Recipe: Clean Eating No-Bake Cookies

To say these are "not your momma's No-Bakes" is probably an understatement. And, well, in my case, my momma wasn't the one making them in our house growing up, it was my sister. While I can give her credit for perfecting her skills, this version contains much less butter and granulated sugar. By much less, I mean none. This recipes contains neither of those ingredients and yet still delivers on all the gooey, decadent, and delicious notes we know and love about No-Bakes.

So here it is. Seven clean, natural ingredients yielding a scrumptious treat you don't have to feel bad about. Did I mention it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish? Sign. Me. Up.

1. Melt the Peanut Butter, Coconut Oil, and Maple Syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the bottom from scorching. 
2. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the Vanilla, Salt and Cocoa Powder. Mix thoroughly to combine and be sure there are no clumps of cocoa.
3. Stir in the Oats. Stir to coat evenly, but don't over mix or your cookies could become dry. 
4. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion into 1.5"-2" cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper. They will firm as they cool, but are equally delicious when warm! 

Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Print your copy of this recipe here!

Meal Planning: March 2017

Yes, a full eighteen days into March I realized I never shared our meal plan for this month. Whoops!! Better late than never, right? I'll be honest here - this month's meals are nothing super exciting or out of this world. They are simple, straight forward, quick, and mainly vegetarian. We've been enjoying less meat in the last six or so weeks and it's been a really great change for us.

There are a few things want to emphasize about our choice to go more plant based and vegetarian.  First, I said more plant based and vegetarian, not entirely. We are still eating a couple meals a week that contain meat, seafood, or poultry. However, these are being featured less as the main focus and more as an accompaniment to the meal. For example, Zoodles with Shrimp, Shrimp or Chicken Stirfry, chicken added to a salad... you get the picture. Secondly, we assure you we are eating whole foods. I've touched on this before, but there is a healthy way to do vegetarian or vegan eating, and then there is the super processed, highly refined, nutrient lacking way -- I think you all know where we fall. And last but not least, we are eating this way by choice. We've found that the more vegetables, greens, and healthy fats we utilize, the better we feel. So we're listening to our bodies and eating more of the delicious foods that make us feel great.

So here's what we are eating this month! Yes, there are quiet a few repeats on here, and YES, we really do eat numerous salads every week. We really load them up with all kinds of veggies, fruits, fats, nuts, seeds, and proteins which gives us pretty endless possibilities. I'll be sharing lots of these new recipes soon. Enjoy!

Budget Bootcamp Week Eight: Review and Reflect

Eight weeks. Fifty six days. Fifty five participants. My heart is full. My goal when starting this project was to share with you what I've learned about budgeting through trial and error. I have had many friends and close family members ask me questions from time to time about how I do our budgeting. Until this series, I had always felt as though my way of answering their questions often made things complicated or left out crucial information. I didn't have a rhyme or reason as to how I shared what has worked so well for us.

As we wrap up this eight week series, reviewing the key concepts we covered seems appropriate. After all, this isn't the end of your budgeting adventure. Rather, its the time for you to spread your wings, take the reigns and be in control of your financial future like never before. Here are a few key takeaways I hope you all have found useful.

1. Creating a budget is half the battle. Sticking to it is the other. 
2. The more specific your budget categories, the more accurate your assessment will be.
3. Write it down. Whether you prefer digital or handwritten, it has to actually be written out somehow. Mental budgets aren't a thing. 
4. 9 times out of 10, you're spending more than you think you are. The only way to know for sure is to track it. 
5. If you don't want your hard earned money vanishing into thin air, you have to tell it where to go. 
6. If your budget is a family affair, you are much more likely to be successful. Finances are one of the biggest stresses couples say they struggle with. Get on the same page and work together. 
7. Sometimes sacrifice in the short term means big rewards in the long term. Don't let "small" purchases that happen all the time rob you of the big goals you have for the future. 
8. Know your goals. Write them down. Post them somewhere you'll see them regularly. Keep your eyes on the prize. 
9. If you can't pay cash, can you really afford it? Be smart with your spending and save up in advance. Don't go into debt over things that aren't absolutely necessary. 
10. Create a debt payoff plan for pre-existing debt. Find a payoff method that suits your needs and saves you the most money possible. 
11. Interest is money down the drain. Do everything you can to avoid paying interest charges. 
12. Don't let one set back snowball into disaster. There will always be hiccups in the game of life. Have an emergency fund, a plan b, and the determination to keep going.

