i randomly figured this out while bf's brother and i were at the grocery store. my bf is super sick so it's been soup galore... this one came out SOOO GOOD. i just ate some more tonite, and i'm not even sick...

+ Chicken broth (or vegetable) - throw away the solid fat chunk that sometimes floats at the top - 3lb can
+ Garlic - we used 3 whole bunches. you may not need that much LOL
+ Dark red kidney beans - 1 can
+ green onions - 1 bunch
+ cilantro - 1 bunch
+ white mushrooms sliced - 1 pkg or i guess... 3 handfulls? - don't recommend other types, these ones have the mildest flavor and won't compete the way portobellos or others might
+ hot sauce - NOT tabasco.
+ soy sauce
+ salt & pepper
+ egg noodles (or shells, whatever) - 1 pkg
+ hot NY style sausage (or cubed extra firm tofu, or no "meat" item)

heat the broth on low, add as much garlic as you want. add ~2 cups water. add hot sauce. REAL hot sauce works better here, tabasco is just gross and too vinegary. if the label is in spanish you're probably ok.

cook the noodles HALF way - not completely. chop up everything else, add to the broth. slice the sausage links into little balls, and fully cook in skillet (n/a if tofu - you should probably add that near last?) add sausage to the pot, including the fat that cooked off - just for flavor, throw it out if you must. season everything with soy sauce, salt and pepper till it tastes right... add the pasta in and let simmer until the soup is  hot and everyone's ready to eat. this shit is so good. it makes about 8 servings and helps get hot yummy fluids into your loved one (or yourself) when sick. the spice and garlic are great for stuffy noses and overall cleansing. it just tastes good, too, so when your taste buds actually work, i promise you'll still like it.

in other news, we got my bf an ice cream cake and had the best decorating sesh the world has seen in the last century. i have pictures on my phone and will post ASAP. his brother and i went to town and it's seriously the best cake like, ever.

also, i'm trying to remember to go to sephora in the morning. there's a few things i want to smell that are supposedly similar to what i like... but if you compare all my perfumes they're from a couple different groups so i don't trust those things. i want to stick my nose in them before i buy. either way i have such a great collection going for 2008. now if i can eventually get my attitude, motivation, happiness and otherwise to match how freakin' good i smell... this year will be epic.