Monday, April 6, 2020

What Are You Up To? Covid-19

We started self-isolating, which then moved to 
"Stay Home, Stay Safe" as directed by our governor.

So I decided to show you what we have been up to.

You can see what has been our happy spot each day - 
baking and cooking.  I haven't been this diligent 
since the kids left home and hubby is loving it!  
We always had the rule with the kids that whoever 
cooked didn't have to clean, so hubby is doing the 
dishes.  I love to cook, but not to clean.  

Right as the virus started to reach the United States 
I had received my rebate check from my Costco credit card, 
so I had stocked up on a lot of things.  In addition, 
we have always been taught at church to be 
self-sufficient, and to have a year's supply of food 
on hand.  I don't know that I have a year's supply, but 
we usually have a good supply.  

Hubby happened to read an article the other 
night on how people are now making bread 
at home, but not very successfully.  We laughed! 
I have always loved making breads, but for 
a long time, we have done more low carb.  Now 
we are eating comfort carbs - food therapy!


Our first comfort food therapy was making pretzels.  
I hadn't done that in forever.  These cheddar jalapeno 
ones were amazing.  



Of course, a basic salted pretzel dipped in 
yellow mustard is hard to beat.  Hubby wanted his 
unsalted and dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar. 

This was the recipe that tempted me.



Those who have followed me for a while know I have 
a wood burning pizza oven, but honestly for just 
the two of us, that seemed such a waste to fire up.  
My daughter had purchased a Pizza Craft portable 
pizza oven for Christmas last year, and we had taken 
it up to our cabin over the holidays.  It worked great.  
So I looked into one of those, but it was close to $300.  
I decided to give this gas stove-top Pizza Pronto oven 
a try for $60.  I ordered it off Amazon, and used their 
recipe for pizza crust. It was amazing.  It took about 
15-20 minutes to heat up to 600 degrees and we cooked 
the pizzas about 6.5 minutes.  Perfect for cooking for two! 


We are famous for interactive dinners, and a friend had given 
us a raclette machine years ago.  We fell in love, and our 
family fell in love, but again, a raclette machine for 8 
is just too big.  We had purchased a few of these for 
a dinner party, and the size is perfect.  Click here for a two 
person raclette machine.

I had purchased the steak from Costco 
when I used my rebate check and divided it into 
smaller packages to freeze.


I decided to make some hamburger buns.  I had done that 
several times in the past, but hadn't been thrilled.  
These Brioche Buns were amazing.  I didn't follow her 
recipe exactly - I did more of a standard rise, but next 
time I will try her quick rise.  I highly recommend 
these - so much better than store bought.


We made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough 
and baked two, and shaped the rest into balls to 
place in the freezer.  This is a pizzookie we made 
with one of the frozen ones. 

We had two sweet nieces pick up some groceries 
for us once each, but other than that we 
have stayed away from the stores. We truly 
want to help stop the spread.   


It's not all just comfort food around here - 
we are doing our protein shakes too!  
To balance out all of our comfort baking
we are making protein shakes with 
frozen fruit added.

My kids said I need to create our 
Quarantine Cookbook!!!

I decided to start a 21 Day Challenge doing 
Pilates - Boho Beautiful on YouTube.  I am used to 
cardio and weight lifting, and have loved weight 
lifting for how it tones and shapes your body, 
but I decided to try this out - wow, I am working 
muscles that didn't know they needed to be worked.  
This is kicking me, but I am writing it down, so 
hopefully I will stick to it.

I have also been calendaring and journaling, as 
everything is happening so fast as we see Covid-19 
change what our normal lives were.  


I had wanted to sew masks to help out, but there 
was so much question about what would or wouldn't 
be used by professionals.  Then this week I was asked 
to participate in a pilot program to sew medical grade 
masks.  We received the fabric pre-cut with instructions 
on Wednesday and were to have them sewn by noon 
today.  They asked 150 people to sew 100 masks, so 
in two days we will have completed 15,000 masks.  

I wanted hubby to take a photo of me sewing them, so 
that I could add that to my journal.  What a satisfying 
project. I was reminded of photos of women 
working in factories during WWII.
 I am hoping we will be allowed to do this again. 



