Author Archives: Heidi St. John

About Heidi St. John

Heidi has been married to her husband Jay since 1989. Together they have seven children and three grandchildren! The St. Johns homeschooled their kids all the way through high school. Heidi is the the author of seven books, host of the popular podcast "Off the Bench," and the founder of MomStrong International, an online community of women learning God's Word and how to apply it to every day life. She and her husband Jay are also the founders of Firmly Planted Family and the Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center, located in Vancouver, Washington.

Voila! Chicken Marsala!

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So, by now you all know that I love food. Love it. It wasn’t always that way—I was the oldest of six sisters, and I grew up making food in “vats” … pretty much how I do it now. 😉

In 1997, I was introduced to Chicken Marsala at a wonderful little Italian restaurant in NW Portland, Oregon. I was hooked—because it was so good—AND because the chef winked and told me, “You can do this at home and save $60.” Sign me up for THAT.

Since then, we’ve been working on our own variation of this wonderful dish.

Here it is. Enjoy!

Hard to tell, but this is a Rubbermaid bin. I dredge things in it. It’s perfect for dredging. I like that word. Dredge. The pretty bowl won out for the picture below though:

Go ahead and drag your lovely chicken pieces through this yummy flour mixture. You can do it.

Now, cook them in some coconut oil or butter. Yum. Yeah. That’s right. Just brown them on both sides. By now it’s going to start smelling really good in your kitchen.

Take your chicken out and set it aside. In the same skillet, start to sauté your mushrooms. Double-yum.

Pour in the sherry and marsala. You don’t need the sherry. But it sure tastes great if you have it. I got so excited about taking a picture of this that I added the chicken back before adding the wine. Normally, I make my sauce and then add the chicken back in. It’s easier to whisk a sauce when you’re not bumping into big chicken pieces.

After you’ve added your wine and made a lovely sauce, lean over your skillet. Doesn’t that smell great?

Okay. Add the chicken back in. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and let simmer for about ten minutes.

I like to serve this with roasted red potatoes and steamed veggies. {yum.} Come to think of it, I’ll post how I do that pretty soon. I’m a roasted red potato fanatic.

Here’s the skinny on this delicious dish:

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (I double this recipe every time.)
4 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsla wine
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried oregano

How to make it:

In a bowl, mix together flour, garlic salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
Take a large skillet add coconut oil and heat over medium heat
Place the chicken and lightly brown on both sides.
Take chicken out and set aside.
Add mushrooms to same skillet, add 1 T more coconut oil, sauté
Pour wine and sherry and cover skillet. Whisk until creamy. If you need to, you can thicken with flour.
Put chicken back in.
Simmer chicken 10 min and turn over.
Cook for another 5 min or until no longer pink

Easy, peasy!

Three cheers for CHICKEN MARSALA!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler {yum}

The Art of Leaving Things Undone

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Hello, sweet moms-you made it to Monday 🙂 Good job. Last night I was wondering if I would make it or not! 😉

I’m out here on my back porch, my little morning spot, with my water and my Bible. In a few minutes, I’ll switch to a cup of hot tea—and the first set of small feet will likely begin to make their way toward me. In a few minutes, the phone will start ringing. I’ll need to think of a plan for dinner. The children will need to be reminded of their chores for the week. The unexpected, unplanned things of everyday life will begin in earnest.

Breathe in, busy mom. Monday is here.

Last week I overheard someone rather piously say that when she had her quiet time each day, she got it back tenfold. Honestly, I don’t know what she meant. Honestly? Any time I give to Jesus is time that I give up—meaning it’s time I choose to put aside other things that may feel more pressing so that a greater thing can happen in my spirit. The “multiplication” happens in my soul, not on my schedule.

Jill Briscoe once said that “There is an art of leaving things undone so that the greater thing can be done.”

Oh man, that’s hard for me. Is it hard for you, too? There are always so many things to do. Can any of them wait? I’m always asking myself “what is more important?” I hate to admit it, but usually I find myself at war with my flesh.

Lord, please allow your spirit to win out over my flesh.

…my flesh and my heart fail…

As I grow in my walk with Lord and as I mother, I’m learning to leave things undone. Well, honestly, sometimes they are wrenched from my hands. Just like we must leave things “undone” if we are going to take advantage of that special moment with our child or nurture our marriage, we will find there are times when we will need to leave things undone so that we can nurture our relationship with the Lord.

Years ago, on a morning much like this one, I was up at 4:00 a.m.—not out of a sense of commitment to the Lord—but because I had been up all night with a fussy baby. My body and my spirit were running on empty. I felt so far from God.

But something happened in the stillness of that morning as I watched the sunrise over the mountains. God spoke to me about the intimate details of my life. He gently reminded me that He was not frustrated by my commitment to care for my family. He understood the demands of the newborn and the homeschooling and the oh-so-daily dinner prep. He totally understood that I could not muster a daily prayer without falling asleep, much less open my Bible.

