The Kettle with Meagan Francis – Details, episodes & analysis

Deep breath, friend: you don’t have to come into the New Year raring to go on January 1. In the first episode of the newly-named and slightly-refocused podcast, The Kettle (formerly The Tea’s Made) I take a different, slower approach. I reflect on my holiday celebrations, offer an alternative to the idea of ambitious (or restrictive) New Year’s resolutions and goals, reflect on the impact of small, embodied rituals and rhythms for keeping us grounded and rooted in what’s real, and also read one of my Christmas motherhood essays out loud. And, of course, you’ll get some tea recommendations (we’re exploring rooibos this month; links below.)

Enjoy getting to know the newly ad-free podcast The Kettle in this January Journal episode, and also please consider supporting both the podcast and my writing here with a paid subscription. I appreciate you and I’m glad you’re here!

All new essays and episodes at The Kettle are free. Consider joining the paid community to delve deeper and support my work.

Episode Links:

(many links are affiliates; buying using my link helps support the podcast!)

Christmas gifts I talked about

* Segretto Cast Iron Enameled Bread Pan - while my old Dutch oven worked just fine for baking bread, I’ve done a few loaves in this one already and it’s definitely a step up. Highly recommend if you are ready to elevate your bread game, or just want to take a new hobby more seriously.

* Bread Scoring Tool - another very-nice-to-have tool; scoring is an important step in sourdough bread baking and while a sharp knife works fine, having a dedicated (and super-sharp) bread lame is a great way to achieve more precise and lovely cuts.

Featured Teas

I’ve been loving rooibos tisanes lately - teas made from this African bush are robust, hearty, and caffeine-free, making them perfect for a cold winter’s evening. Here are four I love:

* Simpson & Vail White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos. Rooibos pairs really well with both white chocolate and mint, and this blend isn’t too strong - so it’s a beginner-friendly option for the wary rooibos novice.

* Vahdam Chocolate Vanilla Rooibos. Rich chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla combine to create a decadent tea fit for dessert. If you like a spiked hot chocolate or cider, try reaching for this instead.

* Mrs. Rooiboson from Flowerhead Teas -

Sarah Powers sent me this tea from California for Christmas and it.is.delightful. The mint and citrus are a fabulous foil for the red rooibos. Plus, look at that cute packaging. Highly recommend!

* Lemongrass Rooibos from Terravita - Sarah also sent me a Swiss lemongrass rooibos after her family’s trip to Europe last winter (she’s like my international tea fairy!) The combination of flavors was such an unexpected pleasure and really helped kick off my deep dive into Rooibos. I can’t find the exact tea Sarah sent me (probably because it wasn’t written in English!) but this blend is a close approximation.

Essays and more

* In this episode I read a recent essay out loud - you can read it here, and I’ve also put together all the posts I wrote about holiday mothering with older kids.

* And, I shared my New Year’s resolution from last year - to eat more beans! - and how it’s influenced a similar mini-challenge I’m embarking on this year; to drink a new-to-me tea every day in January. Here are some of my thoughts on the power of playful, non-restrictive New Year’s goals:

Thanks for coming along on this journey as I transition my podcast and newsletter to The Kettle, friends! I am so excited to continue gathering with you here in 2025 and beyond.

What could be cozier than a holiday baking session based on your favorite book? In this episode I talk with CJ of A Well-Read Tart, a blog for book and food lovers, where CJ shares book reviews, food inspiration and recipes based on her favorite literature.

Listen on to hear us share what we're each reading right now and some favorite cozy holiday food scenes from books, as well as CJ's ideas for letting literature inspire you in the kitchen. I also share some updates on what's happening in my kitchen now that Christmas is just around the corner. It's the perfect episode to keep you company while wrapping gifts or, of course, making cookies!

• Sunrise by the Sea: A Little Beach Street Bakery Novel by Jenny Colgan
• The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
• Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
• Horse by Geraldine Books
• Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson
• The Wish List by Michelle Major
• Maria by Michelle Moran
• Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
• Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• Meet Felicity by Valerie Tripp
• The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
• The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller
• There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber
• Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
• An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

Be sure to check out my Substack for a companion post with cookie recipes and more!

"But who actually has the time to cook this way?" Our guest Alison Kay hears that a lot when she shares about her passion for ancestral eating. But for Alison, sourcing ingredients locally and preparing it in a way inspired by our great-great-grandmothers isn't a chore or a time-suck, and it's definitely not romanticizing the past. Instead, it's a crucial way she expresses her creativity, connects with her community and the land around her, and cares for herself and her family.

In this episode, a continuation of our conversation from Episode 36, Alison explains why this way of cooking and eating has been so life-changing for her, and offers a close-up look at how she actually incorporates ancestral philosophies into her modern kitchen.

Ancestral Kitchen, Alison's site

The Ancestral Kitchen podcast

What ancestral eating isn't - the article we discuss in today's episode

Episode 36 of The Tea's Made: What is eating "ancestrally" with Alison Kay of Ancestral Kitchen. This is the first half of this conversation.

