Hi Friend,
I hope you're staying well and finding your way as we navigate this experience. Our first week of quarantine / social distancing was tough in a lot of ways-- and definitely an adjustment period. Thankfully, this past week was much better in our household. I'm working on a blog post where I compile tips and resources, but here are a few things I wanted to share in the meantime.
Finding a new rhythm
- What works for me. I don't like being overly scheduled or organizing a lot of elaborate activities, so our days look something like this: several things happen around the same time each day (often driven by naps and meals, with **efficiency** always in mind) and then we have pockets of time that vary, which are often weather or mood-dependent.
- A great read, especially if you have young children. My friend and fellow Kaleifornian, Margaret Kelley, wrote a wonderful piece I wanted to share called Creating Security at Home: Self-Care and Finding your Rhythm. This really resonated, and I think it'll be particularly helpful to parents with young children. She also includes simple Montessori-inspired activity ideas (we've been doing many of these). I'm a huge fan of the screen-free independence that the Montessori approach fosters.
- Batch cooking. This isn't new for me, but instead of batch cooking for lunch left-overs, I've been doing more batch cooking for another night's dinner and making simple lunches. It's been a combination of new recipes, some old go-tos that I can do in my sleep (like lemon-roasted salmon with asparagus). And on a low-energy day at the end of the week, I called on my old friend...frozen Cappello's pizza (GF and vegetable oil free).
- Exercise. In addition to daily walks, I've been taking a Barre class during my little guy's morning nap (I get through at least 2/3--WAY better than nothing!) and my preschooler usually joins me or plays independently nearby. Doing this in the first part of the day at a consistent time has been huge for me. The classes can be live-streamed a couple times a day or you can watch recordings at your convenience. My oldest friend owns the studio. She's an incredible instructor and exudes such positive energy. I highly recommend checking this out (and supporting a small business) if you're missing your usual workout routine.
Tips for grocery shopping Bringing home groceries is a huge production these day (even if you get them delivered). I wanted to share this how-to video if you're looking for guidance on how to clean the food items that you bring in from the store (it also covers take-out, though I'm not a microwave person... but you probably could've guessed that ;)).
I also wanted to share some items from the produce section that can last 2+ weeks and get you the most mileage out of your shopping trips. Note: (*) are items I buy in bulk and divide between the counter top and the refrigerator to extend shelf life. I'll have more details about why I like these and some recipe ideas in the post I'm working on.
- Citrus*
- Onions, ginger & garlic
- Winter squash
- Apples*
- Avocados*
- Sweet potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms (more like ~10 days)
- Cherry tomatoes* (more like ~10 days)
A podcast I liked My brother shared this podcast called A Possible Covid-19 Game Plan To Return To "Normal Life" that our family enjoyed, so I wanted to share. This is an interesting take on the collective effort needed by our community and I believe it covers some new ideas that aren't captured in the mainstream media (although I admit, I'm not watching much of it).
What I've been cooking The question is really "what haven't I been cooking?" One thing I can say is that we're eating well. Cooking has been an outlet for creativity, part of how I maintain structure, and frankly, enjoying good food with my family is helping me keep the Quarantine Blues at bay. |
| | Thank you so much for reading and for staying connected during this crazy time. I hope you stay well, give yourself grace, and extend that to the people around you as much as possible. Sending you a big hug! |
| | Please pass this along if you know someone who'd enjoy this content.
Be well,
Jess
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I always appreciate feedback, recipe ratings, and your comments on my blog and Instagram posts! If you make any of the recipes I've posted, I'd love to see! Tag @kaleifornian_ and/or use hashtag #kaleifornianeats when you share a pic on Instagram. And shoot me a note if you tried something different or have a tip that you think should be in the write-up. Thank you so much for your support! It means the world to me. ♥
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