How does a family start with one goldfish and end up with a 50 gallon fish tank full of fish? I’m sure we’re not the only family this has happened to. Doc, the three children and I attended the annual school carnival where one of the games involved winning fish. Of course one of my children won a goldfish. It came in a plastic bag and had to have a home so we went to the store and purchased a goldfish bowl and some fish food.

When we got home it was a challenge keeping my preschooler Lindsey’s little hands out of the goldfish bowl. She kept telling me she wanted to pet the fish, love the fish, catch the fish, squeeze the fish… you get the picture. It wasn’t too many days until the poor thing died and then the tears ensued.

The three children and I had a funeral in the back yard with our beloved black Lab, Lucy, in attendance. We stood in a circle and held hands. More tears were cried and prayers said. “Is there a fish heaven Mom?” one of my children asked… It was a long day filled with sadness and promises of more fish.

The next day we went to the pet store. Big mistake. You can’t leave that place without a puppy, crab, or other creature but we were looking for a new goldfish to go in our goldfish bowl. At least that is what I thought until we happened upon dozens of colorful fish in tanks that lined the back wall of the store. Daniel the logical thinker said, “Mom, if we get a goldfish and put it back in that goldfish bowl it will just die next week. We need a tank that has air bubbling in it. Fish need air. We need a tank that has a lid so Lindsey can’t pet the fish!” Bill was going from tank to tank pressing his nose up against each one watching the fish dart around. Lindsey was pointing at a fish saying, “I want this one, it’s blue.” Then she gives me the poor, pitiful face. By this time Daniel had gone to assess the fish tanks.

At this point I’m trying to rationalize all this information and thinking to myself, “If we get another goldfish it will die and we can’t take another funeral. Our only choice is to buy a better tank so the fish won’t die; besides it will give the children responsibility to feed the fish and clean the tank.” And that is how we ended up with a 50 gallon fish tank full of fish!

This recipe doesn’t contain fish and we don’t have a fish tank anymore. From now on I’ll just look at pictures of fish!

This is a great recipe for coconut rice. Easy and full of flavor.

Thai Jasmine Coconut Rice
Makes 6 cups cooked rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups Thai Jasmine white rice
(This recipe does not work for brown rice)
One 13.5 ounce can Coconut milk (Please don’t use the “lite coconut milk”)
2 cups water
Garnish: Fresh Cilantro

In a medium saucepan, add oil, garlic, and salt. Gently sauté garlic until soft but not brown. Add jasmine rice and stir to coat the grains of rice with garlic oil. Add coconut milk and water. Stir. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil; stirring frequently. As soon as rice boils reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove rice from heat and set aside to rest for 7-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Published in The News and Neighbor on January 21, 2014