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Quick and Easy Apple Crisp Recipe {Single Serving}

Posted on July 27, 2015July 23, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

The other night I was seriously craving some apple crisp. I’ve been doing great with counting my macros, so I wanted something that would fit in and not derail my whole day. So I went online searching for a quick recipe…. and you know what I found? Nothing.

No simple, quick and easy apple crisp recipe existed. I took matters into my own hands. I found a few, beefed them up a bit and created my own.

My next issue was nothing was single serving. I just couldn’t catch a break! Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to have an entire apple crisp all for myself, but I didn’t NEED an entire apple crisp all to myself. That would just be silly.

So again, I took my new quick recipe and made into a single serving recipe. Now this apple crisp recipe is as easy as pie (pun intended!).

Here’s what you need for this quick and easy apple crisp recipe:

1 apple, peel and diced (I used a Gala apple because that’s what I had laying around)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoon oats (old fashioned or quick is fine)
2 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I used a toaster oven so I didn’t have to waste electricity on my big oven. Spray a ramekin with cooking spray and set aside.

Once your apples are diced, place in a medium-sized bowl. Add cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and salt. Stir until it’s well combined. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared ramekin, set aside. In the same bowl (because who wants to dirty a bunch of dishes?) combine, brown sugar, oats and flour. Add the butter to the brown sugar mixture. Using a spoon or fork, cut the butter into the mixture until small chunks form.

Place the oat mixture on top of the apples. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Enjoy! It was tasty. It seems like a lot because it really filled my ramekin up to the brim. So it was a nice treat that didn’t completely undo my day. If you are wanting to cut back on the carbs, you can leave off the brown sugar-oat topping. It’s still tasty, but it doesn’t quite feel like the apple crisp I love.

Nutrition Facts for the whole recipe: Calories 355 / Total Fat 4g / Carbs 81 g / Protein 3 g / Fiber 6 g

Turning a Dream into a Success

Posted on July 24, 2015July 9, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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While browsing my Instagram feed I came across a similar idea. I loved it. Like a lot. Some of the wording wasn’t quite me, so I had to make some adjustments. Then I had to make it pretty… because, well, that’s just me.

I love the thought behind it – how to turn a dream into a success. You have to think, plan, and then take action. Trying once isn’t going to do anything for you. You have to keep trying and trying, then you will get it. Turning a dream into a success takes time, but we’re willing to put in the hours.

So here’s to all of us out there who are busting our butts, working hard, putting in long hours for success. Cheers!

How to Multitask Better

Posted on July 22, 2015July 5, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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Let’s face it, we are pulled in a thousand different direction every week. I mean, if we’re going to be really honest we can wear many different hats each day. I’m a wife, a dog-mom, a friend, daughter, sister, financial advisor, assistant, marketing director, blogger, etc. Those are just the hats I wear on a daily basis, not even the only ones I wear.

Let’s not forget about the things I want to learn or be better at. I want a closer relationship with God, I want to be a better photographer, I want to be a business owner. There are so many accomplishments I want to reach in my lifetime. We all have so much going on. As women and professionals, we need to be able to handle a lot.

Multitasking is the one task we need to master before we can be masters of our world. I’ve been working on some great tricks and tips so you can perfect your multitasking skills. If you have any other multitask tips to get an edge, please share below.

Here’s how to multitask better so you can get more done in less time:

Make lists.

Write everything down. Make lists for every facet of your life. Have one for things to do at work, around the house, for your blog… everything. However keeping a list works for you, use it. I’m someone that has to separate out my lists. If something needs to be done for the home then it’s on a different list for what I have going on at work.

If you write it down then it will get done.

How does list-making working for you? Do you keep a short-term list and a long-term list? Or do you just have one master list for it all?

Plan your days.

Every successful person plans their day. You cannot be effective if you do not know what needs to get done. You can multitask with ease if you do not overwhelm yourself. Keep it simple.

Use your list that you’re now keeping to help plan your day. Start by taking a look at what needs to get done soonest or what’s easiest to knock off your list. From there you can plan you’re whole day. Plus, you won’t forget about anything you have going on. No more missed appointments or playdates. You can multitask better if you know what’s coming up. If you have an appointment across town and you need to pick up your prescriptions then you’ll be able to take care of both tasks with one trip. The only way you’ll see the big picture is by planning.

While I’m at work, I plan it down to the hour of what I need to be doing. That way I stay productive through out the whole time. If I get behind or something takes me a bit longer then I just bump everything down. Try to only pick 2-3 tasks to get done for the whole day. Then fill in the rest of your day with small, easy to get done tasks.

