Weight Down Living

I’ve mentioned before on TFD, when talking about having a near-term goal for savings, that my husband and I are pursuing a private independent adoption. The process is going well, so far, and we’ve been enjoying getting to know what the process could look like from here on, but there are still more expenses than one might think. We’ve been saving up to be able to make this adoption work, and I’m confident that we will have enough money as long as our adoption doesn’t go through immediately after we complete our paperwork, but I think that it can be a daunting process for many people.

One of the reasons that private adoption is daunting is that the costs are relatively high. When most people see things like “private adoption can cost up to $40,000,” it is easy to immediately say “nope, I cannot afford a private adoption.” In truth, there are a variety of ways to make adoption more affordable (and most private agencies do not have a $40,000 fee), but there are smaller fees and costs along the way that it makes sense to budget for. Many couples and individuals pursuing adoption use a combination of savings, adoption grants, family support, employer assistance, and adoption loans to pay for their expenses. We learned from a friend who has already gone through the process that it is worthwhile to save all receipts in case we can submit them for reimbursement at some point in the future, either through an employee assistance program or to receive an adoption grant.

If you think you might want to adopt someday, but aren’t currently considering an adoption in the next year, think about starting a savings account specifically for adoption or for a child. Even if you choose not to adopt children in the future, this money will come in handy, but I can vouch for most adoptive parents, I think, in saying that they wouldn’t have minded beginning their savings a little earlier. After all, if you get quite a bit in the account, it starts earning interest, and every extra dollar helps! If you are in a position, perhaps in your early 20s, where you want a reason to save rather than just a general “emergency fund,” an adoption/child expenses fund can be one way to to describe your savings, even if you don’t end up needing it.

When researching, consider the fee schedule from the adoption agency, but then consider these other potential costs, to make sure you are fully budgeting for the upcoming expenses in your life. This list isn’t meant to scare you at all; when we started learning about these expenses, we felt closer to the process and more in control of what would happen next.

1. Background Checks 

It makes a lot of sense for an adoption agency to know any prior legal issues you’ve been in before they advocate on your behalf as a future parent. These checks require next-to-nothing as far as time goes (a quick fingerprinting appointment, for us) but may take quite a few weeks to arrive and cost us about $75 per person to get both state and federal checks finished. It is worthwhile to do them early and focus on other aspects of the process next.

2. Education/Training

There are online trainings that are legally required for foster care and for private adoption applicants. Ours cost about $100 per person, which isn’t much for educational coursework, honestly. The courses were really helpful to getting our “heads in the game,” so I’d recommend doing the required courses as well as any supplementary education available to you because of your adoption journey, since any extra information makes you more ready for what lies ahead!

3. Profile Design Services

Many adoption agencies rely on short documents called profiles to introduce potential birthparents to potential adoptive parents. These documents can be written by the adoptive parents, but they are an odd document to write, so many people get layout, editing, and even writing feedback from a profile writer/designer who has lots of experience with them. Given the odd nature of the documents, we chose to get help with layout and paid a friend to take some photos of us that had actual good lighting (our selfies over the years weren’t professional-grade), which in our case cost about $500.

4. Hotel Stays

These are some of the fees we haven’t encountered yet, but we just recently talked to a couple who had a month of hotel bills because they had to spend a month in a hotel as they awaited the birth and release of their adopted child (state borders complicate the process of adoption at times). Budgeting into your savings some serious buffer for living somewhere new for a little while during the adoption process is a definite good idea. We did learn, from this same couple, that it can’t hurt to mention that you are staying in a hotel because of adoption; there might be some kind of long-term stay discount available!

5. Travel Expenses 

Flights, gas, and, car maintenance are all facts of life when it comes to taking custody of an adopted child. While our agency works fairly locally, so we aren’t likely to rack up any airline costs, some agencies work nationally or internationally, and those costs are extensive. Make sure that you are budgeting as if such costs could come up, because you never want to have to say “no” to a match just because you haven’t planned for a long-distance adoption.

6. Medical Fees and Living Expenses 

If you are adopting an infant, like we are, there are ways in which medical expenses for the birth mother can be paid by the adoptive parents. Complications can arise in any pregnancy, so it is wise to have a buffer that can be spent on medical fees if needed. As soon as you match, you get more information on your state’s rules regarding cost sharing as well as the insurance situation of your birth mom, so you’ll have a clearer idea of the potential costs at that point, if there are some.

