you should do it just like I do it!!” and then you tried it and it didn’t work for you, you might decide that menu planning isn’t for you. But the truth is that while once-a-month menu planning (and all the other methods) works for some, it doesn’t work for everyone. Menu planning is definitely not a one-size-fits-all thing. Toy with ideas, use resources that are available – and there are many! – and find a method that works for you.

3. Keep it simple.

Unless you really love gourmet cooking and creating elaborate meal plans, there is no reason to make menu planning and cooking for a family more difficult than it needs to be.

Discover simple recipes that you know your family will enjoy and that will not take long to prepare. Keep them in your back pocket (literally, if it helps; see below for details!). Jot down meal choices in a notebook, in your daily planner or calendar, or on pretty printable menu planning pages to keep on your fridge.

Think about and decide on your main dish, then consider simple fruit and veggie side dishes to round out your meal with nourishment.

We’ve all gotta eat. But we do not all gotta spend hours every day to make this happen!

Now I’m going to show you some wonderful tools that can make menu planning much easier.

Tools to Make Menu Planning Easier

We’re going to look at some tools that:

  • Show you how to budget when grocery shopping
  • Provide kid-friendly menu and snack planning ideas
  • Give you hundreds of recipes that are both easy and healthy
  • Walk you through how to get started with menu planning
  • Offer printables and planners to make the job easier
  • Teach you about basic nutrition, weight loss options, and special dietary needs
  • Help you get organized, actually, easily :)

I have somewhere around 60 resources to tell you about, but first, take a look at one of my new favorite menu planning tools!

The Easiest Recipes, in a Flipbook!

A few weeks ago, I took the recipes from my High Five Recipes eCookbook (recipes that all call for only 5 or fewer real-food ingredients!) and I turned them into a super handy Recipe FlipBook. Man, I am loving this – and this is what I was referring to when I said, “Keep simple recipes in your back pocket!”

I formatted each recipe to fit onto a  color-coded 4×6 card – then I sent them all to Walgreens to be printed. Just a few dollars later, I had all 86 recipes printed onto cards. I punched a hole through them, put a ring in the corner to hold them together, and tada! A High Five Recipes Flipbook!

This little tool is really handy (and fun!) because I can just grab it and start flipping through it for easy meal or snack ideas. Each section is color-coded to make it easier to go directly to the section I need: Breakfast Ideas, Main Dish Ideas, or Snacks and Treats Ideas.

The cards make it easy to see at a quick glance which few ingredients I’d need if I chose that recipe. Annnnnd since all of the recipes call for just 5 or fewer basic ingredients, I likely have most of the ingredients on hand and I know that the recipes will all go together quickly too!

I just added this new resource to my shop, so be sure to check it out!

And look what else!

We just added our brand new 52-Week Simple Meals Planning Packets Collection 2!

Sometimes you just need someone to make the plan and tell you what to get at the grocery store, you know? We’ve been offering our Simple Meals Subscriptions here for several years to help with this – and they are awesome and well-loved! This collection includes 52-weeks worth of these Simple Meals planning packets – categorized in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall sections to make your job even easier. They tell you what to make, what to buy at the store, and how to make the food in the easiest ways possible.

If you prefer the entire collection of 52-weeks worth of menu plans, you can grab those here!

How to get these fun resources for FREE!

For two days only (January 26-27) they’ve brought back the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle I love so much. Many of you took advantage of this offer in August. But if you missed it, you can get it again if you hurry!

It includes 60 amazing resources to help you easily plan meals for your family. And then after you purchase, email me your receipt and I’ll send you the High Five Recipes Flipbook file (worth $15) and 52-Week Simple Meals Planning Packets Collection 2 (worth $52) for FREE!!

  1. Get your Healthy Meal Planning Bundle here before midnight, January 27.
  2. Email me your receipt and I’ll send you the High Five Recipes Flipbook and 52-Week Simple Meals Planning Packets Collection 2! (These are both digital so you’ll get them right away!)
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How to Still Eat Healthy When You’re in Survival Mode

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Sometimes we enjoy a season of calm. Sometimes we’re enduring a season that is more hectic, difficult, or even traumatic. For the times you feel you are simply surviving from day to day, here are some ideas to help you still eat healthy and stay physically strong.

Times of Being in Survival Mode

Being in survival mode doesn’t always mean we’re going through something difficult. Sometimes it means there’s a new baby on the way or a new baby who doesn’t sleep much at night. Sometimes it means you’re a family in transition, perhaps because of a new job or a new house or another new life situation.

Or sometimes it does mean that we’re going through something quite difficult. Someone is sick, someone has died, something tragic took place. Putting one foot in front of the other is all we can do, so making healthy meals takes a back burner – just as it should do.

