Meal Prep during Social Distancing

First off - I think it's important to note the difference between quarantine, self-isolation, and social distancing (or physical distancing, as I'd prefer to call it). We're not in quarantine or self-isolation yet, I thought. After more reflection, though, unrealized that we are totally self-isolating.

We don't randomly go out into public places. We keep close to home. We're working from home - which is likely harder for Brian than for me since I've taught entire terms using online delivery before. And we're eating at home way more frequently than usual. (Every meal since lunch last Thursday(?) has been cooked or pulled out of the fridge by me.)

Sidebar: A few years ago, when Brian and I started getting really serious about eliminating our consumer debt (we know we'll carry a mortgage for a long while), we took a hard look at where our money was going. For us - it was mostly to food that we consumed away from home. Eating out was our entertainment. We don't have cable, we don't subscribe to movie channels, we don't have season tickets to anything, we don't go to the movies, we don't buy more clothes than we can wear . . . but we LIKE eating out.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook. But when I started going to school (again!) and then was working, eating out was more convenient. Still is. Especially because we like such a wide variety of cuisines and I can't afford to keep all of those ingredients fresh in my kitchen all the time. Also, I don't yet know how to make sushi.

Anyway . . . I'm familiar with how to meal plan, but I got way better at it when we started reading about how to eliminate our debt. I decided to go to the grocery store once a week and only buy what we would actually eat that week. After I got good at that, I started stockpiling things that we would definitely eat, that were also on sale that week. In our old house, we had a deep freeze chest, so I could stock up on frozen veggies and meats that were a good deal.

Flash forward to March 2020. COVID-19 means that groceries are limited, restaurants are closed, and Blythe has to get back to serious meal planning and online grocery shopping for items that may not even be available. Deep breath, we can do this!

Mom and I spent some time when she was visiting taking inventory of what was in my cabinets, fridge, and freezer. Then, we figured out what I could make using those ingredients. That list was pretty comprehensive! Six cans of tuna, two pounds of ground beef, shelled frozen edamame, cayenne, and pasta noodles? I can work with that!

Four pages of 'ingredients'

I made a grocery list to round things out, and then I made a plan for dinners for a month. Lunches will be a variety of sandwiches and leftovers. I also like to have cheese and crackers or a spoon of peanut butter for lunch, so that's easy. We were already sending lunch to school with Bennett and Brian and I usually ate leftovers for lunch at work . . . it's just the planning has to be more deliberate what with the uncertainty of the stock in the grocery stores. And having to wait a full week before I can pick up said groceries!

Possible meals from. What we had in stock

A month of dinners

What's on your list of weekly meals? I'm always looking for inspiration. I prefer things that don't have hours of prep, since I'm a working mama, and meals that are easy to substitute certain ingredients (we have a couple of sensitivities over here . . .). Hit me with your favorites! I'm all ears (oooh - can't wait until corn is in season!)

Modern-day Playdates

For the last few days, Bennett has been playing Splatoon while Facetiming a buddy of his who is also playing Splatoon. They're hilarious to watch and listen to together.

I love that he's getting social time while respecting social distancing.

Splatoon/FaceTime playdate

Nailed it!

We made muffins for breakfast this morning and Bennett was getting a little twitchy about wanting to start his morning screen time while they were cooking.

I said no.

He was displeased.

Then I had a "genius" thought - distract him with homeschooling!!

So I called him over to the oven. We did some fractions (if the oven is currently 300 but it needs to be 400, how much of the temp is left to be raised? 1/4th). Then we did some estimating (if the oven has been on for six minutes, and already raised 300 degrees, how long will it take to get to the desired temp?). And then he walked laps while waiting (p.e.). It took seventeen laps around our main floor, 864 steps, and a gagillion despondent looks from my tweenager, in case you were wondering.

We also covered home ec (mixing muffin batter), forensics (arguing for more screen time), science (measuring water and learning about the meniscus), vocabulary ('meniscus'), and gastronomy (eating).

Allman House of Learning for Children Who Don't Want to Learn has closed for the day as the learning objectives were met.

The time is now 9:15 a.m. Nailed it!!

At least the muffins were tasty!

Self-isolation Day 6

Today was a pretty good day! Although I feel like I should make notes as the day progresses, because it feels like this journal is going to get pretty boring unless I start embellishing like I did when I was in junior high.

You ever go back and read your old journals? Oh no? You didn't keep every thing from your formative years? I have an entire box of just journals. Another one of calendars from college to present day . . . but I digress!