Use your smartphone.

I’m always amazed when I see someone struggling and yet won’t use their smartphone smartly. You need to utilize your tools to work for you. Set appointment reminders in your calendar app and sync your online calendar with your phone calendar so you have it at the touch of your fingers. Utilize all of the good stuff Google has to offer – Google Drive is amazing. I use Google Sheets as my check register so I can stay on top of our budget and money at all times.

There are a ton of apps that can save you money at the grocery store, and make you money! Plus, all the helpful resources at your fingertips can make work easier and less timely.

However…

One recommendation for when you’re trying to get work done – turn off your phone. A smartphone can be really smart and help you, but it can also set you back. How many of us find ourselves wasting 10-15 minutes on Facebook, Pinterest, or reading our favorite blogs? Your phone can really be a distraction. Turn it on silent, put it in a drawer and don’t touch it when we’re really trying to focus. You’ll be better at multitasking if you can actually focus on what’s on hand.

Set specific goals.

You need to be smart about your goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely goals.

I’m a daydreamer with the best of them. I can picture my life in this beautiful home that J and I have custom built on 5 acres of land. In this dream home I have an amazing craft room with huge windows. J has a man cave where he can have his buddies over to have a good time. This is a dream… but it’s also a goal. J and I have a goal of being able to build our dream home. To reach this goal we are setting smaller more specific goals as stepping stones. We are paying down debt and saving money, then we will search for some land to buy. Once we own the land, then we will start the building process. It’s going to take time, but we know that we need to reach our smaller tasks first. That’s what you need to do.

You can break them down into smaller time frames, too. I also set specific goals each week. I take a look at our master list to set a few smaller tasks to accomplish. “Cook more” is not a specific goal. Try something more life, “Cook 3 dinners at home this week.” Then from there you need to pick 3 meals, buy the ingredients and then actually cook the meals.

SMART goals are easy to set, but you need to follow through with them to be successful.

Be cautious of your time.

There are many time-suckers around us. We need to be aware of them and be protective over our time. You can’t be a successful at multitasking if you don’t allow yourself the appropriate amount of time to get stuff done.

Be aware of everything you have going on and don’t over extend yourself. Don’t promise to bring snacks for your daughter’s gymnastics team while you’re suppose to be at a doctor’s appointment and needing to finish a load of laundry. That’s why planning your day is imperative for success!

You need to plan tasks that can be done together. Baking cookies while working on laundry is a piece of cake (I must be hungry to relate everything to food – ha!). Needing to pick up your dry cleaning can be done on the way to dropping your kid off at soccer practice.

Learn to say “NO” more when you simply can’t get things done. The one thing that can derail your ability to multitask is over extending yourself. Know your limits.

What are some of your multitasking tips and tricks? I’d love for you to share. Leave a comment below!

Buffalo Chicken Fries Recipe (RE-DO)

Posted on July 20, 2015July 16, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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It’s been a pretty crazy week over here. I’ve been working long hours and we’ve just had a lot of stuff going on. I’ve been trying to find easy recipes to cook so we don’t have to spend all evening in the kitchen. If I get home and I’m exhausted then the chances of me cooking are pretty slim. So that means we end up going out to eat. It’s not healthy and usually not very cheap.

J and I have been trying hard to eat better and be more mindful about our spending.

At the beginning of this week we sat down and found a few easy go-to recipes for dinner. I’m not going to lie when I tell you that 2 of the recipes were for the slow cooker. That little gadget is like a gift. It’s easy to use – just put the ingredients in, set it to low and then walk away. Plus, my slow cooker bowl can go into the dishwasher (most, if not all of my kitchen items can go into the dishwasher! I’m just not a big fan of hand washing anything!).
As we were brainstorming recipes I remembered this buffalo chicken fries I had made. I pulled out my old recipe and decided to give it a green light. I even posted the recipe on here before, but it’s been close to a year ago since I made these buffalo chicken fries. I just can’t believe it! I mean, they were such a big hit with J and I actually thought they were pretty good, too. Did I forget all about them? I don’t know what made me think of them this week, but I’m sure glad I did. You can find my old recipe here, but I tweaked it a little this time around. And I have to pat myself on the back because these turned out even better than before.