Here’s what I’ve considered lately as our family has spent several months in survival mode (not because of tragedy but because of additional foster babes and a job transition for my husband that requires extra time):

Seasons of survival make it harder to eat well – at a time that we need healthy foods more than ever so that we can stay physically strong!

This is super tricky. While we feel that we are just surviving from day to day and have very little time to think about food or health, this is actually the time when we know that we need to stay healthy. Ack, what in the world?

In our family’s situation, we haven’t been getting quite enough sleep for several months. Our meal prep time is super limited and is almost done while holding a baby or three. If ever there was a time to order pizza – this is it. But also, if ever there was a time that Mom and Dad need to not get sick – this is also it. So is it hopeless, or are there ways to survive and stay healthy?

How to Still Eat Healthy When You’re in Survival Mode

Here’s what our family has been doing the past few months during a season of survival:

1. We drink our salads.

I cannot share more adamantly about how great this is. This is my lunch most days and if I didn’t have it, I’m not sure where I’d be. It takes about 5 minutes for me to make a big blenderful of smoothie packed with greens and fruit. It makes about a half gallon for Matt and me to enjoy for a couple of days. I pour myself a glass when I get hungry mid-morning and drink it while I take care of all the kids. It is loaded with nutrients but I don’t have to stop and eat. And yes, stopping to eat is better – but I am simply not able to do that in the middle of the day right now.

Likewise, Matt runs home for a quick lunch each day and “drinks his salad” while he warms up leftovers to eat. Then he’s back out the door to work again.

Packing smoothies full of greens is truly a wonderful way to keep our bodies functioning well when we have very little time to eat mid-day. For the record, these are also a wonderful way to keep our bodies functioning well when we DO have time to eat. So there’s that. :)

2. We spend a little more for convenience produce items.

Yes, it’s cheaper to buy the carrots and cut them into sticks. But when I attempt that right now, my carrots stay at the bottom of the drawer of my fridge and they stare at me until I return their stare with a dirty look message of “are you kidding me right now?”

So right now, I buy the packages of fantastic little petite organic baby carrots. They probably cost twice as much as the whole carrots, but good grief, they are still just $1.99/pound and we are actually eating them because they are easy. So bring on the petite carrots in a bag. I love you, petite carrots.

Also, mini sweet peppers, carrot chips, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, bananas, clementines, and apples.

Whole pineapple? Not right now. After all, that requires the use of two hands, a knife, and a bowl.

3. We buy applesauce pouches in bulk.

These incredible squeezable applesauce pouches save us every day. All of my little ones love them. All of my big ones love them. I buy all different 100% fruit varieties (including the kind with added veggies!) and the family guzzles them down with breakfast or lunch or for snacks. Be my BFF, applesauce squeezies.

4. We also buy prepared fruit cups.

I don’t want to talk about their price compared to fresh fruit or even canned fruit. :/ But right now, the cups of peaches, pears, mandarins, and pineapple in 100% juice have a prominent place on my countertop and I don’t feel bad about it. Yes, I also buy fresh fruit (see #2 above). But I also keep a big supply of fruit cups on hand because they have been an incredible resource to help me feed all the little ones when they are all hangry at once.

Fun fact: Sometimes my teens aren’t interested in fresh fruit but they will happily eat a peach cup. If it’s a peach cup compared to no fruit, I’ll happily give them a peach cup. Amen.

5. I regularly dump sauce on chicken.

This is pretty much the easiest meal idea in the entire world so no one can ever say they don’t have time to cook a healthy meal. Use a pyrex, use the crock pot, use the grill. Just dump sauce on chicken and cook it. Get out the mixed greens and add dressing (or drink your salad as encouraged in #1). Get out fresh strawberries and wash them. This meal is the most delicious and extremely nourishing without even trying.

6. If I buy and serve convenience food, we all choose a healthy side or two to go with it.

I’ve admitted that we sometimes eat nuggets from a bag right now. See also: mac and cheese from a box and pizza from the freezer. These feed us on extra busy/hard days, but first we choose a fruit and veggie to eat with our boxed or bagged food. Worrying over what’s in the box won’t bless our health, by the way. So I eat it with relief and joy, knowing that God is bigger!

7. I know this isn’t our forever season in life, so I recognize that this is not my forever lifestyle.

Someday I’ll sleep through the night again and I won’t have three kids in diapers. Someday my arms will be available (sniff) and I’ll even be able to turn more kitchen and household tasks over to the littles who will eventually be bigs. Things will get easier again. And then they might get harder and then easier and then harder and then easier. Friends, this is why they’re called “seasons.”

