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Spring Rolls (for spring, get it?)

April 2, 2008 3 Comments

I’ve planned on doing a series of “spring” posts, from spring cleaning to spring decor to spring recipes. But since I did all those “informational” posts over the last week or so, I thought it would be a good idea to lighten things up with a recipe or two. And I just couldn’t get spring rolls out of my head. I don’t know if it’s really a spring recipe, but at least spring is in the name, and besides that it makes a great appetizer and a good addition to a Chinese meal.

I haven’t really done any Chinese cooking myself (at least not from scratch) but I found this recipe and a lot of other on a website called Chinese Food DIY. They seem to have a recipe for almost everything that you’d find on a Chinese buffet, so if you’re interested in cooking Chinese at home, check them out.


Spring Rolls

1 tablespoon oil
2 cups your choice of meat (cooked ham, Chinese barbecued pork, raw pork, or raw chicken, cut julienne; you can also add tiny shrimp or leave out the meat entirely and substitute more vegetables)
6 Chinese dried black mushrooms, soaked to reconstitute, then cut julienne
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, cut julienne
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 small carrot, shredded
1-1/2 cups Chinese or regular green cabbage, shredded
2 scallions, shredded
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetarian broth for a vegetarian version)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch (corn flour)
1 package spring roll or egg roll wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Prepare filling: Heat oil in a wok. Add meat and stir-fry briefly (until cooked through, if raw). Add vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens. Let filling cool before filling spring rolls (refrigerate if you’re in a hurry).

2. To prepare each spring roll: Position one wrapper like a diamond with one point facing you. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a log shape across the bottom about 2″ from the lowest corner. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it behind the filling. Roll the packet up once to enclose the filling securely. Moisten the three remaining corners of the wrapper with beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners to the center and press down firmly to seal, forming an envelope. Finish rolling up, sealing the top corner. Repeat with remaining packets.

3. (Spring rolls may be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook. Make sure they do not touch each other or the dough will stick together.)

4. In a deep-fryer or wok, heat 4 cups of oil to 360 -375 degrees F. Deep-fry spring rolls a few at a time, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot, whole or cut in thirds, with plum sauce as a dip.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, recipes

Organizing Tax Information Part 2 – Keeping Up with Receipts and Deductions

March 31, 2008 1 Comment


Time for my small business accounting & organizational class. This post is kind of long, so I hope you’ll indulge me. It’s hard to take steps in a business procedure and condense them down, but I think I did an okay job.. Before I begin, let me say that I am not a trained tax accountant. But I did work in accounts receivable for a few years, and I had to deal with packing lists and invoices on a daily basis and handle record keeping for computer files and physical files. So that experience taught me a lot about organizing and the importance of coming up with a system that works for me, and I’ve based my own home accounting and record keeping practices on the systems that I’ve learned in business. I’ve just put it on a smaller scale. As I’ve said, everyone has their own way of doing things. What works for me, may not work for you, but maybe my ideas will help somebody or at least give others an idea for a system that will work for them.

This system is primarily used to keep up with expenses that are tax deductible (business or non business), and it’s a simple, time-friendly system that you can use throughout the year. You can also check out Tax Blog Site to help you deal with taxes.

Gathering Receipts
First of all, throughout the year I keep all my papers in a “temporary” file box, until I’m ready to go through them, and the file box contains hanging folders for various kinds of paper work (bills, new mail, and so forth). For my accounting purposes, I have 2 folders in the box for receipts. One is for personal receipts, and the other is for business receipts. About once a week or so, I empty the folders and enter the totals for the receipts onto a spreadsheet. The personal receipts are entered into my “monthly budget” spreadsheet and are then thrown away. But business receipts (and other important receipts) are entered onto a separate spreadsheet for business expenses and are then copied and filed. (Note – After I pay bills, I place them in the receipt folder as well, so that they can be counted along with all my other receipts.)

