by kathilipp | Mar 9, 2018 | Clutter Free, Foodie Friday, Recipe, Uncategorized |
If you’ve ever struggled with having more month than money, you know the value of having a pound of ground meat on hand and making more with less. What if I were to tell you, I could turn a pound of meat into six without sacrificing taste or satisfaction? Would you take the kitchen challenge?
It wasn’t long ago that my family was in a tight financial bind. Job loss and chronic health issues combined to slash our income by 60 percent one year – and we had a baby on the way. We needed to make fast, dramatic changes just keep our heads above water
I read enough to know that food costs are the most flexible monthly expense a family has, so I looked closely at our grocery spending. Here in the U.S., many of us over-spend out of convenience.
I devised a plan to stretch our grocery dollars by making the whole family vegan – no animal products or by-products (yeah, no eggs or cheese) – because animal protein is a pricey commodity. That lasted two days before mutiny ensued. Our 3-year-old quickly became the aunt from “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding” – “What do you mean no meat?!” As for my husband, let’s just say this is not what he had in mind when he vowed “for better or worse.”
If I didn’t want to lose my role as family CEO via hostile toddler takeover, I needed a Plan B. I decided to mix things up, which resulted in Mom’s Magical Miracle. The magic is that the recipe below turns a pound of ground meat into about six pounds of versatile meat filling that can be used in anything from burritos to lasagna. “Meat filling” sounds sketchy but “magical miracle” has mystique.
It’s all in the sales pitch.
The miracle is how a recipe like this can clear the clutter from a mom’s worried mind. You know you’re feeding your family well while sticking within a lean budget. Even if money isn’t an issue, cutting back on food costs allows you to focus finances elsewhere in life like sponsoring a child in need or saving up for a vacation.
Are you ready to create a little kitchen magic for yourself? Download my recipe for Mom’s Magical Miracle today. Try on my magician’s hat and let us know how it works for you and your family. Even better, share photos of your favorite Miracle Meal with us over at the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group. I can’t wait to drool over your kitchen creations.
Tonya Kubo is the illustrious, fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter-Free Academy Facebook group. She and her husband, Brian, are raising two spirited girls in the agricultural heart of California. She writes about fighting the demons of comparison, clutter and compulsion on www.tonyakubo.com.
by kathilipp | Mar 7, 2018 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Heart, Fear |
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26, NIV)
“Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12:15, MSG)
It was the closet that I’d been avoiding. It was organized, but there were simply too many things I didn’t need and wasn’t wearing. I stared at the same blouses that had hung there unworn since the last purge. I’d made progress, but not with these items.
Why couldn’t I part with these things?! Yes, they were beautiful. Some had been expensive. All were in perfect condition. But they didn’t fit me anymore. Physically they fit, but not in other important ways. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but every time I had an occasion to wear them, I decided not to.
Why? In a word – fear.
If I get rid of this, will I have what I need?
But it felt deeper than just that.
As so often happens, I decided to pray. As a last resort. Sigh.
I asked God to show me what was going on.
As I pulled the hangers out one at a time, to look at each garment, I was surprised to realize each was “speaking” to me.
I soon discovered these clothes represented fear about the future, fear about who I really am (and who I am not), fear about my value and worth.
How is that even possible?! It’s a collection of threads, for heaven’s sake!
What’s more, so many of the messages were lies. On hangers. They said:
- You’ll have to settle – you can’t get and don’t deserve what you really want.
- This is too beautiful for you. You’re not that person.
- You can’t rely on anyone but yourself.
- If your husband dies, you’ll have to go back to work full time. Be ready.
- Strength comes from looking good.
- Look outside yourself for love.
- You can’t trust your own experience; just ignore these emotions.
- You can control everything – how you’re perceived, how others feel.
- You can hide here. Be invisible.
I became aware of emotions, too.
The beautiful paisley skirt? I noticed sadness on that hanger. I’d worn it for my daughter’s baptism, but now it reminded me of my Aunt Barbara, who’d died shortly afterward.
When I can’t imagine my future I tend to cling to the past; to what’s familiar. Even when it doesn’t fit me anymore.
But fear calls us to prepare, to decide what action we need to take.
If you find yourself confronting fear in your own pursuit of the Clutter Free life, steep yourself in God-reality:
- “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
- Identify the fear or lie that each item brings up. Be specific.
- Trust that God will take care of your needs. “Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.” Luke 12:5
- Make a decision about what you will do – or not do.
- In faith, make room for the new thing God is preparing.