We all have times that are tougher and times that are easier. When we’re surviving, we can do our best with healthy food choices and smile at the fruit cup. When we’re breathing more easily, we can cut the pineapple and cut the carrot sticks. Or not. Or whatever, because who even cares about the free-range chicken?

What God calls us to do today, He will provide and equip us for. If you’re surviving, good for you! If you can enjoy an applesauce squeezy and a green smoothie to help you survive a little better, awesome.

What ways have you found to still eat healthy when you’re in survival mode?

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10 Fun Ideas to Try This Year

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It’s too easy to put off trying fun new ideas! So I’ve made it easy for you. I made you a list. Which of these have you already tried? Which have you thought about trying but still haven’t? Now’s the time!! These are all so much fun!

10 Fun Ideas to Try This Year

1. Make Homemade Vanilla. I hear from many of you that you have thought about it many times but still haven’t tried this fun idea. Maybe now’s the time!! Here’s the “old fashioned way” to make vanilla. Here’s how to make Vanilla Extract in your Instant Pot. You’re going to love this!

2. Drink a Green Smoothie. It’s the best way to eat lots of greens every day. Just do it!! (Or eat a salad, whichever you prefer!)

3. Make Frozen Muffin Batter. This idea is so fun and practical that if you haven’t tried it yet, you simply must. Freeze your muffin batter. Pull out batter balls and easily bake fresh muffins with no effort!

4. Make a High Five Recipe. Scroll through these recipes that only call for 5 or fewer ingredients. These are so easy and good!! Make one or two of them. And if you love them (which you will, of course) go get our lovely printed High Five Recipes Cookbook!

5. Make a Five Minute Recipe. Most of these recipes call for very few ingredients also! Most of them take just a few minutes to prepare. Yet they are all made with real, healthy ingredients! Pick one to make soon. They are so good and easy! Here’s our Simple Real Food Recipes Cookbook filled with recipes that are ridiculously easy to make.

6. Make mashed Potatoes in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot. I’d stopped making mashed potatoes because they felt too messy and hard. Then I learned how to make them in the Crock Pot. Then I learned to make them in my Instant Pot. Life-changing!!

7. Make Stir and Pour Bread. Have you been thinking about trying this but still haven’t taken the time (haha, this hardly takes any time!!)? Go get the recipe and make your family some bread! You will all be amazed at the goodness!

8. Read your Bible regularly. It’s easier and way more amazing than you think. Here’s how.

9. Make one simple, healthy change in your kitchen. It’s as easy as switching from margarine to butter. Truly, there are so many healthy changes that won’t rock your world one bit!

10. Make Coffee Ice Cubes. This is simply too much fun not to try! People are amazed when they find these in my freezer. What a fun way to enjoy iced coffee at home!

Which one of these ideas will you try first?

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How to Drink Your Salad (and love it!)

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Today I will teach you how to drink your salad. I’m quite sure you will love this idea as much as I do!

See, here’s the thing:

Matt and I like to eat a big salad every day. Scratch that. Matt and I know we need to eat a big salad every day. It’s amazing for our overall health as leafy greens are so incredibly nourishing! But shucks if eating a big salad isn’t actually as much fun as we all wish that it was.


As our family has grown and my hands have become more full of little ones again, I’ve been known to frequently grab greens out of a container in the fridge and eat them on the fly – no dressing, no extras – simply because I rarely have time to build a salad in a bowl and then sit down to chomp it down. Does it takes good, these greens straight out of the fridge? Well, it doesn’t taste bad. But it’s not as fun as eating other food. Again, I just do it because I know my body needs it. Every single day.

Most of us have heard about throwing leafy greens in smoothies. I’ve done it off and on for years, but I never really bought into it as a great daily habit until last summer.

Our three littlest boys and I would go on super long walks every day (before our girls moved in). We’d come home and enjoy chilled smoothies to refresh us. I loaded them with frozen fruit and greens. The boys drank them without hesitation. Matt and I loved them. And finally it hit us: Why should we ever eat salad again?

Well, we did wonder: Would smoothies made with frozen fruit and greens be as wonderful during the cold winter months? Would we get burned out on green smoothies? Was this only a temporary wonderful idea?

Many months and hundreds of smoothies later, I’m happy to report that we are still so very happy with the fact that we can drink our salad every day! It goes down easy. It tastes like fruit. We can drink it on the fly, which is incredibly important during this very busy season in our lives full of both big kids and many little kids.

How to Drink your Salad (and love it!)

