Bon Appétit!

Today for the first time in TWO months, I enjoyed my 45 minute lunch break in the comfort of my very own car. Oh how I've missed that. I love taking my lunch to the car, turning the radio on to a "talk-radio" station, and relishing 45 minutes of "ME time."

Before heading out to my car today, I "prepared" my lunch. That consisted of adding HOT water to my shrimp flavored "Instant Lunch"...known by another brand as "Cup Noodles." Do you know -- at this VERY moment, as I am writing this post, I just learned something new. I always thought these noodles in a cup were called "Cup O' Noodles", or may even "Cup of Noodles." I had no idea that they were called "Instant Lunch" or "Cup Noodles" (without the O' or of in the middle.) The things you learn...I tell ya!

Anyhoo...I digress.

So I added HOT water to my "Instant Lunch" and headed out to the car.

Now as I mentioned earlier, my lunch was shrimp flavored. As I was eating and waiting for bites of shrimp, I began to wonder just how many of these microscopic freeze-dried shrimp-like pieces (like the one pictured) does the maker LEGALLY have to include in each cup in order for it to be labeled as "shrimp" flavored.

In my ENTIRE cup, I counted THREE "barely there" bites of shrimp. Three very well may be the max that are required. We'll see tomorrow when I have another one. And then again the day after that.

Yes, I know that these noodles aren't the healthiest of choices as they are tremendously high in sodium. However, my finances are EXTREMELY tight right now, and will continue to be until I get my next paycheck. So until then, lunch will be noodles. Hey...if it's good enough for college kids, it's good enough for me.

And that leads me to "30 Days of THANKFULNESS: Day 22" - I am THANKFUL for food to eat even when my money is abysmally low.

Noodles may not be"fine dining" or even "average dining," but they are food in my belly -- keeping me from going hungry, so I will thank God for those noodles just as I would thank Him for a meal consisting of the largest king crab legs around. Oh how I love me some king crab legs...actually, ANY kind of crab legs for that matter. Maybe tomorrow I will imagine that my noodles are king crab flavored instead of what they actually are.

With that said, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have a favorite "go-to" meal when your money gets low?

When I was little, we'd have fried bologna sandwiches with that slit cut in the bologna so it wouldn't bubble up. May not have been much, but I was never hungry as a child, and I won't be as an adult. Even when the noodles run out, there's plenty of rice in my cupboard. For that too, I will be thankful.

Now talk to me!

Til next time...