The point is that the days are starting to resemble each other very strongly.

And it's only Wednesday.

In today's adventures . . . I made chili. I tried to find chicken at the grocery stores to marinate and freeze (didn't get to do it yesterday as planned because my grocery order had no chicken in it). There was none to be found. Except for a rotisserie chicken. We bought it and will eat it for dinner tomorrow.

While Bennett was having his morning screen time (we held him off until 9am), I got to focus on some work. For my paid job. I'm teaching now at Fanshawe, in the same program that I earned a degree from four years ago. We're turning all of our courses into online courses next week, so I needed to shift some things around.

Then, I spent a little while putting the finishing touches on my spring mantel. I got into seasonal decorating when we moved into this house nearly two years ago because it has a lovely fireplace in the front room with a really nice blank wall behind the mantel. Rather than decorate for holidays, I change the look four times a year to match the season. Behold - spring (a little earlier . . .)

A little burst of spring before the actual flowers bloom

The floor is part of the mantel, too, right?

And then we ventured out to get drano, some chicken (still failed), wine and gin (success!) and pick up lunch while we still can. Mom and Bennett stayed in the car most of the time and I ran in and out of spots as quickly as possible. I kept my mouth clenched shut and wrapped my hands in my sleeves before touching anything.

These floors have NEVER been this clean!

Happy to oblige! Thanks for the lunch.

After lunch, more screen time for the boy while I filed our taxes. Then, we went on another nature hike. I'm loving these walks with my favorite kid. He's so chill and willing to chat with me! I don't even really remember what we talked about - but it was so nice. No snarling, no sass, just me and my boy in the woods. Of course, we also took the laser tag gear and had a fun time. Then, a game of follow the leader on the way home.

Lots of leaping off logs . . .

Always finding "treasures" on our walks!

And some cool nature finds for me. Slowing down makes my eyes work really well, it seems!

Mushrooms or bark?

Dragon or broken tree?

After our walk, I forced quiet reading time - mama needs a break, dude! And then we ordered dinner out from our new fave spot, Mint Leaves Indian Kitchen. I was the only person in the front of the house when I went to pick up. I know that we're supposed to be sticking close to home, but this place is only one year old and I also think it's important to support small businesses while we still can. I would hate to see this place close. So buy local, then go home!!

After dinner where we all overate, we watched the 21st and 22nd hours of the first season of 24. Bennett is loving this show. I love sharing "grown up" things with him. What old school t.v. show or movies do you think we should tackle next?

Wedding Weirdness

Another post found in the "drafts" section that I just had to post. This was originally written in August 2012. I'd almost forgotten about this event - but reading this recounting brings it all back to me. Vividly, and deliciously . . . bon appetit! Sidebar - how are so many of my old posts just set to draft? But also . . . there's a comment from my brother.  I clearly had no idea what I was doing back then. But don't worry - I'll keep posting the gems. It just means this blog is a true reflection of my life - zero continuity!

FRenchMexI've been to several weddings - most of the really awesome. You could absolutely feel the personality of the bride and groom at a couple of them. One of the more memorable weddings was in Portland, OR, for one of my college roommates. She was married in a Japanese Garden by a friend of hers who became ordained online and if memory serves, she wore some shade of red. She glowed and her vows were perfectly representative.

Another, recent wedding, was also very memorable because, once again, the ceremony, reception and after party were exactly what I would have expected from my friend Susan. The entire affair was very organized and picture perfect, but wasn't in any way pretentious or contrived. I felt genuine love and warmth surrounding Susan and her husband while we were with them.

Last night - whole 'nother story. Brian works in a science lab at a large university. One of the PhD candidates who comes to their lab to collaborate on some projects is actually a student at McMaster University near Toronto, Ontario. We were invited to attend this fella's wedding over the weekend. We were excited about an evening without Bennett to eat good food, enjoy some good music and maybe even dance a little. The idea of an open bar wasn't so shabby either!

We weren't able to make it to the ceremony, but were right on time for the reception, which was held at the Mississauga Convention Center. (Sidebar - there were FOUR receptions happening simultaneously and you wouldn't have known it without venturing into the hall and seeing four different decor themes.) We met another student from Brian's lab and his date in the cocktail venue and commenced to chatting. About an hour and a half later, the bride and groom set up a receiving line with their parents (I'd never seen a receiving line at the beginning of a reception, I thought they occurred at the end of the ceremony as guests were leaving - but what do I know?) outside the entrance to the ballroom. We spoke pleasantly with the parents of the groom and then the parents of the bride who were so happy that we had joined them, despite the fact that they had NO idea who we were! Then it was time to shake hands with and exchange some good wishes with the happy couple.

