the hungry mum

The Hungry Mum is, for the first time in a very long time, not hungry. A nasty bout of gastro has put paid to the idea of food, cooking or even – gasp – baking. So far Miss 4 and 6 have been spared the bug but this thing is so contagious that I’m on constant gastro alert. Nothing more substational than dry crackers has passed my lips in four days and for me to not even by thinking about food is honestly a first.

To make matters worse the gastro hit while I was in Brisbane, catching up with a girlfriend. Child-less, husband-less, footloose and fancy free. This reunion was 7 years in the making and highly anticipated by both of us. Holed up in a swanky hotel when you are hit by a ‘both ends’ bug in the middle of the night while your friend is also struck down by said bug is unfun. We saw each other at our very worst and couldn’t do much about it. In a hotel room with a shared bathroom there is nowhere to hide. In years to come we will laugh about this. So I’m told…

I was meant to be on an early morning flight home the next day but there was *no* way that was going to happen. Cue 6am incoherent phone calls to the front desk to extend my stay [and send more toilet paper, please] and to the airline to re-arrange my flight. All the while running to the loo. Calling The Hungry Dad and then doing the frantic school drop off/pick up shuffle with mother-in-law and lift home from Sydney airport request to my mum. My lovely friend, despite being sick herself, insisted on caring for me and driving back and forth to the hotel to drop off water, crackers and Gatorade. Bless. 

Hopefully I’ll get my food mojo back soon. In the meantime I’m down to my goal weight, an event that caused the Hungry Dad to remark that I should market my getaway/weight loss regime to mums everywhere. Any takers?

A child-free weekend in Brisbane to catch up with a girlfriend required an early morning flight. Actually, considering that it was pitch black when I left home, it seems more accurate to call it a pre-crack of dawn flight. After arriving at such an ungodly hour the first thing to do was seek out breakfast, which was at a teeny cafe called Nest. Sourdough toast + avocado + strong coffee = bliss. Viva BrisVegas.

I *adore* soup. Even in summer I’m happy to eat soup for lunch and dinner and happily Misses 4 and 6 have inherited my love for a bowl of soup. As such soup features frequently in the Hungry Mum household.

Now that autumn is here and the skies are dark I have a real, legitimate excuse to partake in the medicinal beauty that is soup.

I make a super speedy Asian inspired soup for THE quickest meal ever but I must say, I have yet to get the girls to grow to love this.

Start by gently frying some minced garlic and ginger in a saucepan and add a splash of fish sauce and lime juice. Add some boiling water and when it returns to the boil add some dry noodles [such as soba]. Add sliced Chinese greens and sliced tofu and a generous splash of soy sauce. When noodles are ready ladle into a bowl and garnish with copious amounts of corriander. If you have some kaffir lime leaves floating around you can add one to the pot during cooking and finely slice another for garnish. Remove the one used for cooking prior to serving. Sluuuuurp.

My other fast soup recipe is another Asian-sinpred one, based on the Chinese restaurant classic of corn and crab meat. If you are Chinese please look away now lest you are mortified by this Anglo-ification of a centuries old recipe…In a pan gently fry minced garlic and ginger until beginning to colour. Add some vegie stock and half a can of creamed corn and a tin of drained crab meat. Stir, then increase heat. Add one beaten egg and a good splosh of sherry. Throw in some sliced spring onions and you are done.

Both quick, cheap and delicious.

Are you a soup fan?