Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Introducing, Keith Coppinger!

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Here’s the precious face I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you!

He’s learning to feed himself, and he’s oh-so proud.

His name is Keith, and as of today, he is Coppinger Boy #6.

Foster care and adoption is an emotional experience in at least a thousand ways. There’s joy and there’s sorrow. Adding to the family also means there is loss in some form. We don’t take that lightly.

But today, we fully embrace the joy of adding to our family. We embrace it so much that the tears won’t stop. This little boy, who has been a part of our family since he was just 2 months old, has overcome so much in his short life. That we get to be a part of this and learn more about victory in Jesus because of him humbles us greatly.

Keith loves Mommy and Daddy. He thinks all of his older brothers are THE BEST. But when Brayden walks into the room, there’s no doubt who he thinks is the BEST BEST.

These two have a special bond – so much so that Keith’s first word was actually “Brayden.” I was lobbying for “mama.” We all asssumed it would be “dada.” But when the big day came, Keith looked up at his beloved Brayden and said, “Dudden! Dudden!” It is the sweetest thing ever.

We continue to foster Boy Babe #2. Our older sons continue to embrace this new life with grace and love. Matt and I stand in amazement as we experience all God is doing and teaching us through this.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Your love and support has meant so much – and I’ll thank you by sharing lots of adorable Keith pictures now that I can!!!

Here he is with Justus, age 20. Because yes, we now have sons aged 1-22!!!!!

He’s already learning to cook. I’m pretty sure he was making me some coffee…

Keith got to wear Elias’ hat!

Yes, he truly is as sweet as he looks.

And most days, he’s happy as can be!

God bless YOU in whatever ways He is working in YOUR lives. I have no doubt He is doing great things!

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups – 4 Ingredients

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These Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cups are practically begging for you to make them!

With college students joining us for lunch, I was searching the internet for ways to treat them, and I had rice krispie cereal that I needed to use up. All the recipes called for marshmallows, of course. But hey, I don’t keep those in my pantry regularly, much to my kids’ dismay.

Therefore, after wading through all of the marshmallow-y options, I finally found this winner! I tweaked it just a bit, and that is how these Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups were born.

These are incredibly easy and they were a hit with the college students! Who needs marshmallows?! (Well, they are helpful if you’re making smores…) But for rice krispie cereal treats, it’s amazing that we can do other fun things and use more wholesome ingredients to make treats!

Speaking of “other fun things” – I highly encourage that you also put these 4-Ingredient Chocolate Crunch Bars on your list of awesome rice krispie treats to make. These are hugely popular when I serve them to guests! It’s worth noting that the ingredient list in that recipe and in this one are very similar, making life easier. They just turn out two different and fun treats!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch CupsYum

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cups - 4 Ingredients
 
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Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons Honey
  • 2½ cups Crisp Rice Cereal
  • 1½ cups any variety Chocolate Chips
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan, stir peanut butter and honey together over low heat until melted.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in rice crispy cereal.
  3. Press mixture into 12 muffin cups. (I recommend silicone cups to make them easy to remove.)
  4. Melt chocolate chips on the stovetop, stirring until melted and smooth.
  5. Spoon and spread melted chocolate over each peanut butter crispy cup.
  6. Refrigerate for at least an hour until chocolate has hardened.
  7. Remove cups and serve!
  8. Store Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Cups in an air tight container.

 

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Meatless, Egg Free, Dairy-Free Recipes

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Yes indeed. Here’s a list of Meatless, Egg Free, Dairy Free Recipes that are still fun. Mostly.

Is it possible? Is this meat-loving, dairy-loving mama going to share some Vegan recipes with you?

Well, funny story. (Yeah. So, so funny.)

Twas the night before Christmas Eve, 2019, and my darling husband decided to watch a documentary. Why, Matt, why? You couldn’t have just watched Elf??

But no. He watched the one about why we should probably not be eating as much or any meat, eggs, or dairy. The next day, he stood in the kitchen telling me about it – you know – while I was cooking seven pounds of hamburger meat in my Instant Pot and whipping cream for pies. Dude, you have got to be kidding me. No meat or dairy? Do you even know me at all?