Bride was quite honestly shooting daggers out her eyes at us. As if we were wedding crashers and how DARE we show up at her event??? Her husband introduced us and reminded her that we'd met at a lab Christmas party a year ago. Her response was a very curt, "briefly". I was totally taken aback. Seriously - what do you expect when you invite THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY people to your wedding. That's right, one, two, THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY!!!!. Holy shitballs. That is a lot of people. Don't worry - the weird part is coming.

We went in to the ballroom, but were stopped by a man in a suit who wanted to know if we knew where we were sitting. In my head, I replied, "Hopefully in a chair." But I decided to keep my mouth shut and let him check his "chart" to see where we were. I'm surprised there were no place cards since this was such a hoity toity affair. But again, what do I know? We were at Table 14 with the lab mates and some other science-y people that Brian knew vaguely. There were four other people at our table, but the music and DJ Jazzy Jazz were too loud to really speak to them. Plus, two of the ladies were fasting, so weren't able to sit at the table until sundown. See - the weird is starting . . . this bride didn't take her guests needs into consideration. But why would you and how could you with that many of said guests?

It got really weird when the food started. Let me back up a bit. We received the invitation a couple of months ago. Groom brought it to the lab when he came down to work one week. It was a lovely navy invitation, but I was immediately struck that there was no response card - just four phone numbers to call or text your RSVP too. Sure, that's very 'now' but not so formal. Also - there was no way to indicate what kind of food the guests would have chosen. I immediately figured that this meant there would be a dinner buffet. No problem with that - I've been to several weddings that fed their guests this way. It's an excellent way to satisfy many different palates. Also, I had no idea how many people would be attending. I was wrong.

When we sat down - we saw an oppulently set table: three forks, two knives, three spoons (two above, one to the right of the plate), three glasses (water, wine and champagne), a bread plate and three other plates stacked one on top of the other. Plus - there was a coffee cup and saucer for each setting. It was quite a squeeze to seat ten people and I'm terribly surprised that the tables didn't collapse under the weight! Anyway - clearly, this was not a buffet dinner.

Shortly before we were seated for dinner, the groom made an announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us. We just wanted to alert you to the fact that at 11:00pm there will be a seafood buffet and a Sweets Bar. So don't worry, this isn't the only food." What the? Were they only teasing us with all these plates and cutlery? I was so confused, I asked Brian to get me a drink. He was more than happy to oblige once he learned the bar was making Caesars!

First course: seafood bisque served over a puff pastry. A dinner sized portion for me. I ate two-thirds of this delicious treat! The server asked if we wanted seconds and I politely declined, figuring there would be at least one more course.
Second course: cream of asparagus soup. A BOWL, not a cup. Again - ate most of it because a) it was very yummy and 2) asparagus is my favorite vegetable. I could have eaten the second bowl I was offered, but again, declined with my manners still in tact.
Third course: fried fish (about 8 oz), dirty rice with olives and capers and a large salad for the table to share. I ate every bite thinking that this was the meat and I should fill up. Really? You're offering me seconds?? No thanks. I'm saving room for that delicious looking wedding cake I see over there. And also, someone mentioned a seafood buffet and sweets bar - I'm saving room in my appendix.
Fourth course: I thought maybe a palate cleanser to prep for the cake. Nopes! Filet Mignon (6oz?) AND Chicken a la something or other. Holy Mother of Gluttony! I didn't even know how to decline the course at all, even though I only ate one tiny little sliver of chicken trying to be polite. I was about to bust out of my dress but was still holding out for wedding cake. There's always room for wedding cake.

After this course, all the plates and most of the cutlery were gone. Thank the heavens above. I thought we'd get a little dancing in before enjoying the CAKE. And sweets bar. And seafood buffet - yum! Wrong.

Fifth course: (you've got to be kidding me) was DESSERT! I don't know for sure, but it tasted like Tiramisu flavored mousse on top of a very dense cookie cake. At least the size of my fist. I ate every last bit of it. Don't ask me why or how, but I did.

Fifteen minutes and six lousy toasts later, the bride and groom danced their first dance (horrible) and we high tailed it outta there. I didn't get cake or sweets bar. But honestly, I was going to fall asleep at the table if we didn't leave. I haven't felt a food coma like that coming on in I don't even know how long.

(Also - there were more weird parts, but the food was by far the weirdest.)