I have also been sewing 100% cotton masks 
for personal use.  


Our business associates in China are begging us to 
wear masks whenever we go out.  Now the CDC is 
finally admitting that people wearing masks will help.  

Find any mask instruction on YouTube, and make 
them for your family and for nursing homes and 
doctors' offices who are accepting homemade masks.  
many are placing the washable masks over their 
n95 masks, so the n95's can be used more than once.  

Hubby is able to work from home running his business 
over Zoom and FaceTime and also doing his Bishop 
work over Zoom and FaceTime.  


I have only seen the grandkids over FaceTime, but on 
Wednesday as I was delivering medical grade masks 
kits for others to help sew, I stopped by to see some of 
them.  I wore a mask and gloves and stayed way back off 
the porch.  My darling two year old wanted a hug and 
cried when I kept backing away and saying no.  

These will be days we will always remember.  We are 
trying to fill them with meaning and service and some 
homemade fun foods.  

Hope you are safe and well, and thanks for visiting. 
Let me know what you are up to.

I will be sharing this with 
and



Jacqueline
Jacqueline

Chocolat - French for Chocolate. I adored chocolate from a young age when I had to sneak in the cupboard to find where my mother had hidden the Nestle's Chocolate Chips. Having read about the famous chocolat shoppes in Paris, when I finally got there I was determined to try a chocolate from every Paris shoppe. I invite you to share my adventures in creating, in travel, and in life.

7 comments:

  1. I think everyone who survives this virus will end up with odd colored hair in a bad do and rather full from baking! I've been baking and cooking too, and Rick has been making loads of bread. I ordered him a bunch of flour from King Arthur the other day as a surprise -- he'll be out before we're out of Stay at Home. Everything you are making looks wonderful. He's done successful burger buns but never pretzels. I'll have to share that one with him.

    Please stay well. It looks like you are doing all the right things.

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  2. Jackie, I love your journal and what you're doing. The mask task was an awesome goal achieved. My daughter made several for friends and family (us!). In addition to these wonderful things you've baked, do you also keep MREs? Just curious...
    Sad that the little ones don't understand, but it's even sadder to see so many adults who apparently don't understand either, and continue gathering, not taking precautions. We are only as strong as our weakest link.

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  3. Jackie, what a lovely post. I think we are all cooking and baking more these days. Making 🥖 bread is wonderful. Thank you for sharing your recipes. Paul loves pretzels. I have been looking into a portable pizza oven for his May birthday. When you share about the raclette, I purchased one. I always enjoy your recipes and posts which inspire me. The dessert looks lovely. Kudos to you for making masks, how satisfying knowing you are helping so many. I feel for your littles who do not understand the social distancing. Hugs and cuddles are so needed, however those are on hold for now. Blessings to you and your family. Continue to remain safe.

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  4. My mouth was watering as I scrolled down to view all the delicious goodies you are making while being under quarantine. What I did not find was a link to the mask pattern. I will attempt to make one but have not found a home made mask pattern that I would like to make. Perhaps you can post it since your masks look like the ones I prefer. Thank you for the all cooking inspiration. Please be safe!

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  5. I feel so bad for little children who don't understand - and your little two year old grandchild who just wanted a hug, hurts my heart! Good for you for making so many masks - what a generous task! And your food - YUM YUM - The jalapenos caught my eye right away!! We have also been eating very well - and i try not to bake too many sweets - that's my downfall! Hang in there, stay safe and stay well!

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  6. I'm going to check out Boho Body on YouTube. I get a lot of exercise, but need more! Stay safe guys. Happy Easter.

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  7. Loved seeing what you've been baking. The pretzels sound really good, especially with the cinnamon. Good for you. A good way to keep up with feelings and daily activities through your journaling. Love how everyone who sews are busy helping to make mask. My sister in law has made them for family and local doctor office front line medical workers. She sent ours and I'm so thankful to have them. I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking. Problem is no one to share it with so in the freezer it goes......Stay well, stay safe Jackie..........

    ReplyDelete

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