But alas, the documentary had convinced him. Not that we should all go vegan (BECAUSE MAMA NEEDS HER BUTTER!!!!!). But he wondered if he might need to cut out animal products as an experiment to see if the change helped some of the minor health issues he’d been experiencing.

I almost got mad (she admits, sheepishly). It’s just that with two one-year-old babies toddling around and crawling on the floor eating food I hadn’t found time to sweep up yet, and a 6-year old who constantly demands attention and needs a lot of re-training, and all the others and everything else plus a freezer full of MEAT  – I didn’t know what to do with the words he’d just spoken.

It’s a Wonderful Life, Matt. Now THAT’S a great Christmas movie. Documentary, schmocumentary. Stop trying to learn new things.

So after the 5-minute tantrum I had inside my head, I half-smiled and told him that after Christmas I’d consider thinking about thinking about how I could possibly accommodate this idea. But for today, we were eating meatballs. God bless us, everyone.

Anyway, after Christmas was over and we started to settle into a new routine, I became intrigued by the challenge of figuring out tasty ways to feed my favorite guy. After all, man cannot live on peanut butter alone.

And that, my friends, is the story of why I’m sharing this list of Meatless, Egg Free, Dairy-Free Recipes. Mind you, I just ate a slice of homemade pizza that was heavily topped with cheese and two kinds of meat. (I don’t watch documentaries that tell me things I don’t want to hear. Heh.)

Meatless, Egg Free, Dairy-Free Recipes

Here are some of the recipes I’ve adapted by leaving out ALL OF THE GOOD STUFF. (I mean, by excluding potentially harmful ingredients in an effort to bless my husband’s health.) I am so proud that the recipe links in this list made it into the double-digits. I wasn’t sure I could do it. Because have you seen my recipes??!! Cream cheese rules! Butter and beef for days!!!! But not in these recipes:

Can you believe it? Out of the hundreds of recipes on my site, this tiny list is all I could come up with. Send help!

Or not, because Matt’s not living and dying by this lifestyle. He’s just experimenting to see if it makes a difference. Meanwhile, he’s making lots of veggie stir-fries for himself, spreading peanut butter on bread or apples or bananas, and really focusing on eating lots of veggies and fruits in general.

Long live the cow. And all of the cow’s friends. I like beef. The end.

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Groceries I Order From Azure Standard

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Curious about what groceries I regularly order from Azure Standard? Today I’ll share what’s often on my list!

Real Food Groceries I Buy From Azure Standard

First, let’s review.

Here’s a post to share what Azure Standard is and why I shop with them regularly. (Spoiler: They’re a food co-op that delivers even to small towns all over the U.S. Their prices on whole foods are fantastic!! More details here.)

Real Food Groceries I Buy from Azure Standard

  • 5-Pound Bags of Frozen Organic Peas, Green Beans, and Corn

We usually go through two bags each of frozen green beans and peas each month and one bag of corn. These are fabulous to have on hand!

  • 5-Pound Bag of Dry Roast, Unsalted Peanuts

I (used to) buy one of these each month to make several jars of Creamy Peanut Butter for my family. If you want to make your own peanut butter, I highly recommend buying nuts here!

  • 10-Inch Tortillas

Yes, I used to make them. But during this season in our lives, I am so grateful to have ready-made tortillas in our freezer! I buy them by the case and use them for Meat and Cheese Burritos, Breakfast Burritos, and Quesadillas. My favorite brand of tortillas from Azure is Stacey’s.

  • Frozen Potatoes

I have been getting 30-pound boxes of Frozen Hashbrowns, Southern Style, and I use them in so many ways! They are wonderful in casseroles like this and in my Easy Breakfast Casserole. Recently I realized I could even make them into these Mashed Potatoes and wow! Game changer! They are also a favorite in this Awesome Potato Soup.

  • Hard and Soft White Wheat

I used to grind our wheat fresh in my Nutrimill, so I liked to buy 25 pounds of hard white wheat and soft white wheat every month or two from Azure so I can always make whole wheat flour as needed. Read more about grinding wheat and which flour works best in various recipes here.

UPDATE: I don’t have time to grind flour anymore. So instead, I buy Azure’s flour: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (for non-yeast baking) and Hard White Wheat Flour (for yeast recipes).