  1. Stuff as many leafy greens into your blender as you dare. I put in way more greens than we would typically eat in a regular bowl of salad and our bodies are very happy about this. I also have and highly recommend a Blendtec blender as this will blend your greens into complete smoothness and oblivion.
  2. Add your choice of frozen fruit. I buy big bags of mixed fruit for a fun variety. It includes berries, peaches, and pineapple. Super delicious!
  3. Pour in milk to fill the blender half-full or whatever liquid amount is recommended for your blender so that your smoothie doesn’t explode to the ceiling of your kitchen. Whole milk yogurt is also an awesome “liquid” to include.
  4. Add sweetener or protein powder if you like. Matt and I have found that the fruit alone makes the smoothie sweet enough, so I don’t add any maple syrup or stevia anymore. During the summer we added protein powder to make the smoothie more like a meal. But this winter we’ve left it out.
  5. Put the lid on and blend until smooth. Drink your salad and love it.

And just like that, you have one or two days worth of salad to drink. Perhaps you’ve been doing this all along. Perhaps this is a new idea for you. Perhaps you knew about it but needed the reminder about what a great idea it is!

Here’s what my blender looks like before I get all the goodies mixed up. :)

Give this a try and let me know how you like it!

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Can Mom Have More Fun?

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Can mom have more fun? Any fun at all? How is it even possible with all these responsibilities? I absolutely adore this post from Tasha. I cried through it, because my mom-life is full and amazing but hard and exhausting. I needed this. I’m guessing you might too…

Can Mom Have More Fun?

by Tasha Hackett

Being a mother is amazing. A-ma-zing. But being trapped and tied down weighs on me until I might crumble. When all the parts of me that made me Tasha turn into Mom Mom Mom Mom, I begrudge this life that I find myself in. Sometimes it appears I’ve forgotten how to have fun as a mother. This post is because I know I’m not alone. I know I’m not the only overwhelmed mom out there who needs to hear this.

Why is it hard for moms to have more fun?

Of course it’s a foolish thing to wish myself out of where I am. I mean, come on! This is my happily ever after! This is the life I always wanted, always assumed I would have. As a kid, I hardly had any career goals because I knew I would be home with my kids doing all the things I loved–cooking, creating things, teaching my kids, singing, playing, holding babies and going on adventures with my mom friends and their kids. But instead I’m stuck doing laundry, and dishes, and managing the budget, and sweeping the floor over and over and over again until I’m staring at this home I’ve built around me and wanting to take a sledge hammer to all of it and go live in a cabin in the woods–which I would hate by the way, unless my family came with me because I totally love them. 

As it turns out, God absolutely and completely knew what he was doing when he gave me these kids. Motherhood is a baptism by fire, and it’s growing me into a woman of courage and strength and refining me into something beautiful. (Right?! God love me for it, but I am so stinkin’ broken.)

tasha and baby

Why is the fun gone?

You know why. For those of us who are in the grind of raising little tiny kids, we have routines that must be abided. We mothers are stressed by all the things we’re in charge of rattling around in our brains. When meals, sleep, and routines get out of whack, everyone pays for it. The energy it takes to simply survive doesn’t always leave much room to have more “fun.” Now, let’s be clear. I am not talking about creating more fun for the kids. No, I’m not worried about their fun. They get to play, play, play all the live-long day. I’m interested in mothers. Why aren’t we having fun? As a parent, am I having fun? Am I fun? What used to be fun? Is it still fun? Why not? What else can I do that makes me happy? 

tasha

Side story about how much fun I had the past three years. 

Incidentally, the past three years have been a doozy. Blessings upon blessings, but also a pile of personal, internal, trials. In the meantime, I thought it would be a good idea to start my writing career. Maybe not the best timing with the whole birthing of the fourth child and all. 

But here I am, and writing has been so much stinking fun. 

During the first lock-down of the pandemic, the husband worked from the basement. I seized the opportunity of the extra time and support and finished my novel, Bluebird on the Prairie. I don’t tell you this to brag . . . nope, okay, I’m bragging a little. . . but mostly because I am amazed and full of joy at having completed such a magnanimous accomplishment that I can’t help sharing it. Was it ever so much work? Yes. Girl… yes. So. Much. Work. Guess what else it was? Rewarding. And, you guessed it. Fun! It was fun. 

A crazy thing about writing books is how much I learn from my characters when they start speaking all by themselves and spout off random bits of wisdom that I never could have thought up on my own. They’re smart like that.

Please read this scene snippet that tugs at my heart: 

Zeke lowered himself to the ground and leaned against the tree. “It’s not that I’m not grateful, because I am. But I can’t . . . I’m not a farmer. I don’t want to be a farmer.” He set his hat on the ground. Running both hands through his hair before clasping them behind his neck, he sighed. “I don’t know, Chipmunk, do you ever feel like everyone’s got a plan for your life, and forgot to ask how you felt about it first?” 