Computer Records

At the beginning of the year, I create a spreadsheet/workbook in Excel. You could create an Access database if you prefer or use some other accounting software, but Excel is pretty sufficient for my particular system. (and if you don’t have excel, Google has an online spreadsheet program that’s free) My spreadsheet is primarily for business expenses, but you can use it to calculate any expenses you like.

For organizational purposes, I create separate worksheets within the workbook for various kinds of expenses. For example, my husband has a truck that he uses for his business, and every time he gets an oil change or has work done on the truck, those totals go on a worksheet labeled, “Truck.” Another worksheet is labeled, “Gas,” which obviously is for gasoline totals. Another worksheet is for “Office supplies” and so on.

And basically each worksheet contains a list of expense records. At the top of the worksheet, there is title and underneath the title are the headings which my information is entered under. The headings I use are as follows: Date, Vendor, Item Description, Total. Each receipt that I get becomes a record/line item on the worksheet, and all the information from the receipt is entered under the headings.

Paper/Physical Records


Before or after the receipt info. is entered into the spreadsheet, I attach the receipt to a sheet of printer paper. To save paper, I usually attach 2-4 small receipts on to the same sheet of paper. After attaching the receipts and entering all the receipts into my spreadsheet, I make a copy of all the receipts. Then I punch holes in the papers and place them in my Business Expense binder. I have one binder for the original receipts, and one for the copies. (I make the copies b/c sometimes the ink on receipts tends to fade, and I just like having 2 copies. I also got pretty use to the practice when working with monthly credit card statements at my old job.)

Each expense binder is “equipped” with tabs/subject dividers. The labels on the tabs match the labels on the worksheets of my spreadsheet, and the receipts are filed behind the appropriate tab. By creating “expense categories” for your computer spreadsheet and your physical/paper files, it is much easier to stay organized and to keep a check of your records to make sure that they match. It also makes it easier for you to find a specific record.

We’ve managed to file all of our receipts for the year in a single binder. (with the copies in a second binder) But if you have a lot of receipts, you may want to use more than binder. You may even want to create tabs for specific vendors that you use a lot. And of course, if your business is bigger, than you can always apply this system to a filing cabinet.

Not Just For Businesses
I know that I’ve focused on small businesses, and many of us don’t have businesses, but this system can be applied to individuals as well. I’ve used this same system to keep up with receipts for college books. (I don’t worry about keeping up with tuition totals b/c the school sends us a tax form w/ that info) And you could use this system for other expenses/tax deductions as well, from medical expenses to charitable donations. (or use a less detailed version for your home budget)

Filing Your Taxes and being Prepared for an Audit.
When it comes time to file your taxes, simply print out all your spreadsheets and use the grand totals for your deductions. No need to to pull out your receipts except to double check your totals. (if you use an accountant, having a spreadsheet or list of totals will make his job easier too.)  If you don’t have an accountant, you will have to do it on your own, either via mail-in forms or online (efiling). If you decide you want to efile it’s easy and a lot faster than the traditional mail method.

You should still keep your receipts in the event of an audit. And I’ve been advised by an accountant that if you are ever audited it looks much better (to the auditors) if you have a folder or binder of receipts that is neat and organized rather than a box or folder full of loose receipts.

For those of you who don’t like to keep paper files and prefer to scan your receipts, that is fine too, as long as you can can quickly print and organize your receipts in the event of an audit. The most important thing is that you are able to take any record from your spreadsheet or computer database and quickly locate the receipt for that record.

Well, that’s about all I can think of. I hope this helps.


Filed Under: organizing, personal finances, Simple Solutions

Menu Plan Monday for March 31

March 30, 2008 4 Comments
I’m hardpressed to come up with menu ideas this week. I’m just not in the mood for anything in particular. It’s kind of weird for me, because I’m usually full of ideas, but right now I’m just not feeling inspired. But I still managed to come up with a menu, though I could change my mind as the week goes forward.

