|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 16, 2020 21:15:03 GMT
Maybe I am getting used to living in two states of mind, 1 preparing for a global world disaster and 2 working on my new cookbook and blogging while I am #QuédateEnCasa.
#QuédateEnCasa may be extended to May 30.
I think a routine has developed.
Up at 6, work on cookbook for a couple of hours. Blog. Check task list. Check email and other accounts. Clean up and organize devices. Cook, clean kitchen. Set timer for 2 hours, exercise. Do a bucket of laundry. Plan menu. Try to straighten, sort and clean an area in home. Read news. Watch TV various series and escape.
Minor problem, because I am on all my devices 24/7, they have begun to overheat.So,I have to take turns turning off the devices to conserve the battery power and innards.
When I read the news, I can not help being aghast and shocked as I watch the U.S. distintegrate.
I see no future for the U.S.in the remainder of my lifetime.
The U.S. has been purposefully turned into a third world country.This is what the rich have done around the world, destroyed democracies.
Neocons are dismantling Social Security and other Earned Benefits programs. It's hard to plan for life in poverty at my age.
Several members of my family are hanging on by a thread.
Some of my Mexican family are suffering, too.But, I hope for them, there will be a return to normalcy soon.
Stay home, stay safe.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 18, 2020 17:38:22 GMT
4/18/20 Day 23
I have been out three times in the last seven days, one to pickup a few food items, two to pickup some meds, and three to take a long walk. Though I wore a mask, each time I returned home I got itchy eyes, started sneezing and got a runny nose. All signs of an infection of some kind.
Besides washing my hands repeatedly throughout the day & night, I also wash my face. I also wipe my devices. It all helps.
I am struggling to stretch my pantry supplies. I made a chicken broth and have plenty left. I want to make some Frittata muffins but that would use a lot of eggs. Do I make 6 individual meals or 1 batch that equals 6 meals? But, I still have pasta to use. I want to make creamy salmon pasta but it means opening a can of salmon, so I need to figure out how to stretch that can.
Chicken broth has become my best goto ingredient - I am making a lot of soup to stretch my pantry supplies. Good thing I like soup. Cheese will be the new gold.
Stay home, stay safe!
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 19, 2020 19:35:47 GMT
Just trying to stretch my pantry supplies and to use my leftovers.
I made a Kitchen Sink variety of Chicken Broth with additions.
I had some potatoes, a small portion of my Rice, Chicken, and Vegetable stew, 1/2 of a squash, a few mashed beans and some pasta water, so I decided to put them all into a pot of my remaining chicken broth.
I added more ground black pepper, a dash of hot sauce and a slice of lime (after I squeezed it) which pumped up the flavor.
The best way to describe this soup is surprising.
It does taste "good" but it doesn't taste like any soup I've every had. Sorta of a tortured Sopa de Lima.
BTW, pasta water is very interesting. It's like a "gelo."
Hope everyone is well and surviving during #QuedateEnCasa.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 19, 2020 21:28:36 GMT
April 19 / Day 22
Digging around in my cupboards, I found my chia seeds. So, I made my infamous "Chia Caviar."
As far as I can see, my recipe is novel. Maybe there's a story there.
Putter, putter, toil and discover.....
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 21, 2020 21:06:18 GMT
4/21/20 Day
I listen to talk radio to keep up with real news and to stay grounded in reality.
I like Randi Rhodes and Thom Hartmann, for example.
I am pretty sure many are appalled by the U.S.'s lack of ability to respond to this pandemic effectively.
Some states' governors are doing the best they can.
I don't know about you but hearing that the federal government is seizing medical supplies states have ordered is macabre.
On a personal level, I am having some successes using up bits and pieces of food items, I am finding in the frig.
I made a great Mug O'Apple bread pudding to use up a bit of apple pie filling.
Today, I made a quasi-reuben sandwich. I defrosted a few meat slices saved from a party platter. Then, I scooped out the remains of a jar of sauerkraut. I spread some of DIY Thousand Island dressing on the toast and added some mozzarella crumbles. I warmed it up in the toaster oven. It was great! But, it was not as robust as a restaurant-made sandwich.
