So if you're wicked sick, here's what you make.

Don't make progresso soup.  I did and made myself eat a bowl, then I v*m*t*d.

Lemme back up a minit.

This weekend, my most recent other half and I were cavorting in Portsmouth NH, enjoying the beery goodness that is Portsmouth Beer Week.  I had some tasty, oh-so-tasty mussels at The Portsmouth Brewery as an accompaniment to my glass of Kate the Great, who exacted revenge from beyond their stomach-y grave and gave me Super A+Plus Food Poisoning, the likes of which I have not endured in years.*

*This is not to say their mussels will make you sick.  My handsome date had a plate and was fine.  However, I am now categorically swearing off eating shellfish in a restaurant.


SO.

After a day of gastrointestinal hell, I thought I might be 'kay to go back to work; alas, no.  In the meantime I figured I may as well try to eat something.  As previously stated, the soup didn't work out so well.

The Interwebs inform me that when one has food poisoning, one should eat bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.  As in fresh bananas, white rice, packaged applesauce and white toast.

My fridge has hippie food in it.  I can't remember the last time I bought white rice to keep on hand... oh wait, mebe i have some rissoto rice?  Dang... and the only thing close to bread was the moldy homemade loaf I ditched earlier and the frozen Ezekiel bread I keep on hand for those rare occasions when I want a sammige and I have to make it myself.  I haven't got applesauce, and my only bananas are in the freezer.

CRAP

I guess this conundrum can be solved.  It gets challenging when you're dehydrated and your electrolytes are low.

So here's what you need:

- a couple apples
- a paring knife, if you can find it. I think someone used it and put it on the counter without washing it.  Then I washed it and put it on the counter... without re-washing it?  or something.  There was a point in there.
- maybe a cutting board?
- a saucepan thinger
- some water
- a banana.  mine was frozen.  I'll explain some other time.

So you want to peel the apples, core them and chop the crap out of them, then put them in the pot.  Simmer for a bit.  Then, realize a banana is a good idea.  Defrost it a bit, since it's frozen, then peel it and throw it in the pan.  It should be easy to peel the banana since the defrosting does something or other.

Cook it with a lid, and throw some salt in since you're dehydrated from turning your guts into a waterslide all day yesterday.  Simmer until you decide you might be able to keep something down.

You end up with this:

That is, after you put it in a bowl with a spoon.


Mange on it!

Not sure where all that motivation came from...

As of 5 o'clock this evening I had slept pretty much all day. I'm not as sniffly as I've been feeling, but still fairly ill. I knew I needed something to nom upon.

Luckily I had squirreled away a box of Annie's shells & cheddar for just such an occasion (and I didn't have any canned chicken soup, darn).

So to start, throw half a squash in the oven. make sure you scoop the innards and put a glop of smart balance or butter or whatev in the middle. Let that bake for a bit at 350 which is my general all purpose temp for probably anything.

Get yer water boiling for the pasta. Once it boils, throw the pasta in. You should know that already and if you don't... I'm not sure if there is much hope.

Alright here is where it gets good. Once the pasta is cooked, remove it to a colander (or alternately a sculabasta if you have sicilian roots or a sicilian ex) for a bit because you need the pan.

Melt some butter or reasonable facsimile thereof in the still hot pan. You may want to turn the heat on, actually, because we are going to grate in a bit of smoked gouda, a wee bit of swiss and try to grate in some raw milk goat cheese as well (stuff gets hard as a romano if you leave it in the fridge for a bit, but still nommy).

You'll want to pour in some milk too as that all melts. Remember, heat on :-D

Then stir in the orange powder that comes with the annie's. that stuff is GOOD.

I had a bunch of spinach graciously donated from my bro's wedding, so I threw some good handfuls of that in too. Use more than you think you need because it will cook WAAAY down. It would have been good if I had sauteed some shallots and added those, but maybe next time...

Alright once the spinach has cooked a little, add the pasta back in. Stir like mad. The spinach will wilt a bunch more and the pasta will get cheese all over it. This is intentional.

Then, see if your squash is done; mine was. Throw it all in a bowl and dig in. OMG so good. There was even enough left for lunch tomorrow, though I am only one girl so ymmv