We started the kids’ swimming class on Wednesday night, and I’d forgotten that 20+ children in any space can totally be a crazy-inducing experience, but 20+ kids in a space with an echo and full of water, can only be described as fresh hell.  I was of course running late, thus became that person who parks in the no parking zone to get the kids inside and changed on time (I’ll come move the car as soon as they’re in their class, no evil eyes pleeeeeease!) only to realize I’d forgotten Mister Mister’s trunks, and had to run barefoot back outside to aforementioned badly parked car with naked Mister Mister in my arms to find his cotton underwear (he had a diaper on because he hasn’t quite mastered the potty yet) because once he’d seen the pool, getting dressed without getting in the pool was NOT an option.  The other parents and kids who had finished the previous class and were filtering out to the parking lot mostly stared at the hot mess that was Mister Mister and I screaming and running to the car, the contents of our bag strewn across the tiny changing room…  Sweet Yummy pretended she didn’t know us and calmly went to her class.  Then Mister Mister, suited up in his cotton underwear, ran out of my arms and jumps head first into the pool.  Everyone turned around to see who the owner of the crazy kid was, and it was me, looking totally the part with various pieces of clothing and towels in my hands, dirty (now muddied) feet from running barefoot through the dirt to the car, and hair matted to my sweaty forehead.  I checked my phone, and we been at the pool for a total of 7 minutes.  

Needless to say, by the time we arrived home an hour later, I could barely string together a coherent sentence. I had to remind myself why extracurricular actives are so important: they make the monsters tired so they go to bed early, leaving the evening free for a glass (or three) of wine and Orange is the New Black episodes.they develop and hone the physical and creative skills of our youth.

Dinner turned out to be a mix of two dishes I normally have on heavy rotation, one a pasta dish, the other a rice dish.  The mix was because I literally kept forgetting which one I was making and started mixing up the recipes.

So here it is.

Cray-Cray Something

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

1 knob fresh ginger chopped into small pieces

1 tbsp. turmeric

4 Tbsp. Tamari (additive free soy sauce – also gluten free)  I buy mine at the organic store.

250 ml (8.5 ounces) crushed or puréed tomatoes (JUST tomatoes, nothing else!  Also try organic store for this one if you have doubts)

100 ml coconut milk (careful on this one too, many brands sneak additives in to make the texture consistent.  Non-additive coconut milk has a thick layer on top and the water on the bottom.  That’s normal… equal parts of both translate nicely into the milk when you’re cooking.)

1 block fermented tofu (non GMO, and no unnecessary additives) chopped into cubes

I package Somen noodles

Bunch of cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a saucepan on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once oil is hot, add the chopped onion, and a few minutes later the pressed garlic and the ginger.  Let cook for 10 minutes or so, until the onions are transparent.  Then add the chopped Tofu and cook long enough to brown the sides of the Tofu (5-10 min-ish).  Then add the turmeric.

One mixture is cooked to your liking, add the sauces (tomato and coconut) and 2 tbsp of Tamari.  Let simmer while you make the Somen noodles.  These are my FAVORITE quick dinner noodles because they take THREE minutes to cook.  Literally.  In this recipe it’s even faster because you want them to be a bit al dente.  I cooked about 2.5 min for this recipe.

Cook drain noodles and add them to your saucepan and mix everything together.

Taste and check the salt… if you still need add some more Tamari (2 tbsp) or so.  Mix together so the tastes mix.

Just before serving add pepper and chop the cilantro.

Stick a Fourchette in It, ‘Cause You’re Done!