  • Oats

It’s so nice to buy a 25-pound bag of rolled oats to have for Homemade Instant Oatmeal, Breakfast Bars, Granola, and Cookies! I keep the oats in our extra freezers to pull out as needed. (Here’s a list of other great food I make with oats!)

  • Brown Rice

Just like oats and wheat, I like to buy 25-pound sacks of rice (if I still have room in my freezer!).

  • Active Dry Yeast

It’s awesome to buy a 5-pound bag of yeast to keep in the freezer and use it for baking as needed!

  • Fresh Produce

Some of their organic fresh produce is too pricey for my budget. But I find that most of the time their yellow potatoes, varieties of apples, peaches, and pears are usually super reasonably priced! And depending on the season, other produce options are a great price too!

  • Sale Items

Azure runs monthly discounts so I always scroll through them to see what is marked down 20% or or more and take advantage if I feel it will benefit my family!

I used to always buy butter and cheese from Azure Standard also, but the prices on those have gone up so now I just get those at a regular grocery store.

How Azure Standard works:

  1. Become a member. It is completely free.
  2. Join a local drop point (or start one).
  3. Order online each month according to your needs. There is no obligation to order if you don’t need or want anything. Just shop any or all months of the year as needed.
  4. The drop coordinator for your group will be informed of the truck delivery time each month. He/she will send information to let you know when/where to meet.
  5. Meet at the designated pick-up time and location to help unload the truck and take home your order! This unloading and sorting process usually only takes 15 minutes.

Are you a regular Azure Standard customer? What do you like to buy?

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How Tasha Paid off $49,000 in Two Years on a Low Income!

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You are going to be so inspired to read about how Tasha paid off $49,000 in two years!

Hi guys! It’s me, Tasha.

My Kentucky roots are urging me to say, “Hey y’all,” but I’m not sure if my northern friends could handle it. I’ve been budging in on Laura’s blog for a couple months now. I’m the one who feeds her kids a dry crust, likes to set goals, had an Amazon addiction, paid off all the debt and wants you to know that God really really loves you.

I can’t wait to share with you the wonderful things I’ve learned on this crazy Get-Out-Of-Debt journey! I’m going to start digging into how we paid off (for us) big debt with not-so-big income.

I’ve deleted nearly 10,000 words trying to get this out; you’re welcome. The problem is I keep getting distracted by all the things I want to tell you! I want to write the right story. I want you to hear what I’ve done here and see over the sea of words as I explain the sun to my son and teach him the joy of homophones. Sorry, what was I saying?

How Tasha Paid off $49,000 in Two Years on a Low Income!

No really. How did we live on half our income and give away $49,000 in two years? ($29,000 the first and $20,000 the second.)

  • BY NOT GETTING DISTRACTED
  • SETTING A GOAL AND STICKING TO IT

We decided what we wanted to do, we made a plan, we wrote it down, and we stuck to it. It was the theme of the year. For two years.

Deuteronomy 6:7-8 says, “Impress [the old covenant laws] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

We were this intentional with our goal for financial freedom.

Ben and I lived and breathed financial freedom. “Ramsey says…” was perhaps the most used conversation starter at our dinner table. I was going to use the term, Laser Focus. But no, our focus was broad–it encompassed every facet of our lives for two years. We had floodlight intensity.

Our “drastic” first step was to cancel our internet service. Yes, Ben was taking online courses for his MA degree at the time.

As it turns out, the library has internet! For Free! Here’s the basic line-up of what we did:

Eating out? Nope. If we did it came out of the grocery budget. Yikes!

Groceries and Household? $200 a month, with $50 extra for buying All The Butter if it went on sale. Oatmeal was a staple. I could stretch a pound of beef for three meals, but mostly chicken was on the menu. Neighbors are always trying to offload extra garden zucchini and tomatoes. I didn’t buy blueberries. Cream cheese was a treat. I made use of Amazon Subscribe and Save to get 15% off many household items. Sometimes this may have actually cost $1 more than an off-brand at a store, but the time and gas it saved me was worth it. I read recently the average shopper spends $18 to $37 extra on impulse buys every time they go grocery shopping!

These three tagalongs did not eat much at the time.

