Fiffibelle

Tag: simple living

  • Raw Snickers Balls

    Things in my life are often guided by coincidence ☺️


    Well, I call it coincidence. But I also believe that God always has a plan for us, and that the things we think are random are perhaps just life exactly as it is meant to be.

    So the other day, when I happened to end up making raw Snickers balls, it probably wasn’t a coincidence at all, but rather God’s and my plan to do something meaningful with both my time, some dates that had been sitting a bit too long in the fridge, and my (and most likely God’s) love for healthy and nourishing snacks🩷

    It all started with me standing in the kitchen making a small salad with cucumber, orange, kiwi, blueberries and prunes.

    While I was standing in the kitchen cutting up fruit and vegetables for the salad, I got the idea that I would also make apple jam with dates (I shared the recipe in my previous post https://fiffibelle.com/homemade-apple-and-date-jam/).

    I cut up 2 kg of apples for the jam, and when I was well into cutting the dates, I started thinking about whether I should also make something with the rest of the dates I had left.

    They were starting to get a bit dry, those dates ☺️

    So while apples, dates, vanilla sugar, butter and spices were cooking together into apple and date jam, I made raw Snickers balls from dates, peanuts, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, cocoa and a pinch of salt.

    The Snickers balls turned out soft, chewy and delicious, and I did promise to share the recipe once I had gotten some rest.

    I need a lot of rest these days, but I also need to do things I love, and I love spending time in the kitchen 🩷

    There is so much joy, calm and love in being in the kitchen, putting together good and nourishing ingredients into something good.

    Homemade Raw Snickers Balls

    Ingredients

    440 g dates

    20 g honey (or maple syrup)

    20 g cocoa

    200 g peanuts

    70 g peanut butter

    50 g peanuts, chopped

    5 g vanilla sugar (or 2–3 g vanilla powder)

    2–3 g salt

    Instructions

    Start by cutting the dates into smaller pieces, and process the peanuts in a food processor until they are crushed.

    Then add everything to a mixer (I use my KitchenAid) and mix well, adding peanut butter, honey, vanilla, cocoa and chopped peanuts along the way.

    Once everything is well combined, place the mixture in the fridge for about ½–1 hour.

    After that, cut the mixture into pieces and roll them into small balls that you can place directly into a container.

    I store the finished Snickers balls in the fridge ☺️ but they can also be frozen.

    Tips

    If the mixture feels a bit dry, you can easily adjust by adding a little water or more peanut butter.

    If it feels too sticky, you can add a bit more peanuts, peanut flour or even some oats.

    Before placing the mixture in the fridge, I like to put it onto baking paper and shape it into a long roll, then wrap it in the paper and place it in a bag.

    This makes it easier to cut into pieces later when you are going to roll the Snickers balls.

    I also like to dip my Snickers balls in melted chocolate or cocoa ☺️

    Let me know how your Snickers balls turn out, and if you find a favourite way to enjoy them🩷

    Nutrition

    I made 48 Snickers balls from this recipe ☺️

    Each ball contains:

    72 kcal

    3.4 g fat

    7.9 g carbohydrates

    2 g protein

    The Snickers balls keep well in the fridge for 2–3 weeks ☺️ enjoy🩷

    Love,

    Fiffibelle 🌼

  • Living on a Budget – A New Chapter

    Right now, I am living on a budget, and I need to think carefully about how I spend my money.

    After a year of illness — and yes, I am still sick and undergoing medical evaluation — I am now receiving health-related financial support while I am unable to work.

    My income has been reduced by about 34%.

    I used to receive a monthly salary, but from now on I will receive benefits every two weeks.

    I have lived with very little before, so I am not too worried. Things tend to work themselves out, and I know how to make the most of what I have.

    Life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and I am learning to adjust to that 🩷

    My biggest monthly expenses

    My biggest expenses are housing and food.

    I pay about $1,470 / €1,350 in rent each month, and that includes electricity and internet. The rent is actually reasonable compared to other apartments in my area.

    I am still trying to get a clear overview of how much I spend on food, but I think it is around $380 / €350 per month.

    I also pay for phone plans for myself and my youngest daughter, who is a student.

    I have insurance, a loan I am paying down, and a few subscriptions — like a gym membership, Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and iCloud.

    I want to take a closer look at my expenses and see if I really need to pay $12 / €11 per month for iCloud.

    I will also check if it might be possible to reduce my loan payments for a while, if I ever feel the need to.

    Since last autumn, I have known that my health situation might lead to a period where I would not be able to work.

    Because of that, I decided to sell my car.

    I sold it in November and put the money into savings.

    It always feels good to have some money set aside in case something unexpected happens 💰🩷

    A closer look at my monthly finances

    Over the past couple of months, I have started writing down everything I spend money on. It has helped me see where my money actually goes.

    This is what my finances looked like in January and February.

    January

    Income: $3,270 / €3,000

    Expenses

    Fixed expenses: $2,110 / €1,930
    Groceries: $430 / €395
    Public transport: $67 / €62

    Doctor / medication: $124 / €114

    Clothes: $89 / €81
    Skin & hair care: $244 / €224
    Hobbies: $22 / €20

    Coffee / restaurant: $6 / €5
    Other expenses: $265 / €243

    Savings: $57 / €52

    February

    Income: $2,930 / €2,680

    Expenses
    Fixed expenses: $1,935 / €1,770
    Groceries: $570 / €522

    Public transport: $74 / €68
    Doctor / medication: $82 / €75

    Clothes: $32 / €30
    Skin & hair care: $249 / €229

    Hobbies: 0

    Coffee / restaurant: $30 / €28

    Other expenses: $378 / €347

    Savings: $28 / €26

    What surprised me the most when I looked at these numbers is how much of my money goes toward food — but food is expensive.

    Eating well is important to me, so it is one of the areas where I try to be careful without cutting too much.

    Clean, protein-rich food has been part of my lifestyle for many years, and because I have IBS I also have to be mindful of what I eat.

    Looking ahead

    Later this year, I will receive holiday pay from last year, around $4,750 / €4,350.

    Even though I dream about taking a small trip to Italy, most of that money will go into savings.

    I would also like to buy myself a bicycle

    I don’t have many things I can sell to earn extra money, but I do try to sell things I no longer use — I will share more about that later.

    Dreams for the future

    One of my dreams for the future is to start something of my own that I can earn money from — and of course, to win the lottery.

    My son and I often have the most creative conversations about what we would do if we won the jackpot.

    He wants a house with a huge piece of land, big enough to have his own model airplane runway.

    And I dream of a house of my own with little details like a pink KitchenAid mixer, a white and grey marble kitchen countertop — and of course, a view of the sunset.

    Do you live on a budget too?

    I would love to hear your tips — or even your dreams.

    I am not afraid of a period with less money. I don’t see it as something negative, but rather as a positive challenge🩷

    I know that God takes care of me, and that somehow there will always be “money in my pockets.”

    Love,

    Fiffibelle 🌼

    P.S. I will share another update on my finances in a month or two ☺️