Author: krichards2012

Hello! My name is Katie Richards and I am happily married to the man of my dreams and we have one son named John! I love to cook and create new recipes, that are primarily gluten free, that taste good and are practical for the modern day mama! I also enjoy all types of crafts from painting to floral work! Although being a wife and mama are full time work, I also have a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and do ministry work with marital and premarital counseling. My passion is to serve the Lord in every arena of my life, from my home, to my friends, to all those that He calls close to me. I hope to connect with others and share what I learn every day!

Egg Roll in a Bowl (Gluten Free)

November 2, 2019November 22, 2019 by krichards2012, posted in recipes

Y’ALL. This recipe is a game changer for me! I love Asian food; Chinese, Japanese, you name it, it’s my favorite food. However, when I went gluten free I felt like I lost the opportunity to just go to the Chinese restaurant and get what I want. So I had to learn how to make it at home (which those recipes will come soon). However, I have yet to attempt a gluten free egg roll because… how? So! This recipe is perfect for a gluten free, low carb lunch that reminds you of those delicious egg rolls (that sometimes are just a tad too greasy)! It’s also super easy and customizable to whatever your taste is! I found this recipe and made it my own and I’m so excited to share it with you. Let’s get to it!

Egg Roll in a Bowl

What you will need:

1 lbs ground meat (beef, pork, or chicken) (my favorite is chicken)
1 package of slaw mix
2 stalks of celery (diced)
5 stalks of green onion (3 diced for mixture, 2 for topping)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce (Gluten Free)
1 tbsp red chili paste or siracha (add more or less depending on your spice level)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
sesame seeds (for topping, optional)

Dry Seasonings:

1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger (dried or sub 1 tbsp fresh ginger)
1/4 tsp allspice (optional but super delicious)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

In a soup pan or deep sauté pan, heat sesame and vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Toss in diced celery, green onion, and minced garlic and stir. Then toss in minced meat of choice, chopping up finely with spatula to make it very fine. Once the meat is mostly cooked, add in slaw mix and stir. Then add the following: soy sauce, red chili paste, honey, rice wine vinegar, and all dry seasonings. Stir well and cook until the cabbage in the slaw mix is cooked down and softened! When done, put in a bowl and top with dice green onions and sesame seeds!

Total cook time takes about 25 minutes of prep and cooking! It’s so fast and easy, and most importantly super delicious.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Comment with your thoughts and pictures and let me know how it went! Love you guys and happy homemaking!

Skillet Meatloaf (Gluten Free)

November 2, 2019November 3, 2019 by krichards2012, posted in recipes

When you hear meatloaf, you either think yummmm or yuckkk! Meatloaf has a bad rep okay, for being a gross, dry, flavorless mound of meat. Doesn’t sound very appetizing. But as the goal of remaking homemaking, meatloaf needs to be remade! It is the perfect medium for all kinds of flavors! You can customize your meatloaf for whatever flavor style you like whether that’s traditional, bbq, Mexican style, etc.

This recipe I am posting today is my traditional meatloaf recipe that I have worked on for years to perfect! After making it in a traditional meatloaf pan (which is an option for you if you do not have a cast iron skillet), I realized my favorite pieces were on the end, where most of it was crispy and delicious! So one day I looked at my cast iron skillet and figured, let’s try it! Turns out it’s the perfect pan to capitalize on the crispiest, juiciest slice of meatloaf!

**Side note before we get started – a cast iron skillet in my opinion is a kitchen staple piece. If you do not have one, I urge you to get you one today! I will post another blog about caring for your cast iron skillet in the right way!

Lodge 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet. Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder.

Let’s do this!

Skillet meatloaf (GF)

What you need:

1 lbs ground beef (Grass fed is the best for us)
1/2 lbs ground sausage (optional)
1/2 onion (diced)
1/2 bell pepper (diced)
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 eggs (*2 eggs if not doing GF recipe)
**1 cup of breadcrumbs (I make my own GF ones – scroll down to see how below)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (1/4 cup for mixture and 1/4 for topping

Dry Seasonings:

1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a bigger mixing bowl, add in diced onion, bell pepper, ground beef, ground sausage, minced garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of ketchup (I do not sauté my veg prior to mixing because I like a little bite to mine in the meatloaf! It will soften but you’ll know it’s there).

Then add in all of the dry seasonings and stir well! You can use a spoon but the best way to stir a meatloaf is to use the utensils God gave you, those hands (take off any rings because it gets messy).

