This Was Our Menu For The Week 04/12/20 - 4/18/20

No pizza order last week!  We did get takeout twice, though.  My goal for this week is no takeout or delivery.  We’ll see how it goes.  We picked up a fairly large grocery order from Wal-Mart on Friday evening, so I  have no excuse not to cook, and I definitely want to make sure the produce doesn’t go bad.

Sunday: It was pretty chilly here, and very rainy and stormy, so soup seemed like a good choice.  I made my version of Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli soup, and it was delicious.  I also made a loaf of Italian Herb bread in the bread machine.

I made a buttermilk pie for dessert on Sunday that we enjoyed through most of the week.  I know it’s not pretty, but it’s so good.

Monday: Cheese Enchiladas.  I used this recipe, but halved it.  We also had refried beans with our enchiladas.

Tuesday: This was when the takeout started.  I had Thai food, which I love, but Nick is less crazy about.  Nick had Arby’s, which I refuse to eat.

Wednesday: We had burgers and milkshakes from the McDonald’s drive-thru.

Thursday: Cheese Tetrazzini.  It’s not the prettiest dish, but it was so good.

Friday: Taco salad.  We were actually able to get lettuce on the grocery order, which was a nice change from the last few.

Saturday: Nick made pancakes for breakfast.  I love pancakes, but mine are absolutely terrible.  Nick’s are really good, and these were even better than usual.  There is no picture of the pancakes because I was too busy devouring them.  We had leftovers (taco salad and cheese tetrazzini) for lunch and dinner.

Breakfast was mostly cereal, with one day of egg sandwiches, and one day of this Dutch Apple Pancake, which I did an experiment on.  I read recently that oat milk works the best in baking if you’re not using regular dairy milk.  I wanted to test it out, but I wanted to do it on something fairly low stakes.   We were out of milk by Friday morning, so I gave the oat milk a try in the Dutch Apple Pancake.  We’d had it before, so knew how it was supposed to taste, and it wouldn’t waste a lot of ingredients if it was bad.  It was fine.  Neither one of us could tell any difference.  I feel fairly confident now in using oat milk in baked goods if we’re out of regular dairy milk.  That should help limit our grocery trips/orders a little more.

I think I may have finally figured out a system for getting produce right now.  I’m trying to only do grocery orders every two weeks, or even a little longer if we can manage it.  That makes it a little tricky with things like fresh produce and milk.  The oat milk experiment mostly solved the milk problem, so that just leaves the produce problem.

There doesn’t seem to be any particular pattern with what’s available as far as produce, so I’m learning to be a little more flexible.  I put a variety of produce on the grocery order, knowing we wouldn’t get all of it.  We were able to get lettuce, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, onions, strawberries, asparagus, a couple of tomatoes, cilantro, cauliflower, carrots, celery, and a very tiny head of broccoli.  We weren’t able to get cucumbers, parsley,  butternut squash, raspberries, green beans, or any shredded broccoli or coleslaw mixes.

My plan is to use the things with the shortest shelf life first, then move on to the things that will last a little longer, and then to probably use some frozen veggies the last few days before our next grocery order.

So what about you?  Have you changed the way you shop for groceries?  What produce have you been able to get, or not been able to get?   Have you tried any successful substitutions?

Crocheting For A Cause

This post could just as easily have been titled “Hanging On To My Sanity With Yarn”, but “Crocheting For A Cause” sounded a little nicer.

I’ve come to the realization over the years that I handle practically anything much better if I have a task.  It doesn’t have to be anything terribly important, but I need something to do.   The worse things are the more desperately I need something to do.  I think that’s why I always bring food when someone is sick or has a death in the family. 

A global pandemic involving social distancing isn’t the best time for someone with no medical training, with a job that isn’t really essential to find something to keep busy. 

I attempted making crochet masks, but they’re not the best.  If things get worse and they’re needed I will definitely keep making them, but fabric masks seem to be what most people prefer. 

Last week I saw two posts on Facebook that involved useful crocheting.  The first  was mask adapters.  The post said that healthcare workers are asking for them because the masks are very uncomfortable when worn for extended periods of time.  There’s a crochet group in the upstate of South Carolina that is making them for some of the hospitals and clinics there.  I got an address to mail some to.

I watched this video and tried following the pattern.  I don’t have a stitch marker, and didn’t fully understand how it would be used, so I had to improvise a little.  Mine aren’t pretty, but I think they will work.  I’m mailing some to the group in SC, and we sent some to the local hospice house. 

They're not the prettiest, but hopefully they'll help.

One of my coworkers is married to an E.R. nurse, so I emailed him to see if his wife might want them.  He said her hospital is using them.  We’ve made arrangements for him to pick them up from our front porch tomorrow.  I’m hoping to get some feedback as to how make them more useful.

