Quarantine Cooking: Week two of grocery shopping, frugal style

By Elizabeth Prata

We are currently under a social distancing mandate due to a virus called COVID-19, which has circled the world and caused a great deal of illness. My preferred grocery store, Kroger, has instituted a limited entry system, whereupon  store capacity is halved and those arriving after the quota is filled must remain outside until ushered in by an employee.

All that to say, I am grocery shopping only once per every 2 weeks so as to remain socially distant and not expose anyone to me or be exposed to anyone who might have COVID-19. I am in the middle of my 2-week shopping trips, so for this week 2 I had to do some knife-edge precision planning. See what I did there?

I had gotten two eggplants from the 99-cent markdown bin and they usually keep well so I'd saved them for this week. I had two boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix, and a can pf pumpkin. A jar of peanut butter. Red lentils and carrots. Quinoa and egg muffin mini bites. My spinach was on its last legs. Spaghetti squash. All these things keep, so that's why I'd saved them for week 2.

This morning I cooked a dozen pumpkin-cornbread muffins. I also made a small cornbread with the leftover mix that overflowed the 12-muffin tin I had. 18 cheese-quinoa-egg-spinach mini bites. Peanut butter cookies. Baked eggplant chips. The eggplant chips can be eaten on a sandwich with tomato slices, or with Parmesan cheese on them as a side, or added to a red lentil penne bake. The red lentil and carrot soup will be lunches.

In other frugal news, for the last 13 years I've enjoyed the Gas Company's seasonal heating program. They turn on the heat on mid-October, and turn it off in mid-April. I have an annual turn-on fee, but it is less money than it would be if I paid the minimum for the 6 months of summer. Because the weather is regular but not perfectly predictable, there is always a day or two in October and  a day or two in April that are cold in the morning.

I chose to live in a small apartment so that utility costs would be lower, and usually turning on the lights and the computer and maybe a crock pot slow cooking for a couple of hours heats the kitchen and living room up. In today's case, when it was predicted to be 39 degrees at dawn, I had scheduled all this cooking and baking because I knew that light bulbs and laptop would not be enough.

It took me two hours to prepare, bake, and clean up, and the oven was on. It heated the place up just fine and I did not have to drag out my space heater. I am toasty AND topped up with my prepped meals for the week!

I had bought a pineapple last Wednesday when I went shopping. I waited until the last minute before it turned brown, and I cut it up and put it in the fridge. That, along with the bag of mandarin oranges I've had in the fridge since last week, will be my fruit portions. For snacks I have peanuts, edamame nuts, and popcorn I can pop.

And that will hold me for the week! How are you managing with the quarantine restrictions,  grocery store limits, and the general at-home cooking and living?

Soup not shown

Quarantine Day #31: Not much going on!

By Elizabeth Prata

I am praising God for His care of me and all of the believers. The sunshine outside is prefect and warm. The opportunities to learn more things via internet or book-study abounds. Bible reading and study time can be endless. Pleasure reading is possible. Cooking, doing crafts, communicating with friends in various ways, all good things. Quarantine days. I'll never forget you.

I went to the Dollar store today for laundry soap, and found a welcome mat (which I needed) for half price! (Also Easter candy half off...poor Sixlets get no respect- lots of them left. More for meeee!). Also a cute spring wreath for the front door. Time to change the decor,  the Easter plaque had to come down and I put the wreath up instead.

I saw Murray looking intently outside, and followed his eyes to a pair of blue jays hopping down into the wet mud and grabbing up some worms. Or, mud for their nests.

I took the photo through the door at sunrise so it's a little blurry.

Lunch: turkey sandwich and pickles. Also fruit salad.

Hope your day was good!

Day #30 of quarantine: I'm not crazy yet

By Elizabeth Prata

Day 30 here at Casa Prata dawned clear and warm and bright, after all that storm and tornado and wind last night. I spent some time outside getting my dose of Vitamin D and creation praise this early afternoon, reading, basking, and watching.

The mockingbird with a nest under the eaves and the brown thrasher with a nest inside the gutter were busy this morning. Here is the scene-

Blue skies ahead

Mockingbird guarding her nest under the awning

She noticed me taking a photo

Uneasy truce

My hens and chicks is getting leggy. I'll have to learn how to fix it

Brown thrasher bringing what looks to be an enormous
spider to her babies. Yes, go ahead and eat that thing!