Note to future brides - don't try to one-up your girlfriends when it comes to food. No one person needs to eat that much.

** The lab mate's date declined the filet for course four and the server tried to replace it with a SECOND chicken breast. Also - I thought for a brief minute that maybe the bride and groom were trying to honor their cultures and that was why they didn't provide a menu - they would surprise us with yummy Polish and Vietnamese treasures. Wouldn't that have been fun and tasty? Yes. But no - they did not and that disappointed me.

We found our sweet boy again!

I originally wrote this post in 2013. . . found it in "drafts" and realized it's an important part of our history, so it's time I share! I can update to say that I wasn't lying when I said gluten free pasta is good. It was only good. Not great, nor awesome, nor anything I want to eat again. Maybe GF foods have come a long way in the 7 years since we tried them. I hope so . . . for the sake of people who HAVE to eat them. We are no longer doing a GF diet - although his wheat intake is reduced in general.

Recently (for clarity's purpose, let's say for the last six to eight months), we have been having some difficulty managing Bennett's behavior. We noticed an uptick in his aggressive behaviors and language, especially toward me, his mom. Things like, "I will HURT you!" or "I don't want you to be my mama anymore!" were his common responses to being told "no" or being asked to do something, no matter how routine. He had also become expert at throwing things toward me.

We had tried all kinds of methods to improve his behavior: extra attention from me (exhausting!), less attention from me (heart-breaking as it caused MORE tears and sadness), a sticker chart (he earned a bubble blower and a Pez, but no long term improvements), and even a tiny bit of corporal punishment (his response: "That doesn't even hurt!"). None of our attempts worked!

Now, I should back up a bit and tell you that thirty years ago, Brian's younger brother experienced similar behavior challenges. After several months of similar attempts to corral him, it was determined that he had an allergy to caramel color and malted grains. We knew all of this because 1) Brian lived with it. The memories are seared on his brain! and 2) Brian's mother would frequently regale us with stories of Trevor's childhood. So - we kind of half-heartedly tried to avoid things that we KNEW had caramel color. I say half-hearted because it didn't seem like our attempts were getting any results, so we didn't try really hard, which meant we weren't getting results, of course.

One month ago - I decided that I had to be vigilant. I cut out all red dye, all caramel color and malted grains. I took alternate snacks to school so that Bennett could still eat crackers, but not the Ritz that they serve. We talked about other options as well. We realized that he was having fits after drinking ginger ale and root beer (not together, gross!), so we were fortified in our efforts to eliminate those sources of the fire! 

Then, a week ago, we had a second meeting with a family counselor. (Yes, we had decided that we were to the point that we could no longer do this alone. I was about to start pulling my hair or start drinking.) This time we took Bennett with us. As a special treat to fill time between school pick up and our 1:00 meeting, I took Bennett to Wendy's for lunch. He had chicken nuggets and orange juice. When we got to the appointment, he started bouncing off the walls. He jumped and danced and stomped and sang praises to the tops of mountains for a solid 45 minutes. After a few minutes, when we were explaining that we'd been trying to change his diet, our counselor asked if we'd considered eliminating Gluten. Seriously? You've got to be kidding. A mental health professional was suggesting that we follow a fad diet to help our kid behave. I almost started to tune her out. 

However, she clarified that there have been reports of kids with behavioral challenges demonstrating a decrease in those behaviors when they begin a gluten-free diet. They sleep better, they communicate more clearly, it even appears as if a fog is lifted from around them. I had my doubts, but honestly, I'm willing to give anything a try at this point.

So we did it - we cut out the gluten. I went to the grocery store that afternoon with Bennett and we had fun exploring the Gluten-Free section of our local big box grocery store to see what we could substitute in our daily eating. We found a lot more than I imagined would be available! Of course, it was/is a tad more expensive than we were used to, but Brian reminded me that we'll be saving a lot by not going out on the weekends (our go-to lunch spots with B were Subway - they don't do GF by the way - and Tim Horton's whose only GF option is a coconut macaroon, or maybe the yogurt parfaits which Bennett really likes.) so I shouldn't get too worried by the sticker shock at the grocery store.