Dates? One pre-planned show for a highly anticipated film. Many pre-planned home “dates” and free entertainment excursions.

Christmas? Saved $25 a month leading up to December to cover the special food and travel. Our two babies (4 yr and 2 yr) at the time enjoyed homemade gifts and were just as grateful.

Cell Phone? Just one.

Birthdays? Averaged $10. So many fun experiences!

Tithe to local church? YES. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

Coffee Shop? $2 once a month when I met with friends.

Vehicles? Paid for. Budgeted $50 a month covered yearly taxes and insurance for both. We drive the cheapest we can find that are still reliable. 1990 Buick is the way to go.

Vacation? Saved $150 a month, camped with the kids multiple times and took an adult only $1000 trip to Denver. Spent six nights in an Airbnb, hiked, relaxed, breakfasted at one delicious French Crepe restaurant, dinner at one 5-star restaurant, other meals from the grocery store.

Beautiful hike just the two of us! I thought I was suffering from severe altitude sickness for five days before taking a pregnancy test! Hello, Baby #4!

Other Gifts? This one was hard. When your kid gets invited to a birthday and begins to notice that other kid getting a bunch of presents when he had a perfectly happy birthday without the presents and now questions why he didn’t get a bunch of presents…. Our standard was to give a lovely hand-made card to the child offering a ONE DAY OF FUN for a playdate at our house. We would arrange afterward with the parents, we would pick up the kid, have special activities planned like a sprinkler or a trip to the park. Everyone had fun without feeling jilted.

Side Hustle? Yes! I took in sewing jobs and alterations for prom dresses, etc. Ben worked early mornings at another job.

Heart Change? Yes. God said, “I am Enough.”

You could take this action plan: Pay off $$ by a certain date. Don’t buy stuff. Don’t go anywhere. Don’t do anything. Work more. 

{Haha, I’m dying with laughter over here. I’m of the generation that doesn’t know how to have a written conversation without emojis so this is a struggle for me. I’m laughing-with-all-the-tears.} That plan sounds terrible! That’s what we did, but it was way more fun than it sounds.

We didn’t buy a bunch of stuff because God helped us see that He was enough and to find contentment in Him. We didn’t go places without intention. We did lots of things that were free and affordable. We did have a zoo membership and a pool pass and packed lunches on days we went. We did spend hours at the park and invited friends over to play and grilled hotdogs and danced in sprinklers and listened to music really really loud. We did work more, quite a bit more with multiple side hustles, but God’s peace permeated our financial goals those two years.

Is this the face of a boy who wishes his parents spent more money on him? I see pure joy and childhood bliss.

Don’t be Discouraged!

If reading through our story has brought you more discouragement than hope, chin up! If getting out of debt is something you yearn for please please please take this up with God. Ask him to show you how, ask him for his peace and discipline. Perhaps you really can live on $20,000 for two years and bust it out! But perhaps you are in a place where that is not possible. I really do believe that if you listen to God telling you that He is Enough and lean into him, you will find peace and perhaps a few extra thousand dollars. I have a friend that pays the minimum on all the loans and then an extra $50. That’s a great start!

What about you?

How can I encourage you in your journey? What questions do you have that I can address? What would you like me to cover? Would you like to know actual numbers for our current budget?

I want to hear from you!

P.S. No really. I want to hear from you. Comment below and tell me what’s the craziest thing you ever bought on accident. Mine is face cream for $145 from a mall kiosk during year two. After reading thousands of words of my financial journey, can you believe I spent $145 on a tiny jar of lotion? I don’t know what came over me. Your turn!

 

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Easy Heart-Shaped Food for Valentine’s Day

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It’s pretty easy to make heart-shaped food for Valentine’s Day! I’m pretty sure this is the least expensive way to treat your family and show them extra love!


Our family hardly ever spends extra money on Valentine’s Day, but we do like to make our food fun!

I recommend getting an inexpensive set of Heart-Shaped cookie cutters in a variety of sizes like this one. Then you and your family can be creative with all the ways you can make heart-shaped food!