Reading outside, with seltzer

Enjoy your day!

Isolation tips from Antarctic Scientists

By Elizabeth Prata

As an introvert content to stay at home and never talk to anyone, lol, it occurs to me that extroverts or otherwise more normal people than myself might enjoy social interaction and getting out. I saw this very short and funny clip of Antarctic scientists giving social isolation advice and wanted to pass it along to you.

These men and women who choose to overwinter down at the most isolated spot in the world surely have something useful to say about how to do it without going nuts!

Watching the clip, I was reminded of a longer documentary about the very few scientists who choose to stay through an Antarctic winter and the pervasive isolation in a howling place apart from everyone else on the planet.



Antarctica: A Year On Ice is extremely interesting. Here is the IMDB blurb-

ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE is a visually stunning journey to the end of the world with the hardy and devoted people who live there year-round. The research stations scattered throughout the continent host a close-knit international population of scientists, technicians and craftsmen. Isolated from the rest of the world, enduring months of unending darkness followed by periods when the sun never sets, Antarctic residents experience firsthand the beauty and brutality of the most severe environment on Earth.

It is on Amazon Prime. Enjoy!

Everything and the kitchen sink

By Elizabeth Prata

Who knew I could get so excited about rearranging my kitchen sink accouterments?

Let me explain.

I live in a small apartment, about 410 square feet. It's two rooms and a small bathroom. It is more than adequate for my needs, and I love it. The lockdown time has given me extended time to dwell inside here and I love my place all the more.

I like to collect teacups and teapots, though I've stopped, given that I've filled my space now. The question for every tiny house dweller, is how to have things around you that you enjoy using and seeing, but display them for form and function so as not to be cluttered? I hate clutter. It reduces the feeling of spaciousness and crowds not only the body but also the mind. It intrudes on smooth functioning of a space, and makes one feel scattered. I don't like clutter.

I watch design shows and also I love to watch "Take a Tour of my NY Loft with Me" kind of videos on Youtube. I love taking apartment tours of people who put their videos online. I favor city lofts and apartments, usually because they are smaller and I can see what the owner did to solve their space problems. I get ideas. With all this time in the evenings now and I'm not busy or tired, I can watch lots of these kind of design vids.

As an autistic person, my brain runs along one track. Things are things and they are always THAT thing. If I get a cookie sheet and it's designated as a cookie sheet, it will never also be a picture frame or a table top...a ladder will never become a bookshelf or an old tv into an aquarium or teacups into chandeliers. Cookie sheets are for cookies, teacups are for drinking tea, ladders are for climbing, and old tvs are for the dump.

I can't get my brain to repurpose old things into new things, or switch uses. I mean, I can if I see it first, I do, but I'd never think it up on my own.

The kitchen sink was bugging me. I all of a sudden realized it one day. I didn't like how I'd arranged it any more.

To the right of the sink we have dish soap, steel wool pad, scrubby, and hand soap. All necessary. To the left of the sink we have the two drinking vessels, water glass (with a "P" on it) for water, and the coffee mug (With an "E") on it. Also necessary, I drink coffee every morning and water all day long. I decided it was too cluttered. But there I sat, not knowing how to fix it.

I do like the teacup stand and I like the mini-pitcher on the windowsill. The pitcher is a rare find, it's mid-century from Vernon Kilns (California), Raffia pattern. Its shape tickles me. It is whimsical and funny and I like looking at it. I also like how the sun shines through the teacup and illuminates the delicate flowers at the bottom of the sup. So those were staying. Something else had to go.

So I was watching a 'tour my new NY apartment video' from some designer or other, and she was so excited to show her kitchen, and in it she had a soap dispenser. To me, the soap that the soap comes in is final, put that one at your sink and that's it. What she had down was purchase a fancy glass soap dispenser and put the soap from the plastic bottle inside it. Revelation! I had not thought of that.

