I really didn’t want to write this post. I am not an alarmist and think of myself as non-hysterical (most of the time). I worry though about not worrying enough about recent events…
I was supposed to travel to LA for a work conference on March 12. I really didn’t want to go but I also didn’t want to be one of THOSE people that freak out. My biggest fear was that I would not be able to travel home. Luckily, the conference was cancelled along with a lot of my angst.
I was already scheduled to work at home last week because of Spring Break. (When schools are not in session, we home-office.) That one week stint has turned into three weeks as our state government has decreed that public schools not go back in session until April 6. It remains to be seen if that return date will materialize. (Postscript: Before this went to post, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction proposed that schools not return to the buildings and focus on distance learning the remainder of the term.)
I have only gone out a couple of times for supplies since this has all come to a head. I had started stocking up on a few things (stocking up, not hoarding) so I did buy a couple of extra packs of toilet paper, extra soap, toothpaste, laundry and dishwasher detergents.
The last time I went to our local grocery story (March 18) I went for just a few things: frozen chicken, whole wheat flour, and spinach.
The cupboard was bare—no flour of any kind, no fresh greens of any kind, and no chicken breasts at all (frozen or fresh). It was at that moment that I almost started binge buying. But then I saw a cart being pushed by full of chips and many gallons of orange juice.
What?
OK, I get that chips are a treat but you can’t (or shouldn’t) subsist on them. And unless you’re going to chug a gallon of juice a day or you have an extra fridge, there’s no way that all of that OJ will be used before it goes bad.
I worry about the amount of food that will end up going bad or getting thrown away.
So, back to my quest, I ended up going to Sprouts and getting the flour I normally use along with some fresh spinach and chicken breasts. (I did buy two packages and froze most of them.)
I’m not sure my intent of this post except to say I know I am extremely lucky to have the luxury of working from home. I should have the entire home office organized, cleaned and purged of all unnecessary paper. I should have the files cleaned out and organized in a better fashion. I should have my calendars completed, agendas developed, budgets finalized….
But, I miss my peeps!
And, we’re all transitioning as to how to help administrators support teachers to support students in this unprecedented time.
Can I say that it broke my heart as all the colleges and universities were closing and students were forced to move off campus? What about those first gen students who may not be able to go home? What about the homeless students? What about those students living off their PELL? Now they have to pay rent off campus? What about foster children? I was told that some schools were granting a few waivers for students to stay in university housing. I do hope that these students are not displaced and forgotten.
Really, broke my heart….
Since I am home for lunch everyday, I am creating some unusual meals that are mostly delicious.
Harrissa Chicken Nachos with Black Beans (no photo) (And, of course this is a hypocritical recipe considering my chip comment above).
I cooked some chicken breasts in the instant pot with some jarred harissa sauce that my sister makes. I froze most of the remainder, but I used a bit for these nachos. I topped the chips with chopped chicken, black beans, sliced red bell peppers and cheese. I garnished it a bit with some sour cream. Pretty tasty.
Sweet Potato Bowl with Black Beans, Feta, Banana Peppers, Spinach and Arugula
This was a delicious lunch, half a baked sweet potato with leftover black beans from the nachos. I topped the potato with some feta, some banana peppers and a handful of spinach and arugula mix. I finished it off with a drizzle of white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. My new favorite lunch.
And, a plain russet baked potato is absolutely delicious topped with cottage cheese and lots of black pepper. (Alas, I’m out of cottage cheese at this point, though.)
Is it bad that I’m scrolling through my Yelp reviews and wistfully thinking of a time when we were able to go out and see people? It feels kind of pathetic. I worry about all the restaurant and service-industry workers too. Will downtown be the same the next time we are able to go to an event or visit a First Friday? Will we recognize it?
I spent last weekend planting lettuce, spinach, bok choy, radishes and other seed starts in the green house. I used a lot of OLD seeds that I had on hand. We’ll see if they grow or not.
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Thanks for listening to this hodge-podge hopefully non-hysterical post. Sending good thoughts to you all!