*****

We began the process without all of these expenses saved up, knowing that we would continue to save as much as we can, and knowing that favorable interest rates are available for adoption loans. However, if you have the luxury of time before you plan to adopt, I definitely recommend stashing more cash in your savings account whenever you can; there are some stressful parts of adopting your child, but having the finances worked out and arranged ahead of time can really reduce some of the worries on your part.

Laura Marie is a writer and teacher in Ohio. 

Image via Unsplash

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Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/all-the-costs-you-need-to-consider-before-deciding-to-adopt/

A woman's strength comes from within, but when she's also strong on the outside, she's truly unstoppable. There's nothing more powerful than a woman who recognizes her worth and crushes her workout, and oftentimes one leads to another: when you accomplish your fitness goals in the gym, outdoors, or at home with nothing but a 10-pound dumbbell, you're reminded of your ability to . . . well . . . kick butt at life.

POPSUGAR asked women from almost every walk of life — Olympians, personal trainers, nurses, creatives, businesswomen — why staying active is important to them. You'll be surprised by what they all had in common and how much empowerment they've found along the way.

Do you train a SUPER hard or do high intensity activity frequently? Something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, CrossFit, Muay Thai…

Are you keto or low-carb?

For most people, it’s hard to say ‘yes’ to both questions… why?

Even if you want to be super low-carb or follow a ketogenic diet, if you’re pushing your body HARD frequently… it’s tough to get enough energy to keep up with you lifestyle.

I’ve experienced this and seen many others of higher athletic ability sustain a keto diet and keep training.

In this video, I lay out a few options that myself and others have discovered. Hopefully it’s helpful in finding a solution that works for you!

Robb Wolf

One of my favourite parts about my job is creating the new trainings and bonuses for my online cooking school students and premium meal planning members each month.

Over the last 6 months I’ve created a series called ‘simple classic dinners’ where we do a ‘deep dive’ into a different type of meal.

There’s been burgers, abundance bowls, frittatas and many more.

So this week I thought I’d give you a little ‘taste’ of what my students experience and share a mini version of the lesson on The Stir Fry.

One of my all-time favourite quick and easy dinners.

With infinite possibilities for variation so you’ll never get bored!

Classic Weeknight Dinner: The Stir Fry

Every week the boys and I head to town on a Wednesday morning and have lunch with my Dad.

Now my Dad isn’t much of a cook so I got the surprise of my life when he asked me for my best stir fry recipe.

So I spent a good 15 minutes talking him through it.

Dad taking comprehensive notes the whole time.

And it reminded me that stir frying is the best!

It’s quick.

It only uses one pan – so the cleanup is minimal.

It’s all about simple protein and lots of veggies.

There are endless possibilities so you’ll never get tired of the same old thing.

And there seems to be some sort of stir fry magic, similar to when you make a sandwich.

No matter what you throw in, the results are either pretty good or downright delicious.

Even if you’re my Dad. Who was very happy with his efforts when I checked in the following week.

So lets delve into the world of the stir fry.

Jx

The Secret to a Tasty Stir Fry

When I was researching the art of the stir fry I came across Eleanor Hoh, self proclaimed ‘wok star’. She’s super passionate about wok cooking and her philosophy is that you don’t need a recipe to make a great stir fry.

Like making a good sandwich, the secret to a tasty stir fry is to use ingredients that work well together.

And trust your instincts.

Remember Clancy’s Law of Cooking…

‘If you think something is going to be delicious, it probably will be!’

It’s a liberating way to cook.

The other secret is you don’t need a heavy Asian sauce to make a great stir fry.

I’d always thought you needed oyster sauce or something.

But in fact, some of the best stir frys are seasoned with a simple splash of soy sauce.

Or even more radical, they skip the sauce all together.

What You Need

A Pan to Cook In

Even as a minimalist, I’m happy to make space in my kitchen for a wok. But if you aren’t ready to make that investment, a large skillet or frying pan will do.

Woks are one of the rare cases of cooking equipment where cheaper is better.

I picked up a carbon steel wok online over 6 years ago for about $15 and then seasoned it following the method over here.

Don’t even think about a ‘non stick’ wok.

Stir frying is all about using temperatures well above the recommendations of non stick pan manufacturers. You don’t want to risk that non stick surface working its way into your food.

Something to Stir With

The only other business critical piece of equipment is a stirring utensil. I use a wooden spatchula or a nylon egg flipper. The wider the better for making your stirring more effective. A large wooden spoon will work.

Super High Heat

The reason stir frying is so quick is that the thin steel heats up almost instantly. It passes on the heat from the flame directly to the food. So it’s all about your heat source.

Gas is best, especially if you’re lucky enough to have one of those double ring ‘wok’ burners.

For those of you, like me, who are stuck with electricity and love your stir frys, it’s worth investing in a portable gas burner. I keep mine outside and it doubles as a gas BBQ.

Or you could use the wok burner on your gas BBQ.

The bonus of stir frying outside is you don’t have to worry about the house smelling like a stir fry. AND it’s great in Summer when you don’t want to heat up the house.

Ingredients Chopped & Ready to Go

Usually I’m a prep-as-I-go type of cook. When it comes to stir frying, I’ve learned the hard way.

It’s much better to have everything organized before the flame touches the wok.

The cooking happens so quickly, it’s not worth having to stop mid stir fry to rush and catch up with your chopping.

OR worse still, burning your dinner because you took your eye off the wok.

How to Stir Fry

1. Prepare Your Ingredients

Chop everything into bight sized pieces. Ingredients that take longer to cook should be chopped smaller. Or make a note to add the longer cooking veg like broccoli before you add the quick cooking veg.

2. Pre-Heat your Wok so it’s Super Hot

We’re looking for fierce heat. Thin carbon steel woks heat up fast.

If you’re using a heavy cast iron wok or a skillet or frying pan, best to take the extra time to preheat properly before you add any food to the pan.

3. Add a little Oil and Stir Fry Your Aromatics & Protein

Use an oil that is suited to high temperature cooking. I prefer refined coconut oil or ghee (Indian clarified butter) but I do use my refined olive oil when I’m in a hurry. You don’t need much oil.

Traditional aromatics include ginger, garlic and chilli. Some people add these before the protein. I pop them in at the same time to make sure you don’t end up with bitterness from burnt garlic or ginger.

On the protein front, tender cuts of meat are better suited to stir frying. Slicing finely across the grain of the meat or poultry will ensure tenderness and quick cooking.

If you’re cooking for more than 2 people, best to cook in batches to makes sure there is enough heat to quickly sear the meat.

A crowded wok will end up with stewed, tough meat.

As soon as the meat looks cooked, remove it from the wok and keep warm in a clean bowl.

4. Stir Fry the Veg

Start with the longer cooking veg like carrots and broccoli. Finish with the speedier leafy veg like bok choy.

Again, depending on the amount of food you have to cook, it may be better to stir fry in batches.

5. Return the protein to the pan toss a few times over the heat

Once everything is back in the pan it’s time to season with your sauce. If you’re not sure, go with a splash of soy and remember you can always add more at the table if needed.

Serve asap.

Too easy.

18 Simple Stir Fry Recipes

NOTE: My cooking school students get links to all these recipes on the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School website.

• Broccoli & Tofu Stir Fry
• Winter Veg Stir Fry
• Green Curry Stir Fry
• Crunchy Snow Pea & Chicken Stir Fry
• My Simple Kung Pao Chicken*
• Chicken & Basil Stir Fry
• Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry
• Chicken & Cashew Stir Fry*
• Zucchini & Chicken Pad Thai
• Summer Chicken Stir Fry
• Sesame Pork Stir Fry
• Ginger Beef Stir Fry
• Asian Beef & Cabbage
• Asian ‘Spag Bol’
• Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry*
• Chinese Chinkiang Beef
• One Pot Beef, Zucchini & Cashew Stir Fry

* marks my all-time favourite stir frys if you’re looking for a place to start.

A Stir Fry ‘Formula’

Here’s my ‘formula’ or ‘template recipe’ for a simple stir fry. I’ve included these to get your creative juices flowing.

Quick Stir Fry

per person

takes: 20 minutes

150g-200g (5-6oz) protein, finely sliced

1/2-1 tablespoon aromatics

250-300g (7-10oz) vegetables, chopped

1-3 tablespoons sauce

small handful garnish / highlight

1. Heat a wok on a fierce heat.

2. Add a little oil and stir fry the protein and aromatics until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and place in a clean bowl.

3. Add the vegetables and stir fry until they are wilted or tender – a few minutes for leafy veg like bok choy, 5 minutes or more for crunchy veg like carrots.

4. Return the aromatics and protein to the pan. Add the sauce. Stir fry for another few seconds or until everything is hot. Taste. Season.

5. Remove from the heat. Serve sprinkled with the garnish / highlight.

Protein Options

minced (ground) meat – beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, veal, buffalo.

tender cuts of meat, finely sliced across the grain – steak, eye fillet of beef (fillet mignon), lamb fillet or backstraps, pork fillet, pork shoulder, chicken breast, chicken thighs.

veggie protein – tofu, cashews, almonds, setian, eggs (cook as an omelette in the base of the wok then slice and stir through at the end), cooked or canned lentils, cooked or canned beans.

Aromatic Options

– Use one or a combo of finely chopped fresh red chilli, garlic and/or ginger. Deseed the chilli if you’re sensitive to heat. OR double it if you like it hot!

Vegetable Options

fresh veg – use one or a combo of zucchini, carrots, red capsicum (red bell peppers), bok choy, choy sum, other asian greens, spinach leaves, green beans, snow peas (mange tout), shaved cabbage, broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, fennel, witlof (belgian endive), asparagus.

cooked veg – root veg are best pre-cooked – either simmered or roasted in bight sized chunks. Try beets, parsnip, swedes, sweet potato, pumpkin.

Sauce Options

Asian Sauces – my go-to stir fry sauce is just soy or tamari (a gluten-free soy). Other times I use oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce or sriracha (chilli sauce). Or just serve with a good drizzle of chilli oil.

Non-Asian Sauces – don’t feel like your stir fry has to have an Asian vibe. Try worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce or pesto. Or serve with a big dollop of mayo or miso mayo.

Garnish / Highlight Options

herby garnish / highlight – try fresh coriander (cilantro), basil, mint, parsley, oregano, chives, green onions or even thyme.

crunchy garnish / highlight – roast nuts especially cashews, peanuts or almonds, super finely sliced red onion, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.

other garnish / highlight – sesame oil, pesto, extra chilli, chilli oil.

To Serve

My favourite is to pile it into a bowl and eat with chopsticks.

Feel free to serve with Perfect Fluffy Rice or cauliflower ‘rice’ or any noodles cooked according to the packet.

Variations

more substantial – carb-lovers – toss in some cooked noodles, lentils, chickpeas or steamed rice. And cook until hot.

more substantial – low carb – nuts are your friend here. My go-to is cashews or peanuts.

less protein – feel free to reduce the protein and increase the veggies.

Leftover Potential?

OK. But best when hot from the wok. Just keep in the fridge for up to a week or two and reheat in the wok or frying pan. You could freeze but it’s not going to help the texture.

Problem Solving Guide

tough protein – it’s super important to use a tender cut of meat, or ground meat with stir frying. Cutting the meat as thinly as possible across the ‘grain’ (or muscle fibres) makes a big difference too. Over cooked meat will be tough and dry so make sure you only cook it for long enough to change the colour. Unfortunately there isn’t really anything you can do to ‘fix’ tough meat. Another cause is if the heat isn’t hot enough or if you add too much food to the wok and it ‘stews’ or simmers rather than being seared. If you find this happening, stop and remove the food from the wok. Start again and cook the food in batches.

burning – you’re not stirring fast enough! Adding the sauce too early can cause it to burn as well.

veg too crunchy – it’s important to finely slice your veg so they cook as quickly as possible.

too bland – season with more sauce or salt & pepper.

too dry – try adding a little more oil or sauce or both.

Have fun in the kitchen!

With love,
Jules x

Tags: dinner, simple, stir fry

This Vegan Instant Pot Chili is an easy weeknight meal that everyone will love! It’s packed with fiber from lentils and beans, as well as delicious veggies. Vegan Instant Pot Chili is the perfect meal-prep meal for the week. Make it now!

For this chili, we really wanted to bring you guys a vegan option, but still wanted it to be protein-packed. So, we decided to give lentils a try. And we’re SO GLAD we did. As Linley says about this recipe, the lentils truly steal the show in this delicious vegan Instant Pot chili. Plus, it could not be easier to make!

Step 1: Prep Veggies and Soak Lentils

If you’ve ever cooked with dried lentils, you know how longggg of a soak time and cook time they have. Not with the Instant Pot! Soaking your lentils in one cup of your broth while chopping and preparing the other ingredients is all the soaking these dried lentils need before dropping the rest of your ingredients into the Instant Pot together.

Step 2: Turn on Saute Feature on Your Instant Pot

In many of our other Instant Pot recipes, we have warned you guys about preheating your Instant Pot using the saute feature and getting the burn message, BUT with this chili, there will be adequate liquid to avoid the burn message often seen in newer Instant Pots.

Step 3: Mix Vegan Chili in Your Instant Pot

Place all your ingredients in the Instant Pot and set the cook time. The most important thing to remember about this step is to make sure that all your ingredients are mixed well. While the cook time on this is truly only 7 minutes, it will take longer than other recipes for your instant pot to build pressure, so the cook time starts. Grab a glass of wine, set the table and enjoy this recipe journey.

Step 4: Quick Release and Serve

Quick release your Instant Pot, and top the shit out of this delicious chili with your favorite toppings. Some of our go-to toppings include:

Other Fit Foodie Finds Chili Recipes

Ginger lemon tea is a great way to warm up on a cold winter night. The spicy ginger and soothing honey is also excellent if you’re battling a cold or the flu. In this post, I’ll show you how to make the best ginger tea at home with just 3 ingredients!

One of my favorite local soup spots also makes an insanely good ginger lemon tea. When I’m sick, I know that a bowl of their spicy diced pork noodle soup and a ginger tea will clear my sinuses right up. I had a terrible cold before Christmas and it was all I wanted. They deliver the soup but, for some reason, they won’t deliver the tea. I was on my own for that. 

I’ve tried making ginger lemon tea at home before, but until now I haven’t had much luck getting the sharp, spicy ginger flavor that I love. I even tried ginger tea bags, but those were awful. After a little crowdsourcing on facebook and a lot of experimenting, I finally nailed it! Just like the restaurant’s version, this tea is loaded with spicy ginger flavor and has just enough honey to soothe a sore throat without being overly sweet. I’ve been drinking it nonstop over the last month> I stock up on ginger and lemons every time I go to the grocery store!

How to make the BEST ginger lemon tea

Ginger lemon tea is really easy and all you need to make it is fresh ginger root, lemons, and honey. Some people also add turmeric or cayenne pepper, but I like to keep things simple.

This tea is all about the technique. Start with loads of fresh ginger. You’ll want a piece about the length of your thumb for each large cup of tea. Peel the ginger, then thinly slice it. Next, put the sliced ginger in a cup and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. (In a pinch, you can also use one of those plastic squeeze lemons. They aren’t perfect, but they work.) Use a muddler or a spoon to muddle the ginger and lemon juice together. You really want to pulverize the ginger in this step. I tried using grated ginger as a shortcut, but you lose too much of the juice. The flavor just isn’t the same. Muddling is definitely key. 

Add a teaspoon of honey to the cup, then pour boiling water over it all and give it a good stir. Now comes the hard part—let the ginger lemon tea steep for 5 minutes to bring the flavors out (and let the water cool down!)

In addition to being a great way to clear your head, ginger has a ton of health benefits from treating nausea to helping with indigestion. Plus it’s just flat-out delicious, even if you’re feeling great to begin with! Give it a try and let me know what you think! If you have extra ginger, you can also use it in these pineapple ginger immunity smoothies, another great recipe for this time of year. 

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ginger lemon tea is a great way to warm up on a cold winter night. The spicy ginger and soothing honey is also excellent if you’re battling a cold or the flu.

Ingredients

• 4-inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons honey

Instructions

1. Bring three cups of water to a boil. 
2. While the water boils, peel and thinly slice the ginger. Divide the ginger between two large tea cups or mugs. Add the juice from half a lemon to each of the cups. Muddle the ginger and lemon to release the juices and break the ginger down. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey into each cup.
3. Fill each cup with boiling water. Stir well, then let steep for 5 minutes. Do not strain.

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Nutrition Information: Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 38 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 2mg Carbohydrates: 11g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g Protein: 1g

I am not a certified nutritionist. Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy but will vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients you use. Information provided on this site is not a substitute for professional advice by certified health professionals; please consult with your doctor regarding specific health needs.