Too cluttered

I also remembered being at a friend's house and seeing her holder for the sink sponge. I've never liked that the scrubby doesn't dry completely. At night I'd put it on the stove eye so it gets some circulation underneath. But mainly I just lived with it always hanging out at the sink, because that is the way I always did it and it's hard to change. I had forgotten about the sink sponge holder. But when I saw the glass soap dispenser I remembered the sponge holder. When I went to the Dollar store I went looking for a really narrow holder or one that I could bend. I planned to put it between the dish drain and the wall of the sink, which was only about 2 1/2 inches. I wanted everything below sink level so the eye would not be stopped when looking about the room. That's what clutter does, stops the eye.

I found a nice glass dispenser at Amazon and got it, and when it was delivered yesterday I fixed the sink the way I wanted it. I'll need to get some more Dawn soap, so the glass container is more filled, but I like the look a lot. The water glass and coffee mug will now stay inside the dish drainer. I bought a holder and squeezed it into the spot I wanted. I removed the hand soap. I'll either use dish soap or wash my hands in the bathroom sink. Let me tell you, it's a lot easier to squeeze dish soap from a dispenser than with wet hands, hold a dish in one hand and pry open the bottle with another and turn it upside down to squeeze it onto the sponge or the dish.

Paper towels are behind the pineapple. lol. I'll also tell you a secret, that every time I finish using the faucet, which swings, I move it back to align with the sink divider. Stop the eye design wise...OCD... either way, the kitchen just looks neater. In a small space even minor adjustments have a big impact.

Trip Report: Day #26 of quarantine and grocery shopping

By Elizabeth Prata
*See note at bottom

We are in the middle of a Governor-mandated quarantine where we are supposed to isolate ourselves from others, stay at home as much as possible, and only make essential trips "out". This is due to the Chinese Virus named by World Health Organization (WHO) experts COVID-19, known also as coronavirus. It spread rapidly within the Hubei province of China, especially the city of Wuhan. Many deaths occurred. Hospitals were overrun, even a rapidly built new hospital. Lockdowns happened. Yet, the virus quickly spread to many other nations, including the US.

On March 13, the President called a National Emergency and restrictions were placed on Americans' comings and goings. As the virus spread from hotspots like Washington and New York, tighter and tighter restrictions were placed, and here we sit, 26 days since the declaration of the emergency, isolated, in-home, and locked down.

I had not gone grocery shopping for two weeks, so it was time. Essential. I have to eat.

I spent a good deal of time the night before looking at recipes with longer-lasting proteins. Silken tofu, firm tofu, peanut butter, eggs... I am a vegetarian (no red meat and very little white meat) so seafood doesn't last more than 3 days uncooked or 2 additional days after cooking. I arranged the list in order of the aisles so I could go up and down in a critical path and not spend time backtracking, or touching a lot of stuff. I added a couple of new items to my list like a mini-muffin tin, mini-muffin papers, silken tofu, almond flour, and cornmeal.

Kroger is my grocery store of choice. It's always clean, the clerks are always helpful and pleasant, the produce and seafood spaces offer a good variety, and it's not as expensive as other stores I'd frequented. Kroger sends customers coupons in the mail, tracking frequent purchases and aligning coupons with what works for the customer.

They also have great mark down areas where they place nearly expired bread half price, or produce about to go over in a red net bag for 99 cents.

During this pandemic they are also treating their employees right, giving a $2 hour raise to those who work during this period, hiring more staff to keep up with demand, and giving sick time off.  Kroger is good to their employees and helpful to its customers so I repay by driving the 15 miles (20 minutes) to the nearest store.

Kroger also was one of the first to institute "senior shopping hour". People who are older than 60, expectant mothers, or people with compromised immune systems can shop exclusively from 7-8 am. Kroger also instituted, just today, a limit of how many patrons can enter. They reduced the square footage capacity by half, allowing only 1 customer per 120 sf into the store at a time. They have a system that automatically tallies it, so... If the store was at capacity, next customers will have to wait outside, where clerks were stationed.

I had several concerns. My car is not that reliable and I've been by the side of the road more often than I'd like. Would my car make it there and back? Normally I call AAA or a friend and have the car towed to my regular mechanic. My mechanic is closed, I didn't want to expose a friend, and I didn't want to be exposed by a tow guy who'd been all over the place. Would I get there and back without incident?

Once I arrived, would there be a line and I have to wait outside for a while? That would be fine, it's still a blessing from God to have access to fresh food, but it would be uncomfortable. My knee has a good bit of arthritis and standing on one spot for lengthy time really kills it. Would I start the day with increasing pain?

