Pandemic Eats

 

 

The great COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, 2021...

It's been forever since I've written here. You would think after the world coming to a grinding halt, then slowly reopening, reawakening, rejoining society that I'd have nothing but time to write. But, living in these weird times has been harder than one might think. Many people in this country, and around the world for that matter, have lost jobs. They have lost family members and friends, lost retirement savings, lost hope. Many have gained anxiety, depression, fear of being sick. Many have been lined up at community food banks, even people who never thought they would be there. Thanks to schools providing meals to kids, selfless donations, food banks, churches and simply neighbors helping neighbors, people have been able to eat.

Living in isolation may have one silver lining. People are cooking again. We all know cooking at home is the way to go. Some people may think they aren't very good at it, but they've had lots of time to practice now. Cooking at home is less expensive than eating out or fast food. Since restaurants were almost made extinct, we all pitched in to support them by ordering take out whenever feasible. We were glad to do it. But, people are still cooking again. When you do it yourself, you can control ingredients, salt, fat, cost and variety. That American families have returned to home cooking and the dinner table is a good, accidental side effect of the pandemic.

Despite all that has been lost, the remaining challenges ahead and the healing that needs to be done, we must look for the positives and embrace them. Get your cast iron skillet out and Bon Appetit friends!

Quarantine Survival

I'm ashamed that I have not written since November.  No good excuse. Just let life get in the way and neglected any creative outlet.

Well, now COVID-19 enters the picture.  Suddenly, we ALL have plenty of time for creativity, laundry, feeling guilty for not being at work, cooking, eating.  Here in SC, we just learned yesterday that our kids are now being kept out of school until the end of April.  OMG, it's getting scary now. 

I've been watching all the programs and services that are popping up to help people.  This Friday, I'm going to try out a new one for Seniors (my parents). Kits for 5 meals for each parent, for FREE. Even if the meals aren't their cup of tea, I'm sure we could use the components to turn it into something they will like. 

Our school district offers free breakfast & lunch to ALL kids, all school year.  Now, even with our school lock down, we can drive thru and pick up a week's worth of meals for the kids. At first, my mind equated this with the kids on "free lunch" but then I realized, "hey, now all our kids get free lunch."  I know the obvious is to make sure kids who need meals can get them, but I imagine it's also to make sure the district's current supply doesn't go bad. So, don't feel guilty about getting your kid's normal share of school-provided meals.  Plus, I've heard that the employees who are making this happen are happy to see people come and receive it. 

Last night, we saw a Burger King commercial about their efforts to help during this period of isolation.  They will give you 2 FREE Kids Meals.  All they ask is that you have "one item in your cart."  You order online or using the BK app, pay by Apple Pay or credit card then drive thru and pick it up.  I tried it out today. I ordered a cheeseburger combo meal and the 2 free kids meals on my phone. Drove about 2 miles and sure enough, they had the order all ready for me.  So, for $4.49, my daughter and I had lunch and I have another cheeseburger she can have later as a snack, or as lunch tomorrow. 

At this time, we all need some help.  People like myself are essentially put out of business for awhile.  Not many people to sell houses to when we're all asked to "self-quarantine" for the next undetermined number of weeks.

803-960-0458     ElizabethAkre.com

 My husband goes in to his office, but they are closed to walk-ins and are conducting all sales by phone.  I know this puts a tremendous burden on him both literally and emotionally. I hope he knows how much we appreciate him. We are surrounded by friends and neighbors who own cafes, work in retail, serve meals in restaurants, cut hair, or do nails who are essentially unemployed. And, no one really knows when the jobs will be available again.  Imagine the terror this is creating in so many households.  

So, friends, take advantage of the complimentary services that you find near you.  The people who are taking the time to do this certainly don't want their efforts to be in vain.  And, when you venture out into the world, pick up some extra coffee, toilet paper, or Easter candy to pass on to a neighbor  who may not be able to go out. There's a little something we can all do for each other.