Monday – Lemon Chicken & Rice
Tuesday – Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Wednesday – Tacos
Thursday – Chicken Salad
Friday- Fried shrimp, french fries, hush puppies
Saturday – eat out
Sunday – Steak, baked potato, and steamed veggies

To participate in MPM, visit orgjunkie.com.

Filed Under: menu plan Monday

Organizing Tax Information Part 1 – All the Forms You Get in the Mail

March 29, 2008 Leave a Comment


I wanted to take a little time to do some posts on organizing your tax stuff, because I think one of the a main reasons people hate doing taxes is because they get overwhelmed with the stacks of paper and forms. So I’m going to explain the system that I have for organizing my stuff, and hopefully it will be of some help to somebody out there.

This first part will deal with all the forms that come in the mail because everyone has to deal with them, and then in the next day or two, I’ll explain my system for dealing with receipts that you keep up with yourself in order to take deductions (for small businesses, donations, and whatever else you have).

Generally the tax forms begin coming in the mail at the beginning of January, and you should have all of these by February. If it appears that you’re missing something, then you may want to contact the company that you’re missing stuff from and find out what the deal is, but generally you can expect to get all your forms fairly early, and if not, then you may also want to check online. My credit union and one of the companies that I had a student loan through had our statements online to print out.

Whenever I start getting my forms in the mail, I immediately get a out a file folder and label it “Taxes” and I write the year on it. I place all my forms in this folder as they come in the mail, and eventually after our taxes have been submitted/filed, I keep all my forms and printouts/copies in this same folder and file it in the filing cabinet at home.

Once I feel that I have recieved all the paperwork in the mail and am ready to file our taxes, I go through the folder and open all the evelopes and I separate the forms into groups. Generally they are grouped into two stacks. One stacks is Incomes. This includes records of our wages, student loan and scholarship disbursements, accrued interest on our savings accounts, etc. I attach all these forms together with a paper clip, and place a post it on top of the stack, labeled Incomes.

My other stack is for Expenses Paid (or whatever you want to call it…I don’t call it deductions b/c I have several different kinds of deductions, which will be discussed in the next post). Anyway, this is for forms that we get, regarding interest that we’ve paid on student loans, tuition that we have paid, and that sort of thing. Again, I clip all of these forms together with a paper clip and label the stack with a post it.

Of course, you may have other forms that come in the mail as well, which you can group any way you like. You may also want to take it a step further and do individual stacks for you and your spouse or other people in the house as well. Or you may want to separate “wage” forms from “bank interest forms,” or put all your “college related” forms together. It’s really up to you. Everyone has their own personal preferences and an idea of what’s logical to them. But this system works for me, it’s very simple.

The bottom line is that it is better to have 2, 3, or 4 stacks of paper that are organized, clipped together, and clearly labeled than to have 10 or 20 random sheets of paper thrown together in a folder. Whether you do the taxes yourself or hire an accountant, a little organization will make the work a whole lot easier.

Next time, I’ll explain my simple system for keeping up with business expenses and other deductions throughout the year. A lot of people don’t take deductions because they either lose their receipts, or they think it is too much trouble and hassle to keep up with receipts and keep a record of their deductions. (but it doesn’t have to be a hassle!)

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. See ya next time!

Filed Under: organizing, personal finances

Recipe of the Week: Buffalo Chicken Wrap

March 28, 2008 3 Comments
In the midst of all the number crunching, we must not forget to eat lunch. So here’s a little food for thought. The recipe of the week comes from Eating Well. It seems like wraps are “all the rage” these days, and if you like a little spice in your life, this wrap is for you. (and if not, you could always make it for your husband or other spicey food fan.)

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken tenders
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced celery
1 large tomato, diced

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.

3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.

4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week, recipes

More Tax Deductions & Resources

March 28, 2008 1 Comment
Greetings tax filers! Today I have some more tax deductions for you and a few links to some resources that you may find helpful.

