Budget

Budgeting! I know I know, it's not fun BUT (as Dave Ramsey would say)...If you live like no one else, LATER you can live like no one else. Think about that.

Last Christmas my parents bought me Dave Ramsey's Starter kit: a couple of books, an audio series and the envelope system. It honestly changed my life. Since then I have worked my way through the baby steps and last week was able to complete baby Step 3! I can't even describe how this feels - living debt free with a fully funded emergency fund! I have worked my butt off this last year, said NO to a lot of things. It wasn't easy, but nothing worth having ever is, right?

One of my life goals is to be able to retire comfortably and be financially free. I want to encourage you to start planning for your future now - because there is no better time, and it's never too early, or late for that matter.

Having a written based budget is one of the first steps towards financial freedom. You need to tell all of your money where to go every month with a ZERO-BASED BUDGET: Income minus all expenses equals zero.

So, write down your income on one side of the paper and on the other ALL of your expenses. Any "extra" should be assigned to something - emergency fund, paying off debt, retirement, college fund, etc. There should be ZERO left over each month.

Review your budget before the beginning of every month and change it as needed. Now get started!

Quick Healthy Dinner

Wednesday nights are busy in our house: online classes, volleyball and work. So a recipe like this is perfect. It is quick, easy, healthy AND has pasta...Who doesn't love pasta? I have been cooking this meal for awhile now and it is always a hit, and is great leftover. I made sautéed mushrooms as a side also. Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi Linguine 

Ingredients:
• 9 oz whole wheat linguine
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
• 1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 c packed baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 c finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan

Directions:
1.Prepare pasta per package directions.
2.Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat while pasta cooks. Add shrimp, garlic, and red-pepper flakes and cook until shrimp start to turn pink, about 2 minutes.
3.Add tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, and salt. Cook until tomatoes start to soften, about 1 minute. Add spinach and parsley and cook until spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
4.Drain pasta and add to pan. Toss to coat and serve sprinkled with cheese.

*Based on recipe from Prevention

Family Time

TOGETHER is my favorite place to be

This Thanksgiving weekend was one of the best. I got to spend it with my loving boyfriend and his adorable son. I unplugged and focused on spending QUALITY time with my boys. We cooked, ate, played, shopped, went sledding, decorated, and even went to a magic show with tigers! Guess what he wants for Christmas now? Yep, a pet tiger...we will see if Santa can deliver on that one. We spent every minute we could together. And you know what? The house is a mess, the dishes are dirty, shopping is not done and presents aren't wrapped - and that's OK. 

Right now many are in the midst of holiday craziness. I want to remind you that the holidays should be about people - connecting and spending time with family and friends. 

So here are a few tips on how to slow down and enjoy your time with your family:

1. Take a drive to see the Christmas lights around town
2. Popcorn or paper chain garland - kids love this!
3. Play games - Uno is our family fav
4. Read stories every night next to the Christmas tree
5. Make hot coco, don't forget the marshmallows or whipped cream
6. Put up Christmas light in the kids rooms
7. Bake together 
8. Build a fort with sheets
9. Elf on the Shelf - if you don't already have one for your kids get one! 
10. Start a new family tradition, here are some ideas...

• Bake cookies for your neighbors
• Make a special meal together - we make homemade pizza on Christmas Eve
• Decorate the tree while drinking hot coco and wearing Santa hats
• New PJs for Christmas morning
• Take family photos

Roasted Chicken

This is one of my favorite “go to” recipes to make on the weekends. It is great leftover and can be used to make other recipes throughout the week.

AND it’s really hard to mess up!! The seasonings can pretty much be whatever you want, or have.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken

• 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Seasoning (lemon pepper, Cajun, cayenne pepper, creole, salt & pepper, paprika, whatever you want!)

Brush chicken with EVOO, season the outside and cavities.

Place chicken in glass pan upright on a can or beer can chicken holder (great gift by the way!) *TIP: line the pan with foil for an easy clean up!

Cook at 375 for 1.5-2 hours depending on how much it weighs. Enjoy!