As I read the final words in the 12th chapter of Luke, I felt myself exhaling.
“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving.” Luke 12:24 (MSG)
God, help me to be grateful for all you have already given me. Help me let go and live lightly. Keep me open to receive what you want to give me, above all your love and direction.
Kimberly Gonsalves helps parents thrive while raising capable, connected, compassionate, resilient kids. An ICF-accredited coach, she combines Adlerian-based principles of mutually respectful relationships with the science of healthy habit creation, helping parents bring their best to their most important leadership roles. Married for 25 years, she and her husband have a young adult son and high school aged daughter. Her family provides daily opportunities to practice walking her talk. Her motto is “Be creative: make a new mistake today!”
by kathilipp | Mar 5, 2018 | Clutter Free, Recipes, tips and ideas |
1. The Use-it-Up Shelf
In my fridge I have a small shelf that has cheese that has been opened, butter sticks that are cut in half, salami that’s about to expire and salad toppings (shredded carrots, chopped celery, sliced cucumbers) that need to be eaten first. I have put a piece of tape on it that screams “Eat me first!”
The “Use It Up” shelf is a reminder that these things need to be eaten first so that we are not wasting food and money. Why eat cheese that will expire in three months when you have some that will expire in three weeks?
2. Tag Your Pantry
Use blue painter’s tape to mark anything that is going to expire in the next month. Make sure those boxes and cans are towards the front, so you can see what needs to be used up when you’re thinking about what to make for dinner.
3. Meal Plan
And speaking of what to make for dinner, deciding early in the week what you’re going to cook for the rest of the week is one of the best ways to make sure you use all the fresh ingredients you have in your fridge.
4. Store Smart
- Don’t store bananas and apples together (apples quicken the ripening of bananas).
- Store fresh herbs in a jar of water in the fridge.
- Trim asparagus ends and keep them in the fridge in a glass of water (just like you would with a bouquet of flowers) to help them last longer.
- Keep citrus good longer by putting it in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to three weeks.
5. Prep Food as Soon as You Get Home
It’s easy to be optimistic in the store; “Of course we will use all of these vegetables. I will lovingly make salads and veggie soup every night for my family.” But when the dinner crunch is looming, it’s so much easier to grab a frozen pizza and vow to make the salad tomorrow night – until tomorrow night comes….
One of the best decisions we’ve made is to prep our shop. When we get home from the store (or that evening) I will go through and wash and spin salad, grate carrots, slice veggies, hard boil some eggs, and generally prep as much food as I can for the coming days. We are about six times as likely to eat fresh food when it is prepped.
6. You have permission to eat all the veggies/fruit in a day.
My friend, Jenn, told me that her kids didn’t want to eat the fruits and veggies that she bought because they were afraid she was saving them for special recipes. Then there would be soft carrots and limp celery and all that money went to waste. Now Jenn tells her kids “Eat all of the fruits and vegetables in a day, it’s fine!” That way she makes sure they are not going to waste.
We now get some of our fruits and veggies from imperfectproduce.com (Use this link to get $10 off your first order! Our orders turn out to be about $15 every other week.) We love the freshness of all the produce we’ve received. (The reason they are imperfect is usually an unusual shape or size or too large of a crop.) We find ourselves eating up the fresh produce because we get to pick what’s in the box and know that we will use and love all of it.
7. Shop Your Pantry Before You Shop Your Store
We’ve all done it—arrived at the store and then thought to ourselves, “Do we have milk? I can’t remember. I’ll pick some up just in case…” And that “just in case” jug of milk is now the fifth gallon of milk in your fridge.
Before you go to the store, do a double take of what you actually have at your house so you’re not spending your valuable grocery dollars on stuff that you already have.
8. Use Your Freezer
I freeze just about everything except for salad. I am a freezer ninja! But here are a couple of ways I use my freezer that might not have occurred to you:
Soup Bag: I have a freezer bag that I use for any veggies that might be on this side of ripe: leftover salad fixings (sliced mushrooms, onions, celery, carrots, etc.) and then when the bag is full, I sauté everything in there and use it for the base of a veggie soup. It comes out different every time, but it is consistently delicious.
Berry Bag: I love fresh berries and eat a lot of them (on my morning oatmeal, whenever we have company over and I make Instant Pot Cheesecake,) but sometimes even I can’t go through the several types I can buy in a week (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry). So when they are starting to get ripe I’ll throw them into a bag in the freezer and use them to make smoothies or defrost them and make Warm Berry Compote . Both super easy and a great way to not waste a single, beautiful berry.