While I am making Chicken broth with bouillon cubes, I can't seem to find the right combo of broth and additions. In one Mug O'Something, 2 tablespoons of lentil bean salsa was pretty good, the other combos not so much.
I never thought my attempts to be a tightwad and to learn how to cook would help me survive a pandemic.
I hope everyone, their families and friend are doing well. Take care.
Note: Some restrictions may be lifted May 17.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Apr 24, 2020 5:39:17 GMT
4/23/20 thurs day 26
Think of all the skills we need in a quarantine:
cooking cleaning (extra) sewing repairing organizing people and things planning how to get necessary items and services battling technology gardening food preservation managing health and first aid navigating bureaucracy discerning truth in the news and information available assisting family, friends and neighbors shoring up our sanity searching for pleasure, joy and gratitude
Juggling health issues, frustration, anger, desire, dreams, loss; fighting with technology, knowing why I fight sleep; stories rumbling in my head, quarantine magnifying fears; there's a never-ending war on, will I ever serve appetizers again? Isolation buries social skills, death whispers in the air, a swirl of humans trying to help, with many seeking to hurt and many with dangerous good intentions, lies, pain, forgotten, unearthing treasures alone.
The archeology of disaster yields lost lives...
Captured in future museums illustrates that greed killed the future of humanity.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on May 1, 2020 22:43:59 GMT
5/1/20 Day
So many things to think about.
I have never found texting adequate for real communication. Often miscommunications occur due to lack of face-to-face facial expressions or opportunities to ask for clarification. Silences or slow responses can be misinterpreted and so forth.
Add in our own foibles, issues, and communication quirks and it is often a medium ripe for negative impressions.
I am ADD/HD. It colors everything I do.
Right now, just trying to make A decision regarding making a "meal" has turned into a marathon of tasks that are highlighting my lack of ability to meal plan.
First question, what do I have?
Next question, what do I need?
These simple questions have created confusion because I don't know how to make a meal plan for say a week and as my supplies dwindle, often I do not have all the ingredients for a particular recipe.
As I draw up a grocery list and rearrange my pantries and frig, I am also trying to use those items with a limited shelf life. Sometimes that means eating a piece of fruit right then and there.
I did make a mini Flaxseed loaf and microwaved a potato.
My head is swimming in all the lists I have made:
Standard grocery list Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables list Lists and lists of past and current recipes Snack list
Then, due to a snafu, I ended up with a head of lettuce. I am so over salads, I ate chunks of the lettuce like a snack and dipped them in Italian dressing.
Then, there's:
laundry dishes trash task list pay bills projects
This can not be a chocolate cupcake day because that was yesterday.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on May 28, 2020 3:10:51 GMT
I can imagine the science fiction stories that will stem from this pandemic.
We've all seen, heard or read of the dramatic changes the pandemic has created in societies around the world.
We've shared our experiences, worried about family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and our communities.
Life's milestones are shared at a "safe-distance" or via video.
The lack of personal interactions have affected people in a variety of ways.
We struggle to maintain daily activities, child care, and working from home, or our lack of work.
Tragically, we see how society treats essential workers and seniors.
And we watched the pandemic be used as a political weapon by governments and corporations.
This pandemic illuminates a dystopic society.
|
|
|
Post by Ria Stone on Jul 9, 2020 0:28:43 GMT
It’s July 8, 2020. Yucatan is on an “orange” alert (actually red).
Mexico holds daily COVID19 briefing.
Yucatan is attempting a slow, partial reopening.
Restaurants are offering carryout, home delivery and some have limited open hours with safe distance seating.
Some hotels are open with safety restrictions.
Merida is a hot zone.
Then, I went and did another dangerous activity, I stayed at a nearby hotel with a friend.
We and the hotel’s staff practiced safety procedures.
While the “Staycation” was interesting and lovely, I am glad to be home. I will monitor my health.
I need to refocus in my marketing and formatting work.
Like everyone else, I hope the COVID19 pandemic resolves soon but my guess is, it will take more than 10 months to reach a point where life returns to a semblance of “normalcy.”
Stay safe 😷
|
|