Eating When You're Sick

Millie has been ill lately, and though she seems to be on the mend, now Michael and I each have different iterations of some funk, too. Basically, at least one of us has been sick at any given time, pretty much since Labor Day. It's to be expected - the baby's in daycare, and there's lots of germs going around. Luckily, so far, anyway, at least Michael and I have managed to alternate being REALLY sick, one at a time. But it begs the question: what to make when you're sick?

I don't feel like eating much at all, but I do associate being sick with chicken soup (thanks, Mom!). And when I've got a bad cold, especially, I find myself craving Tom Yum soup. It's a flavorful, spicy, aromatic Thai soup that is both tasty, and, I'm convinced, therapeutic from the chicken broth and spices and herbs. I've always had it with chicken and shrimp, but from the recipes I've come across, it seems like you can substitute just about any protein you want. I've never made it myself, so I'd asked my friend Duan for a recipe, if she had a good one, since she's Thai and makes all kinds of yummy things. She sent me this one from Allrecipes with her additions of adding some Thai chilis for heat, and dropping in a tablespoon or two of coconut milk at the end to make it a little creamy. I think this one looks more along the lines of the only kind I've had and the kind I had in mind, though. The only problem is I have absolutely zero of the ingredients on hand for either one  - Galangal? Seriously? I mean, I get it. If you want to make the authentic recipe, you gotta use the authentic ingredients. But as much as I think some spicy chicken soup might help right now, I really, REALLY don't feel like going to the market, nevermind the stinky Asian market. (Seriously, it smells. It's the only place I publicly tossed my cookies when I was pregnant and had morning sickness.) So til I summon the energy and health to go to the Asian market, I might just get some Tom Yum takeout from the Thai place near us...