Get your cast iron skillet and spray or coat with oil (I prefer to use spray coconut oil). Then turn your meatloaf mixture into the pan and smooth down to an even mixture across the skillet. Take the remainder of your ketchup and smooth over the top with a spatula or spoon. Bake for 35 minutes on middle rack, then move to the top of the oven and broil for 5-8 minutes (for your desired color).

**Disclaimer: If you do choose to use ground sausage, you may see fat forming on the top of the meatloaf. I just take it with the ketchup and smooth it around the top before broiling. After broiling if there is still visible fat, just smooth again and drizzle a little extra ketchup over top for a better look! You shouldn’t have this issue if you omit the sausage.

I served with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies! The good thing about meatloaf is you can pack tons of vegetables in it and kids love it (because it has ketchup of course). Not to mention it is a homemade meal that makes you feel at home, and that’s our goal as homemakers! Let me know what you think and post comments and pics below! Happy homemaking!!

***How to make GF breadcrumbs:

So I just took about 3-4 pieces of my GF bread and diced it up. I put some oil in the skillet and broiled them in the oven (mixing around every 2 minutes) for about 10 minutes. Once all toasty, I blitz in my food processor and added to the meatloaf mixture!

(Our Not so) Happy Halloween: Letting Go of Expectations

November 2, 2019November 22, 2019 by krichards2012, posted in life

So I promised to be real and share the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I will be sharing my Halloween story. This picture looks like a cute little family, in their cute little costumes, all happy and put together. What you don’t see is a mama on her brink of psychosis, a husband who has heard her griping all day being forced to wear blush, and a baby who is STILL teething and actually not crying for two seconds (or ripping off his hat).

As mamas, wives, humans in general, sometimes we have these expectations about the way things should go. Our marriages should be chalk full of romance all the time, our children should always be clean and happy, and most of all, our holidays should be smooth experiences full of laughter, smiles, and cute babies who willingly wear costumes and cooperate. Having these expectations isn’t necessarily a wrong thing, but what you will notice if you haven’t already, they lead to a big stumbling block: disappointment.

Yesterday was quite disappointing at first; I won’t lie. I had all of these dreams and visions about John’s first Halloween going so well and being full of the best memories. My Halloween can be summed up in the following ways: last minute wardrobe malfunctions (literally sewing a new costume for John because Amazon sent me a 2T), a crying baby who would NOT cooperate because of teething, my skirt tearing as I try to pick up the crying baby, and just a general sense of chaos to be honest.

For a moment I told Tyler, “You know what, let’s just stay home. I don’t want to do this anymore!” Luckily I have a husband who can keep his cool in the midst of chaos (thank God) who didn’t let my spoiled outburst ruin the day completely.

See I almost let expectations take a memory away from us. Whether the memory is perfect or perfectly messy, it is still a memory that is precious to our home! Without the chaos and crying baby (who cried the whole time in the car by the way), I wouldn’t have the perfect moment captured in my head when I glanced over at my gnome-dressed husband in the car, him looking back, and us simply smiling at each other at the humor of the moment.

I say all of this to say, once I let go of expectations I actually enjoyed the rest of the night. I got to enjoy popcorn, watch Hocus Pocus, and relax a little. It’s okay for us to begin letting go of expectations. Those we have of God, our spouses, our children, even of ourselves. It is okay to let life unfold the way it is and simply enjoy the moments we have! God is clear on what expectations we should have, which is expectations of His goodness to us (Philippians 1:20; Psalm 5:3).

Disappointment in collapsed expectations give us a false sense that our life is not good; and this is not true. If you have your family together, full bellies, and a roof over your head, your life is good! We have to take the pressure off of ourselves of life having to be so put together and perfect, and let life happen as humor-filled and unperfect as it wishes. So I leave you with two things: the Word of God and pictures of my Halloween reality to encourage you if your day didn’t go as planned. Happy Halloween and happy homemaking!

“We wait [expectantly] for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For in Him our heart rejoices, because we trust [lean on, rely on, and are confident] in His holy name. Let Your [steadfast] lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion as we have hoped in You.” Psalm 33:20-22 AMP

Homemade Tomato Soup (GF)

November 2, 2019November 22, 2019 by krichards2012, posted in recipes

Finally! It is fall time and we can stuff ourselves with all of the soups. All of them. If you’re gluten free, it is hard to find affordable soups that don’t have gluten in them! And if you can, a lot of the time they are so bland and tasteless! If you’re not gluten free, you probably don’t want all those soups that are high on sodium and preservatives. And let’s be real, organic food is soooo expensive.

