mom

First things first...
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Everyone looks at these beautiful pictures and ideals of perfectly curated homes and all the stay at home, cozy, homesteading vibes. How can you get that feel when you simply don’t have time?

Speaking of time,  you can skip to the recipe here.

Look, this isn’t a knock at SAHM’s. It’s a hard job. So is being a working mom and still having these healthy, always present expectations that we place upon ourselves because that is what society shows us.

Anyway, we jut had a great rainstorm last night and it’s October 1st as I write this, with my chicken stock simmering on my gas stovetop. I’ve got ALL the fall vibes up in here today. Also, I like to maximize my time because I’m a mom! I don’t have extra hours; I have to get things in where we can fit them in.

Here is my simple and time saving chicken stock recipe.

First to clarify, stock is made from bones and simmered for longer.

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, my first time saving step is this: skip roasting the chicken. Unless you’d already planned on meal prep or happen to roast a chicken last night for dinner, skip it. Go grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. I’m serious!

Next, take the meat off the bones. As much as you can muster or have the patience for. Use it for dinner the night before you make your stock, or make chicken salad for the week, or save it for chicken soup later (that’s what I’ll be doing today).

Then add all of the bones unto a large stock pot. I cant emphasize LARGE stockpot enough. You don’t need anything fancy. If you don’t already have one, try this one from amazon.

Next, add unpeeled carrots cut maybe in half. You just want them to fit. Add celery cut the same way, LEAVES INCLUDED. Seriously, it adds more flavor.

Add crushed garlic, an onion cut in quarters, and whatever fresh or dried spices you prefer. Fresh spices if you have them will add more flavor but this is about ease and saving time right? I used Italian seasoning in this last batch (basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sage). I also added 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic powder (yes even with the fresh garlic), add some salt. If you rather add salt to your dishes you make with the stock later you can add less salt or no salt. It depends on your preference and dietary needs.

Add water to cover everything and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2 hours or more. The bones should get soft and turn rather gelatinous. When it’s done, strain the stock through a colander and into a container large enough to hold the liquid. I like the large pyrex measuring cups for this. 

Allow the stock to cool. Skim off any fat that comes to the top and discard. Then use as needed.

You can store this in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If I have extra, I put a cup or 2 into zip lock bags, and lay them flat in my freezer to freeze. I do this especially with turkey stock after thanksgiving and then I’m good to go with soup stocks to use all winter long!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

- Chicken bones from rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken

- A few stalks of celery (5 or so will do, with leaves)

-4-5 carrots, unpeeled, halved

-1 onion, quartered

-2 bay leaves

-1Tbsp whole peppercorns

- Salt (how much is entirely up to you)

-Fresh garlic (I used 4 cloves)

-Fresh or dried spices. I prefer garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, and sage. But use what you like!

- Add chicken bones to large stock pot

- Add Fresh veggies to stock pot

-Cover with water

-Add fresh and/or dried spices to stock pot

-Bring to a boil

-Reduce to a simmer and cover loosely with lid

-Simmer for at least 2 hours or until bones are gelatinous and stock is a golden yellow color

-Strain off bones and veggies while keeping the stock

-Allow to cool and remove fat from the top with a spoon

-Use in soup immediately or store for future use 4-5 days in refrigerator or freeze

I hope you stay warm and cozy this fall and winter and I hope this recipe helps save you some time while also giving you all the cozy homemade warmth you're craving!

Mom. Boss. Employee. Oh, and partner (sorry babe, I promise I didn’t forget you). Those are just the major overarching titles I wear. Within those titles are a million other little things like teacher, servant, cook, cleaner, cheerleader, nurse, therapist, listener, sounding board, expert, learner, observer, leader, healer – and so many more.

It can easily all be too much. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I experience a full range of emotions for a day before 7am. I’m expected to do what others would deem impossible. But I do. If you’re a mom, you do, too.

How though, do we deal with people who just don’t live in that world? Or even those that do, but put extra (and often unnecessary) stress on us?

First of all, I have my moment of feeling like shit. Yep. I said that. You can let yourself feel the things, mama. It’s ok.

Then, I recognize it for what it is. If someone else is adding stress to me, it’s for one of two reasons.
1. It’s not real.
2. It’s something going on within them.

That’s it. Easy.

What do I mean by it’s not real? The stress – you’re putting it on yourself due to some made up expectation you’re not meeting in your own head. Which then leads to a cycle of guilt and eventually overwhelm.

What about when it is real? Listen, and listen closely. Anyone who intentionally (whether they recognize it or not is also on them) adds stress to your life, doesn’t know how to deal with a situation appropriately. You see, when people are stressed out, they feel that same guilt and overwhelm I mentioned above. When they don’t have the proper coping mechanisms, they pass that stress on to you. Whether it’s your kids, your spouse, your boss. Doesn’t matter.

Once I identify where it’s coming from, I ask myself a couple more questions. Like I said to our 13 year old the other day, “Will this matter in 5 minutes? 5 hours? 5 days? 5 years?”. If the answer is no, then make like Elsa and let it go. If the answer is yes, then it might be something worth fighting for.