Easy Heart-Shaped Food for Valentine’s DayYum

Food you can easily shape into hearts (with or without cookie cutters) before serving it to your family on Valentine’s Day:

  1. Simple Whole Wheat Pancakes
  2. Whole Wheat Waffles
  3. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
  4. Quesadillas
  5. Pizza
  6. Whole Wheat Donuts
  7. Poptarts
  8. Quick Mix Biscuits
  9. Soft Pretzels
  10. Cream Cheese Cookie Cutouts
  11. The Easiest Chocolate Fudge
  12. Peanut Butter Honey Fudge
  13. Chocolate Chip Brownies
  14. Chocolate Chip Cookies
  15. Cheesecake Brownies
  16. Butterscotch Bars

To go with your Heart-Shaped Foods, here are some bonus Valentine’s Day food ideas, you’ll enjoy looking through these lists…

Red and Pink Treats (No Food Dye!)

Sprinkles are fun, but not entirely necessary if you have naturally red and pink goodies like these:

  1. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  2. Strawberry Cream Muffins
  3. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
  4. Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries
  5. Strawberry-Peach Slushies
  6. Strawberry-Kefir Smoothies
  7. Strawberry Yogurt
  8. Strawberry-Yogurt Fruit Dip
  9. Strawberry Christmas Salad (which obviously becomes Strawberry Valentine Salad on Feb. 14)
  10. Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
  11. 7-Minute Strawberry Ice Cream
  12. Strawberry Creamsicles
  13. Strawberry Shortcake
  14. Strawberry Milkshakes
  15. Easy Raspberry Syrup (for your heart-shaped pancakes)
  16. Raspberry Lemon Cream Cups

Don’t forget obvious foods that are red – like tomatoes, sweet peppers, strawberries, grapes, cherries, or raspberries!

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Treats

Chocolate is always a hit on Valentine’s Day! (And if you’re me, it’s also a hit tomorrow and the day after that.) Here are some great chocolate treats you might consider making to share with your family:

  1. Warm Chocolate Soother
  2. Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries (which I realize I mentioned above, but it is both red and chocolate, so it deserves to be in both categories)
  3. No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
  4. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  5. Peanut Butter or Caramel Chocolate Truffles
  6. Low Sugar Chocolate Cake
  7. Low Sugar Chocolate Cheesecake
  8. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mousse
  9. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
  10. Homemade Chocolate Frappe
  11. Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
  12. Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

What are some of your family’s Valentine’s Day traditions?

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The Best Hot Drinks for Fall and Winter

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Spring isn’t here yet! It’s the cozy time of year that calls for hot drinks. Here are our favorites!

The Best Hot Drinks for Fall and Winter

1. Homemade Hot Cocoa

It’s pretty hard to beat Homemade Hot Cocoa. Well, unless you top it with fresh whipped cream. Then it’s even better!

Homemade Hot Cocoa

2. Warm Vanilla Soother

If the idea of drinking warm pudding appeals to you, then you are going to love this. This is fantastic comfort food, er drink. So nourishing and comforting!

warmvanillasoother2sm

3. Warm Chocolate Soother

How about drinking something that tastes like a brownie? That’s how amazing this Warm Chocolate Soother is. Drink it for breakfast and your day is off to a perfect, chocolaty start!

4. Chocolate Mint Soother

How soothing are these soothers? Truly.

5. Warm Pumpkin Custard Drink

This hot drink will blow your mind. What do you think about drinking what tastes like pumpkin pie? Yup.

Now let’s talk coffee. It’s probably no surprise that coffee is my favorite hot drink. :) Here are some great ways to sweeten up your mug of hot coffee!

6. Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer

This one is super sugary, so drink it at your own risk. :)

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer

7. Chocolate Whipped Cream for Coffee

Now THIS is where it’s at. I make it with stevia so it is a completely sugarless and healthy option for sweetening your coffee. And it’s chocolate. So that means we can all survive even the coldest winter days with a genuine smile on our faces.

Chocolate Whipped Cream - Perfect For Your Coffee

8. Peppermint Cream for Cocoa and Coffee

Bookmark or pin this one to during the holidays. Or tomorrow (isn’t every day a holiday?). SO GOOD.

While cocoa and coffee are always a favorite, let’s now take a moment to look at a recipe for the best apple cider!

9. Crockpot Cranberry Apple Cider

This is extremely easy to make and makes your house smell incredible! Everyone I’ve served this to loves it!

