Monday, April 22, 2013

Learning to Live with Green Peppers

My husband, Joe, took me to his favorite little Chicago diner on one of our first dates.  When we sat down at Billy's that night, he could not wait to order the stuffed green pepper soup.  The steaming bowl arrived and my husband proceeded to spend 15 minutes picking out every last pepper. 

I was baffled.

"Why did you order the stuffed green pepper soup if you don't like green peppers?"

"I can't help it," he answered, "I love the rest so much that I just have to have it."

Over the years, Joe finally learned to tolerate the green peppers and stopped picking them all out.  He even discovered a recipe for making his own stuffed green pepper soup courtesy of Norm at the firehouse:


This is Joe's "happy" face.
Yummy.

After 10 years of marriage, I now realize that I am like that soup.  There are plenty of bits and pieces that I'm sure Joe would just love to pull out if given a chance:   

I squeeze the toothpaste from the middle of the tube. 

I forget to pay the cable bill.  

I use all the hot water. 

My "green peppers" take up more than half the pot.  And still.

Joe continues to order the soup.

While I work on taking shorter showers.
Plastered by at

34 comments:

  1. J.R.April 23, 2013 at 1:07 AM

    Seriously love this Marianne! I will probably start using green pepper analogies in my marriage, and my husband won't know what the hell I'm talking about.
    We'll be arguing, and I'll bust out with some "well, sorry if you don't like my green peppery self, but at least the rest of my soupy self is cool!"
    This is a great post! Love, love, loved it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:41 AM

      Thank you, JR! And I totally love your green peppery self!

      Delete
    2. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:47 AM

      pssst. Sorry about not getting your comment up sooner, I was way-delayed today due to a zillion things going on at once.

      Delete
    3. TamaraApril 23, 2013 at 8:54 PM

      Hubber does the same shit with onions. Sometimes he even orders onion rings just to each the crust. Weirdo.

      BTW: You crack my shit up! Also... you just won an award on my website. Peace out.

      Delete
    4. Tina@WhatWeKeepApril 23, 2013 at 9:25 PM

      I love it, too! Love all my girls and their green peppery selves. ;)
      Sweet, sincere and honest post, Mar.
      Better keep your eye on your soup, Joe...
      She's a spicy meatball!

      Delete
    5. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:24 PM

      Thank you, Tamara! I love awards! And yours is better than any Oscar or Emmy out there.

      Thank you, Tina - love "spicy meatball." I might want that put on my grave for giggles. hee hee.

      Delete
  2. Carol Noren JohnsonApril 23, 2013 at 2:14 AM

    Hey, Green Peppers,
    Sounds like your guy is maturing. I would keep him. Your sons will eventually grow up and leave home, but Joe likes the whole soup now. You have Joe trained to put up with you and we all in blogosphere love you too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mama MelchApril 23, 2013 at 3:19 AM

    Isn't it nice to be so irresistible to someone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:43 AM

      Well...I am rather delectable....

      j/k Thanks, Mama!

      Delete
  4. Kirby CarespodiApril 23, 2013 at 6:48 AM

    My mother-in-law calls green peppers 'mangoes.' And the people of the Phillipines are confused.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:43 AM

      Can you imagine what they think of mango martinis?? haha. Talk about a shocker.

      Delete
  5. Kari April 23, 2013 at 6:59 AM

    I want that green pepper soup recipe!!!
    PLEASE!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ShannonApril 23, 2013 at 8:06 AM

    Awww... I like this. A lot.
    Your green peppers give you spice and flavor, Marianne.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:40 AM

    Norm's Green Pepper Soup Recipe (as read from Joe's scribbly writing on the backside of a circular):

    3 lbs meatball mix (for locals, he gets it at S&T)
    3 cans spaghetti sauce (26.5 oz's)
    6 cans beef broth (14.5 oz's)
    3 cans diced tomatoes (14. oz's)
    3 green peppers
    1 medium onion

    Saute onion & ppers slightly. Brown meatball mix. Mix everything but rice. Bring to a boil and let simmer. Add rice.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dollops of DianeApril 23, 2013 at 1:00 PM

    If Tim and I get divorced some day it will most likely be over the toothpaste tube. Apparently, (like you) I do it wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:25 PM

      You'd think I kicked him in the stomach the way he reacts....it's just toothpaste! Apparently, men make no sense.

      Delete
  9. AndreaApril 23, 2013 at 6:21 PM

    Um, I have to go now that I know how you squeeze your toothpaste...unless you are okay with me fixing it twice a day (which I do). Please just tell me your replace the toilet paper (I could just stop there) with the paper coming over the top....please...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:27 PM

      Et tu, Brute?

      Fine. I do the toliet paper thing right.

      But I can't believe you're another toothpaste snob. I guess you never really know someone...

      Delete
  10. Julie DeMilleApril 23, 2013 at 7:21 PM

    That's what a good marriage is about- living with green peppers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kinley DaneApril 23, 2013 at 7:53 PM

    Aw, that's too cute :) I guess that's what any of us hope for, right? That our partners are willing to keep ordering the soup, and pick out the green peppers.

    My mom used to make sloppy joes when I was a kid, which I would have LOVED, except that she put dried, minced green peppers in it, and it was completely ruined. The weird thing is, I love raw green peppers with a little salt, but still can't stand cooked green peppers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 23, 2013 at 11:27 PM

      I'm the same way with pineapples but I like them cooked and not raw. Weird.

      And thank you!!

      Delete
  12. singlemumplusoneApril 24, 2013 at 4:47 AM

    Naww that is a super sweet if slightly off center analogy. If you're green peppers then I can only hope to find someone who can tolerate nothing but brussel sprouts for the next 30 years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarianneApril 24, 2013 at 12:13 PM

      I don't know....I think you're kind of like chocolate-covered brussel sprouts at the very least. (;

      Delete
    2. singlemumplusoneApril 24, 2013 at 8:31 PM

      ha ha ha ha thank you. I'll be sure to tell my next date that.

      Delete
  13. MOVApril 24, 2013 at 10:49 AM

    awwwwwwwwww. kinda makes me want some green pepper soup, plus my own husband to share it with. :)

    xxo
    MOV

    ReplyDelete
  14. TangledLouApril 25, 2013 at 8:18 PM

    This is so sweet! I love it! I am almost completely green peppers, myself. These patient, patient men...

    ReplyDelete
  15. RemarkablyMommyApril 30, 2013 at 2:09 PM

    Ok, so I'm definitely going to have to start thinking of some of my husband's quirks as green peppers and remember that he is doing the same about me! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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