Although I was at home for most of the week, I certainly stayed busy! I was also able to stay frugal this week. We spent very little money.
Patsy, I and the dog went for a few walks around the neighborhood. We are enjoying the many blooming bulbs that are coming out day by day in our neighborhood. Patsy loves to take pictures of the flowers she sees on our walks.
Rob and I decided this past week to limit our trips out even more, if that was possible. So, we decided not to grocery shop this past weekend. We have plenty of food. We didn’t need to go out. There are a few things we would have liked, but decided we did not need at this time. We are making a list, and one of these days Rob will go out and get the entire list at once, but we are waiting a little longer than we normally would. He has chosen to do most of the shopping through this crises, since I do have a couple of strikes against me–I am a diabetic and they say diabetics are susceptible. So we are being careful.
I asked Patsy to look on-line and choose any recipe she found that could be made with ingredients we had on hand, and cook it. I’d love for her to come out of this situation with some positives, and one of those would be better skills in cooking and food management. Rob and I are doing the same–making meals out of the pantry/freezers/home preservation cupboards.
I did have to crack up a bit at a cooking show I watched. The participants were filming from their own homes, and making “pantry” meals to get through their stay-at-home time. Imagine my surprise when the ingredients included fancy olives, capers, and some other items that perhaps others have in their pantries, but I certainly don’t! I’d love to see a show where they actually made food that an ordinary, normal person could make–that might be more useful to many–especially struggling people who are just trying to survive.
Patsy chose chicken-peanut stir fry. Since she hasn’t had the cooking practice that some of the older girls had, she had a couple of questions about substitutions, but I helped her with that, and it came out amazing. If you try it, we used a package of frozen broccoli from our last summer’s garden instead of fresh, and added 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to the peanut-butter sauce. She also sprinkled peanuts over the top of hers. It was amazing!
We used the shop on-line, curbside pickup at JoAnn’s to get some paint. We chose clearance paint, and took the colors they had. These were added to the little bits of paint we had on hand, mostly purchased for pennies at garage sales. They’ve been used all week for Patsy and Jake to make various projects.
Rob and I were able to work our normal amount of hours these past few weeks, even though the timing has shifted. I’m loving it! We get to work mornings and early afternoons some days and I’m home for dinner each day. We got to keep Jake overnight during the middle of the week, and did school with him both days.
I’ve messed up my wrist somehow. I really, truly have no idea what I did to it, but I’ve “been to the doctor” a couple of times over the phone, and then finally had to go in and see her, get x-rays, and bloodwork. (Still waiting for some of the results) It’s a little bit better today, but this is day 9….Lovana came home both weekends and cleaned and cleaned for me, and Patsy and Rob have been holding down the fort, doing lots of chores while I do not….
But, I can do school, so we’ve done a huge amount of that this week. I can do a few more things each day, and hopefully, they will get me all figured out very soon! (They are baffled) I can do a few small chores. I can read aloud, and be with Jake and Michaela when they need care. I know I have little to complain about, so many more have much bigger problems. But, I’m not shy to say that I will be glad when I’m able to be back to my usual productive self:)
I love those elephants!! I’d make one myself except that I’m using all my milk jugs for garden starts right now.
About your wrist – has anyone suggested wearing a brace at night? I’ve had to do that on occasion – turns out I needed the extra support while I slept so I wouldn’t bend my wrist in weird ways during sleep. Your mileage may vary..
The doctor had me get a brace. Sadly, it was too painful to wear for more than a little while. Thankfully, each day the wrist gets a little bit better. I was even able to get outside in the yard for a few minutes this evening. Who knew I could mostly weed left-handed?:). I just went very slow and easy, and used my right hand very little, and got a lot of pleasure just being out there for a while!
I hope your wrist issue disappears as quickly as it came. I must admit I do have a jar of capers on the pantry shelf, but I bought them at the discount grocery :o).
I’m sure they are great! I was just surprised that they didn’t have recipes for more common ingredients:)
I’ve read that if you save the seeds from nasturtiums that they mimic capers in recipes. Would have tried it but can’t seem to grow nasturtiums here. They attract too many aphids.
As for sleeping with a brace on my wrist – I had to rest my wrist on a pillow in order to go to sleep. Glad you’re listening to your body – the remedy shouldn’t add to the pain.
Thank you! Each day, I feel a little bit better. Now, I’m just being careful to not overdo–there’s so many things I want to do outside in my yard now that it’s so nice out there:)
I’m enjoying the sunshine as well. I’m staying on the property where my apartment is located. I’ve got three strikes against me for this virus – age, immune issues and sleep apnea. Staying home is fine with me.
The upside is my garden here is looking the best it’s ever looked. About a 6ft X 10ft size. I got everything I wanted planted as of this morning. And I harvested my first spear of asparagus and also some oregano this morning. I’m not going to my community gardens at the moment since both are in public spaces.
I’m very glad you can still get outside at one of your garden plots. I am very grateful that we have a backyard for me to go out into. I worked again yesterday afternoon on a flowerbed and I’ve been cleaning all the thistles out from under the blueberry bushes. Why they grow there, I do not know, but they do! Then, Rob has a bunch of shavings from when he’s cut wood pieces that I will put under there–it’s like sawdust. I’m still super slow, but I’m enjoying the fact that I can get out there!
I’m so sorry about your wrist. Do hope that you feel better soon. How sweet of Lovana to help clean. Patsy’s stir fry looks delicious. Hope Rob is doing ok. Will his surgery have to be postponed?
Have a blessed Easter.
His surgery has been cancelled until further notice. He’s trying to keep busy and trying to keep his weight down while we all cook, and cook, and cook….And, he can’t exercise because the pool is closed. But….he’s hanging in there, and hopefully, before long, we can all get back on track again.
I’m so sorry. Hopefully Rob will be one of the first ones on the surgeon’s list.
Great news! They called yesterday and scheduled a new date of June 29. That is at the first available opportunity. Now, it remains to be seen whether or not Oregon continues to escape the worst of this Corona Virus, but they told him that since the hospitals are virtually empty, due to the low amount of cases, they are starting to schedule for late June. If they change it, they change it, but we are so excited to at least have a goal to work forward to again!
Oh that is great news!!!
Glad you have a goal and an end in sight.
Yes! Now, just let’s all hope the pandemic continues to cooperate. I know they will cancel again if they need to, but I’m happy there’s at least a move in the right direction.
Common probably varies. 🙂 I don’t have peanut butter or chicken in my house currently, but I do have tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cheese and chorizo. I reckon everyone would have tinned tomatos though…perhaps?
It sounds like you could make something yummy from those:)