New Job, Old Problems

So I started my very first big-girl job today. The job itself is cake, everyone is really nice, and I get to help people on occasion.

It's going to be the waiting for three weeks to get paid that's the difficult part.

But three weeks is better than five weeks, which is how long I thought I was going to go before my first paycheck between approximately 8:30 this morning and 1:00 this afternoon. I was in full blown panic mode. But I'm getting used to being broke, after almost 7 years of being a full time student away from home.

This panic was even worse than the meltdown I had last night when I couldn't find my Social Security card, and threw everything in my apartment into piles trying to find it... I called my mommy last night, close to tears because it was about to be my first day of work and I couldn't find a stupid piece of paper that would allow me to be put on payroll.

She found it in a wallet I accidentally left behind, my dad scanned it and emailed it to me this morning. Crisis averted.

I pseudo-made up a recipe tonight. It was a lentil soup, so I don't know if that counts; but it was pretty tasty.

Here's what I did... And there are no pictures because hey, it's lentil soup, it ain't pretty. Also, I haven't really figured out the settings on my new camera.

Ingredients
-1/3 package Conecuh sausage (It's an Alabama thang, a smoky, delicious, juicy Alabama thang...but I think any smoked sausage would also work)
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon Lawry's seasoned salt
- Pepper to taste

Bring water and lentils to a simmer, add in a three inch piece of Conecuh and the seasoned salt. While beans are simmering, warm remaining sausage in a skillet until it is completely heated through and the casing is browned. Cut into bite sized pieces

When you think the lentils are just about tender enough, add the rest of the sausage, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Make sure to check your spices, add more salt and pepper if you so desire.

If I'd had my immersion blender here I would have pulsed it a few times before serving to make it a little creamy... But it's in Tuscaloosa with several of my other cooking gadgets.

I have two favorite things about this meal:
1) It provided me with 20g of protein, and 90% of my daily fiber... and that's just from the beans
2) It costs a grand total of about $1.75 between the beans and sausage.

Even better than that, I only ate half of it, and have an entire bowl's worth in the fridge, ready for lunch tomorrow! So in all actuality, dinner cost less than a dollar. It was delicious, too!