Please don’t gag when I say this.  I don’t know what has come over me.

I think I’m “feenin” for my husband.

I don’t know any other way to say this other than he is so completely charming.

He is handsome to the T.
With stunning dimples.
And oh, don’t get me started on is winning personality. 

It’s enough to make me swoon.

I don’t tell him this enough.  Generally, it’s a one way street with him telling me how much I rock his world. And we both seem to be okay with that. But, we recently went to a Christmas Party, and I couldn’t stop staring at that fella all night long.

He didn’t do anything different just his basic, wonderful, best person in the world stuff.  Blah, blah, blah, blah.  I’ve come to ignore it, in light of the fact that I have 4 children attached to my leg.

But on the night of his work Christmas Party, I had no children.  What I did have, was a Cape Cod in one hand and an Apple Martini in the other, and one heck of a Dapper Dan standing in front of me.

He walked around the room mingling, holding on to me tightly as he introduced me to his co-workers. He smiled at me, asked me if I was hungry or if he could get me another drink. He tossed his head back, laughing and giggling at the silly comments I made. His grin was wide and dazzling as he wittily talked to his friends about this or that.

And when the music came on, he danced right beside me because I don’t really do line dancing  (I prefer free-style).  No dance floor him, and no apologies, he just whirled around dancing to the Cupid Shuffle and Step in the Name of Love. I think he even “dropped it like it was hot.”  He was so cute.  His buddies chuckled at the sight of him. But he didn’t care; he just kept on being himself.

That night, we met a few people that he has known since childhood, and I think they were as smitten with him as I am. He’s always been this charming. Since Day One of his life. Since Day One of our marriage.

I’m going to keep my eyes open to this everyday. I’m not going let the craziness of my world blur my vision of him. I’m going to seek out his loveliness every minute of every day for the rest of my life.

How did I ever get so lucky to have him in my life?  Uhhhhh.

Now . . . . . . please excuse me. . . . . .I’m going to go gag.

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You know where I’m going with this.  Yes sir, he is smokin’.

Not your typical kind of smokin’ though.  You could miss it if your weren’t looking in the right place.

It’s not just out there, waving wildly for all too see.  It’s more subdued. More in the background.

Kinda like the smokiness of this soup.
Not overpowering.
Just the gentle hint of a deeper flavor in the backdrop. Reminiscent of a light earthiness.
Coupled with the creamy richness of the lentils, this soup will quickly become a favorite.

The first time I had it I was in Spain studying for a semester. And though I’d never had it before, it brought me back to home with its comforting warmth and heartiness. When you eat it, you can’t help but feel loved.

Smoky Lentil Soup

2 TB oil
1/2 pound smoked sausage, diced

1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cups carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
1 TB Herbs de Provence
10 cups chicken stock
16 oz. bag of dried lentils
1 pound boneless smoked pork chops, cut into bite size 1/2 – 3/4 inch pieces
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1.) In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots and cook until soft and translucent about 8 minutes.
2.) Add bay leaves, Herbes de Provence, 8 cups of chicken stock, and lentils. Bring to boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to simmer, and cook partially covered, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.
3.) Remove lid, and add pork chops and remaining 2 cups of water. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.