Another one of my coworkers is married to a respiratory therapist, so I emailed him to see if his wife might want them.  He said she does.  We’re still in the process of working out a handoff.

I started getting low on buttons.  I’ve ordered some, but they’re going to take a week to arrive, so I asked on Facebook.  I’ve been given enough buttons to keep making adapters for a very long time!  One friend gave us a gallon sized Ziploc bag that’s nearly full of buttons.  One of Nick’s coworkers brought a smaller bag of buttons to him yesterday.  Someone else has promised more buttons. 

Coins for scale when people started asking about button size.  

The next post I saw was about using crocheted straps for cloth face masks.  Most of the patterns call for elastic straps, but I’m told that getting elastic has become much like getting hand sanitizer or toilet paper.  You can’t.  

Someone figured out a way to make crochet straps instead of elastic.  I don’t have any of my own pictures of the masks with the crochet straps, and I’m uncomfortable posting someone else’s pictures.  The masks look like the ones in this pattern and this pattern.  Just picture crochet straps instead of ribbon or elastic.

I shared the post on Facebook and asked if anyone was sewing masks and needed straps.   A friend put me in touch with one of her friends who had been on Facebook asking for elastic.  I posted my offer of straps on her page.  One of her friends, Cindy, sent me a message that she was making masks for an assisted living facility and had run out of elastic.  So we decided to collaborate.  I made a batch of straps, using three different sized hooks, to see which one would work best. 

On a side note, the first person who had asked for elastic was given elastic much like I was given buttons. 

The next day we took my first batch of straps and dropped them off on Cindy’s porch.  The same day she was asked by someone at another facility for masks. 

The first batch of straps.

After trying the straps made with different sized hooks, it was determined that the “I” hook makes the best straps.   They’re 21inches long, with a 5 - 6 inch tail on both ends.  Cindy suggested the longer tail since some of the folks in assisted living facilities may have arthritis, and the longer tails would be easier for them to tie.

I crocheted straps for most of the day Friday and some on Saturday morning.  We dropped off the next batch of straps on Cindy’s porch on Saturday afternoon, and picked up a jar of buttons she gave me for the adapters.  

The second, much bigger, batch of straps. 

Yesterday Cindy sent me a text that someone from another facility had asked for masks, so she’s making more.  I had a small batch ready that she picked up from our mailbox.  I’m currently working on more.  Cindy says she’ll keep sewing the masks as long as people keep asking for them.  I’ll keep making the straps as long as someone can use them for masks. 

It’s hard to explain, but I feel so much better having something even slightly useful to do.  It hasn’t really changed much for me.  I’m still working from home during the day, and watching a lot of TV in the evening.  Now I’m just crocheting straps or adapters while I watch TV, but it makes me feel better.  

It was also nice to see so many people working together.  There have been so many examples of people behaving selfishly, whether it’s price gouging, hoarding food/supplies, or doing things to put the most vulnerable at risk.  It can make the world seem like a terrible place.  But then there are times when people reach out to help.  I know it’s small in the grand scheme of things, but it’s nice to see that someone can ask for something like fabric, elastic, or buttons to make things to try to help and be inundated with people providing those supplies.   

So what about you?  Have you seen examples of people working together lately?  Do you need a task to stay sane when things are bad?  

A Late Menu Post Week of 4/5/20 - 4/11/20

So much for my plan of posting a menu on Saturday.  Last week wasn’t a stellar cooking week or blogging week. 

I don’t have a lot of food pictures, so I’m supplementing with some more pictures of blooms from the yard, because they’re gorgeous right now.

I did a little better with breakfasts than I did with dinners, so let’s start there. 

I made this apple pancake dish one day.  We had cheese grits and eggs another day.  Friday was a holiday for both of us, which meant Nick was home from work and I wasn’t working from home, so we had a nicer than usual breakfast of scrambled eggs with feta and dill, toast, and asparagus.  My sister gave us some pineapple papaya ginger marmalade from Costa Rica from Christmas, so that’s what I had on my toast.  It was delicious.

Sunday: We ordered pizza from Papa John’s.  It was supposed to be a no contact delivery.  It was not.  So, we won’t be ordering from them for the foreseeable future.

There were a few nights of not really making dinner, so we had leftovers, PB&Js, and cereal.

Wednesday: Creamy chicken tacos.

Thursday and Friday: Cubed steak with carrots and gravy over rice.  There was a fairly large package of cubed steak in the freezer, and we had a lot of carrots on hand, so this lasted us for a while.  Somehow I managed not to take a single picture of it. 