9. Fall in Love with Cooking Again
As I was writing this article early Saturday morning and thinking through the “Use it Up” principle, I started to feel the guilt of the apples sitting in our fruit bowl that needed to be used up. Since Saturday morning is the only time during the week I cook an actual breakfast (the rest of the week is YOYO – You’re On Your Own) I decided it was now or never. I found a great recipe for Sautéed Apples and put those on top of wheat pancakes for our breakfast. It was a major win.
There is really no better feeling in the world than to cook something from ingredients you already have (and would go to waste if you didn’t use them.)
It’s easy to get into a rut of making excuses for not cooking, but if cooking is something you once enjoyed, it’s time to fall in love with cooking again. Here are some ways to do just that:
- Read great books about people who love to cook. I’m currently listening to Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook by Alice Waters but have enjoyed so many other books by people who love to cook (professionally and for the ones they love). Here is a list of books I’ve loved to listen to while I cook:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver and Camille Kingsolver
The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love Paperback by Kristin Kimball
My Life in France Paperback by Julia Child? and Alex Prud’homme
- Watch real cooking shows. Yes- it’s fun to see people make life-sized gingerbread houses with fully animatronic witches made out of 4,000 gumdrops. But if you want to get inspired to get into the kitchen, watch real people making real food. I love America’s Test Kitchen (PBS) and always want to run into the kitchen and create after seeing any of their chefs doing their thing.
3. Cook with people you love. This is my best tip. Make an event out of it and get in the kitchen with good food and lovely people.
I would love to hear you ideas about how you’ve reduced food waste in your home.
by kathilipp | Feb 27, 2018 | Clutter Free, Podcast |
Doesn’t it feel like our lives are being slowly overrun by paper? It is everywhere and every day we see a little more of it take over our counters and cupboards. Is there anything we can do to really combat this or are we destined to keep every piece of paper that comes into our houses?
Tonya Kubo, the fearless leader of our Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group is back with Kathi talking about the top 10 types of paper we can let go of now, and forever.
Tonya Kubo is the illustrious, fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter-Free Academy Facebook group. She and her husband, Brian, are raising two spirited girls in the agricultural heart of California. She writes about fighting the demons of comparison, clutter and compulsion on www.tonyakubo.com.
by kathilipp | Feb 13, 2018 | Bible Study, Clutter Free |
Friends, I am so thrilled about tomorrow morning. We’re launching our second year of the Clutter Free Bible Study with a few hundred (maybe a couple thousand) friends over on our Facebook group. We’ll spend the next 40 days taking a deep dive into the spiritual side of Clutter. Going Clutter Free is a lot like peeling an onion, every layer removed reveals something hidden beneath. Together, we’re going to figure out the emotions that lurk below the surface of our attachment to our stuff. I want YOU to come join us. Wonder if you’re ready to take on the challenge?
Here’s what last year’s participants have to say about their experiences:
“I have learned so much through this process about the ways clutter affects not only my house buy my body and my mental health too. I am learning to let go of stuff that before had a hold on my life I didn’t even realize. I am so grateful to be on this journey with all of you!” ~ Robin
“On Christmas Eve 2013, my youngest son wanted to host a tea party for his grandparents but our house was such a disaster that they were forbidden from coming inside and we had a picnic in the back yard instead. After doing Clutter Free in 2015, this year they’re allowed ANYwhere in my house! What a difference a year makes!” ~ Tabitha
“I discovered fears I didn’t know I had – fears of poverty, scarcity and of losing control. I learned to trust God to provide what I needed when I needed it.” ~ Tonya
You can get more details about the study here. This year the Online Group kicks off on Februray 14 and runs until March 28. If you sign up before February 14, you’ll get a great deal for the online study access for just $14.99 (normally $25) by using code CFBSFEB18. Talk about a Valentine’s gift to yourself.
Plus, join us in the nicest corner of the internet – the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group, absolutely free. Join others who are finding freedom and sharing their #onesmallwin moments as they tackle clutter and find ways to be all that God has designed them to be. You can do it and we’d love to help.
by kathilipp | Feb 13, 2018 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Podcast, Podcast, tips and ideas |
Erin MacPherson is back in an episode you don’t want to miss. With so many natural disasters and unplanned emergencies happening this past year in our country, it’s easy to see why a little preparedness will go a long way. Kathi and Erin discuss how and what to put together to make sure you are prepared for those unexpected moments. And of course, how do we do it without collecting clutter.
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
