The new year has brought all sorts of bugs into our house. Luckily not the biting kind but the knock you on your bum so you can rest kind.

Just an example. Proeun’s short hours at home have been on the futon converted to a bed so he can be around where the action is. Actually our futon has been a bed since I began bedrest last September. Quite useful this convertable furniture.

It all be began New Year’s Eve day. We woke with runny noses and a cough and here we are still. Today mama is getting strict with the no sharing glasses and frequent handwashing. And while my loved ones were all sprawled out recuperating I was making this

Chicken sour soup–a family favorite eaten once a week in our house. You make a broth of plenty of water a good chuck of lemongrass (bruised and knotted), about 3 good sized slices of ginger, 3 cloves garlic and 6 lime leaves. Boil for about 15 minutes until fragrant. Add chicken (I am using 2 leg quarters) a tsp salt, 1/4 tsp tumeric and a broth cube. Boil until chicken is tender. Add one TBSP sweetener and adjust salt to taste. Chop liberal amounts of green onion and cilantro to add at the last minute. Large chunks of green tomato are wonderful in it. I am using frozen grape tomatoes left over from last year’s harvest. Next year I will freeze some green. Serve with a wedge of lemon and plate of jasmine rice. I like to get a scoop of rice in a deep spoon and dip it in the broth.

Hope you are holding up well.