I didn’t make any dessert last week because Nick’s mom mailed us cookies.  They were so good!  Chocolate chip for Nick and Oatmeal Scotchies for me.  I don’t make good cookies, and Susan makes wonderful cookies, so it’s always a treat to get hers.

And now for some yard pictures since this post is a little short on pictures.

One of the many azaleas currently blooming.

The lilac bush.

Another view of the lilac bush.  Can you tell I really like the lilac bush?

What did you eat last week?  Have your cooking habits changed at all during COVID-19?

My Masks Need A Mask

Now that the recommendations for avoiding the spread of COVID-19 include wearing cloth masks in addition to social distancing and hand washing, I’m trying to learn to make masks.  As are a lot people.

The more popular choice seems to be sewing pleated masks. 

I can’t sew.  And I positively hate the idea of sewing.  We don’t own a sewing machine.  We don't have fabric.  I think we have some needles and thread somewhere, but I wouldn't swear to that.  Honestly, there are have been times that I’ve super glued (or even hot glued) a button back on or a hem back in.  I.  HATE.  Sewing. 

But, there are also patterns for crocheted face masks. 

I’ve been trying to learn to crochet for about a year now.  I’m left-handed, which makes it a little harder to find someone who’s willing and able to teach me.  And I’m really NOT good at trying to learn something like that from a right-handed person.  My mom is right-handed and my dad is left-handed.  Dad ended up being the one to teach me to write, tie my shoes, and all of the things like that.  So my crochet progress has been slow.  Very, very, very slow.

I’ve been working on granny squares.  I think I’m slowly getting the hang of it, now that we’re not going anywhere, and I have more time on my hands.  I found a video that goes through everything, from the slipknot to tying off.  I’ve probably watched the video 100 times.  I’ve almost memorized the pattern.  I enjoy repetition, and it seems to be the best way for me to learn.

My stack of granny squares.

My sister (who has no desire to crochet) now has the idea that I know how to crochet.  She tagged me in a post on Facebook with a pattern for a crochet face mask.  It wasn’t in English.  So I looked for one that was.  I found several, but I’m not great at reading patterns yet.  I looked for videos and finally found one left-handed tutorial. 

I thought I could follow along with that one, but a few of the stitches were ones I haven’t learned yet, and the quality of the video wasn’t great, so I couldn’t quite figure it out.  I watched a few more videos and decided to try to make one on my own, using stitches I know. 

The basic idea seems to be a sort of pouch with straps, and you put a liner (coffee filters and cut up cotton t-shirts seem to be the popular choices) inside it.  Obviously, this isn’t a medical grade mask, and it’s certainly not any kind of sure protection.  But it is, apparently, one more layer of potential protection.  To me, that’s worth trying. 

When you’ve spent the last three weeks realizing that everything you’ve ever learned to do is absolutely useless in the midst of this pandemic, and you’re tucked up safely at home while people you love and care about are out in the middle of it, you grasp at anything you can do to possibly help protect them. 

So began my efforts at making what are surely the world’s ugliest masks.

This is the first one, which Nick wore to work today. 

Our neighbor works in a home improvement store, so I sent her a text (with a picture so she would know exactly how hideous it looked) and asked if she wanted one.  She said she did.  So I made a second one for her.

I don’t think there’s much (any?) improvement in this one.  Again, though, it should cover her nose and mouth, which is all it really has to do to serve its intended purpose.

I posted pictures on Facebook asking friends who crochet for tips on what I’m doing wrong, and how to do a better job.  Apparently I need to keep careful count of my stitches.  A friend, Jane, experimented and made one (that’s far less bulky than the monstrosities I’m making) and wrote out the pattern for anyone who wants to use it.  I’m going to attempt that one tomorrow.   Because, unfortunately, it looks like there’s going to continue to be a need for masks, so I’m going to keep at it.   Wish me luck!

Jane says she’ll have some classes and teach all of us who are trying to learn once this pandemic is over.  There’s talk of a crochet group.  I love that idea!  It’s something to look forward to, for one thing.  

So what about you?  Are you wearing a mask?  Are you making masks?  Have you seen a mask that looks more hideous than mine?  Any suggestions for how to make mine better? 

What We Ate Last Week: 3/29/20 - 4/3/20

It seems like quite a few of us are turning to food for comfort right now.  Bijoux made the comment on one of my recent posts that we’re living for food now.  That certainly seems to be the case for us. 

It also seems like it’s hard to find some items in the stores right now, leading to some creative substitutions, and a lot of people are cooking much more than they’re used to. 

