Tomato Soup and Noodles

Well, it was certainly a fine fall weekend and I'm glad the "flu" was short lived. On Saturday I was able to march to Petsmart for Otis supplies and then to the grocery store. On Sunday, I did half my normal bike ride under the falling leaves and then it warmed up nicely and there was porch sitting time. Cocktails, poetry, music, and a dinner of chili con carne and a beautiful full moon. It was a happy night, and I tried to keep the party on moderation. Somehow that little snifter of Limoncello and a cherry Klondike bar topped off the night as a bit too much fun. I awoke at 3:03 AM and was wide awake in a pool of sweat, and so I got up, drank some water, and laid on the couch watching Weather Channel. I petted Otis and did not feel sleepy, mainly because I felt as if I was starving. Coffee made me feel worse... starving and jittery and so I had a cheesy muffin ( an English muffin with mustard and cheddar cheese on it). I dozed a bit and waited for the sun to come up. It was almost 7:00 before that occurred... I guess he had a good weekend too. At 10:00 I was starving again and so I heated up a bowl of chili and had a Fresca. I went about my chores like a zombie and by 11:30 I was again crazed by hunger. I was craving macaroni and cheese, but didn't feel like making it, and I don't stock up on the boxed variety that we ate as kids. But there was an old can of tomato soup, (Campbells of course) and an open package of those little skinny egg noodles that I purposely avoided checking the expiration date. Suddenly, I just had to have tomato soup and noodles... a dinner favorite of my childhood. I decided to jazz it up a bit and make it seem more like adult fare by adding a squirt of pesto paste. As the soup boiled and the noodles and pesto were added, I could hardly wait for the three minute timer to go off. This should take care of my voracious appetite, I thought, as I dumped the whole pot of noodle soup into a bowl, tucked a napkin under my chin, and ate it with a big old soup spoon. I'm glad no one but my bunny Otis was watching, as I slurped it down and slopped noodles on my well placed napkin. It was heavenly... I felt like a kid again... all warm and cozy. It wasn't so much the quantity I ate, but the memory of the smell and texture of the noodles that was so satisfying. I felt invigorated and energized like I was now ready to go out and play in the leaves. The housework became a labor of love and all was right with the world. Who knew that comfort food could have such power? It's now three o'clock and although I'm hungry again, I think a small handful of nuts and a cup of tea will do the trick in holding me until dinnertime. Of course I can't help thinking about the macaroni and cheese with peas on the side that I plan on making for lunch tomorrow. Mmm Mmm Good!