Here’s my revised (and better) ingredient list for buffalo chicken fries:

6 oz. cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1/3 cup buffalo sauce
2 potatoes, cut into slices (I used one russet and one sweet potato)
cooking spray
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Optional ingredients:
sour cream
feta cheese
chives
hot sauce

Set your oven to 450 degrees. Slice your potatoes into thin slices or wedges, place on a foil-lined baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. The potatoes get pretty stuck to the foil, so I recommend spraying it down with cooking spray. That way cleanup is still a breeze! Make sure the potatoes lay flat and are not overlapping one another. Lightly spread the EVOO on top of the potatoes. You can use a pastry brush or sauce brush. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown and begin to get soft. Once the fries are done, remove from oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Place the cooked chicken into a shallow bowl with the buffalo sauce. If you want a little more heat you can add a few drops of hot sauce. I don’t like my food too spicy so I skipped the hot sauce. Toss the chicken to cover evenly with sauce.

Cover the fries with the chicken mixture and top with cheese. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
You can top with feta cheese, sour cream and chives, if you wish.

If you’ve seen my original recipe then you’ll notice that I cut back on the buffalo sauce. It was a bit too much last time. J likes his food pretty spicy, but even he thought it was a little overdone. I also changed the amount of chicken to 6 ounces. I try to position the chicken so that his russet potato and my sweet potato each had approximately 3 ounces of chicken.

This time around the buffalo chicken fries turned out perfect. I think I found the best recipe!

5 Financial Habits to Learn in Your 20s

Posted on July 17, 2015April 11, 2017 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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As children we learn most of our habits from our parents and family members. We continue developing our habits even as high schoolers. Once we’re in our late teens and early 20s, most of our habits are set. However, there are a few important ones that we need to continue working on to set us up for financial success.

Not to get too deep on you, but what you do now will help develop a path for the rest of your life. Now that we’re out of high school, we have to start acting a little bit more responsible. That means knowing where our money is going, helping others, and focusing on those in our lives instead of ourselves.

Here are my tips for the 5 financial habits you need to develop in your 20s:

Learn how to budget your money.

If you haven’t setup your budget, do it now. It doesn’t take very long and it can really show you where you stand. We all want real-time results and budgeting can you give real-time feedback. Starting a budget is the first step you should take to becoming financially successful.

Don’t live above your means.

I know sometimes it’s hard to say no, but you have to be realistic. Know what you can afford, how much play money you have and respect it. I like using the cash envelope system spending for the areas I have tendency to go a little crazy in. It keeps me on track and focused on my bigger goals.

Know your credit score.

In your 20s you should know what’s on your credit report and be working towards a good credit score. Don’t let past mistakes haunt your future. Plus, a higher credit score means you get a lower interest rate and better deals on loans. So if you’re looking at buying a new (to you) car or a house having a credit score about 700 is ideal. Make sure you check your report a few months before needing to take out a loan. If there are any errors on the report then you’ll have time to get them corrected.

Pay down debt and student loans.

Now is the time to be paying off debt and knocking out those student loans. You can take my way of paying down debt, which is the debt snowball. You will have so much more money for saving or spending when you don’t have debt to worry about. Just think about the amount of money you spend each month on bills like credit cards, loans, etc. That money could be spent on saving for a future home, your retirement plan, or even just being able to do more.

Save for a rainy day and the long term.

I cannot preach enough about the importance of having an emergency fund. It doesn’t have to be some crazy high number when you’re starting out. I always say $1,000 is a good starting number. J and I have used our emergency fund a few times when something unexpected comes up then we simply work on replacing it.

As a couple or as a young adult you need to know what’s important to you. For us, having a solid retirement savings and building our dream home are huge. Once we pay down more debt then our next focus is saving for land and building our dream home.

I never think that J and I can’t reach our goals. I know that by creating these great financial habits now then in the years to come we won’t struggle as much. We will be able to reach any goal as long as we work together and have the same end-goal in mind. A few months ago, I created the 5 Money Management Tips you need to know. You’ll notice a few repeats, but that’s just because these tips and habits are crucial to long-term financial success.

The Best Buttercream Icing

Posted on July 15, 2015July 5, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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Remember the chocolate cupcakes I made the other day? Well I promised I would share the buttercream icing that goes with them. I’m back just to give you the easiest buttercream icing ever.

My family went on and on about how great these cupcakes turned out. I think they were a little surprised. To be truthful, I’m a little hit or miss on my baking. Sometimes I can turn out some tasty desserts that are hard to resist… And others I get distracted and burn my sweets. Oops! I try to multi-task a little too much.

I was patting myself on the back with this one. The finished right on time, the cooled while I blogged a little and then I whipped up this easy buttercream icing to go with. It was not an all day affair, which is perfect for me.