“Why do you call me Chipmunk?”

He grinned at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

She pulled a handful of grass and threw it at him. The wind caught most of it and she watched it drift. “I envy you.”

“How so?” 

“You wanted to go, so you did. To have that kind of freedom. To be brave enough to take a chance.” 

“Stupid enough, you mean. Did you get a good look at the goober who fell on his face? That man was lonely, dirty, and starving.” 

Eloise did remember, and blushed thinking of it. If it hadn’t been for her standing in the creek only half dressed, he never would have fallen. “At least you keep smiling through it,” she said, “I don’t know how to have fun anymore.”

“I just do what makes me happy. Within reason . . . Fried chicken? Makes me happy. Catching frogs? Makes me happy. Singing? Makes me happy. What makes you happy? Do that.” He shrugged, like there was nothing to it.

What did make her happy? There were things she used to do for fun, but when put to the question she was stumped. 

Zeke prodded. “There isn’t anything you do, that makes all the bad stuff disappear for a while?” 

“I don’t know. If there is, I’ve forgotten.”

Can I share a fun secret? 

Fun doesn’t need to be extravagant. Sometimes I forget to be happy. It’s wrong and it’s not God’s plan for me. Sometimes I don’t know how to have more fun as a mother. I get so caught up in what I can’t do and what I wish I could be doing, that I don’t make use of the fun freely available. One of the things that brings me joy is writing. And so I do, and I did. Laura lets me talk to you and I have dreams of many more novels to come! But… the simple, freely-available-doesn’t-cost-anything fun? That comes from a spirit of peace. A peace that knows my kids are well loved, even if their rooms are a mess because I haven’t properly trained them on how to keep them tidy. A peace that extends to the husband when he’s 20 minutes later coming home from work than I expected.

tasha and kids

Peace comes from knowing I am worthy of God’s love. 

Listen up, friend. You are worthy of God’s love. He didn’t raise his son from the dead for someone he didn’t love. He didn’t come back from the grave for us to walk about the house grumpy about laundry! I believe He wants us to have life, and have it to the fullest–not just later, but now! Absolutely we are called to sacrifice so much of ourselves. But nobody ever asked us to stop having fun, we did that all on our own. 

Here’s how I had fun today: 

  • When the kids played in the yard, I read a book for 45 minutes. 
  • When the kids asked for a snack I opened a jar of peanuts and gave it to them. And then showed off, unsuccessfully, how I could throw and catch one in my mouth.
  • While the baby played with a stack of books I got on my hands and knees and growled at him until he looked my way, then I slinked towards him like a tiger. He squealed and laughed at me. 
  • I was blasting show tunes on my phone when Ben came home from work (20 minutes late), and as I sang along, I started dancing for him. He pulled me into his arms, twirled me around a few times and dipped me over his knee before the kids claimed his attention. 
  • At dinner I shared a new book idea with the kids and asked them to come up with any funny things that might happen to my characters. 

You are pretty when you smile.

Yeah, okay. I know. Sometimes life is really really hard. I understand hard. I’ve been there, and I’m still there sometimes. To be perfectly honest, I don’t want to get out of bed most mornings because I dread the tasks ahead. Being a mom and the humility, compassion, empathy, and selflessness that needs to come with that is the hardest thing. I’m a work-in-progress. 

A few years ago I laughed at something and my, then five-year-old, son said, “Mom! You’re so pretty when you smile.” And it broke my heart in a million tiny pieces because what he really said was, “I haven’t seen you smile in a long time.”

ben and tasha

Do it for you.

Can you find ways to have more fun? I don’t know everything going on in your life that’s causing you so much stress you’ve forgotten how to have fun. But I can guess at some of it. Here’s a hint: Don’t make food harder than it has to be. Laura’s given us way too many resources and recipes for us to be wasting time complaining about kitchen duty. 

I’m not even going to leave you with scientific facts about how laughing is healthy and makes you live longer. Nope. How about we make time for fun, simply because fun is fun? Nobody goes to bed thinking, “Man, I wish I hadn’t had so much fun today.” 

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, author of Bluebird of the Prairie, (a heartwarming romance releasing Spring 2021), is fueled by sunshine or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. She pretends to be a ballerina while cleaning the kitchen and can sing along to every word of every Wee-Sing Silly Songs album. Four children and a husband have filled her days with more than enough to keep her busy, but creative hobbies continually find their way onto her to-do list. You can connect with her on Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker. 

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7 Ideas to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

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It’s this time of year when I always start looking around my house, and brainstorming ways to make it a nicer, comfier place for my family. That’s why today I am sharing 10 ideas to make your home extra cozy, in case you, too, are feeling a bit cooped up in need of inspiration!
7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy
I always want my home to feel like a respite, a safe place, a comforting spot for my family to return to at the end of the day. But with littles underfoot, a very busy schedule, and a other committments it can feel super overwhelming to stay on top of all the homemaking tasks some days, anyone else?