I am gung-ho on yummy food that is also easy AND most importantly, affordable! So this recipe is one for you! It’s delicious, warm, filling, delicious, easy, and did I mention delicious? Now, I made this soup in my instant-pot (Pioneer woman because I’m obsessed), so if you do not have one I seriously urge you to invest in one! It is worth every dime! But if you still want to make this recipe just do it on the stove top in a deep pot! I will attach a link to the instant-pot I have, it’s so amazing. I’m just saying.

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer

So here it goes!

Homemade Tomato Soup

What you will need:

3 cans of diced tomatoes
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
1/2 onion (diced) (Vidalia is my favorite but you can use any kind)
2 stalks of celery (diced)
1/2 roasted red pepper (diced) (I use canned, it’s delicious)
1 tbsp pesto (trust me, it adds THE best flavor)
2 cups of chicken broth (if GF, make sure you get GF broth)
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp kethup (again, trust me)
1 tbsp butter

Dry Seasonings:

1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper (I use restaurant grind)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp basil (dried)
1 tbsp granulated sugar or honey

Directions:

Set your instant pot to sauté mode and add 1 tbsp of butter (I prefer to use butter over oil in soup so that it isn’t oily in your mouth!). Add in diced onion, celery, canned tomatoes, roma tomatoes, roasted red peppers and minced garlic. Stir around and let the veg get soft! Then add in 1 tbsp of pesto (if wanted) and stir around in softening vegetables. Add in chicken broth and all dry seasonings above.

Put on the instant pot lid and MAKE SURE YOU TURN IT TO SEALING! If you do not seal then you won’t build pressure and the whole point is to get a soup that tastes like you’ve cooked it for hours when it’s only in the pot for 10 MINUTES… that’s right. 10 Minutes! Turn off the sauté mode and hit “Manual” for 10 minutes. It will take some time and make some noise as it builds pressure, and all you have to do is chill!

When it’s done, do a quick release (be careful) and let all of the steam stop before attempting to open. Now for this next part you can either use an immersion blender or a counter top blender! But it is necessary for the best texture to blend the soup! When you open the instant pot, you will notice there are still chunks of veggies and it doesn’t quite look like tomato soup! Take the immersion blender and blend until desired texture is found! If you are using a countertop blender, you can ladle in portions of the soup until it is all blended and return to pot. Once blended, you will want to add milk and ketchup, stirring well! At this point it is your turn to taste and adjust according to your family’s taste buds (if you like more salt, add it here!).

The best way to serve is with a grilled cheese with some sour cream and basil on top! If there is any left over, it is good for up to about 3 days!

I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! (Post pics too!)

Welcome Home!

Featured by krichards2012, posted in life

Hello and welcome home! My name is Katie and I am happily married to the man of my dreams, Tyler, we have one son, John, and I am beginning my journey as a homemaker! From working full time and being a full time student to now being a full time stay at home mama, life’s seasons definitely test us and show us what we are made of! However, during this new journey I have found a revamped passion for cooking and creating recipes, crafting, and homemaking in a way I had never got to fully enjoy before! My passion is to make homemaking “cool” again, in that the negative label that has been pushed on it vanishes and it can be seen for what it truly is, which is literally making your home! Whether you work full time or stay at home, everyday we are making our home into something! My goal is to make my home a place where God dwells, love covers sins, peace is the normal, bellies are full, and laughter is the language.

You’re probably thinking, “Oh great, another one of ‘those’ women who act like they have it all together and makes me feel less than for buying stuff she home makes”. Trust me, that is not me at all! That is why I want to start this blog, because although I would love to say homemaking is this wonderful serene task, it is the hardest thing I have done to date (and I finished a Master’s degree with a newborn). The purpose of this page is not to ever make you feel less than as a mama or wife, but to know that you have a fellow woman out there in the battle field with you, doing whatever we can to make a home worth living in for our families!

So I a making you a promise, to post real life here; to post the yummy recipes, and the disasters (so you can learn from my mistakes), to post the funny stories and the struggles, and to walk alongside you as you learn to make your homes too. So I pray that you can find encouragement, laughter, and also really yummy recipes here! Strength for your tough days, tips when you need them, and scripture at those perfect times where we need an on time Word from God! Everyone is welcome at my kitchen table, some come on home to Katie’s house and let’s start remaking homemaking as we journey together!