There are always going to be people and things that add stress to your life. Leave it at the door, and remember what is important. I don’t know a single person that has said they wished they’d spent more time at work. Not a single one. So, when you’re juggling all the things, and you’re about to lose your shit, remember what matters the most. Them. The people who, at the end of it all, are going to be there for you. With you. Supporting you. Needing you. Loving you. And you’ll be right there doing the same for them, because that, is what matters. 

So let them put on their own shoes, even if it means you’ll be late. Let them carry their own bag, and give you an extra kiss, and ask you 85 million questions. If you don’t, you know you’ll be in the wrong mindset all day anyway, after you yell, scold, and drag them to the car. Your day might as well be done at that point, right? All you’re thinking about is that stress, you’re on edge all day and you’re counting down the minutes until you see them again. Be damned if you’re a stepparent and their other parent is picking them up that day.

We all feel it. The pressure, whether it’s said or not. At the end of the day, make the choice that will leave the world a better place. Our kids are the future. Our families are what you have at the end of the day. They are the reason we do what we do. It could always be worse, and tomorrow will be better.

Especially in 2020, this is a very loaded question, as a lot has changed for so many of us. It has definitely been a year that has required everyone to pivot, to recognize what is truly important, and it has brought out the best in some, and the worst in others.

The people that have had to adjust the most, are the ones that are thankfully the most resilient – the kids. I honestly think we will never be the same again, and I’m honestly not mad about that. Not at all, actually. I’m kind of glad that our perspectives have shifted.

At the beginning of all of this I certainly wasn’t feeling that way. I still have moments of stress, but I honestly wasn’t sure how we’d get through virtual learning while we adults worked form home side by side. But we did. We freaking did!

It wasn’t always pretty, either.

I’ve had to learn how to survive without seeing my siblings and parents besides the zoom or FaceTime call. I have a nephew who is growing like a weed and I feel like I’m missing it all.

Doors have been shut, and new ones have opened. Why? Because I was AWAKE. I was so awake this year. Awake to all that was around me. Awake to the people around me. Awake in a world that could easily make me cold and angry, and at times, it did.

Overall, 2020 has been a year of personal growth and transformation. Not only for myself but for our family. Kevin and I got engaged and started making plans for our future despite so many cancelled plans in 2020.

Our family of 5 has continued to learn how to live along side each other. We had a conversation just last night on what we had expected blending our families to be like. We both had totally opposite expectations – he, taking on the ever-optimistic role, and me the “worst case scenario” role. We were both wrong. I guess that is how all of life is, isn’t it? It’s never what we expect, but always what we need in order to help us grow, if we look for that opportunity.

I can’t help but think that somehow the five of us being together in our 1200 sq. ft. home helped us face some of those battles head on – or at least forced us to.

I could look at what we gave up in 2020, but what we gained is so much more. I look to 2021 for continued transformation in a heart of service to others. And while I have some huge goals for 2021, I know the biggest work to be done will be within the walls of my own home and in the hearts of those within it.

If you’re already feeling burnt out, jump in my free group “Exhausted to Energized Moms” and get back to feeling like you again. Come join us. If you need an accountability partner, or a community of support along this crazy motherhood journey, and you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and just not yourself, then this is the right place for you.

We all know movement is good for our bodies. It helps our circulation, regular exercise can increase our immunity, and it’s good for our minds too! It’s an opportunity to recharge. To relax. So often though, fitting exercise or striving for hitting those step goals can add stress into our already busy lives. When the heck can I find time for one more thing?

Sure, you could wake up earlier, or stay up later, but what are some practical ways to start out when you really are already stretched for time?

Overall, give yourself a ton of grace. Nothing and nobody is ever perfect. But if getting to moving is something you need to be doing, then just START. Start somewhere. Start slow so you don’t burn yourself out. Which, if you’re already feeling burnt out, jump in my free group “Exhausted to Energized Moms” and get back to feeling like you again. Come join us. If you need an accountability partner, or a community of support along this crazy motherhood journey, and you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and just not yourself, then this is the right place for you.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest brain surgery. But have you ever considered how much of what we believe, or feel is related to our mindset? To what we are wired to believe? Now, I am a DNA analyst, but I’m not just talking DNA here. I’m talking what we are taught. How our experiences shape us.

Perception is reality, so they say. What if to feel a different way you only needed to alter your perception?

Ok. Seriously, I know what you’re thinking. This might sound a bit “woo woo”, but is it really? Consider the geographical differences between people. How they say certain words, what they believe, what their upbringing has taught them.

What if everything we believed was a result of that? Well, here’s the thing, it is.

How can that help you? If you’re facing a mental block, if you’re feeling like you can’t possibly do more, what if all you had to do is change your mindset to change your reality? Here are 3 things you can do to change your mindset.

Changing your mindset takes work. It takes continuous work. If you think about it though, so does self-sabotage and lack. Like a ton of work. You are constantly rebuilding the old you instead of growing. IS that what you want for you or your family? These processes have a lingering affect as they are passed on to your kids, and then to their kids – unless one person decides to do something different. That might seem like a lot to bear, but honestly, is passing on those same self-sabotaging behaviors to those we love the most even more to bear?

We really dive into mindset in my group Exhausted to Energized Moms. There's even a free 3-day mindset challenge! Not in there yet? It's FREE! Join here.