However, I do think that with just a bit of effort, we can all create cozy, warm, and inviting homes for our families. Here are my top tips for creating a bit of extra coziness in your home this winter.

7 Ways to Make Your Home Extra Cozy

1. Declutter

One of the best ways to make your home feel better in the short term is to donate anything that you no longer use, need or like. The more I declutter each room, the happier I am with my home! January is the perfect time to start going through clothes, toys, and closets to rid of anything that no longer brings you joy.

2. Serve hot drinks to your family

Is there anything cozier than holding a hot mug while you watch the snow fly? Every winter I try to find a new, yummy drink to make every afternoon. It’s the best! Need inspiration? Here’s a list of the best hot drinks for fall and winter! Try a couple, and let me know which one is your favorite! Might I suggest this recipe for the perfect Hot Chocolate or a Warm Vanilla Soother!

3. Pull out the warm blankets

This is a great time of year to set a basket full of soft, fuzzy blankets in your living room. Even my toddlers like to cuddle under a blanket while they read books! In need of a few new blankets for your home? Here are a few of my favorites:
Ultra Soft Sherpa Blanket(comes in many colors!)
Plaid Throw Blanket
Fuzzy Large Fleece Blanket(great price!)

4. Bake some bread or other goodies

On especially cold days, I love mixing up a few loaves of bread, a couple dozen muffins, or a few pans worth of cookies. There’s nothing like the smell of warm bread or cookies in the house, when everyone is cooped up inside. Not sure what to bake? Here’s 111 recipes for you to choose from!

5. Play a board game with your family

Build family memories together while enjoying a fun board game! Pop popcorn, make hot cocoa, and then pull out one of your favorite games. Better yet, grab a new game to learn together! Here’s a list of our family’s favorite games!

6. Light a candle

Candles are one of my favorite ways to make a room feel extra welcoming. Grab a new candle or two, for the warmth, the scent, and the decor!

7. Start a new book as a family

I love choosing a new read aloud for my family! We open it up, and read a chapter or two every evening. When I was growing up, my Dad always read the Little House series to us or James Herriot books. Here is a great list of book ideasfor you and your kiddos!

How are you making your home extra cozy this time of year? Share your tips below!

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Who Even Cares Anymore About Free Range Chicken?

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Would you look at this? My first post of 2021 is about our beloved Free Range Chicken. I bet you’re wondering how I feel about this subject now…

What I’m about to share may surprise you. It might even disappoint you. But well, life has taken a huge shift for us and while I wouldn’t have believed it myself had you told me I’d feel this way in 2021, here we are, and here is how I feel.

I don’t actually care about free-range chicken anymore. This is the truth.

What am I even talking about?

This free-range chicken chatter all started back in 2014 with my God is Bigger than a Free Range Chicken post. Remember that? In my early healthy-eating days,  was allllll into organic and free-range and fermented and all the best of the best. Then God reminded me that He is bigger and biggest and real food is still real food, even when it wasn’t raised at Harvard and sung to from the womb. So I wrote this to encourage us to focus on eating healthy food without stress.


Oh look. It’s a couple of free-range chickens.

Then God taught me even more, so the next post on this subject in 2018 turned out: Beyond the Free Range Chicken. God had shown me in hundreds of ways how loving people is much more important than loving food. That focusing on Him is a better choice and much healthier and more balanced than focusing on organic salad and grass-fed beef. That while eating well is important – the only reason for it is so that we are healthy enough to serve in all the ways He asks us to serve. You can read the full post here.

So now here we are in 2021. As we’ve sought God in new ways and opened our hearts to His plans for us, He surprised us by starting our family over again. Just when we thought our grocery budget would finally go down as our big boys launched the nest, the grocery budget stayed the same and maybe even went up a little as God moved more kids into our home.

We’ve currently adopted two and have three others in foster care with many unknowns as we walk forward each day. (Those pesky unknowns? These are all completely known to God. We just don’t know the full plans yet. We wait and we pray and sometimes we cry because unknowns on earth are hard if we focus on the flesh instead of looking down from our seat in the Heavenly Realms.)

So here we are, with nine kids at the time of this writing. (Three are launched from the nest. Three are under the age of 2. Some are healing from intense trauma. One has some minor medical issues. You don’t want to know how many diapers we go through in one day.)

Our foster care/adoption journey has taken us on a beautiful, wild, challenging, ever learning-to-trust-God ride since April of 2018. Every day of that ride, God shows us more about what is truly important and what we need to let go of so that we can focus on what actually matters for the Kingdom.

