To answer a few questions up front: no, I haven’t gone grocery shopping in over a week, but I did go BIG right before the shelter in place mandate because I had a sense it was coming. On the way back from my parents’ house last weekend, I found out they were ordered to keep indoors along with seven counties in the Bay Area. After I heard that, I immediately went to the store for a “last hurrah” shopping experience. I felt like I was in supermarket sweep. I knew our pantry was adequately stocked, so I wanted to focus on fresh fare. Mainly veggies. The freezer section was EMPTY, but the regular produce was basically fine. I got the last onion, but other than that, there was plenty of food left. You guys know how I’m very cognizant of not wasting food, so I was super mindful of getting food that we could use before it would go bad (or else freeze). I also wanted to be sure I left food for others. I feel like some people get in weird mindsets in these panicky situations and forget common sense and decency. Anyway, mainly I had to be sure to get enough dairy for P’s doses. Beyond that, I just grabbed a TON of greens, including a bunch of salad mixes (which is why you’ve seen more of those lately) and meat. Like I said, our pantry is decently loaded, so I have rice, oats, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and pasta aplenty.
The one issue I had was that I was alllllmost out of all purpose flour. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge issue because I have alternate flours (whole wheat, almond, buckwheat, etc) but I really needed all purpose to bake some treats. You see, we have had a couple of birthdays this week. And it’s hard to make quarantine birthdays feel special when everything feels uncertain and everyone is on edge. BUT. I did my best with what I had and luckily things went a-ok.
I found some mini chocolate muffins in the freezer and added frosting and a candle and VOILA!
Kyle had been in the mood for a big meaty meal, so I grabbed a hunk of beef, a bag of fingerling potatoes and the last onion. The rest was from our house! Which included: fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley from the garden, frozen cubes of red wine, tomato paste, roasted garlic preserved in oil, and dried porcini mushrooms. In other words, every single umami ingredient I could get my hands on.
I used the instant pot to saute the onions and aromatics before I added the meat to sear. Then I added everything else plus some salt and pepper, flipped the meat, and sealed it to cook for an hour.
After letting pressure release naturally, I added the potatoes and pressure cooked it for another 10 minutes.
Which gave us THIS.
Kyle was thrilled to come home to this birthday dinner. Quarantine aint got me down.
My princess also celebrated a birthday.
She requested pizza, which is thankfully something I always have in the freezer. PHEW.
Considering how different this birthday was from the image I’m sure she had in her head – sharing treats with her preschool class and going to farmer’s market to ride on the carousel – I had a big task trying to make this day as amazing as it could be in isolation from our family and friends.
But it was a good day! I had a bunch of friends send me videos to show her and we sang to her and tried to fill her day with everything to make her feel special. I re-created her fancy tinker bell look from Disneyland (bun with a crown, eye shadow, lip gloss, etc), we painted her nails, played monopoly, ride bikes, hunted for rolly poly bugs, went in the hot tub, and ate all her favorite foods.
Like, pancakes, bacon, and blueberries.
Cupcakes at both lunch AND dinner. Yes, twice. Because (a) why not? But also (b) both were from the freezer and seemed so pathetic on their own. I figured the excess would feel uniquely special for her, and I was right.
The most amazing part was when we were playing in the front yard and a delivery came from insomnia cookies! What a surprise! It was from our friend in another town! So sweet! We all shared it right then and there. It never even made it inside š
Anyway, I made two pizzas for dinner – prosciutto and arugula with mozzarella.
And then we sang to my special girl for the fifth time, in silly voices per her request, before she closed out the day with this leftover cupcake (the last man standing from her birthday last year!). Thank goodness I save every. little. thing. She had no idea it wasn’t something I whipped up just then.
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