Thursday, April 02, 2020

How life has changed

How life has changed for us all since the last In My Kitchen event. I am glad people are still posting as its good to know what is going on with everyone across the globe. How are you coping?  What are your meal plans? Are you in a state where a Stay-at-Home order has been issued and if so, what is going on in your world?

Florida is late to the game with an order of Safer-at-Home.  Really?  Safer and not STAY at home?  I fear it will cost people dearly having left beaches open for Spring break and not telling folks to stay home. Well, we are home and plan to stay in place as long as possible.  We have food and while it might get down to interesting meal plans, we will eat. 

My poor planning has us with only 4 bottles of wine....yeah....

Restaurants are closed but you can still get take-away meals.  We only picked up pizza and Chinese in the past so...now we adapted our movie/take-away night using Trader Joe's Orange chicken.

We had a bag of the frozen orange chicken handy (sob- last one at home) and some stir fry veggies. Doug made the last of the pot stickers too and with a side of Tamari we were in business.

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Takeaway night means a tray, a movie and a bottle of Beaujolais. Aja gets a peanut butter stuffed Kong. The Martian was great even though we'd seen it before.  Love Matt Damon.

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We had soups this past month. A chicken taco chili soup and red lentil soup.

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Our sweet girl Aja (pronounced ASIA - yeah we are Steely Dan fans), she is always in the kitchen snuffling about.

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We have been able to eat outside the kitchen quite a bit as the weather has been very nice.  Here is another patio meal with grilled cheese on sourdough and tomato soup. Can't beat that combo.

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We started a fire early last night, just couldn't wait until dark. Drinks by the fire, treats for Aja.

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Last but not least we have been doing reading, movie watching, walking and this morning Doug was able to get his solar telescope out.  It was great, we had a blast even though it was only for a short period of time.  

He showed me a prominence on the sun that looked like a huge triangle, like a pyramid.  It was so much larger than Earth...hard to wrap your head around the dimensions.  I was always a nervous Nellie about looking at the sun but have since come around with all the safety features.  I love it.

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That's it for me in North Florida.  Sherry said it was fine to talk about non kitchen happenings so here you have it.  We are well, so far so good!  I hope everyone else is doing well and know we are all in the same shape trying to find toilet paper, lol.

Sharing with:
Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday (for the grilled cheese and tomato soup)

28 comments:

  1. Enjoyed reading your "non-kitchen happening" but there is certainly a lot coming out of your kitchen. I think we are pretty well stocked (knock on wood) but that doesn't mean there's been some interesting meals. Especially lunches---it's usually leftovers on top of a baked potato. Today it was chicken salad on a spud. Pretty good. Stay safe. We (in Oklahoma) are still being "safer" at home but I think that will change. Emergency legislative meeting tonight I just saw on the news.

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    1. Deborah, I like the idea of putting things over baked potato. I was like broccoli and cheese. I hope things are safe where you are and you continue to remain in good health

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  2. We aren't officially on Stay at Home orders but all nonessential businesses are closed and everyone who can work at home is working at home. We are staying at home and thanks to the fact it's been raining most of the time we're mostly staying inside! We are doing takeout a decent amount and this week kind of made a list of locally owned or really important places to us and are going to order takeout as much as possible from them. Chick-fil-a will be fine but the small family owned German place might not be so we're trying to focus our money more there if that makes sense. My husband would seriously envy Dough his telescope! I have a feeling that will be our next purchase!

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    1. Catherine, Doug says your husband can get one of those Lunt telescopes cheaper than he paid for his as they are on sale right now. Keep in mind it is a dedicated solar scope and the sun is all you need to look at through it.
      I’m kind of envious of your rain actually, we could use it to wash this pollen away. I get to sneezing from it and then get paranoid I’ve got the virus although I was told by my doctor that is not a symptom.

      I hope you and your family are doing well, stay safe!

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  3. Sad about your wine supply! We discovered that the small local produce and food market has a really convenient curbside pickup service now -- including wine! In fact it's now our main source of food, as they seem to have quite a selection of meat and vegetables available.

    Our lives are pretty much like yours and everyone else's right now, but we are in Michigan where the social isolation is mandatory, and non-essential shops are closed by law. We also have a very high infection rate and tragically many deaths. Florida may become more like Michigan in the near future.

    be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Mae, I just discovered I can order wine/liquor online from a liquor store in Tallahassee. Put in an order last night for a few Cotes du Rhône and blends. That’s the only time I am venturing into Tallahassee. I wish sincerely that our governor had put an order in place earlier, this current order is a joke. Safer at home? Everyone knows that, the curfews are now gone and people are able to attend religious services, go walking and swimming, etc.

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  4. Our telescope is still packed up from when we moved. I'd like to get it out though.

    I haven't been anywhere since the March 13th other than twice to have groceries brought to my car. I've been ordering online. Publix delivers but other stores don't. About 6 months ago I started Amazon subscriptions for laundry needs, tp, and pt's so I'm set there. There's nothing I can think of that I need right now so that's a big worry off my mind.

    Stay safe!

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    1. Good for you, staying home! We finally did an online wine order but picked it up outside the store. I never thought about the Amazon subscriptions for paper goods. Do you have to be a Prime member?