A couple episodes of the Ancestral Kitchen Podcast that I love:

#70 Fermenting Oats - this is the episode that convinced me to start souring my morning oatmeal!

#66 50 Ways To Save Money On An Ancestral Diet - a great starting point if you're just learning about ancestral eating; especially if you're concerned about your budget.

Check out my weekly newsletter about creativity and connection - and, of course, tea! - The Deep Steep

Find all of my brand partners and the latest deals on my Shop page!

OSEA – Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

With all the diets and nutrition trends that focus on exclusion and restriction, it can feel like food is being reduced to its components - not something I personally think is a very satisfying way to eat.

But what if there was another way to view food - a way that leans on the wisdom of our great-great grandmothers, yet is adaptable to a modern kitchen?

After a fraught relationship with eating impacted her mental, emotional and physical health for decades, our guest Alison Kay of ancestralkitchen.com and The Ancestral Kitchen Podcast found a path to health via ancestral eating and developing a true connection with her food. In this episode, Alison shares her backstory - including losing half her body weight as a young woman and later, struggling to conceive - and how ancestral eating helped her heal and thrive. Alison also explains what ancestral eating is - and isn't, how this way of eating works for her, and why the prices we see in the supermarket don't reflect the true cost of food.

Ancestral Kitchen, Alison's site

The Ancestral Kitchen podcast

What ancestral eating isn't - the article we discuss in today's episode

Check out my weekly newsletter about creativity and connection - and, of course, tea! - The Deep Steep

Find all of my brand partners and the latest deals on my Shop page!

OSEA – Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

Why did I go the traditional publishing route vs. self-publishing? What did the writing process look like, beginning to end? And how do I feel about the idea of sh*tty first drafts? In this episode of The Tea's Made I answer all of these questions and more.

Taking a book idea from proposal to contract. In this episode I answer listener questions about working with an agent, platform and more.

Head to TheTeasMade.com to read more of my writing!

OSEA – Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

I'm back from my book-writing break and ready to talk shop! In this episode I answer listener questions about the process of pitching your book idea to an agent or publisher, including:

-How long should I expect it to take to hear back from an agent after I query them?

-What questions should I ask a potential agent before I sign?

-How hands-on should I expect my agent to be in the proposal process?

-What size audience/readership will an agent or editor be looking for in an author?

And more! Look back next week for the follow-up episode: what it's like to actually write the book once contract is in hand!

How a book proposal is made - This is a video I made a little over a year ago when my proposal was still out to editors! In it I detailed the process of writing the proposal and pitching agents.

OSEA – Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

Hi all! Hopping in from my podcasting break with a birthday message, some tips on staying connected and calm in a divided and noisy world, and a little preview of what you can expect when The Tea's Made returns on August 15.

From starting a brick-and-mortar retail shop, to putting the finishing touches on my book manuscript, to caring for my new chicks, to getting another son ready for college, this summer has already been jam-packed with activity. In the last episode of The Tea's Made before my midsummer break, I'm sharing more details about what's happening in my world and what you can expect when I return in the early fall.

Harrod's English Breakfast

OSEA - Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

When I was a young girl, I was completely fascinated with the idea of being able to find food and medicine in nature. But in our modern world, eating anything that grows wildly can seem strange...undesirable...even dangerous. While it took me until my mid-40s, I've begun to embrace foraging and wildcrafting as not only a fun and mostly-free hobby, but also a way of looking at the world differently. In this episode I'll talk about what this journey has looked like for me and share basic tips for getting started, staying safe, and using what you find.

Yooper Yellow from S•TEA•P

Learn more about my new tea shop on Instagram!

Follow Bevy Tea on Instagram

The Seek app from iNaturalist

Midwestern Medicinal Plants by Lisa M. Rose

Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Forêt

Here's a good basic blog post on starting foraging. I agree with the author that getting a book or two is a really good idea, as is getting mentored in real life from an experienced forager!

Cotton mesh drawstring bags like these are great for collecting and drying herbs

OSEA - Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.

From navigating relationships with our teenagers to how we engage with social media, the post-40 years offer many opportunities to rethink old patterns of people-pleasing and live more authentically. In this conversation with author Rachel Macy Stafford, learn how to create a "Soul Shift" that will help you slow down, connect, and live more in line with your deepest values.

Find Rachel Macy Stafford Online:

• Instagram 
• Substack 
• Facebook
• Rachel's website 

Rachel's Books:

• Hands-Free Mama
• Soul Shift
• Only Love Today
• Live Love Now

OSEA - Use the code TEASMADE or MEAGAN for 10% off your first purchase.

Vionic – with unmatched support and stability, Vionic’s line of shoes and boots are wearable wellbeing for your feet. Use code TEASMADE for 15% off after you log into your account.

Hatch – Well-rested mornings begin with relaxing bedtime routines, and the Hatch Restore 2 offers both. Use code TEA20 for $20 off.