And he loved me. Not because of anything I had done, but because of what He had done for me. He loves you too, busy mom. God is not distracted or annoyed by the children playing at your feet. He doesn’t need “quiet” to talk to you. If this is a season that defies the word “quiet” in your life, it’s okay.

God understands “seasons.” He created them. He created you. He gave you children. Here’s the thing though—intimacy with God does not happen though osmosis. Just like any father—if we want to know Him, we need to spend time with Him. We need to learn to leave some things undone so that a greater thing can be done in our spirit.

I wanted to know God more. I needed His presence in my life. Slowly, I began to make a commitment to intimacy with God—first little steps, like reading my Bible with the kids or reading a children’s devotional with them. Just like the five loaves and fishes, God took my little effort and multiplied it. He will do the same for you. He’s good like that.

Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that God’s joy is our strength. True strength is never found apart from Him.

Monday is a great day to hit the “reset” button—to begin a pattern of talking with God. To abide in Him. He’s got joy and strength for you. Ask Him. He’s got everything you need today.

Learning to leave things “undone” with you,

Praise Him in the Noise

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I love my little corner of the world. Our little space of earth is surrounded by evergreen and cedar trees. Yep. I’m a forest girl. This morning, as I sat in the quiet praying, two squirrels began jumping from branch to branch. Before long, the woodpecker was pecking and several varieties of other birds were loudly chirping at each other. Some crazy little insect was making a noise that I cannot describe but it was very loud too. It was like they were all competing for attention!

I had to stop praying—these creatures were noisier than my children, and I get up ahead of them on purpose to AVOID the noise!

Then it occurred to me. I was witnessing the miracle of God’s creative ability. Every squeak and squawk bore witness to the fact that I serve an amazing God. As I looked around me, even the trees took on new beauty. Creation testifies to the glory of God.

I put down my Bible and just soaked it up, smiling to myself about the fact that I am surrounded by some kind of noise 19 hours out of 24 most days.

But then, that’s the good stuff, isn’t it? The noisy children, the chatting teens, the running in-and-out of the house. The noise is good too. It’s a sign of life.

Praise Him in the noise of the day today, busy mom! He is worthy of your praise.

The Currency of Time

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Good morning, busy moms.

I’m telling you, I just can’t believe how fast the days are going by. And yes, I know I said that yesterday. But it’s the truth.

It’s 6:00 a.m. here and the sun is just coming up. Only a few weeks ago, it was getting light at 5:00. Fall is coming. The later sunrise and coolness of the morning air signal that a change in season is not far away. Mount St. Helens always reminds me that change is inevitable. In the winter, she is covered with snow. In the summer, she is the color of ash.

Changes are inevitable, aren’t they? Seasons change, children grow up. Parents age. Life moves by fast.

When I was a kid, time seemed to take forever. I remember how badly I wanted to know that I was growing up. Every change in my body was eagerly anticipated—from losing my first tooth to the signs that I was becoming a woman. Enough with this childhood stuff already. I wanted my license in the worst way. Then I wanted to graduate. Then get married. Then have kids … and then, time began to tick by in earnest. There is something about watching children grow that makes a person very aware of how fast the time is going.

As I get older, I feel a sense of urgency about what I do with my time. Not panic—just urgency. I want to make the most of the days the Lord gives me. Time is really just another form of currency. Like money, we each have our own amount of time. We will, the Bible says, get exactly the number of days that the Lord sets aside for us. No more, no less.

The Psalmist David penned these words about the passage of time in Psalm 39:

4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”

At best, each of us is but a breath. Powerful words from a man who understood the value of the currency he was given and who wanted to spend it wisely.

Lord, remind us today to use our time wisely. Help us to be thankful for each little moment—and to notice the moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Give us Your eyes today. Help us to see what You want us to see. Make us very aware of the lasting impressions we are making on those around us.

Use your time wisely,

Grace Upon Grace

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Good morning moms!

It’s 6:30 a.m. here and my house is still quiet. The sun is coming up a little later now, but the birds are singing and the wonderful scent of the morning air that comes through my window reminds me stop and breathe deeply. As I fill my lungs with the cool, crisp summer air, I am reminded that I need the quiet—because in a few minutes, there will be 15 hours of … well … not quiet—if you know what I mean.

Mothering requires more grace than we possess, doesn’t it?

I know it does for me. Yesterday was a stark reminder to me of just how much grace I must possess if I am going to be a giver of grace to my children. It seemed that every five minutes I was a referee or a nurse. A water-giver. A toy finder. A butterfly catcher. A spider-killer. An oh-so-daily meal maker. A homework finder. A chore-inspector. A judge.

You get the idea. I’m a mother.

Want to know the truth? All I really wanted to do yesterday was to be left alone. For some reason, I felt overwhelmed from the moment the kids came down to breakfast to when the last one went to bed. Sometimes, we just need grace, don’t we?

