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"Since Petra&amp;amp;#8217;s apparently never coming back from Africa (it feels like she&amp;amp;#8217;s been gone for two months now), I decided to find a new best friend. Here she is:Thanks to my new Thermos, my lunch hasn&amp;amp;#8217;t spilled into my purse yet! (Knock on wood.) Okay, she&amp;amp;#8217;s not nearly as cute as Petra. And our conversations have been pretty one-sided so far. But she has motivated me to bring my lunch to work (instead of shelling out $5 a day), so our relationship is pretty special. Plus, she&amp;amp;#8217;s lined with metal (I&amp;amp;#8217;m not down with hot food in plastic, you might recall from this post) and holds a whopping 16 ounces of food&amp;amp;#8212;enough to keep me full. This is her taller, thinner sister&amp;amp;#8212;who comes with a built-in spoon! So in honor of my new best friend&amp;amp;#8212;and to kick off the Little Miss Fortune Recipe Exchange we&amp;amp;#8217;ve been chatting about in the comments&amp;amp;#8212;I&amp;amp;#8217;m going to share the recipe for the soup I&amp;amp;#8217;m bringing for lunch this week. Just whipping up some easy-on-the-wallet eats. Then I want you guys to send in your recipes (e-mail them to me here&amp;amp;#8212;then leave a comment below so I know to look for your e-mail) and I&amp;amp;#8217;ll pick out a few to share from time to time (and I&amp;amp;#8217;ll keep sharing my favorites). And I don&amp;amp;#8217;t just want lunch recipes: Send me the recipe for your favorite mixed drink, dessert, quickie breakfast, weeknight dinner, whatever. Sound good? What did you guys pack for lunch today? (Or what are you going to buy?!) HOT AND SOUR SOUP (Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food: Great Food Fast) In this recipe for a popular Chinese dish, an egg is stirred into a simmering soup to form tiny ribbons. For more flavor, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil just before serving. Serves 4 * Prep time: 20 minutes * Total time: 20 minutes 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced (about four cups)* 3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained well** 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1. In a large (5-quart) pot, combine the broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and the cornstarch. Add to the pot; simmer, stirring, until the soup is thickened, about 1 minute. 3. Add the egg through a slotted spoon and stir to form ribbons. Stir in the tofu. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 1 minute. Put the ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release its juice into the soup (discard the solids). Taste; add the remaining tablespoon vinegar, if desired. Serve sprinkled with the scallions. Note: Be sure to drain the tofu thoroughly before adding it to the soup so it will soak up the flavor of the broth. * I use different kinds of mushrooms (skiitake, portabella, cremini), whatever my store has fresh. ** Instead of tofu, I usually use crabmeat, which you can get fresh, or in a can in the tuna fish aisle. If I do use tofu, I buy firm, which holds up better. Need a snack to go with your soup? Try these: Eggplant Sun-Dried Tomato Spread A S&amp;#x27;mores Flavored Bar Banana Pops A Brilliant Way to Reduce the Fat in Guacamole Cucumber Boats Feta-Stuffed Cherry Tomato Bites How About a Coconut-Guava Frozen Treat? Get Glamour Wherever You Go! Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Add us to your Google homepage Photos 1 + 2: Courtesy of Thermos. Illustration: iStock "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/blogs/little-miss-fortune/2009/07/the-little-miss-fortune-recipe>