I think reading other people’s blogs involves a certain amount of voyeurism, in a totally non-creepy way.  It’s nice to get a peak at how other people live, and it’s especially interesting right now, when everyone’s world seems to have shrunk down, to get a little peak into someone else’s.  To that end, I thought I’d share a weekly menu post.  The Frugal Girl does a weekly menu post every Friday, and I enjoy reading those.  It’s also a great way to get ideas when you’re drawing a blank on what to make for dinner. 

So here’s what we had:

Sunday: I haven’t been handling social distancing and some other things very well.  I’m following the rules, but I’ve also spent more time than I care to admit wallowing in fear and sadness.  That means I kind of let a lot of household chores go, so we spent all day on Sunday getting the house back in good shape.  We were pretty wiped out after that, so we ordered pizza from Papa John’s, and had a no-contact delivery.  We’re both still working our normal hours, so we also tipped a little more than usual.

Monday: Potato Soup and Beer Bread.    We’re running a little low on all-purpose flour, so I made it using the self-rising flour version.  I did still add some salt.  It was just as good as usual, so whichever method you choose will be delicious.

Tuesday: We still had lots of potato soup left, but wanted a little break from it, so Nick made calzones for dinner.  He makes really good calzones! 

Wednesday: Broccoli cheddar soup and leftover beer bread.  I made a few modifications to the recipe.  I always add more garlic, and a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper to this recipe.  I’ve made quite a few recipes from this site, and overall we like them, but they do lean a little more toward the bland side, so I recommend adding a little more seasoning than the recipe calls for.  We also don’t have much shredded cheddar cheese on hand, so I substituted Velveeta cheese instead.  I didn’t think to measure, and just added cubes of Velveeta until it looked good.  I think it can work with varying amounts, it just depends on how indulgent you want it to be.  The recipe calls for fresh broccoli, which is what I’ve always used.  Our neighbor has used frozen broccoli, and says it works well.  She’s a great cook, so I’m inclined to trust her on that.

Thursday: The chili I posted about here.

Friday: Leftovers. 

Saturday/Today: I think we’ll probably be having chicken tacos. 

I also made this apple crisp, and we’ve been enjoying it all week.  In case you can’t tell, I definitely use food as a coping mechanism.  This has plenty of butter and sugar, so it’s great comfort food. 

Breakfasts have been egg and cheese tortillas or cereal.  Lunches are pretty much always leftovers from the day or two before.

So what about you?  Are you eating more comfort food lately?  What did you eat last week?

Chili - With A Few Modifications For Social Distancing/Quarantine

We’ve had colder weather this week than we did last week.  Fortunately, it hasn’t dropped down to freezing, so all of the blooming flowers and bushes are doing just fine.  It has, however, been cold enough to warrant making some soups and general comfort foods.

Chili is one of Nick’s absolute favorite foods, so it seemed like a good time to make a batch of chili. This recipe is based mostly on my usual recipe, which you can find here.  On a side note, I posted the original recipe over six years ago.  It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging that long.  Some of you have been visiting that entire time, or very close to it.  Thank you to all of you who visit and comment.  I enjoy your online company.

Anyway, back to the recipe. 

The biggest modification I made to this recipe was with the meat.  I’m not sure about where you are, but meat seems to be in very short supply here.  We’re in the western part of the state, and my sister is in kind of the middle of the state, and she said it’s the same there.  We have a chest freezer, and I tend to shop sales and stock up anyway, so we were actually in pretty good shape going into this, without panic buying.  However, it does seem prudent to try and stretch things a bit more now.  It seems like every time a new restriction goes into place there’s another round of panic buying, and I just don’t think we’ve reached the height of our social distancing yet.  So, again, I think it’s prudent to go ahead and get a little creative now instead of being forced to get super creative later.

We had three leftover grilled hamburgers in the freezer, so I decided to use them instead of a package of ground beef.

I defrosted them and chopped them up into very small pieces, and used them in place of the usual ground beef.

I browned the onion (half a yellow onion and half a red onion that were in the fridge leftover from other meals) and pepper (from the freezer) in a small amount of avocado oil.  We happen to have a large bottle of avocado oil at the moment, so that’s why I chose it.  I really think whatever your usual oil of choice is will be perfectly fine. 

I added everything to the Crock Pot, and just stirred in the taco seasoning, chili powder, and cumin since they weren’t cooked with the meat.  I left it on low, and it was ready for dinner.

We ate it over macaroni noodles and topped it with shredded cheese and sour cream.

It was delicious!   This turned out to be a very good recipe modification.  The grilled meat really added a depth of flavor to the chili.  Nick said it was the best chili he has ever had.  I think I may try to keep some grilled hamburgers in the freezer for chili in the future. 

I highly recommend giving this a try if you happen to have any grilled hamburgers on hand.

So what about you?  Do you enjoy chili?  Are you modifying any recipes due to lack of availability of certain items?