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  5. I can't believe it took so long to get a "Safer at Home" order here in FL! Our city/island had already taken some pretty drastic measures, but I'm glad the state is finally taking it seriously. We've been getting groceries delivered for a couple of weeks, but our island grocery now seems like it's overwhelmed by that task. If you order today, it won't be delivered until next Thursday!! I'm probably going to have to head over the causeway to Publix next week instead. Hope you guys stay well... I'm a Steely Dan fan, too!

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    1. I hope all is well with you and your family too, JoAnn. This is crazy how it’s overturned our lives so quickly. In late February we were trying to plan a trip to Omaha to see our son and plan camping. Now we are staying home, except my last run out yesterday to pick up a wine order. Minimal human contact.

      DeSantis screwed up on this order and it’s canceled curfews, people are still out and about playing tennis and gathering. (Slapping my forehead)

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  6. I've been doing the "things over a baked potato" too. It's amazing how creative we're all getting -- and how frugal. Wine! Made even worse in PA because the state stores are closed. Sob.

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    1. OMG, Beth! Our government controlled liquor stores were deemed essential!! I did an online order a few weeks ago and it finally came yesterday.
      John has an order ready for bottling this week. They are still open as well.

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    2. BFR - Whaaaat?! I thought PA decided the state stores were essential? You may need to order online if thats possible. I would share with you 🍷

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  7. We are in North Miami and thank goodness they closed the beaches and all Condo swimming pools. Most visitors have gone home EXCEPT we have owners that decided to flee NY when everything closed and come to their Florida condo. We share elevators, laundry room, and garbage disposals. I think it was unfair of them to bring their germs with them, use our pool (until they finally closed it), our elevators etc. and didn't self quarantine. By now they have been her 2 weeks. Anyway.. staying in except for a very early morning walk and grocery shopping every 10 days.. Stay well and be safe...

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    1. We live in a condo and all amenities have been closed for several weeks. Everything is being constantly sanitized by building staff. Plastic shields installed at desk and store. Someone wipes down the elevator buttons for you and even presses your floor number for you.
      Snowbirds were warned to self-isolate, with security paying them a visit to reinforce this point.

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    2. Judee, I hope you have a place to walk that is safe. Scary times indeed. I’m guessing you would rather not return to Philly? Take care!

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  8. Some good things coming out of your kitchen for sure. Thanks for sharing your soup and sandwich combo with Souper Sundays. ;-) Glad you are taking care.

    We are on a stay at home order but the company I work for is deemed essential and while we are supposed to work at home as much as possible, I have to man the HR office a few days a week. But otherwise staying at home except for a bi-weekly trip to the grocery store.

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    1. It will be interesting to see what soups and Sammies people bring to Souper Sunday upcoming! Bummer you have to go into work a bit, I know you are using precautions.

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  9. I thought the book was better than the movie.. Glad you are coping. Stay safe

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    1. Carole, the book was better and I wish they had not changed the ending but, still love the movie.

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  10. hi tina
    how lovely of you to join in IMK this interesting and rather scary month:) I am feeling the pain i must admit of social distancing. i am such an introvert that it actually took me by surprise how hard it hit. we go grocery shopping once a week and a walk every couple of days but other than that... thank goodness for online shopping and delivery - even of alcohol. take care!

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    1. Sherry, thank you so much for still hosting. It is indeed scary times but if we use common sense and stay put I think this will pass. I am very disappointed in our Governor for not closing us up earlier but one has to use common sense and not wait to be told what to do.

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  11. We have plenty of wine but haven't started drinking yet! There's still time right.

    We love the movie The Martian. I will watch it whenever I see it on the cable schedule, whether from the beginning or half way through!

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    1. Mary, I think to a cool movie too. Love Matt Damon in most movies as well.

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  12. I'm enjoying the glimpses of everyone's life under these unusual circumstances, too! In Massachusetts, we're under stay at home advisory, with non-essential businesses closed. Liquor stores ("package stores" or packies, as we affectionately call them here) are considered essential along with pharmacies and grocery stores. But it's rumored that they'll be closed, so my husband did go out yesterday and bought five bottles to add to our supply! I gained five pounds in the first two weeks of being home all the time, so I'm actually trying to get back to regular, healthier habits this week, which means cutting back some on my nightly wine consumption!

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    1. Laurie, I ended up getting more wine and I don't think wine will put weight on, lol. But we have been busy outside and walking our driveway more. I realize not everyone can do that as we are in a rural setting.
      I, too, have enjoyed seeing wat everyone else is up to across the globe!
      Love the term packies.

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  13. In Hawaii each island is a bit different. Here on the Big Island There is supposed to be lock-down, except for "essential services", so we can go in to get groceries, but just take out as far as restaurants. Only 2 deaths from this virus here . The flu was way worse. Since I make wine, and the market always has lots, no worries there. It's been the closed library that bothers me most, though I haven't completely gone through my stack yet. Glad we live in a rural area!

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  14. What a lovely post. A newsy letter that I so enjoyed. Our governor said that liquor stores were absolutely essential!

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