The ramen diaries

Hello, I haven't been posting because we have been sick, and that's boring. We get sick every February the way some families go to the beach every summer. It's tradition. If I don't feel that little tickle in my throat by February 2nd or so, I kind of feel like I should go around licking doorknobs or something just so I can get it over with.

This year it started at the very end of January with C, who went to school one morning with a bit of a sore throat and came home in the afternoon sounding like Froggy from The Little Rascals. He missed two days of school and gave it to H, who also missed two days of school. Now, nearly two weeks later, P and I are in the thick of it and it JUST. WON'T. GO. AWAY. Just like every February. Argh.

The only good thing about being sick (if you're not tummy-sick, which we are not, thank goodness) is the food. I am all about the spicy, brothy goodness of ramen when I have some rotten head/nose/throat crud that won't go away. Ramen is so cheap the store practically pays you to take it off their hands, and you've gotta love anything that cooks in three minutes, right?

I throw away the little "flavor" packet that comes with packaged ramen, because that's crap, and boil the noodles in broth instead. Then I just toss in any random combination of the following:

• leftover cubed/shredded meat
• fresh garlic
• fresh ginger
• lime juice
• sliced jalapeno
• cilantro
• baby spinach
• shredded carrots
• miso
• soy sauce
• mirin
• chili oil
• sriracha
• sesame seeds
• green onion

So, so good. The spicier and more aromatic, the better. This is exactly what my body craves when I'm sick. I love that it's such a blank canvas -- you can add virtually anything to it and it comes out awesome. The possibilities are endless, really.

Just like this freaking head/nose/throat crud. Oy.