Through this series, I've gained a much better understanding for how people learn, what budget weaknesses they might have and what they need to succeed. I thank each and every one of you who've followed along for challenging me. It is through challenge and struggle that we grow as people. This series has allowed me to grow and has yielded a resource that will be here for others to use in the future. I encourage you to come back here and review these posts when you feel yourself struggling to stay the course. I encourage you to share this series with others you know who may find it helpful. I encourage you to always be learning and to use each day as an opportunity to improve and flourish <3

Source: Pinterest

Recipe: Veggie Sandwiches

When Jason announced he wanted to focus on more plant-based meals, we spent some time perusing Pinterest in search of some new ideas to incorporate. We noticed sweet potatoes being used in things like tacos and sandwiches, and decided we would give it a whirl. We basically took the concept of a sandwich (bread+ingredients+bread) and loaded it up with some of our favorite things. These will definitely be a new staple on our menu, and we've already begun talking about different variations.

Print your copy here!

1. Slice the sweet potato into thin slices, approximately 1/4" thick. Using a mandoline is fastest and safest, however, a knife can also be used. 
2. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and paprika, then bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 
3. While the sweet potato slices bake, spread the hummus on the bottom slice of bread and slice your avocado. Set these aside. 
4. Once the sweet potato slices are done, lay 2-3 pieces on top of the hummus. Top with the mixed greens, sliced avocado and finally the top piece of bread. 
5. Enjoy!

You can bake the sweet potato slices 2-3 days in advance and store in the fridge. Heat before serving using a toaster oven. Other topping ideas include thin sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots or zucchini. Play around with other spreads too and find what flavor profile you like best!

Here is the cost breakdown for this recipe:

• 1/2 Organic Baguette: $1.17 (Sold as a 3 pack for $6.99 at Costco)
• Sweet Potato: $0.89 (Aldi)
• Hummus: $0.20 (Aldi)
• Organic Mixed Greens: $0.12 (Aldi)
• 1/2 Avocado: $0.45 (Aldi)
• Spices: $0.03
• TOTAL = $2.86 or $1.43 per serving

Budget Bootcamp Week Seven: Tips and Tricks

I know what you're thinking - "Duh, Jordan, the whole point of this entire series is about your tips and tricks for budgeting!" Well yes, you're not wrong, but today's focus is going to be on things like apps and resources you can use to help keep you on track. I'm going to share a few of my favorites here, and you can also find more ideas on my Pinterest board. Try out a few of them and see what fits you best.

The Envelope System
If you're not at all familiar with the Envelope Method, check it out here. The Budget Mom does a great job breaking it down in detail. You basically take one envelope for each category and fill it with your budgeted amount at the beginning of the month, or half each pay period. This is a great approach for those that prefer cash to plastic, or for those who have really struggled in the past to stay within budget. It forces you to really stay on top of your budget, however it does have a downfall, in my opinion. That downfall is the need to actually fumble around with envelopes. Imagine a trip to Target or Walmart. You might be spending from a few different categories (such as groceries, paper products, pet supplies and clothing)... are you going to want to fumble around with paying the cashier in four different phases? No. Are you going to want to now have lots of change and coins to put back into separate envelopes? No. I love the theory, but for our personal lifestyles, it became a hassle and I began looking for something more streamlined.

GoodBudget
Good Budget is basically the digital version of the Envelope System. It's a free app that allows you to track your spending and even your earnings. There are a few different versions depending on your needs, but ultimately the purpose here is having your budget in the palm of your hands at all times. You can also use the software through their website if you like. This is great for those of us that utilize cards more so than cash, or if you don't like the idea of physically maintaining and carrying around the envelopes. What I like about it is the ability to sync with other members of the household. With cash envelopes (which we tried once for a brief period of time), we would run into the issue of needing to stop on the way home for a couple quick items at the store, but the envelopes were at home. Then we were having to "repay" our "bank" envelope because we spent money on a card instead of that particular cash. GoodBudget allows both of us to have access to our "envelopes" and to see where were we are throughout the month at a quick glance. I can enter my spending in a few quick seconds before I even leave the parking lot of the grocery store. No more "If I remember correctly, we have about X dollars left in this category this month. Now you know exactly where you are at all times. Super simple and super helpful.

Mint
Mint.com is another website that helps you digitally track your spending. Mint also is available as a mobile app, and unlike the envelope system or GoodBudget, it can be utilized to track investments, bank balances, and bills as well. It offers all the same features as GoodBudget and then some. This is a great option if you want to have all of your financial info linked in one, secure place. Mint also can offer you alerts and advice as well as help monitor your credit score.

Check out these platforms or methods and see what you think. Have you found any other tips, tricks, methods or apps that help you stay on top of your budget? What works best for one person might not work as well for someone else, so I love hearing from readers about their personal experiences. If apps and envelopes overwhelm you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with good ol' pen and paper. You can keep track of your spending by using a small notebook in your purse or car, or by listing expenses in your notepad on your phone. The goal here is to find whatever works best for you and to make staying on track as simple as possible! As we round out the month of February, I encourage you to review your spending and reflect on how you're are doing. What areas are you excelling in? What areas are you struggling in? How have your habits changed over the last seven weeks? What can you change to make March your most successful budget month yet?