Spring Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

After a day of swimming and sweating, a hearty soup sounds so good.  Speaking of sweating, I think I am just as wet when I walk out of Bikram yoga as I am when I leave the pool, no joke.  Ok, back to food, and my apologies, My guess is that some people probably don't appreciate sweat and food in the same paragraph.  I did shower before I cooked, if that makes you feel more comfortable.  I know it made me feel more comfortable.  And smell better!

But what smelled even better was the aroma of the turkey meatballs I made browning in the skillet, while I prepared the beginnings of the soup.  I got the recipe from the most recent Bon Appétit magazine.  When I opened up the magazine, I realized I didn't have all the ingredients.  What's a recipe follower to do?  I didn't want to run out to the store, since I am really trying to only spend what I need to these days.  Talk about being a beginner!  When it comes to money, I am like a kid.  Money is for me to spend, share, and for all to enjoy.  If I have to do without something, it always feels imposed, and not like a choice to save.  I am working on learning how to be more thrifty, and to save more, while not losing that child-like sharing quality that I have around money.

So far so good, until now.

Study, study, study.

posted by Melissa Baumgart
January, thus far:

• Started back to school!  Paid my own tuition. (Worker Retraining?  Really?  How can you be retrained without funding for classes when you are on unemployment?)  Classes will be difficult, but in a good way.  
• Healthival is off to a good start!  No dairy, no wheat, no sugar, no alcohol and more exercise.  Walking to school has been the extent of the exercise for now, but it's a start.  This clearing of the body is going to make achieving my school goals a whole hell of a lot easier.  I could already feel its effects this morning walking to school; the sun was coming up and creating a pink wavy blanket across the sky, the air was somewhat warm, and I felt clear and content.  It was difficult to just be there in that moment and savor it, not wanting to make sure I create this every day, to wonder if colder and drearier weather would take that contentment away.  To just be there - I think I accomplished that for about 30 seconds, a small but potent gift.
• Sweepstakes entering has begun!  Yesterday I set up a new email account with the name "melissabwins" in hopes to magnetize the winnings.  I entered several contests trying to win various prizes:  a camera, a Kinect system, a $200.00 gift card, a Roku and free year of Pandora, a Bobby Flay cookbook, a Honda CRV plus free gas for a year, the HGTV Dream Home in Utah, a GMC truck, and a $250,000 shopping spree.
• I saved money grocery shopping yesterday!  I spent a total of $61.90 and saved 20% off the original total of $77.39 and at the other store I spent $35.39 and saved $12.76, a total savings of 27%!!! (the receipt told me)  I used my 10% member coupon at the local co-op, my QFC advantage card and  coupons.  And I made sure to buy things I use, I hear using coupons can catch you in a trap of spending money on things you normally wouldn't buy in the first place, just to use the coupon.
• The bad news:  I just went to get into my wallet to check my lottery ticket from yesterday and realized I left my purse in my classroom this morning!  Crap!  Gotta run back to school now.  Please tell me there is a silver lining in this...

Save, save, save!

-Melissa