What does actually matter?

Love. Trusting the One who loves us beyond what we can possibly understand.

But the truth is also this: It’s easy to think about how beautiful that is – the loving and the trusting – but it is hard to actually live fully in that truth.

While love overflows from our hearts because of the Spirit living in us, what currently overflows from my house is a big pile of dirty laundry or on a good day, a big pile of clean laundry unfolded on top of and falling off of my dresser. Our toddlers can destroy the house from top to bottom in five short minutes. The dishes don’t ever get washed efficiently, and even if the kitchen floor gets swept, it’s dirty again after the next meal or snack.

Keeping up with so many little ones is a big job in and of itself, but then we’ll throw in all of the many meetings and court dates and appointments brought on by foster care life. It takes me from my regular homemaking duties and sometimes leaves me emotionally drained.

I am complaining about none of this. I will live in a filthy house with zero domestic accomplishments for the rest of my life if it means that I get to love on and live with all these children. But it is all worth mentioning to explain why I have come to the conclusion that, when talking about the beloved free-range chicken:

I don’t really care much anymore about what we eat. I’m just so happy to actually put any variety of food on the table every day (for my toddlers to smear on their head and drop onto the floor under their chairs).

Happy 2nd birthday to Keith!

So I bet you’re wondering:

Have I lost my actual mind? Do you even know who I am anymore? Do I still love butter? Have I started buying the high fructose corn syrup and the MSG and the hydrogenated oils?

Well, yes obviously about the butter. I still love it and always will. And no way about the HFCS and MSG. I’ve been at this real food, simple meals thing for long enough that much of this is an automatic no-brainer for me as I grocery shop. We still have a great source for grass-fed beef and raw milk, so I stick with this because I don’t have to do anything different or difficult.

But, well? If you open my freezers now, along with our lovely beef from the organic farm, you will also find bags of prepared french fries and several frozen pizzas. I haven’t made a homemade tortilla in years and I almost cried when I thought about trying to can any of the tomatoes from our weed-filled garden last summer.

The best I can truly is the best.

Did you know that? The best we can do really is best. :)

I’m doing the best I can to be sure we’re getting fruits and vegetables each day with whatever else we’re eating because I know we need the nourishment that fruits and veggies provide. What I also know is that food overall has taken a big back seat in my brain and heart, simply because it has to.

And it makes me wonder: Should it have been this way all along?

What if focusing on good health and perfect foods and ingredient labels keep us from freely fixing our eyes on Jesus? What if good health and good food is important, but only so that we are fueled with what we need so that we can serve as God asks us to each day?

I love all that I’ve learned about nutrition and good health. I love that I’ve been able to share what I’ve learned here and to learn from all of you too! This knowledge is carrying me through this season, and for that I am thankful. Real butter and vegetables are pretty great. But the more time I spend in the Word and with people, the more I recognize that Jesus is the bread of life and He is the one who brings real nourishment.

God’s call to love.

God calls all of us to love people. All people. Whatever that looks like in your life, whoever He has put in your path, on your porch, in your church, in your living room – He calls us to love, and He tells us that this is the most important. While there is glorious beauty in loving Him and His people in all the ways He calls us to love, there is also challenge and hardship. It takes time and energy – and I am becoming more and more convicted that this is time and energy that should be taken out of our kitchens and into the hurting world.

God doesn’t care if we make frozen pizza but He does care if we are resting in Him. He’s not concerned about what items in my fridge are organic. He cares about our hearts and He calls us to Him constantly to teach us to trust His ways as we walk this path with Him. He knows our weariness and our joys. He’s well aware of what each day holds and if my free-range chicken has turned into bags of dino nuggets? Well. When I serve them to my kids I sometimes actually cry tears of thanks for them because it means my family is fed and I still have the energy to smile at all these precious people at the end of the day.

So where do we land on the topic of eating healthy food?

I absolutely do still care about our health. I cook the most wholesome of food if and when I can, you can bet on it. Malachi (our only teen left at home) knows how to cook and is a huge help when he’s not working or at sports practice or play practice or youth group or…

I make smoothies daily and pack them with mixed greens so that we can “drink our salad” on the fly. I serve fruit with every meal and veggies with most. We aren’t giving up on good health; we’re simply focused on overall health now – emotional, spiritual, and yes, physical – but it begins and ends with a focus on love.

In summary:

God is bigger than ALLLLLL THE CHICKEN.