Education Deductions:
-Tuition paid (out of pocket)
-Books & other supplies that are required for classes
-Interest paid on student loans (but not principle)
-Lifetime learning credit (a one time deduction)
-cost of special schooling for the disabled

Medical Deductions:
-alcohol & drug addiction recovery programs, and smoking cessation programs
-cost of contact lenses, glasses, hearing aids, etc.
-cost of wheel chairs, prosthetics, and other aids for the handicapped
-wages paid to a nurse
-fees for medical services such as diagnostic tests (xrays, etc), physical therapy, and other medial services
-medical care given to nursing home residents

Other Deductions:
-alimony paid
-moving expenses
-state taxes due for a previous year (paid in the current tax year)
-taxes paid on cars, boats, etc.
-housekeeping, cooking services, etc for a qualified dependent (disabled or otherwise qualified)
-sales tax on large items such as cars
-contributions made to qualified charities
-penalties paid for savings account withdrawals

-credits for buying a hybrid vehicle

Filed Under: personal finances

Tax Deductions For the Self-Employed and other Job Related Deductions

March 26, 2008 3 Comments

If you own a small business or home based business, you can deduct just about all of your business expenses. Here are some to keep in mind:
  • Office supplies
  • Postage
  • Shipping supplies
  • Tools & materials
  • Work uniforms (not suitable for every day wear)
  • Safety equipment (hardhats, safety glasses, etc.)
  • Advertising/promotional costs
  • Computer & internet
  • Cell phone (used primarily for business) And long distance business calls, and a separate business line at your home.
  • Business dinners & entertainment costs (up to 50%, and you must specify purpose of the dinner and what clients were in attendance)
  • If you have a home office which takes up 10% of your home and is used primarily for you business, you can deduct 10% of your electricity & utility bills.
  • Books, Magazines, and Journals pertaining to your business.
  • Education/training courses relevant to your buisiness.
  • Liscensing & dues paid to states, your chamber of commerce, etc.
  • Gasoline & vehicle maintenance, if you use your vehicle for your business.
  • Business trip costs.
  • Business gifts up to $25 per client.
  • Office space rent
  • Insurance for business, health insurance premiums, and auto insurance (for business owners who use their car/truck as a primary component to their business)

If you are not self-employed but your employer requires that you own a cell phone, PDA, or a home computer for you job, you may also be able to deduct the costs of these items, as well as home office expenses if you are required to take work home with you. You can also deduct costs for tools, work uniforms (not suitable for daily wear) and other job expenses that are not compensated by your employment

Additionally, if you have been unemployed and actively seeking employment, you may be eligible for deductions.

  • Costs to prepare resumes and portfolios
  • Newspapers & other publications that you purchase to read employment ads
  • Costs to advertise your services in the newspaper
  • Long distance calls to prospective employers
  • Travel costs to go for an interview that is out of your area.
  • Fees paid to employment agencies

Filed Under: personal finances

Taxes: The Basic Info

March 25, 2008 3 Comments

This week, I’m focusing on taxes….yes, the dreaded T word that strikes fear and doom into the hearts of man, woman, and child. For those lucky ones of you who have already filed your taxes, well done! Unfortunately, I know there are still a lot of us out there who have not yet filed, and many will even apply for an extension because they can’t meet the April 15 deadline. But hopefully after reading a few posts with tips on the subject we can all get our taxes prepared and filed in a timely manner without all the stress and worry.

For this first post, we’ll start with some basic information.

IRS.GOV – One of the best resources to look at for tax information is the official website of the IRS. Their website contains all the forms that you’ll need to fill out your taxes. It also tells you all of the basic rules/laws that you need to know about when filing your returns. It includes links where you can file your taxes electronically and outlines the options that you have for filing and paying your taxes at your convenience. Additonally you’ll find information about tax deductions and credits and just about anything you need to know about taxes.