What are your favorite hot drinks for fall and winter?

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Did Tasha Pay off Her Huge Debt in One Year?

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I’m sure you’re all wondering: Did Tasha pay off her huge debt in just one year?! Read Part 1 of this compelling sage here! 

Did Tasha Pay Off Her Huge Debt in One Year?

by Tasha Hackett

I had decided that I was not going to be in debt forever and better yet, was going to scramble out of it as quickly as I possibly could. 

Could we live on half our income? Our one-salary-teacher’s-pay income?

Could we bust out a large portion of our debt in one year? It seemed drastic. But also super exciting because, as mentioned, I am highly motivated by challenges and numbers and worksheets and goals and if we pretended it was all just one big game maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

At the time, our take-home pay was $3,300 a month (Just under $40K a year). That meant we needed to live on $20,000. I knew it could be done because we had been living on that seven years ago… except we’d only had one kid and a smaller house and only one car and one phone and no internet and we never went out or did anything that cost money and ate potatoes and cabbage and beans and eggs and grape juice was a fancy treat. *Whew*

But I saw in my pencil-in-the-margin scribbles: So you’re saying there’s a chance. 

What about the rest of my family?

I have the gift of persuasion. Ask my three siblings. And I know what motivates Ben. (Dreams of vacations to Disney World, sport cars, steak…) He began listening to Dave Ramsey Podcasts in the shower and on the way to work, so he was definitely on board with my crazy plan. We named 2017 “Year of Plenty” to remind us that we really did have plenty and that we were making this choice. On purpose. 

I’ll skip to the end: It didn’t work. 

We couldn’t do it. 

By June of 2017 we had paid off only $3000 of the projected $20,000 goal. We had cars break down. A terrible leak in the basement. One thing after another.

In July I fell to my knees and prayed earnestly for God to pay these debts off. I began praying multiple times a day for this specific request. That’s when I realized my debt-pay-off goal was incredibly self-centered.

God did a number on my attitude about money that year. When I realigned my will with God’s and continued to petition his aid, He delivered. As he does over and over. I am no longer surprised by this, just expectant of his wonderful plans, though it took me 32 years to get there. 

By December 31, 2017 we had paid off a total of $29,000. 

Whaa!?!? I know. That’s nine thousand more than planned. I can’t even. God does amazing things. I’ll go into detail later on what living on half our income really looked like. For now just rest assured that what is impossible with man is possible with God. I’m not preaching a health and wealth gospel to you. 

I’m telling you that I was sick of being where we were and so I asked and let God change our hearts. 

I was sick of “being poor” and realized, with a heavenly tap on the shoulder, that I wasn’t poor. I had plenty. More than plenty. I just needed a fire under me to get started. I needed a reason to do this hard thing. I needed to see a light at the end and begin to hope and plan and dream of a different kind of financial life. When a family requests money to fund their mission work in Ecuador I can say, “Absolutely!” and write off a thousand dollar check and not worry about feeding my family. We had one year of plenty which opened our eyes to enjoy a year of generosity, and early 2019, except for our home mortgage, we finished off all debt, including Ben’s MA degree and baby number four medical bills… and…. What are we going to do next? (besides buy that Blentec??) 

We’re going to Disneyland! 

All six of us, on a plane, to stay in a hotel, to enjoy the beach and frivolous theme park extravaganza. And we’re paying cash for all of it. The freedom we’re experiencing from 2 ½  years of “extreme” consumer sacrifices is TOTALLY WORTH IT. 

My seven year old recently asked me, “Mom, are we rich?” I answered without a pause. “Yes! We are rich.” My four year old chimed in, “What is rich?” I answered, “Rich is having enough money to buy all the things you need.”

Someday they’ll grow up and think maybe I lied to them. But I pray they always feel rich, that they can distinguish between need and want, that they learn at an early age how to tell their money what to do, that they will live generously with whatever God will provide.

We have new and challenging and exciting financial goals for 2020 because we now understand, because we have plenty and are so rich, that if we don’t have a set plan for our money it will walk away all by itself. 

I can’t wait to share with you all the things I’ve learned and am still learning on this journey. 