Struggling to find balance when it comes to healthy eating and healthy living in general? Ask God to show you what matters. He will show you. You may be at a point in your life where you have failing health and you NEED to focus on all things nourishing and good. You may be at a point where you need to get your emotional and spiritual life healthy and you need to find a Christian therapist to walk you through (best decision I’ve ever made and continue to make is to let my Christian therapist help me through challenges and spiritual cleansing and healing!). You may need both.

But we all need Jesus. And we all need to know that He is biggest. Bigger than any question we have about life and caring for our families.

Let Him direct you. This is not a cop-out (I’ll just eat whatever I want and let God take care of it please hand me another Snicker bar). This is a matter of choosing to surrender our hearts (God is bigger than anything I’m worried about or focused on this earth; I trust Him and will listen to Him).

Share with me.

What has God been teaching you about love? Who has He put on your path? How has He shown you ways to focus on what truly matters?

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Ready to Get Organized? (Exciting news for you!)

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Every year after Christmas I find myself ready to declutter and get organized for a fresh start. I tell myself that I’ll chill and enjoy the Christmas decorations all the way until January 1, but nope. I love Christmas, then it’s over and I’m like: CLEAN THE HOUSE!!!!!!

Who’s with me?

I was going to save this for a week or so, but I need it now and you might too. Soooooooo……

This fun and wonderful little packet comes at a perfect time!

The packet contains lovely printable pages to help you organize your kitchen and home life right now. I’ve already started using them and I love all they offer. My freezers are in much better shape and I know what’s in them so that I can meal plan better. My seven and five-year-olds (and even my two-year-old) have new chores on their fun new chart (found in the packet) that they are excited to tackle. Case in point:

I think you’ll enjoy and use this printable bundle as much as I am! The printables are simple, practical, fun, and all a part of the wonderful Heavenly Homemaker’s Club (where members have access to our eBooks, eCurriculum, menu planning resources, hundreds more printables, exclusive tips and posts and…).

There’s even better news!

This wonderful exclusive printable packet is just the first of many that we’ll be offering to our Heavenly Homemakers Club Members! We’ve decided to launch a brand new monthly printable surprise package which just makes our membership one step better. Every month, members will be given a brand new exclusive printable packet. This month’s is focused on home organization. What will next month bring? Just wait and see! Club members have so much to look forward to! Each month you can count on the printables being just like this – simple, practical, and fun!

Ready to join?!

What Club Members Enjoy…

You can read all about it here. But in short (if it’s possible to keep it short since it includes so much!!), our members get:

  • Access ALL of Heavenly Homemaker’s eBooks – anytime!
  • Access ALL of Heavenly Homemaker’s eCurriculum – anytime!
  • Access ALL of Heavenly Homemaker’s Printables – anytime!
  • Access 52 weeks of Simple Meals Planning Packets plus Meal and Snack Ideas Cheat Sheets, a Recipe Search Bar, and Menu Planners – anytime!
  • Access dozens of member-exclusive homemaking, kitchen, money-saving, family-life encouragement and tips – anytime!
  • Enjoy exclusive new eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and content being added regularly.

Take advantage of our awesome membership offer and enjoy loads of incredible resources. Join us here —>

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How to Make Perfect Hot Chocolate

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Want to learn how to make Perfect Hot Chocolate? You’ll want to learn these “tricks” so you can enjoy a mug of this during holiday break with your family!

I am so thrilled to have a huge houseful right now! We’ve got five littles, four bigs, plus two amazing girlfriends. Our holiday time food shared together has been simple but fun. And since I’ve got more big people around to help with all the littles, I find my hands are a little freer to make special treats.

That’s where the Perfect Hot Chocolate comes in. Sure, Christmas is over. But the fun treats and the special drinks will keep on coming until school and work starts again!

Now, to make Perfect Hot Chocolate, I believe it takes three perfect recipes:

Not to worry, these are all easy and fast. (Do you even know me at all?)

  1. Hot Cocoa
  2. Whipped Cream
  3. Homemade Hot Fudge

The Hot Cocoa whisks together quickly on the stove. I whip cream in my Blendtec, which takes 25 beautiful seconds of effortless “work.” I often have Homemade Hot Fudge already in the fridge that we can warm up and drizzle into our hot cocoa. If not, I can make that quickly too.

The ingredients in all these recipes overlap with one another. Plus they are ingredients I always have on hand. Simple but special – that’s what I love about treating our family and guests to this Perfect Hot Chocolate!

Once you’ve got your three recipes made: 1) Fill a mug with hot cocoa. 2) Add a generous amount of whipped cream. 3) Drizzle hot fudge over the cream.

If it all oozes out over the sides of the mug, well, this can’t be helped and it is one of the best problems you’ll have because you’ll have to lick the sides of your mug to “clean it up.”

And there you have it! The Perfect Hot Chocolate. Let me know how you like it!

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