I have a myriad of food allergies. If something is out of stock, I can't substitute. No lactose free milk? Then I can't have milk. No gluten free bread? Then I can't have bread. No oranges, grapes, pineapples, or strawberries? Then I can't have fruit. And so on. The last two times I'd been there certain items were out of stock in the panic buying. The seafood deli was closed completely. I was going to run out of toilet paper before my next trip, yet the shelves had been consistently empty of that particular item. Would there be food I need to eat, or enough variety, to have a reasonable diet for the next two weeks?

The situation seemed concerning before but when Kroger decided to limit the number of customers entering, things got anxious for me. Aside from work and church, Kroger is the only other place I go. School is closed and church is shuttered, so now the only other place I feel comfortable was also closing, partially. Things just got real, as they say.

I prayed the night before and I asked God these questions. Then I laid my concerns at His feet. He said to cast all your cares upon Him, (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22), so I did. I trust the Lord, but I asked Him to forgive my untrust. When I woke up this morning I did the same thing- prayed and laid my worries down. His will be done. It's all good, literally. (Romans 8:28). I need to display calm and peace, because His peace passes all understanding. Once prayed up, I left.

I fall in the exclusive shopper from 7-8 am category, so I decided to leave at 6:40 am and get there by 7. I launched off into the pre-dawn, north Georgia, pandemic morning, the sun rising pink behind me.

I shop at the Trail Creek Kroger at the border of Athens and Hull.

About 6 of us old duffers were there already and waiting. They all wore masks. They all stood 6 or more feet apart. People around here are very reasonable and have a lot of common sense. At 7 am on the dot, the Kroger clerk opened the doors with a smile, said good morning cheerfully, and welcomed us in.

The store was immaculate. Kudos to those workers who clean and stock! I mean, immaculate. The store is always clean, but I'd never been first in it before. It was sparkling. Clerks were around, stocking and helping. Most clerks wore masks. Some didn't. Almost all customers wore masks. I didn't. I don't have one and I don't know how to make one. I was definitely the odd one out.

I made my way around the produce and arrived at the 99-cent mark down section. It was stocked to overflowing. I picked a few items I knew I'd need and really use. A bag of 2 eggplants, a bag of small grapefruits, a bag of potatoes, and a bag of green peppers.

My final bill was going to be higher, not only because I was doing two weeks' worth at once but I was also buying some items I never buy. I got a mini-muffin pan because I plan to make mini-quiches. Also a broccoli-cheese casserole with silken tofu instead of ricotta or cottage cheese. Canned salmon and corn chowder.

A lady who used to work at my school passed by and said hello, we spoke briefly, from a distance. I spoke to no one else except a clerk to ask for help on an item. The promised plexiglass was up, separating customer from clerk. There was a circular hole you could pass coupons or your loyalty card.

Some items were out of stock. Any store brand deli meat, especially the ones on sale, were out. My preferred brand of gluten free bread was out. Gluten free bread is not very good, you know. If you find one that your taste buds can hack, get it. Mine was out of stock so I got the next best, or less worse.

My checkout clerk was someone who I used to go to church with before. As I unloaded my items onto the conveyor belt, she explained, "I know you!" I looked at her and did not have a clue. She said, "We used to go to church together?" Still no clue. "We had lunch at that lady's house?" Still no clue. But I said, "Oh! Yes, of course!" anyway. People to me (an autistic person) are like trees in a forest. All similar with non-distinguishing features. It takes me a long time to confidently recognize people.

In catching up, she shared that she had a kidney transplant and a triply heart bypass. Wow. Her immune system is compromised, but she wanted to work so she could help. She also said that a lot of people are thinking about death, and/or asking questions and she wanted to share the Gospel if she could.

Wow.

That's amazing.

The clerks at the store were working hard and cheerful. Most customers were wearing masks and were quiet. More people were coming in as I left, as the store opened to the general public at 8:00, but not a huge rush. I usually take 30 minutes to shop but it took longer this time because I could not find the mini-muffin pan or a some items over in the pharmacy (they were out anyway).

A CBS truck was in the parking lot when I loaded my groceries into the car, but I don't know if that was a CBS guy parked to grab a coffee, or if he was there on business doing a story.

