Anyone who’s read my blogs knows that I love cooking. I experiment with all kinds of foods and cooking methods. This is nothing new, but quarantine life has given me an excuse to just fully embrace this love and share is widely with my friends and family. I post almost everything I make on Facebook or Instagram. I have had an Instagram account for years and never even touched it, but one of my favorite celebrity chefs Michael Symon was posting recipes on it and such, and I found them easier to find and access there than on the other platforms. Also it gives me an excuse to post a different picture of food!
Additionally, due to the desire to limit trips to the grocery store out of concern for both my family’s health and the health of others, I’ve been getting creative with things in my pantry that I just haven’t found a use for before. I used up a box of graham crackers that had definitely been in the cabinet and open too long to make a crust for lemon squares. I’m toying with using some cheese spread I have to create a new mac ‘n cheese recipe. I cleaned out my freezer and have been identifying and working through the oldest items, so when this is over, it’s gonna be a fresh canvas.
I order groceries online. This is totally new. I didn’t understand why anyone wanted to do grocery shopping that way. I love comparison shopping. I love looking at all the meats and choosing the best cut and weight based on what I plan to do with it. I love randomly finding that thing on sale that inspires you to make something new or something forgotten or stocking up on something weird like pie crusts because they are on an incredible sale. But things are different now. I order my food through either a delivery service, or we get curbside pickup from our local grocer, Harvest Time Foods. While this change is temporary for me, I now understand that some of the people using these services may actually need to. There are people with mobility issues or people with health issues that make the world a dangerous and scary place even in non-pandemic world.
I know there is some controversy about some of the delivery services, and I hear those. I also feel like I am doing what is best for keeping my family healthy and helping reduce the number of people in the store. And I tip my delivery drivers more than normal because I get that they are allowing me to avoid that asshole who refuses to social distance. (You’ve all seen one of them if you’ve had to go out.) I also only use it for what I can’t get from curbside, which is not a lot.
I am more involved in my neighborhood through social media than I have ever been. I’m an introvert, but our neighborhood has really come together to share things needed, give away things not needed, share information on resources and so much more. We even have a puzzle trade circuit going! This group is also how I found my flour guy, and I helped connect him to another attorney as he starts his business from what was a hobby!
In the end, I think I will have learned a lot during quarantine. I am exploring creative ways to use foods previously purchased and stuck in the cabinet or back of the fridge or freezer to further avoid food waste. I have a new appreciation for how some people actually have to live all of the time. I’ve learned some interesting things about bread making and made some new friends in social distancing ways. And hopefully, I’m entertaining to my family and friends!
Foodie's Delimma 