See ya ‘round, 

Tasha

P.S. I know you’re saying, “Wait! This was a why story, what about the how?” I know! This too shall come. In the meantime, drop a note below. Do you have a goal for your money this year? What motivates you to pay off your debt? Are you having trouble finding a motivator? Are you debt-free? How does it feel!? 

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

The Easiest Chocolate Fudge Recipe

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This Easiest Chocolate Fudge recipe is for real. I’ve never made an easier fudge recipe! (And you’ll love that these ingredients are REAL!)

You may notice that this Chocolate Fudge recipe looks strangely similar to our Chocolate Fudge Pie recipe. That’s because it is the exact same recipe minus the pie crust.

What can I say? One recipe always turns into another around here! It something works well for one recipe, it often makes sense that it will work well with a few minor adaptations. So it is with this Easiest Chocolate Fudge recipe.

When I first made the pie variety, I poured a little extra pie filling into a dish without a crust. It cut into pieces just like fudge, tasted amazing just like fudge, and so here we are with a recipe for the Easiest Chocolate Fudge.

Food really isn’t as hard as we like to think that it is. (This Simple Real Food Recipes Cookbook proves it. If you don’t already have it, you need it!! This will save you so much time and energy while you feed your family great meals!)

I figured you might need this fudge recipe this Valentine’s day as you make special treats for your special people. Use any chocolate chips you like best – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate. So delicious!

Easiest Chocolate Fudge RecipeYum

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The Easiest Chocolate Fudge Recipe
 
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Serves: 40
Ingredients
  • 10-ounces chocolate chips
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and butter together.
  2. Once melted, whip the chocolate mixture and the cream with beaters or in a high power blender (like a Blendtec) until smooth and thick.
  3. Pour mixture into a 9x9 inch pan.
  4. Chill for at least two hours before cutting and serving.

Chocolate Hint:

Do yourself a favor and order any of the Cocoa Powders, Chocolate Chips, or Chocolate Chunks from Olive Nation. (And use the code home to get 20% off!) I can’t tell you what a wonderful difference these cocoa powders and chocolate chips have made in my chocolate recipes. The quality is MUCH better, and they do not cost more than I was spending on the lesser varieties.

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Never Tried Lilla Rose Before?

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If you’re brand new to Lilla Rose, you’re in for a treat!!

My independent stylist, Paula Ramm, is offering a special Buy 3 – Get 1 – Free Offer just for YOU!

With a single purchase of any three items, you will be credited $17 Lilla Bucks that can be used on a future order, including tax and shipping!

You may have heard me talk about Paula and the Flexi clip for YEARS now, but weren’t sure whether you should take the plunge or not and give a Flexi a try.

You may have wondered if the Flexi really is as good as they say…

Is it truly that simple to put my hair up in seconds?

Will it seriously eliminate my “ponytail headaches”?

Will I really forget it’s even there?

Does it truly last for years?

Does it really work on baby fine hair?

Does it really work on super long and thick hair?

Will it work in MY hair??

Now is a great time to see if the claims are true (*hint…they are!*)

And Lilla Rose has recently made their exchange process super easy by including a return label right in your package, so you can order with confidence, knowing you can exchange your Flexi for FREE for up to 90 days, if you happen to get the wrong size.

And what size(s) are you? Check out Paula’s super helpful sizing video here: How to Find your Perfect Flexi Size.

Fine print: This offer is only for those who are BRAND NEW to Lilla Rose and order 3 or more items in their first order. The order must have been made through Paula’s website, as this is an personal offer from her to Heavenly Homemakers’ readers only. This offer is not sponsored by Lilla Rose, Inc. or available through other independent stylists. Be sure you see Paula’s name on your checkout page. $17 credit toward a future order will be added to your account upon request. Offer expires Feb. 3, 2020.

To redeem, email Paula with your order # and ask for your $17 Lilla Bucks!

“I just received my hair jewelry :) I have never had something so pretty that held my hair, without giving me any headaches. Looks incredible and no headaches, I’ll be visiting more often!” ~Lise S.

P.S. If you are an existing customer, no worries! You can still get the monthly special of a FREE bobby pin with your $40 purchase, and TWO Free bobby pins with a $50 purchase. :)

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