In John 1:16, we read, ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”

Grace upon grace. This from the One who gave His life for ours as a ransom.

Grace.

When Jesus came into the world, He introduced a revolutionary new thought to the religious leaders of the day: grace.

They had been in bondage their rules; their lists of do’s and don’ts. Jesus heaped “grace upon grace” toward them—and in doing so, He freed them from their rules. They were set free to follow Jesus out of love and devotion instead of fear.

Because of the grace and love of Jesus, we are free to enjoy life to it’s fullest. I don’t know about you, but knowing this makes me want to be a better wife, a better mother.

Knowing that true grace, undeserved grace comes from God reminds me that if I’m going to give grace, I need to remain close to the one who defines it. I need to stay in the Word. I need to be on my knees.

In just a few minutes, I’ll have my first opportunity of the day to give grace: in just a few minutes, our bleary-eyed toddler will make her first appearance of the day. The same scenarios that played out yesterday will—by the grace of God, play out again today. I want to greet our children with joy and grace, not because they deserve it necessarily, but because, like me, they don’t.

His grace is humbling, isn’t it? It causes me to want to love and protect those that have been entrusted to my care. What an awesome opportunity—to walk in grace and be blessed by it in return.

Stay connected to the Grace giver,

Scheduling: Three Tips to Prioritizing Your Day

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Years ago, I came up with three priorities to help me decide where I would invest the time I had each day. Today, I use it as a guideline of sorts—a determiner that helps me choose how I will prioritize the time God gives me each day.

With 10 people in our busy household each day, the fact is: I either have a plan or I don’t. If I don’t, chances are good that the day will run me over and leave me on the side of the road for dead.

And we can’t have that.

I am also a fan of something I call “training wheel” schedules. That means that I start out our year with a schedule with the understanding that the job of the schedule is to help me get through the day, not to dictate my day for me. [THIS WAS A HARD-LEARNED LESSON.]

Here are my three priorities each day:

Now, I know that some of you can’t fathom “scheduling” something like time in the Bible, but for me, well, let’s just say it is the gas in my little Mom Car. I need it. As mothers, we are constantly pouring out into the lives of our children and families. We need to recharge our batteries. For me, this means rising early (something that I don’t believe is a biblical mandate but I highly recommend it), getting dressed in my workout clothes and spending a few minutes of solitude with the Lord.

Were there seasons when this was impossible, or at least unlikely? You know it! After seven babies, I can assure you, there have been times when I was lucky to get OUT of bed at all, let alone get up early—but now, with our youngest at 2 and 1/2, I I have found that if I’m self-disciplined, I can do it. Most mornings, I struggle to wake up … but being up early is a gift. The house is quiet. I can think. Pray. Breathe. It makes a huge difference in my life, those precious few moments of quiet each morning.

I can’t stress this enough: good marriages require nurturing. A good marriage is like the “glue” that holds the family tightly bound together. I know this is not always popular but at the end of the day (pun intended), your marriage is the priority relationship in your home. Nurture it. Protect it. Enjoy it.

Honestly, this is an entirely separate post—I’ve written about this before—and I will again; because it’s just.that.important. Don’t sacrifice your marriage on the altar of good parenting. Your kids need your marriage to succeed as much as the two of you do.

This is the “big one,” the one that everyone really wants to talk about. I know it sounds boring and stuffy to some people, but here’s the truth: iSchedule. Scheduling has saved my bacon on more than one occasion. On days when I feel to tired to think straight, out comes the schedule—and the kids know exactly what they are supposed to be doing without me telling them over and over … and over.

On other days, we might have time and energy for some spontaneous unscheduling and I’ll ditch the schedule altogether in favor of reading longer with the children or catching my husband for an impromptu lunch date. Either way, that schedule is there to help keep us moving in the direction we want to go.

Having a system or schedule in place allows my mind to let go of things that would otherwise drive me completely out onto a limb, such as handwriting practice or memory work. If I have it on the schedule, I know it’s going to get done.

Here’s the key to successful scheduling though: there’s not one right way to do it. You’ve got to give yourself freedom to try new things. Your schedule should be as unique as your family is. One season it will work for you, and the next it may not. That, as they say, “is life.”

I make my schedules using TABLES on my computer. It takes some time to figure out the best way to do it—so give yourself time to play with it. I also use planners and I’m a journaling junkie—so much so, that a few years ago, I released a journal just for busy moms like me.

The form you see above available in a editable version, too. If you dare—download it and tweak it for your family. Customize it! Make it your own. You can do it! Remember: the schedule is supposed to help you; not rule you.

At the end of the day, busy mom, only YOU can manage your days well. Be intentional about your time. See your time as a commodity—something you need to spend wisely.

Schedule—with the harvest in mind,

Want to see more? You can find all my books, as well as CD’s MP3’s and other great things for busy moms here:

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