All the carts were wiped down as I entered and a clerk took mine off me as I finished unloading. He was cheerful too. The tension on the customers' faces was evident, though, and the place was quiet. I didn't see any families and no kids. Only one couple. People were shopping mainly in singles.

Things are getting real, even as the pandemic is (hopefully) easing. I hope we are at peak. The restrictions are tightening and the length of time this goes on grates on everyone's nerves.

Governor Kemp put the state on lockdown until April 13, but if the pandemic has not eased I suspect he will lengthen it. Other states are lengthening their times of social isolation, some extending even into May. I hope this gets over soon, for everyone's sake. I can't imagine the families worrying about their aging parents or their kids.

So that's it! I'm here in the apartment for two more weeks, unless the Gov lifts the lockdown, then I'll probably still be in the apartment because that is my modus operandi. I will post my adventures in cooking a mini-quiche and broccoli casserole. It is supposed to be very cool in a day or so, like 43 degrees in the morning. I plan to bake a lot that day!

I hope you're well and safe and healthy wherever you are locked down.

**It turned out that Tyler Perry paid for the groceries of seniors and other at-risk shoppers during the senior shopping hour at 44 Atlanta and 29 New Orleans Kroger stores this morning. What a blessing that must have been for those folks! news here

Lockdown Day #24

By Elizabeth Prata

Well it's been 24 days since we shuttered school and the President called a National Emergency due to a virus named COVID-19 or Coronavirus. This week would have been our Spring Break, and sadly, many families had to cancel their arranged trips and meet-ups and vacations and camping and all of it. I had not planned to go anywhere. I went to Atlanta for three days in January for the G3 Conference and that was super. I'm content at home, as you may already know if you read this blog.

I've always been an introvert and a loner. As a kid, my idea of a splendid passage of time is to nestle under the pine tree in the cemetery next door and read a Nancy Drew book. or to skip along the rock wall bordering the pond and the stream and then dip my feet into the cool running water and watch the tadpoles and look for pretty rocks. As a kid, using the word splendid sort of cut me from the herd, anyway, lol.

I've been reading, watching and listening to the birds outside, going for walks, watching Netflix, (Elementary and Home Town), and studying via online classes.

As a photographer I'd been itching to take photos of new places. I'd bought a State Parks pass and mapped out some parks that are under an hour from me. There are 6 or 7. But I'm hesitant to drive far these days, even though the State Parks remain open, because my car is acting up again. Calling for a tow? Getting a ride home and potentially exposing someone or being exposed? Is the mechanic even open or is the fenced lot locked down tight? Naw, I'll stay put unless I go to the grocery store, which I do every two weeks.

So the challenge is that as I walk the same short street every day, to find different things to photograph. As I take pictures I think about God and His creation and marvel at His creativity. I saw a yellow butterfly today that boy oh boy, can fly fast! I never did even get a chance to raise my camera. I saw it twice and each time he made tracks through the air and was gone in a blink. I admired his God-given speed and his strength.

I heard many birds, which I love. I play a game of 'spot the bird.' It's been easy to do lately because the buds haven't grown big yet. But now the leaves are filling in and it's harder to see the birds that are singing so beautifully. They don't know there's a pandemic. All they know is that the weather is fine and there's lots of worms turned up from tilled gardens and the nests are finished, and well, what else is there to do but sing?

Let's be that way. Sing praises. What are you grateful for?

Here are the scenes from today.

Crimson clover. When enough of it grows in the pasture it looks like the pasture is on fire, the tips are so red

Playing "spot the bird" I finally found him atop the highest pine tree in this stand of trees. Mockingbirds sing for lengthy periods, a variety of sounds in one set, going on for as long as 20 seconds, repeating it 5 or 6 times. Lucky for me, because it took a few seconds for me to spot him.

Looks like someone is putting in a garden.

This little guy was little, but the biggest songs were coming out of him! Was he happy it was sunny out? Only the bird knows!

The ants are certainly thrilled that it's sunny, dry, and warm!

But the worm isn't...RIP

Morning on the patio

By Elizabeth Prata

The last few days' weather has been absolutely gorgeous, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to enjoy it. When I'm in school and arrive home the sun is often behind the trees, and during the summer it's too hot on the concrete patio. But this, this, has been delightful.