Filing online – There are a number of ways in which you can file your taxes online. Check out all your efiling options by clicking here. Some people “fear” efiling, but if you have basic computers skills, there is nothing to be afraid of, beacuse the system tells you exactly what you need to do. (all you have to do is have all your paperwork organized and ready to go) My husband is no accountant by any means, and he was able to use the system to fill out our taxes last year. It only takes a little time, and the cost to file is no more than what you would pay an accountant. In fact, if your adjusted gross income was less than $54,000 then you can file online for free at freefile.

Tax Tips for 2008 -The IRS site lists a lot of important tips on tax credits & deducations which you may find helpful. This page also includes a link to info. on making sure that you get our “stimulus” payment.

Deadlines, extrensions, ect. – The best way to avoid the stress and worry over taxes is to file early. Plan a day right now to do your taxes, or call your accountant today to set up an appointment. The fastest and easiest way to file is to file electronically. (this is also the best way to ensure that your get your return/rebate in a timely manner.)

If you know that you won’t have your taxes done by April 15, file for an extension. But keep in mind that if you apply for an extension and you owe tax money, you will have to pay interest. You may also use a credit card for your payment, but your credit card company will charge you a convenience fee, and you should not pay your taxes with a credit card unless you will be able to pay the balance on the card within the next month. If you file your taxes and discover that you owe more than you can afford to pay right now, you can apply to pay your taxes in an installment plan. However, For more info, read How to Avoid Tax Time Problems.

Avoid Scammers & Identity Theft– A few weeks ago I got an email in my inbox about paying my taxes by clicking a link in the email. If you get an email like this, you should delete and report it immediately. Do not reply to these emails or click the links within them. Remember, the IRS will never contact you through email or through the telephone. Never give out your SSN or tax id to anyone. More info.

**In our next few posts, I’ll have have a list of tax credits & deductions that are often overlooked or forgotten (and some that you may not even know about), as well as some links to other tax info. sources.**
**I’ll also have some tips for organizing your tax information for this current tax season & tips on how you can create a system for organizing all your receipts year round (making for an easy tax season in 2009). In the organizing posts, I’ll include an outline of the system I use for my husband’s business, which can be applied to individuals and households.**

Filed Under: personal finances

Menu Plan Monday for March 24

March 24, 2008 Leave a Comment

Still feeling a little under the weather today, so I’m keeping the menu post short & sweet. (and don’t worry, I’ve already called and gotten a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow morning!) Good Day!

Monday – chicken fingers & fries

Tuesday – sub sandwiches

Wednesday – chicken soup

Thursday – Beef & potato casserole

Friday – Tuna Noodle Casserole

Saturday – leftovers

Sunday – Jambalaya

Visit http://orgjunkie.com/ to view other menus & recipes.

Filed Under: menu plan Monday

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Easter Bread

March 23, 2008 2 Comments
Happy Easter everybody! I hope you’ve all had a fun holiday weekend!

Things have been a little out of whack for me this week. I didn’t do a Menu Plan Monday post for this past week, because my mom and stepdad were in town, and we did very little eating at our house. (hence, no MPM for me) And before they got here my schedule was filled with appointments (not to metion, a little housework), and after they got here, I spent the majority of my time with them, shopping, showing them all the sites, and that sort of thing. And on top of that, I’ve been feeling sick the last few days. So with all this going on, I haven’t had much time to devote to posting.

But I’m feeling a little better today, so here’s the recipe of the week. (better late than never). I was going to do another Easter dessert for this week, maybe even something you could make using leftover Easter candies, but in my search for recipes, I ran across this bread, and I decided to post it instead. This came from Taste of Home, and though it’s called Easter bread, it sounds like a good recipe for any occasion. As I’ve previously said, I love any and all breads, and I also happen to love lemon flavored desserts, so this is definitely a good combination for me. I hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, pudding mix, eggs and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves.

Filed Under: breads and sides, Recipe of the Week
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