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-6 teaspoons milk

In your stand mixer, place the putter and powdered sugar. Turn to low and start to combine. Slowly add in the salt, vanilla, and milk. You can add more or less milk to reach the consistency you want.

I wanted something a bit stiff so that I could use my star tip to ice the cupcakes. This buttercream icing would be perfect for cookies, cake, and other sweets. You could even add another flavored extract into the icing for a little something different. I’m thinking a little mint would be really fresh for a summer treat. The possibilities are endless!

Adapted from i heart naptime.

Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted on July 13, 2015July 5, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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Last Sunday we headed over to my parents to hang out by the pool, grill some good food and just relax. I’m not much of a grill master. Actually I pretty sure I’ve burned everything I’ve ever tried to grill. So I usually just leave the grilling to J and I work on other tasty items to bring along.

I had been craving some chocolate cupcakes with buttercream icing. I searched and searched until I found what looked like the best chocolate cupcakes that didn’t take all day to bake. I mean, come on! I do not want to spend all day in the kitchen making 2 dozen cupcakes. It’s just not worth it to me. I would be better off buying pre-made cupcakes for that time.

You need to know something about these chocolate cupcakes… I feel like I owe it to you. You will struggle only eating one. Seriously! These are that good. I couldn’t help myself! So much chocolate, but not in the struggle-getting-it-down kind of chocolate. I’m talking about the kind that stays on your mind once you’ve tasted it.

That’s when you know it’s good.

Here’s what you need for melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cupcakes recipe:

1 box of chocolate cake mix (I bought the cheapest box I could find. I’m not about to spend $3.00 on a box of cake mix when there is one for less than a $1.00 on the shelf)
1 box of chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup of canola oil (any oil will do, that’s all I had on hand)
1 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup of very warm water
8 ounces of sour cream

Combine the cake mix and pudding mix in your stand mixer bowl. Add the chocolate chips, stir to combine. Put the paddle attachment on and put on low speed. Add one egg at a time, waiting for them to combine before adding the next. Mix in the oil and water. Finally add the sour cream. Stir on low speed until well mixed. Using a rubber scrapper, get any mix off the side of the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare two cupcake pans with liners and fill with mix 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 30 minutes or until fully done. I used the toothpick method to tell. Once the toothpick came out clean then it was done.

The mix will freak you out a bit. Before you add the sour cream, the batter will look a bit watery. But don’t worry. Just keep mixing and add in the sour cream. Once the sour cream is fully incorporated, it will pull together.

Let cool completely before icing. I made a delicious buttercream icing to go with mine. I’ll post the recipe later this week for you.

recipe adapted from i heart naptime.

29 While 29 – A Birthday List

Posted on July 10, 2015July 2, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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I turned a year older yesterday, which means it’s time for another list of goals to accomplish this year.

Is it just me or does it seem like as we get older the excitement goes away? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about getting older. I just can remember being six years old and not being able to sleep the night before my birthday. My excitement was overwhelming and I couldn’t wait to wake up one year older. To party like a rockstar with my friends and celebrate with my family.

With each new birthday that passes, the joy fades a bit. It’s no longer a holiday, but just another day at work and another day that I have responsibilities. If I had the option to go back in time and celebrate like I did at 9 or 22, I’d pass. I don’t want to go back, I just want to keep moving forward.

28 was a great year for me. I feel like this year has been a real growing year for me. I have had my ups and downs, I wouldn’t change anything that happened. Every down has taught me something and has made me a little bit stronger. I have to remember that God has a plan for me and though I may not know His plan, it’s there and I need to trust it. Sad things happen, but it doesn’t have to hold me back. I can’t let one bad thing prevent me from growing and becoming the person I’m suppose to be.

Plus, there were some really great things that have happened this past year. So I need to focus on the good.

Here’s my 29 while 29 birthday list:

1. Stay with my healthier lifestyle – this was on my list last year and I did really good with it so I want to keep it going
2. Work towards my CFP® designation
3. Travel to a new city
4. Go to the lake as much as possible – again this is a repeat from last year, but it’s such a good one!
5. Work on paying down debt
6. Save for our future home
7. Take more pictures
8. Craft more
9. Cook at home more often
10. Throw a dinner party
11. Organize our house
12. Do good for others
13. Laugh more
14. Visit friends
15. Become a better baker
16. Train Bud and Tiny
17. Develop a budget series
18. Become more confident in myself
19. Dog photoshoot
20. Grow this blog (I think this will be on every birthday list of mine-ha!)
21. Start video blogging
22. Paint an image to hang in our bedroom
23. Downsize my closet
24. Overcome my fear
25. Create more recipes for the blog
26. Decorate our guest bedroom
27. Become more patient with myself
28. Finish the backyard
29. Journal more to remember the good stuff

Recap of 28 While 28

Posted on July 8, 2015July 2, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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Tomorrow is the big day – the big 2-9. I can’t believe I’m turning another year older. Pretty soon I’m going to stop aging all together. …I had a great grandmother do that. She just stopped telling people her age and after a few years no one knew (or was willing to say out loud) her true age. That’s going to me be… I’m going to be 29 forever. Well not forever… but I’m going to work on staying ageless.

