I hate Money

I wanted to mail a small package as a thank you to a speaker for a church function. Her office is downtown, so not far. I needed a box to protect the items, an envelope wouldn't work. I honestly don't know where a close postal office is, but there is a UPS office down the hill from us. I took my items there to be mailed. It weighed a half of a pound. After taking all the information and figuring on the computer for awhile, (I told him to use the cheapest method possible, this was just a "Thank You") he looked up at me and said "that will be $22.00". Ha!!! I said "no way". More figuring by his teenage coworker and then it was "$14.00 - we won't charge you the 7.00 for the bubble wrap". Seven dollars for BUBBLE WRAP? I said I was sorry for taking their time, I was sorry for chasing my kids around their store, pulling all the cards and shipping tubes out of their displays, I was sorry for the quarter I wasted on parking. I gathered up my little items and said to myself I would walk them downtown myself for $14.00. I was very polite, I was just being scandalously sarcastic inside my head. So the next morning I put them in a big envelope with the address on front and pointed my husband in the right direction- a place a few blocks from his work! What a pain!

Next foible of mine: Odessa had a follow-up appointment for her tooth at the dentist. Never schedule an appointment on the 1st of the month. If you haven't flipped your calendar page, you might miss it! That's what happened to us anyway. I called to apologize and see about rescheduling and heard on their message that they require a 2 day notice for cancellations or it's a $75 bill! Ack!! I expected some sort of fine for missing the appointment, but $75! Her first appt after insurance cost us $32. I was so mad at myself, you should have seen me. Thank goodness, when I talked to the receptionist later in the day she informed me that a letter explaining their policies had been sent out, but not a bill. Whew! A first warning of sorts.

Third foible: Going to the thrift store. Yes, you are pretty sure you are saving a whole load of money by paying only $1 for those rain boats and $2 for that shirt, but you end up buying more than you were planning because things are cheaper. Then there is the parking: I only had 30 cents on me- that got me 14 minutes. My friend showed up and reminded me that the parking meters here take debit or credit- but I thought I would come back out in 14 minutes instead of paying for the same minutes again. Ack! What's wrong with me? I came out a few minutes too late and what do you know- a $35 parking ticket. The cops and parking enforcer were casing the street the WHOLE time we were there. I saw 3 other people getting tickets. I am sure one of the officers stood by my car the entire 14 minutes!!

I just hate it when stupid mistakes (or poor willpower) cost me money. My mother was right (isn't she always? ughh). You really are more poor out of graduate school than when you are in school. Ah school loans, where are you now? Demanding payment, that's what!

Well, here are a couple of recipes to brighten the last of this mesage. We enjoyed them so much last week, I shared with my family and thought I would post them here as well. They're from Rachel Ray- supposed to be 30 min, and they are not too hard.

Smoky-Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
4 sweet potatoes (2 1/2# peeled and sliced 1 inch thick)
Salt
1 Tbls Olive Oil
4 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded (I added more)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce*
5 sprigs Thyme
1 bay leaf
32 oz chicken broth
1 tsp grated orange peel and juice of 1 orange
1/8 tsp cinnamon
honey or maple syrup for drizzling
pepper
sour cream for serving on top

1. In a large saucepan, add the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover, bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
2. While potatoes cook, in medium pot heat olive oil. Add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Discard all but 2 Tbs fat. Add the onion, carrot, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and cook until onions are softened 6-7 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, orange peel, orange juice and cinnamon; drizzle with honey or syrup and season with salt and pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes, discard thyme and bay leaf.
3. Add the broth mixture to the drained sweet potatoes in the pot and blend in batches in the blender or food processor. Serve the soup with the bacon peices and sour cream on top.

*I learned somewhere if you get a can of Chiles in Adobo sauce you can freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays lined with plastic wrap and then you have one chile cubes to use in future recipes.

Grilled Eggplant Subs with Mozarella and Tomato Jam
1/2 cup Oilve Oil
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary
1 small red onion, chopped
1 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used regular diced and then added a frozed chipotle pepper with adobo sauce, I took out the pepper when it was finished cooking, it would have been really spicy)
1 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 eggplants, cut into 8 slices each
salt and pepper
1 cup packed baby arugula (I used romaine although I know it's way different)
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 crusty sub rolls
1/2 to 1# ball smoked mozzarella (I had to use a smoked white cheddar b/c no smoked moz at the store)

1. Preheat grill pan to medium high or broiler to high. In small saucepan, heat the oilive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and let steep for 3 minutes.
2. In large skillet, combine 1 TBS of the infused oil and red onion over medium heat and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar, lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 7 minutes.
3. Brush the eggplant slices with the infused oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil, flipping once until tender, 2-3 minutes each side. Do this in 2 batches if needed.
4. Dress the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and remaining infused oil, season with salt and pepper.
5. On each roll bottom, layer 4 eggplant slices, a handful of green and smoked mozarella. Grill or broil to melt the cheese. Slather the roll tops with the tomato jam and set in place.