Saturday! It's Bread Day!

Woohoo! Bread Day! I'm trying out Jamie Oliver's recipe today and seeing how that shapes up. Looks pretty fucking good so far. I'm freezing half the batch for a mid-week loaf, and the first half is just rising to shape now. Should be a really nice bread. It's got honey in it, which rocks, and he's the first one to call for a reasonable amount of salt. I'm finding every recipe to be pretty bland thus far, so when I saw that Jamie called for an OUNCE of salt, I was curious. That sounds about right.

I'm working all weekend -- but just a half day tomorrow, in the morning. I'll be working a reasonable amount this week, but a little less than I was planning to. It's spring break, and I've already amassed enough banked time for a day and a half off this week, plus I'll put in about 15 hours at the other job. All in all, I should earn a fair bit extra this week. Yay.

Monday's my day off, and I'm spending it shopping on Commercial Drive for all those things I've been wanting these past three months, plus I'll splurge for some cheese at my beloved cheese shop.

Over the coming week, I'll be trying to make a bunch of meals for lunches, plus trying some new healthy salads and such for dinners. I haven't been that bad with food lately, but I haven't been as good as I've been wanting to be, either. So, now that I can AFFORD to buy healthy, good food, that's the plan. I've been on such a tight fucking budget for so damned long now (10 weeks, not including the penny-pinching from December!) that even buying a steak is going to be a liberating experience.

But that's the new life of Steff. I'll have more money now, but I'll continue being reasonably fiscal. I've bought lunch three times in the last week since I ran out of prepared lunches -- my chicken wraps -- and that's just not cool. Buying lunches means between $100 - 200 of additional spending a month, and buying lunches is what put me into debt in the first place. My first four weeks at this job, I didn't buy a single one! So, that's the habit I need to get back into, and it just requires me setting aside a night to make a big batch of some kind of curry, followed by the rice, and then establishing an assembly line -- laying out a dozen or so flour tortilla shells, scooping rice onto each, then topping with the mix, and then wrapping 'em up and freezing 'em. It takes a good three hours, but it's enough lunch for three weeks.

So, yes, work, work, work, and cooking. That's the week's plans. Oh, and a gym membership. FINALLY. Meanwhile, I'm going to peak at my bread. :)