I sit out at my patio table and read, watch the birds and insects, and take photos. I close my eyes and listen. I play a listening game as I position my face to the sun for a tan, I am trying to attune my ears to distinguish all the sounds I hear and catalog them. Today on the patio I heard

Scenes from a small town in spring

By Elizabeth Prata

Tuesday I broke 'quarantine' and went to the bank and the grocery store. I had to, they were essential trips. Out of money and out of food, lol.

When I completed my errands, I drove a different way home, enjoying some different views as I made my way through the streets of my little town, soaking up memorable scenes before I drew into the garage and shut the door again for two weeks.

The grief of an unsaid goodbye

By Elizabeth Prata

In Lubec, Maine, at the border of Canada way north and east, the tides are high. Tides come in and go out, 20, 22, 25 feet high. The tides are regular, sweeping in and out at known intervals. The docks go up as the tide rises and the docks slide down. The shoreline's rocks are exposed and then the rocks are covered up. On and on, in and out, the rhythm is there. The occasional gale may bring a tide in further or a full moon may inch it back more than normal, but even those events can be predicted ahead of time. There's a rhythm, and you adjust to it and live by it.

Life by the sea has a rhythm all its own. We look to the sea, where is the water, what is it doing, and then we act in concert with it.

A classroom is like that. Kids sweep in and they go out, they clamor and then they are quiet. The grow, their growth is remarked on, they grow some more. They smile, they laugh, they celebrate birthdays and milestones. We do all this together in closed system of learning and love, the teachers and the kids. The emotions present are shared by all, the symbiotic nature of the family-like atmosphere knits us all together for a long period, 9 months. We yearn to see each other, we can tell when they are feeling low, they notice when we have a new haircut or wear a new shirt.

They say quirky things like "Can I smell your necklace?" and they trumpet a lost tooth or their dog's birthday. Even those outpourings are predicted, they are kids after all, and they will always say and do the unexpected. It's expected.

And for their part, they know we will be there. We are steady adults in their lives, a pillar, a mainstay, a stalwart lighthouse, shining the way. We are the rock on the shoreline of their ebb and flow, love propelling the tide to come in and wash up gently on the shores of their hearts.

They know we will be there. They know the school calendar is set in stone. They know that no matter what, they can swirl around us as they enter at first bell or at recess, their chaos of foam and surf will never wash us away. We will be there. Their hearts are anchored in the classroom to which they have been assigned. The rhythm is the biggest part of their day. The biggest part of their week. The biggest part of their year. We can't dwell together in an enclosed space for the better part of the day and not be knit together like a family of sorts. So we allow it, they infiltrate our hearts like the salt on our skin at the end of a day at the beach. And we love it.

As the end of the school year approaches, we see the tide going out and we let it go out. We start the gentle disengaging process, unwrapping, unknitting, as the last day approaches but never fully letting go. We prepare our minds and hearts and the kids, for the inevitable moment when we day goodbye and push them out of the nest, to fly to the next nest where the receiving teacher, after the summer, will begin the rhythmic process all over again, And again the kids will be cherished, loved, turned into a school family in the classroom and their tides will ebb and flow.

But one day, we sent them home for the weekend...and we never received them back. The school calendar crumbled, the bells went silent, the doors were closed. The tide went out...and disappeared. Where is the water? How dry we are! Where are the children? How quiet it is!

The sudden chopping off of the love and learning rhythm is like an amputation. We feel the echo of the limb that used to be there, the phantom limb pain of what should be connected but is not. The tearing away of the precious rhythm is as if the very flesh of our hearts is shredded. There will be no chance to gently disentangle and tenderly prepare them and us for the goodbye. There will be no mellow sunset of the school year and parting of ways. There will be no singing goodbye songs from the teachers as the last bus rolls away. Instead, we are bleeding from torn limbs, crying with pain for the little faces we can't say goodbye to in person and for the hearts we can't prepare.

It must be this way, it's a rule and a law and something for everyone's good. No question about that. But this unique school year, this dreadful time, is a hardship no one could have predicted. It will leave a mark on many thousands of teacher hearts, as we all absorb this news that the school year has unexpectedly ended. The grief of an unsaid goodbye leaves a hole that nothing can fill.