This week has been caarraaayyyzzzzyyyy! Sunday we had Miss E’s 3rd birthday party! Filled with little girls, family, and friends, and one totally overwhelmed-with-being-surrounded-by-girls Big E. I’d call the day a success. Monday I was just relaxing and letting the kids enjoy just some peace and quiet after the week of preparing for the party, along with the party itself, when I received a call from my grandmother about my mother. So, my sweet and supportive hubbyman came home and stayed with ALL of our children (and even did some cleaning!) while I picked up one of my brothers, picked up my dad from the airport, and then spent the rest of the day at the hospital with my siblings and parents while my mom underwent an angiogram (we thought an angioplasty was likely, but happy surprise- it wasn’t necessary!). By the time I woke up on Tuesday (after a late night decompressing all my feelings about the day and my feelings over my mom’s mortality) feeling: blah. More than blah, I’d been battling my allergies for over a week, and was feeling run down, headachey (I’ve had several migraines this past week), and like crawling in bed for the next few days. We also had company coming and by the time I felt really miserable, we had only an hour before their arrival. So I took some Ibuprofen and that relieved my headache and the achy-ness enough that I was able to enjoy our evening. (Hurray for another couple with kids! And they have a boy Big E’s age and a girl Miss E’s age!! And Miss E actually climbed out of my lap and played with the kids- the whole time! This is a HUGE development in the land of Miss E, as she is usually painfully shy.) After another late night, though, I was totally spent and felt completely miserable on Wednesday. (Boo!) And we ran out of kleenex before my first cup of coffee. In fact, I felt so crappy that I didn’t even care if I got to the cup of coffee!! (*collective gasp* I know, right?!) I did throw the kids in the stroller for a trip to the grocery store for the makings of my “feel better meal” and kleenex. It was painful. And I got home, only to realize that I had forgotten to get kleenex. I almost cried. Anyhow, I spent the next couple hours cuddled up on the couch while the kids played around me.
If you’re wondering why this doesn’t feel like a recipe post… well, you’re right. Kind of. Where I’m going with this was that afterwards, I made the meal that I tend to make if I’m not feeling the greatest (or if I’m just in need of a little comfort). Most people think chicken noodle when they’re under the weather. And if I’m really sick, I would probably agree. But if you’re just under the weather enough that you’re not up to your normal self, without being worthy of a dr visit… this is my go to meal. This says comfort to me. I made tomato basil soup. I love to top it off (once it’s in my dish) with a little shredded cheese and some “croutons” (or gluten free protons as the bag calls them- I got a bunch from my in laws, nacho chili cheese, and they went perfectly!). Along with, of course, grilled cheese. If I’m just feeling a little down, I may add chicken, or some spinach, or do a specialty cheese (or even better- a spicy cheese!). But because I’m not feeling up to snuff, just generic, plain, old grilled cheese. My kids thought this was the best meal ever, and hubby didn’t seem to complain either! Win-win! So today’s impressively simple recipe is just that, it’s impressive in the fact that it never fails to make me feel better, if even momentarily.
Maybe you’re not sick, but you’ve had a long, stressful day… so go ahead and make whatever feels best to you! And 
I would love to know what your “pick me up” meal of choice is!
laborofwonder 
Grill cheese can always make your day just right 🙂
My pick me up food — well, if diet didnt count I would have to say Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, without the peanut butter mixed in 🙂 or Fudge Brownies.. YUM!
On Diet – hmmm, Chicken wraps. http://werejumpin.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/frog-bites/
sounds terrific!!