my near death experience...well, one of 'em.

ever had one of those? this one cracks me up whenever i think of it. let me give you a little background first. i've had a love affair with food since i was very young. round has been my prevailing shape most of my life. and comfort foods, love love love them. stuff like mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, any kind of potatoes. let's hear it for mac and cheese and don't even get me started on desserts. i haven't met one i didn't like.

well, to get on with the story, way back in grade school, probably about 5th or 6th grade, i was having a hankering for some peanut butter. yummy chunky peanut butter. i didn't seem to want to bother with spreading it on a piece of bread. i grabbed a tablespoon (yea, tha big one) out of the silverware drawer and preceded to scoop out a heaping spoonful from the jar. (this next part makes me think of the blueberry girl on willie wonka) i opened my mouth wide and scraped the whole heaping teaspoon of peanut butter into my mouth. i began to swirl it around with my tongue enjoying the texture, the saltiness, the peanutiness, enjoying every nuance of my peanut butter experience and then i tried to swallow. suddenly i realized that i could not swallow and i could not breath. within a millisecond panic began to set in. i couldn't make a sound, at least not with my mouth and i began to think, oh my gosh, i'm going to die! i'm going to die choking on peanut butter!!! how embarrassing. i felt the effects of oxygen deprivation and i knew if i didn't do something soon, i was going to pass out and the end would soon follow. suddenly, and i know this was inspired, i thought jelly! you need some jelly! grab the jar of jelly!!! so i flung open the door to the fridge, grabbed the jelly jar and scooped out a tablespoon of jelly to rival that of the peanut butter lodged in my throat. i scraped it off into my mouth and began to swirl it quite excitedly with my tongue and continued to try and force it down my throat (kinda like liquid plumber behind a clog in the drain). to my great relief, within about five seconds, that clump of peanut butter slid on down to my stomach thanks to the help of the jelly. i remember thinking, "i'm gonna live! i'm gonna live! thank you Lord!"

that's just another one of those experiences that build my testimony that the Lord loves me and watches over me and that the Holy Ghost is real cause that was pure inspiration there.

italian meatball vegetable soup

by request: very easy and yummy on a cold day...

1 c. small or medium pasta shells
4 c. chicken broth
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 10 1/2 oz. can of condensed french onion soup
12 frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs thawed and quartered
1 c. fresh chopped spinach
1 c. frozen sliced carrots
1 c. canned kidney beans
1 c. canned garbanzo beans (or chickpeas)

Cook pasta per package directions (i don't cook mine quite all the way). Combine all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender. Drain pasta and add to the soup. Makes approximately 8 servings.