Broke off my ass, still good in the kitchen

So, as part of the "Broke off my ass" chic new urban lifestyle of Steff's, I'm going to spend what extra time I have this week in cooking a little better, but cheaper. First on the menu? Rosemary White Bean Soup, recipe courtesy the Barefoot Contessa. Next? Homemade foccaccia, recipe courtesy the Naked Chef.

Making my own bread will be cheap, fun, and give me something delicious without having to cost too much. I think I'll be eating a variety of bean and vegetable soups with a wide variety of breads this week. I want to make Delia Smith's Wholemeal Bread, too, and I'd like to try a fig-and-nut variety or something, if I can cash out my piggy bank. :) I'm a wicked-good baker and used to make kick-ass breads in my youth, meaning my teens. I make awesome pizza crust right up to wholewheat honey bread. I've even made bagels before, which were awesome, but a lot of work! (Yes, I made them the authentic way, boiling them in honey water [since I prefer it to malt syrup] before baking!) But it's winter and soups are cheap and easy to make, so I can make companion breads to go wif'em, and try to pretend I'm living the authentic rural life. Besides, this is a good habit to get into, health-wise and fiscally. Tasty, too. :)

I'm spending today doing the mix of slacking and cleaning, sort of trying to take my place to a more organized level today, so I can feel like I'm on top of shit when I get my phone interview tomorrow. This is one opportunity I really, really need to pounce on. Other jobs might pay more, but this would be a better goal-oriented job, and it's something I think I could be great at, plus it'd continue the learning-through-my-job path I've been on for about a decade now. All good.

Ooh. I don't get this nervous that often. Then again, I haven't wanted a job this much for a while. Stability, who knew it could have such sex appeal? Geez.

Mm. Foccaccia. :) This means I now have to go through the neighbourhood stealing rosemary from peoples' yards. Whee! Talk about your community meals! (I've already compiled a trusty strike-list. Silly fools, growing sought-after ingredients in public!)