Yesterday I was truly inspired. I spent the whole day cooking and baking between taking care of the girls. I made my chocolate chip walnut banana bread. I double the recipe and bake it in a twelve-cup tube pan. I then made macaroni and cheese, from scratch, with real bechamel and grated extra old cheddar.

I then prepared all my components for Vietnamese-inpired stir-fried noodles, which I whipped up just before Ray got home. I wanted to use up the ingredients, while they were still fresh. They were a great accompaniment to the left over Thai chicken curried coconut soup I made on Sunday. What a taste sensation! It took a lot of practice, but I'm finally making dishes that taste like what we used to eat out. And, I have total control over the ingredients and therefore can scale down the fat with super results.

Well it's a good thing I did cook yesterday. I was up most of the night making sure the girls' temperatures stayed within reason by medicating and keeping them hydrated. Yes we too are sick. Today I feel worse than a spanked ass and am thankful for the baking dish of macaroni and cheese in the fridge, ready to be warmed up for dinner.


Chicken curried coconut soup was inspired by this recipe.

Macaroni and cheese inspired by this recipe.