Making memorable memories and great Tom Ka

One thing I've noticed over the past year is how I take a lot of pictures. No, seriously, I take a lot of pictures! Maybe not as many as the crazy 3 external hard drive folks out there (you know who you are!) but at least a couple hundred a week. OK, OK! Sometimes several hundred in a day! There, you know my dirty little secret, are you happy now?

Anyway, as I was saying, I take a lot of pictures. Sometimes we're out and about and we run into great moments and I can't help myself. I click. I click three or four (hundred) times. Well, the one thing I've started noticing is that I have these great clicks of pictures but there is no real memory of us being there. I have a great image but it's not personal enough. Something is missing... it's US!

Well, something I'm committed to doing this year is take more personable pictures... it's almost like an "enter your face here" promo!

See here, our day at the park was great and then here came one of those moments.  The kids and I scurried over to listen to the Brazilian drummers play some salsa.  Sure, the picture of the drummers is alright but how does it represent us as a family?

When we look back at these pictures how we remember who was there, what was going on, what is this picture all about?  So my answer is to start incorporating US into OUR pictures!

How do you incorporate your family into the moment?

I guess this is a double whammy of a post today... who knew I had so much to say?!  Well, the past couple months I've had cravings for Tom Ka soup.  It's been something that has been on my mind during the late hours of my insomnia.  I have literally woke up in the middle of the night and thought about the creamy coconut milk, the gentle warming sensation of the spices that linger on my  lips long after the flavors have dissipated from my palette.  I think it's fair to say that I truly heart Tom Ka.  

Here is a recipe I cooked up today:

TOM KA SOUP

• 1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined ( I omitted the shrimp and used cubed firm tofu)
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans canned coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 (1 inch) piece ginger, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks lemon grass, bruised and chopped (I used lemon grass paste)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 can shiitake mushrooms, drained
• 1 can mini corn, drained
• 1 can peeled tomatoes, drained and quartered (thinking some random sweet peas would be good too!)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 green onions, chunked
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

    Pour the coconut milk and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan; bring to a simmer. Add the ginger, lemon grass, and lime zest; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the flavors are infused. Strain the coconut milk into a new pan and discard the spices. Simmer the shiitake mushrooms in the coconut milk for five minutes, add the corn and tomatoes. Stir in the lime juice, and brown sugar. Season to taste with curry powder.

     To serve, heat tofu in the soup, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with green onion and red pepper flakes.

ENJOY!