As I found myself standing over my dresser organizing my earrings yesterday, I decided that lack of social activity is really taking its toll. You'd think with all this cleaning, gardening, hiking, and mask sewing I've been doing to stay busy I'd feel like I'm getting in better shape but it doesn't seem that way. Also I'm trying to resist the urge to comment excessively on social media. Put the computer down - people still don't need everyone's 2 cents on everything. A lot of social media is just to vent.
Which leads me to today's post. I hadn't realized how much I enjoy eating anywhere but home. It's fun to see somewhere else, try something else, be with someone elses. Of late our version of changing it up for dinner is to eat leftovers, Bill reading a book (biography of DeGaulle) and me continuing to binge watch whichever series I'm on now (season 2 of Star Trek Discovery). Perhaps it's time to arrange a picnic lunch out of the house.
What have you been doing to mix up your mealtimes?
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Where have you ordered take out?
During social distancing, the kitchen seem to become the hub of activity. There's no more meals packed to go, after hiking. No more eating out sometimes. Even those strange places where you order at a window and then eat at a table outside - the tables are packed up. I'm guessing food trucks are also a thing of the past - too risky.
To help keep the local restaurants open, Bill and I are going to order take out sometimes. Yesterday's pickup shows the real advantage of this. Bill likes spicy Asian food but as you know, I'm not a fan. So we each ordered what we wanted from 2 restaurants across the parking lot from each other, to be done at 6pm. It was great - curbside service from each. I had shrimp provencal and vegetable tamale from Venable and Bill had spring roll, papaya salad, and curry from Thai Station.
Gotten any good take out lately?
To help keep the local restaurants open, Bill and I are going to order take out sometimes. Yesterday's pickup shows the real advantage of this. Bill likes spicy Asian food but as you know, I'm not a fan. So we each ordered what we wanted from 2 restaurants across the parking lot from each other, to be done at 6pm. It was great - curbside service from each. I had shrimp provencal and vegetable tamale from Venable and Bill had spring roll, papaya salad, and curry from Thai Station.
Gotten any good take out lately?
Monday, March 23, 2020
Are you trying any new recipes this week?
Due to the quarantine, Bill and I are having to plan out our meals rather than be spontaneous each evening, deciding what to make or to go out in the afternoon. Probably planning out the week is a better way to go on a regular basis, a good habit to start up.
This week, in addition to some of our usual fare, we're trying a new recipe for meatless lasagna. I know someone made this as main course for at least one potluck but it's the first time either of us has tried it. We'll freeze half the batch for later. Here's a link to the recipe we're using.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/meatless-lasagna/
In other news, I'm glad to have found a way to be useful (besides weeding the garden). Friends of ours have just been able to return from Europe and are in self-quarantine - the kind where the county health department calls them to make sure they are at home. So we (or more likely I) am going to do their grocery shopping for them and drop it on their step. I tried to set up shopping online (where you drive up and pick up your stuff) but all the slots for that with local stores is already full. We wear gloves whenever we go anywhere now, which isn't much of anywhere at all anymore.
Hope all of you are well!
This week, in addition to some of our usual fare, we're trying a new recipe for meatless lasagna. I know someone made this as main course for at least one potluck but it's the first time either of us has tried it. We'll freeze half the batch for later. Here's a link to the recipe we're using.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/meatless-lasagna/
In other news, I'm glad to have found a way to be useful (besides weeding the garden). Friends of ours have just been able to return from Europe and are in self-quarantine - the kind where the county health department calls them to make sure they are at home. So we (or more likely I) am going to do their grocery shopping for them and drop it on their step. I tried to set up shopping online (where you drive up and pick up your stuff) but all the slots for that with local stores is already full. We wear gloves whenever we go anywhere now, which isn't much of anywhere at all anymore.
Hope all of you are well!
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
What was your last dining out experience before social distancing or self-quarantine?
Governor Cooper has closed all North Carolina dine-in restaurants as of Tuesday March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), 2020 at 5pm. Describe your last adventure eating out.
The last time Bill and I ate out was the previous evening - dinner at Elements. We closed it out in style. My kids were in town. You may have heard that my ex-husband died on Friday. Bill and I had just cancelled our wedding dance - and the kids had cancelled their tickets and plans to visit us in April. Suddenly, they had to travel and I was glad to get a visit. After helping Sky and Kevin clear David's apartment in Raleigh and attend to other details over the weekend, everyone was physically or mentally exhausted or both. The kids really wanted to take Bill and I out for dinner to celebrate our marriage before they left on Tuesday morning. It turned out to be excellent timing.
When we got to Elements, I apologized to the waiter for breathing their air. It seemed we were very underdressed but were we so tired and the place was so empty, it didn't matter. The waiter was just glad we came out to eat. We were the only customers until later a couple sat at the bar area and 2 women at a table far away. We had the best table - the one surrounded by windows with dozens of orchids, and we got lots of attention. The waiter even told us it was ok for us to be loud. For some reason, we had been speaking quietly. So we started taking group photos, which didn't turn out too well - very amusing. As usual the food was terrific. I had the halibut special with mushroom risotto, asparagus, and some indescribable sauce. Bill and Sky both had bun cha - Bill's was pork and Sky's vegetarian with tofu. Kevin had the hot and sour soup - quite spicy. Sky ordered bread pudding dessert for the table. I think we couldn't have planned it better.
To finish the story, both Sky and Kevin were able to return home on Tuesday morning. Trudeau's order closing the borders of Canada exempted US citizens for now. Kevin's flight had only 5 passengers and he said customs was a breeze.
The last time Bill and I ate out was the previous evening - dinner at Elements. We closed it out in style. My kids were in town. You may have heard that my ex-husband died on Friday. Bill and I had just cancelled our wedding dance - and the kids had cancelled their tickets and plans to visit us in April. Suddenly, they had to travel and I was glad to get a visit. After helping Sky and Kevin clear David's apartment in Raleigh and attend to other details over the weekend, everyone was physically or mentally exhausted or both. The kids really wanted to take Bill and I out for dinner to celebrate our marriage before they left on Tuesday morning. It turned out to be excellent timing.
When we got to Elements, I apologized to the waiter for breathing their air. It seemed we were very underdressed but were we so tired and the place was so empty, it didn't matter. The waiter was just glad we came out to eat. We were the only customers until later a couple sat at the bar area and 2 women at a table far away. We had the best table - the one surrounded by windows with dozens of orchids, and we got lots of attention. The waiter even told us it was ok for us to be loud. For some reason, we had been speaking quietly. So we started taking group photos, which didn't turn out too well - very amusing. As usual the food was terrific. I had the halibut special with mushroom risotto, asparagus, and some indescribable sauce. Bill and Sky both had bun cha - Bill's was pork and Sky's vegetarian with tofu. Kevin had the hot and sour soup - quite spicy. Sky ordered bread pudding dessert for the table. I think we couldn't have planned it better.
To finish the story, both Sky and Kevin were able to return home on Tuesday morning. Trudeau's order closing the borders of Canada exempted US citizens for now. Kevin's flight had only 5 passengers and he said customs was a breeze.
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