Here’s a recap of my 28 while 28 list, let’s see how I did.

Here’s what I accomplished:

Continue kicking butt to become a CFP
Get better taking and processing photos
Travel to…anywhere and everywhere
Grow merelynne.com by 50% this year
Take exams for work to become licensed
Do a fun Christmas photoshoot with J, me and the pups
Pay down more bills
Worry and Stress less
Have the time of my life
Stay with my healthier lifestyle
Help someone in need
Go to lake as much as possible
Get involved with CrossFit…again
Decorate our new house

What I failed at and need to keep working on:

Redesign merelynne.com
Create a beautiful workspace at home
Finally create our engagement (and now wedding) journal
Somehow manage the crazy pups so I can do a photoshoot of them
Go to 28 concerts/shows/plays/etc.
Launch my new calendar line that I am obsessed with
Start an e-newsletter for my calendar and merelynne.com
Mother/Daughters’ trip
Put a little blue in my hair for a short while
Stop drinking soda
Host a Christmas party
10 DIY projects
Girls’ weekend
Make a t-shirt quilt out of my Sorority shirts

So I succeed on about 50% of my list…. that’s not really a passing score, but I’ll still take it. I got a few DIY projects done, but not 10. I wasn’t able to go on a girls’ weekend because I ended up sick and had to skip out. I didn’t host a Christmas party, but we went to two so I feel like that’s still a success in some way. I also didn’t fully redesign my blog, but I updated it. See? I wasn’t a complete failure – haha! I was pretty busy this year and I made a lot of memories. It was a win-win.

Fried Chicken Salad and America

Posted on July 6, 2015July 5, 2015 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

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lake

For the 4th of July J and I got out of the house for a little while. We drove about 30 minutes out of town to find the best fishing spot. After we wondered around for a bit we discovered this (new to us) creek. As you can tell… I caught the only fish of the day, a baby catfish.

I prepared a yummy picnic for us. I made a tasty, like melt in your mouth, fried chicken salad. It was perfect for a day out by the lake. It a no fuss, no mess lunch. Just what we needed!

After we fished, we headed over to my parents where J grilled some pork steaks for everyone. Then him and my Dad disappeared for almost an hour to find some jaw-dropping fireworks. They showed back up with J’s truck bed full, I mean overflowing of massive fireworks.

J and my Dad designed the perfect show that blew the neighbors’ out of the water. We even let Bud come sit outside with us and he did great. He wasn’t scared at all! He just laid next to the truck and kept his eyes on J the whole time. We laughed, we were in awe, and it was overall a great night.

Now I want to share with you the recipe for my oh-so-yummy fried chicken salad. Here’s what you need for a perfect snack by the water:

4 cups of fried chicken, diced*.
3/4 cup of mayo
1/4 cup of mustard
3 green onions, diced
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch of salt and pepper

*I found it easier if the chicken is cold when you cut it. That way the skin stays on the meat.

Mix the mayo, mustard, onions, italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set it aside for about 25-30 minutes so the flavors can meld together.

I made the fried chicken salad and then went ahead slicing the yummy bread I brought just for the sandwiches. I decided not to pre-make the sandwiches before we left. My bread was a bit soft and I didn’t want it turn mushy before we could eat it. So I brought paper plates and tongs with us to build the fried chicken sandwiches.

I have to say that I out did myself this time around. J loved them! So much so he ended up having one the next day at 10am! Perhaps it was because I overslept and didn’t feel like making breakfast, but I’m going to say it’s because they were that good!

Recipe adapted from Southern At Heart.

Here’s what you need for this quick and easy apple crisp recipe:

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Make lists.

Plan your days.

Use your smartphone.

Set specific goals.

Be cautious of your time.

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Here’s my revised (and better) ingredient list for buffalo chicken fries:

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Learn how to budget your money.

Don’t live above your means.

Know your credit score.

Pay down debt and student loans.

Save for a rainy day and the long term.

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