Chicken soup

Every kid gets sick at times. I love the packets of dry noodles I grew up with, but, also love taking time to craft pots of goodness to make our kiddos feel better. Our short-hand secret sauce:

- Boil special pasta (we keep ditalini, orecchiette or conchiglie on hand)
- Drain, return to pot, add chicken stock. Bring to simmer.
- Optional extra protein: Stir in a raw scrambled egg, slowly stirring in a circle to cook the egg ribbons. 

That's the yummy food. The real feel-goods come when you ladle it into a big mug and serve it with a fancy Asian spoon. 

Bonus option - make a big batch and use it as a base, adding chicken and spices as you like for the rest of the family.  North American classic with extra chicken, carrots, celery and pepper; Latino with tomatoes, cilantro, cumin and lime; Asian with sesame oil, five spice and bean sprouts.