
Get a load of these layers. Nope, we’re not talking about cakes, but rather something a little less, shall we say… sinful. Right now, we’re all about salads in a jar. Carefully layered in Mason jars, each of these 20 make-ahead creations will still be fresh and crisp as can be come lunchtime. Just shake it off up and dig in!
1. Chickpea, Farro and Greens Salad: There is no shortage of flavor going on in this salad. With red onion and celery mingling with chickpeas at the bottom, followed by garlicky farro and homemade Greek dressing, every bite is outstanding. (via Cookie and Kate)
2. The Moin Moin Salad: Cubes of moin moin — a savory bean pudding — are a unique, soy-free alternative to tofu in this tasty salad. (via Dooney’s Kitchen)
3. Seven-Layer Avocado Salad: Fans of the ever-popular seven-layer dip will definitely enjoy digging into this equally striated salad. (via California Avocado Commission)
4. Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad With Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing: Featuring a well-balanced selection of carbs, protein and veggies, this salad will hit the spot during lunch hour. (via Fit Foodie Finds)
5. Pomegranate and Pear Salad: Studded with chopped pecans and sprinkled with blue cheese, this pomegranate, pear and spinach salad is a terrific selection for winter months. (via Fake Food Free)
6. Barley, Feta and Asparagus Salad: Between the briny olives and feta, a mere drizzle of olive oil is all it takes to make this barley-based beaut come together. (via SheKnows)
7. White Bean, Fennel and Chorizo Salad: Peppery arugula complements the flavors of chorizo, fennel and red onion perfectly, while creamy white beans provide some serious staying power. (via Kitchen Konfidence)
8. Burrito Bowl Salad: Think of all the time (and money) you’ll save if you pack this zesty jar in your lunchbox instead of waiting in line to order one from the local burrito chain. (via Strictly Delicious)
9. Asian Zoodle Salad: Sweet, sour and a touch spicy, this zucchini noodle salad will give your taste buds a welcome afternoon wakeup. If you’re craving carbs, though, go ahead and try this double noodle version on for size. (via Foxes Love Lemons)
10. Layered Seven Bean Salad: You’ll love this modern Mason jar makeover of the classic seven bean salad. (via The View from Great Island)
11. Rainbow Salad With Avocado Hummus: The only downside to this colorful salad is that it’s almost too pretty to eat. A nice bonus: If you have any avocado hummus left over, it’s just as delicious scooped up with chips or crudities. (via Oh My Veggies)
12. Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad: This delicate spinach and strawberry salad can be made ahead of time just as well as its grain- and legume-based counterparts due to one ingenious trick: a parchment paper “bowl” on top. It keeps the dressing separate until you’re ready to dig in, so you won’t have to endure eating a limp, wilted blend. (via Food and Other Stuff)
13. Cucumber Noodle Salad: We’re no strangers to adding cucumbers to our salads, but cutting them into noodles is a fun change of pace. But it’s the creamy sweet and sour poppyseed dressing that will keep you wanting more. (via Nosh and Nourish)
14. Marinated White Bean Salad: The longer this salad sits, allowing the beans to soak up a flavorful marinade, the better it gets. (via Foxes Love Lemons)
15. Carrot Noodle Salad With Sweet Chili Vinaigrette: This bright selection of veggies is positively chock-full of seeds — both hemp and sesame — and nuts to keep you satisfied. (via Nosh and Nourish)
16. Brown-Butter-Roasted Peanut and Asian Pear Salad: You may want to make a double batch of the brown-butter-roasted peanuts; they’re just as delicious as a snack to munch on solo. (via Cook the Story)
17. Watermelon and Feta Salad: We’re definitely bookmarking this refreshing watermelon, feta and mint salad for summer picnics. (via The Wife of a Dairyman)
18. Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad: Mangos and avocados team up to provide a lovely tropical twist to this savory bean and quinoa blend. Click on over for this plus four other great combos. (via A Beautiful Mess)
19. Caprese Salad: You only need five ingredients (and equally little time) to throw together this tomato, basil and mozzarella classic. (via Skinny Ms.)
20. Zucchini Noodle Salad: This gorgeous salad is green in a big way, even down to the coconut-avocado dressing. The mix of zucchini, peas and asparagus practically screams spring. (via Inspiralized)
Have you ever tried making a Mason jar salad? Share your tips, tricks and favorite flavor combos below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures