Who doesn't love a feast?

I love looking for unique recipes for the usual holiday dishes. Love to try new sauces and herbs, which make all the difference! I found this blog this week--and it fits my two big loves: gourmet eating and healthy cooking, so I thought I'd share for any like-minded friends; or anyone who likes new recipes. I'm looking forward to trying many of these recipes in the coming week!

This chef has a slightly different take on Glazed Carrots and Green Bean Casserole, one that I love because it doesn't used any canned products; all frozen or fresh, with lots of little additions that create a savory, (and even healthy) dish! Here's the link to Katie's brilliant culinary website: Dashing Dish and this recipe:

Skinny Green Bean Casserole

If you're looking for other recipes, from turkey to dessert to beverages, check out her cooking blog.

Have a fabulous week celebrating life, bounty, loved ones and delicious food :)

Owning a Home Can Pay Off at Tax Time

Don’t Miss These Home Tax Deductions

Sharing a great article by Dona DeZube that will explain how to use tax deductions (lawfully) as a homeowner.

Owning a home can pay off at tax time.  

Take advantage of these homeownership-related tax deductions and strategies to lower your tax bill:

Mortgage Interest Deduction 
One of the neatest deductions itemizing homeowners can take advantage of is the mortgage interest deduction, which you claim on Schedule A. To get the mortgage interest deduction, your mortgage must be secured by your home — and your home can be a house, trailer, or boat, as long as you can sleep in it, cook in it, and it has a toilet.

Interest you pay on a mortgage of up to $1 million — or $500,000 if you’re married filing separately — is deductible when you use the loan to buy, build, or improve your home.
If you take on another mortgage (including a second mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit) to improve your home or to buy or build a second home, that counts towards the $1 million limit.

If you use loans secured by your home for other things — like sending your kid to college — you can still deduct the interest on loans up $100,000 ($50,000 for married filing separately) because your home secures the loan.

Prepaid Interest Deduction
Prepaid interest (or points) you paid when you took out your mortgage is generally 100% deductible in the year you paid it along with other mortgage interest. 
If you refinance your mortgage and use that money for home improvements, any points you pay are also deductible in the same year. 

But if you refinance to get a better rate or shorten the length of your mortgage, or to use the money for something other than home improvements, such as college tuition, you’ll need to deduct the points over the life of your mortgage. Say you refi into a 10-year mortgage and pay $3,000 in points. You can deduct $300 per year for 10 years.
So what happens if you refi again down the road?

Example: Three years after your first refi, you refinance again. Using the $3,000 in points scenario above, you’ll have deducted $900 ($300 x 3 years) so far. That leaves $2,400, which you can deduct in full the year you complete your second refi. If you paid points for the new loan, the process starts again; you can deduct the points over the life of the loan.  

Home mortgage interest and points are reported on Schedule A of IRS Form 1040.
Your lender will send you a Form 1098 that lists the points you paid. If not, you should be able to find the amount listed on the HUD-1 settlement sheet you got when you closed the purchase of your home or your refinance closing. 

Property Tax Deduction 
You can deduct on Schedule A the real estate property taxes you pay. If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, the amount of real estate property taxes you paid shows up on your annual escrow statement.
If you bought a house this year, check your HUD-1 settlement statement to see if you paid any property taxes when you closed the purchase of your house. Those taxes are deductible on Schedule A, too.

Vacation Home Tax Deductions
The rules on tax deductions for vacation homes are complicated. Do yourself a favor and keep good records about how and when you use your vacation home.

·         If you’re the only one using your vacation home (you don’t rent it out for more than 14 days a year), you deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes on Schedule A.
·         Rent your vacation home out for more than 14 days and use it yourself fewer than 15 days (or 10% of total rental days, whichever is greater), and it’s treated like a rental property. Your expenses are deducted on Schedule E.
·         Rent your home for part of the year and use it yourself for more than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the days you rent it and you have to keep track of income, expenses, and allocate them based on how often you used and how often you rented the house.

Homebuyer Tax Credit
This isn’t a deduction, but it’s important to keep track of if you claimed it in 2008. 
There were federal first-time homebuyer tax credits in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
If you claimed the homebuyer tax credit for a purchase made after April 8, 2008, and before Jan. 1, 2009, you must repay 1/15th of the credit over 15 years, with no interest. 
The IRS has a tool you can use to help figure out what you owe each year until it’s paid off. Or if the home stops being your main home, you may need to add the remaining unpaid credit amount to your income tax on your next tax return.

Generally, you don’t have to pay back the credit if you bought your home in 2009, 2010, or early 2011. The exception: You have to repay the full credit amount if you sold your house or stopped using it as primary residence within 36 months of the purchase date. Then you must repay it with your tax return for the year the home stopped being your principal residence.
The repayment rules are less rigorous for uniformed service members, Foreign Service workers, and intelligence community workers who got sent on extended duty at least 50 miles from their principal residence.

Related: A Homeowner’s Guide to Taxes
This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but shouldn’t be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice; tax laws may vary by jurisdiction

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Protect and Seal Your Home--brrrrr!

Last year’s winter was long and cold (to those of us who like sunny warmth) and temps this week are LOW! Prepare your home now to save on energy bills and to avoid damage.

Here are some simple and eco-friendly ways to winterize your home’s interior and exterior without flattening your wallet.

Your Home’s Interior

1. Add extra insulation. You don’t want too much heat to escape through the attic because it can cause ice or snow on your roof to melt then refreeze, which has the potential of damaging the roof. Keeping rooms well insulated can even keep pipes from freezing.
2. Service heating system. In order to prevent fire or smoke damage, make sure you have any furnaces, boilers or chimneys serviced annually. This is typically quite inexpensive, costing around $150/year. They will come service your A/C unit each spring, also.
3. Emergency pressure release valve should be installed in your home’s plumbing system. This is crucial because it provides protection against increased pressure by freezing pipes. Without this emergency pressure release valve, your pipes could burst.
4. Keep your home warm. Your thermostat should be set at 65 degrees at the least. It will keep you cozy, too! If you go out of town, do not turn it down much lower. It will protect your pipes.
5. Have a plan B. If you have a power outage, it’s important that you’re prepared and have a back-up power source. A portable generator will do the trick.

Your Home’s Exterior

1. Install gutter guards. In addition to cleaning your gutters, you should also install gutter guards to prevent debris from getting in and blocking water from flowing away from the house and into the ground.
2. Seal exterior cracks. You can prevent cold air from seeping into the house by using caulk to seal around any wall openings. It’s also recommended that you apply weather stripping around windows and doors.
3. Storm windows. You’ll stop warm air from leaking outside by installing or re-installing storm windows in the attic.
4. Insulation film should be applied over windows to reduce drafts of cold air.
5. Trim trees and dead branches. If the trees around your home are not trimmed, there is a greater chance that the branches will freeze and break off, which can cause damage to your home or car.

Follow these tips for a cozy and damage-free winter. Check your local Lowe's or Home Depot for supplies or to get advice. I can also recommend some specialists in these areas. Now is the perfect time to begin your preparations!