I will write more in another post about what we're eating, but I'm pleased to report that Gluten Free pasta is actually quite good. I made GF peanut butter cookie treats for a cookie exchange later this week and they are divine! We've also found very tasty pretzels and it turns out that Bennett is a HUGE fan of rice cakes. I'm starting to think that we'll all feel better after adopting these habits.

p.s. The best side effect so far is improved sleep! Bennett was in the habit of waking at least twice a night and coming in to our room on the second waking (usually between 1 and 3). He'd stay in our bed until the morning, which he thought was 6:00, but he was super fidgety the entire time. For the last two nights, he's slept until at least 7:15, with only one mid-night waking for a bathroom break. And last night, he stayed in his own bed the entire night! HALLELUJAH!!! When baby sleeps well, mama sleeps well and that helps daddy sleep well. Adios, Gluten!!!

Self-Isolation Day 5

Today we hosted a personal playdate. I know, I know . . . no judgement here. We have been self-isolating since Wednesday or Thursday of last week (other than me going to work), and we're making the choice to help a friend who has a child Bennett's age, two working parents, and no other support for care during the day.

It was awesome. My mom got a little respite from being constant playmate, I was able to go into work to get some textbooks and sort out some new due dates, and Bennett had a blast with a friend. They watched portions of a couple of war movies, they had epic nerf battles, maybe ate some lunch? I'm not real sure - I sent food down to the basement, but am pretty sure they'd had a LOT of snacks instead.

This afternoon, they willingly went on a nature walk with me! Gasp! It's true. Here's how it actually went down: We're standing in our kitchen, after they've had "lunch" and are taking a pee break during We Were Soldiers. I said, "Hey guys - after your movie, we're going outside for a hike."

One of them said, dryly, "Why?"

I replied, "To get some fresh air and some sunshine. You've been in the basement too long . . . I'm worried you'll shrivel up and that would be bad."

Mine asked, "Can we have a laser tag battle?"

Me: "Yes."

Mine: "In the woods?"

Me: "Yes."

Mine: (hopefully feeling like he's pushing his luck . . .) "Along the creek?"

Me: "Sure. That sounds fun!"

They BOTH whooped and hollered and jumped around the kitchen like I'd just told them they could have ice cream for three meals a day.

An hour later they were upstairs after abandoning their movie. They geared up and we headed out. They were only ready to come back in because they were a little chilly and had muddy pants.

These boys have been thick as thieves for seven years.

They're going to hang again on Thursday - at the other kid's house. Sometimes, being an only kid doesn't suck.

We also saw lots of nature on this hike, even though there wasn't a lot of greenery just yet.

Evidence of recent beaver activity!

Downed bee hive!!

Woodpecker holes on a downed tree

Is it art? Or is it?

Homesteading/Stockpiling update . . . After taking inventory of the kitchen (pantry, fridge and freezer) the other day, we've figured out what we need to have enough food on hand to feed the family for a month or so.

We have made seven meals worth of tomato sauce, two dinners of marinated pork tenderloin, two chicken fajita freezer meals so far. Tonight, I'm prepping more chicken for the grill with a variety of marinades - BBQ, southwest heat, and middle eastern. Tomorrow, I'll be making a batch of chili to freeze for topping nachos, eating solo or serving as a dip. What's your favorite meal to eat if you have to eat in every meal for four weeks? What could you never get tired of?

Hello again!

I have a friend who has shared her family blog with me lately and it reminded me that I had done this for a while back in the day . . .

I just got lost in the "drafts" area of this blog. I'd forgotten to publish a lot of posts, apparently. I'm going to post some of them soon.

Also - we're self-isolating due to the COVID-19 outbreak, so I need something to distract me from the noise of the news. Documenting our days will help, right?

Today . . . March 15, 2020 . . . mom and I put together a few freezer meals in case we're stuck in the house in true isolation for a while. Then I had a virtual meeting with my department (I teach at Fanshawe now in the Office Administration program) in the afternoon. After that - I made Bennett go for a nature hike with me. We walked for an hour and talked about what the next couple of weeks will look like at our house and in town. It will look like the three of us hanging out a LOT!

I asked him if there was something he wanted to learn and he thought for a minute and then said, "I really like algebra and physics, mom." Okay, kiddo. We'll find a way to work my two least favourite subjects into your daily life. You got it!

So now I need to relearn Algebra and figure out Physics!

He also said he wants to refine his whittling skills (apparently my dad has already shown him the basics, who knew?). AND I saw the first bursts of spring in our backyard. (I've just realized why I have so many posts in my "drafts" folder - they don't have images embedded yet. It's not super easy from this laptop I'm typing on. Note to self: write future posts on the desktop so you can add a visual element. Gah, Blythe - your stories are boring without pics!

That's a quick roundup of today . . . I'll try to fill out those older posts over the next few weeks and post them. They're some interesting memories!