Fuel your mug obsession with chocolate. What else? (via The Conversation (2)
Most people reach for it every day — their favorite mug. Whether yours is thrifted, love worn, DIY'd or impulse-purchased from a high-end boutique, one thing is certain: It's a kitchen essential that can make your life easier. If the thought of dragging out mixing bowls and casserole dishes makes you want to run screaming out of your kitchen (we've all been there), never fear. The mug is here! With a few simple ingredients and a microwave, your cup can transform into a one-dish wonder. Not only are these mug meals super delicious, but most of them can be ready in five minutes or less.
5-Minute Chocolate Fudge S’mores Mug Cake
If the mere thought of breaking out skewers and standing over a hot fire makes you sweat, meet your s’mores in a new way — the mug cake. This ooey gooey marshmallow ‘n’ fudge treat can be ready to eat in five minutes, sans sweating over an open fire. (via How Sweet It Is)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
The mug cake can be tricky to master… but not for you. Not now that you’re armed with this carefully tested recipe, that is. Mix things up by adding nuts and mini mallows for a rocky road-style treat. (via The Novice Chef)
Blueberry Muffin With Streusel Topping Mug Cake
There’s nothing like the scent of freshly-baked blueberry muffins. Mmmmm. Are your cravings on a blueberry kick now? Good thing you can make this muffin in a matter of minutes. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)
Mexican Street Corn in a Cup
What a classy way to serve corn! And how beautiful would this spicy dish look in a variety of colorful mugs? (via Little Inspiration)
Red Velvet Mug Cake
Wrap up this colorful cake-in-a-mug and make it a gift. Who wouldn’t love to find this sweet snack on their office desk? (via Kirbie’s Cravings)
Pumpkin Mug Pie With Toffee and Caramel
Sooooo… we’re totally tempted to make this for breakfast. Pumpkin’s healthy, right? (via Yammie’s Noshery)
The Ultimate Gooey Caramel Brownie Mug Cake Sundae
An already fabulous molten chocolate cake recipe gets a makeover with rich espresso and other add-ins such as melted caramel, nuts and fudge sauce. This is a great way to satisfy your cravings. We have a hunch that it will more than meet your expectations. (via Willow Bird Baking)
Single Serving Cinnamon Roll
There are so many things to love about cinnamon rolls. They’re basically an excuse to eat cake for breakfast! Which is why we’re super excited to try this healthified version. Ingredients like oat flour, bananas, coconut oil, dates and, of course, cinnamon come together to create a single serving of delish. (via Chocolate Covered Katie)
Nutty Little Mug Cake
Who’s game for a little mug cake that’s infused with Ferrero Rocher chocolates!? Oh, and there’s Nutella. Yes, Nutella. Your day just got seriously awesome. (via This Little Street)
Strawberry Mug Pies
Strawberry pie — in a mug — is now officially the greatest thing to ever happen to you. This beauty is actually oven-baked, but the recipe boasts a seriously good time-saving secret: puff pastry. So genius. (via How Sweet It Is)
Coffee Cup Quiche
Desserts are nice… but when you’re really hungry they just don’t cut it. Make a meal happen in minutes with this simple yet delicious quiche in a cup. Dinner? Done. (via STL Today)
Cookies and Cream Mug Cake
Worth every single delicious calorie. Make this happen with only five ingredients and five minutes of your time. (via Kirbie’s Cravings)
Peach Cobbler Mug Cake
The smell of this fresh-from-the-microwave cake is so irresistible that you might find yourself greedily spooning down mouthfuls before it’s had time to properly cool. We found it a great test of self-control — and yep, apparently we’re human. (via Cooking Classy)
Minute Microwave Cheesecake
Cheesecake in one minute? Yum and yes please! Top off these babies with fresh fruit, nuts or even chocolate. Fair warning: We’re not sharing! (via Your Lighter Side)
Microwaved Sausage and Cheese Spaghetti Dinner
Let’s face it. You’re busy. Too busy to mess around with complicated cooking after a long day. That’s when you can really appreciate this totally microwaveable mug meal. Throw together fresh ingredients, like italian sausage, pasta, garlic, shredded cheese and spices — then microwave. Within minutes, you’ll be hooked. (via Lady and Pups)
Blueberry Coffee Cake
It’s time for second breakfast. Perhaps elevenses? Or maybe a fourth meal? No matter what time of day or night it is, we’re ready to succumb to this sweet coffee cake. (via Steph’s Bite By Bite)
Roasted Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheddar
Hungry? Here’s something to really get your stomach growling. Rather than coming home to a microwave dinner or leftover pizza, prepare this roasted tomato soup a day ahead, then simply ladle into cups and heat in the oven, sprinkling shredded cheese on top. You won’t be sorry. (via Smitten Kitchen)
Nutella Mug Cake
The world of mug cakes just reached a whole new level of delish. This mug absolutely meets all the must-have requirements for a perfect mug cake. Minimal ingredients? Check. Short prep time? Check. Minimal cooking time? Check. And Nutella? Check yes. (via Babble)
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
After a doozy of the day — or any day — eat this, feel better. (via She Knows)
Chocolate Buckwheat Microwave Cake
This buckwheat cake is loaded with heart-healthy ingredients to create a snack that you’ll love and feel good about eating. P.S. Only 200 calories! (via Desserts with Benefits)
Chicken Pot Pie in a Mug
Carry around your favorite comfort food in your trusty mug. The handle makes it easy to manage if you’re cozying up on the couch for a comfy dinner. Oh, and just so you’re not freakin’ about crust-making, know that this flaky topper is a breeze thanks to puff pastry. (Whew!) (via Dance on Flour)
Microwave Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie
When we were kids, a day without sweets was a day without joy. And now that we’re all grown up — well, we’re still not over it. (via Heather’s Dish)
A Cup of Coffee Cake
Coffee cake should always be in a cup. Way to manage those pesky crumbles! (via Prudent Baby)
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Sometimes it’s better to make just one cookie, because making a whole batch takes far too long, and it’s far too easy to munch your way through a dozen… or two. But how would we know about that? ;) (via No. 2 Pencil)
Omelet
Get a handle on breakfast (or make it brunch!) with an omelet in a mug. This is a great way to tote your breakfast when you’re in a hurry — simply grab and go! (via Just Putzing)
More From Recipes
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