[chocomouse]

And Penzey has now closed all their stores. My sister and I had planned a shopping trip to the nearest one, three hours away, just as a fun day-trip since our show next weekend was cancelled. They do so many online sales that closing the stores won't be an economic crisis for them.

[chocomouse]

Ha! You're right, Skeptic! And I have a lovely large bird house gourd I grew a number of years ago that would be perfect, and within the parameters of "fiber" or agriculture. I was thinking of myself first, but also that I would be passing the virus from one person to another. I think we'll just use the hand sanitizer now that I have it, as much as I hate using it.

[chocomouse]

Skeptic, very interesting, and I suppose it would be possible. It would require hauling many gourds/bottles of water from the restroom up the hill, and some kind of tub or bucket to catch the waste water. With thousands of attendees, and only a 10 x 12 booth, we wouldn't have space or time to manage that kind of operation. There is a large, multi-station, hand-washing station not far away, outside our building. I now have acquired a large bottle of hand sanitizer! Also, at this point, we would not be surprised to have the festival cancelled. Everything scheduled during the month of April seems to be cancelled, and this one is the first weekend in May.

[chocomouse]

Tonight we had salmon on the grill, with cole slaw and Greek pasta salad.

[chocomouse]

Today I made a lemon layer cake with a lemon cream cheese frosting. My husband had requested it, and he never asks for anything special nor does he want anything when I ask. The last cake I made was carrot, late summer-early fall, so cake is a real treat here.

[chocomouse]

I'd so much prefer to use soap and water - I hate hand sanitizers, and never use them. But I would be on the market floor, a considerable distance from the nearest handwashing facility, and will have a constant stream of attendees handing me products to be bagged and money/credit cards. I haven't figured out how to wash, rinse, and dry my hands between sales. I just read that customer service reps at a local credit union will be wearing gloves for all transactions. I'm relieved this show has been cancelled, and am hoping things settle down a bit before the next one in May.

[chocomouse]

The yarn convention I was going to be vending at next weekend has been cancelled, so I no longer need the hand sanitizer or wipes. I run the cash register in the booth, so hoping to stay healthy while handling thousands of dollars worth of cash and credit cards. The small container of sanitizer that I carry in my purse and rarely use will last me another year, or maybe come in handy at our next show in May.

[chocomouse]

Today I made hamburger buns. I subbed honey for the sugar (1 tablespoon) and they did not brown at all. At least, I'm hoping it's due to the honey, and not a failing oven.

[chocomouse]

I shop only once every two-three weeks. We could eat out of the freezer for months if we had to, and if the timing was right, I'd have salad ingredients growing under gro-lights, or in the garden. When it is planting time in early June, I'll decide if I should cut back on the size of the vegetable garden (that's the plan as of today) or continue to plant an excess for storage. And right now, I have only about 5 pounds of AP flour left from my 50 pound bag, so I'd have to get creative with the baking, but at least I could use up the odds and ends of flours I do have on hand. When I shopped on Monday, on my list was hand-sanitizer, Lysol wipes, and toilet paper. The cleaning/sanitation supplies shelves were empty - not a single item that would meet the requirements for Covid cleanliness. There were only only a few packages of toilet paper (and I was not buying that for any Covid purpose!).

I just learned about an hour ago that our Stitches Convention in Hartford next week is cancelled. So I no longer need the hand sanitizer or wipes. I hope that everyone in our Nebraska Kitchen is finding what they need to stay healthy.

[chocomouse]

My husband got home really late from sugaring tonight, tired and hungry, so we pulled a jumble of things from the fridge to reheat quickly for dinner. He had leftover pork sandwich and 2 pieces of leftover pizza. I had leftover Greek pasta salad, leftover broccoli reheated, and cole slaw I made this morning. Feeling thankful for leftovers tonight!

[chocomouse]

Tonight we had blueberry pancakes, breakfast sausages, and fresh made-today maple syrup, the first of the season.

I have not learned, in 25 years, how to cook for two. I love leftovers, but I do not like eating leftover leftovers!

[chocomouse]

After a week living in a hotel, I really enjoyed dinner tonight! I cooked a pork roast in the tagine, using Tandoori seasoning from Penzey's, along with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Tender and delicious, with leftovers for another night.

[chocomouse]

Back home after a week away and happy to be baking! This morning I made a blueberry crisp, using up 5 cups of blueberries from the freezer. The kitchen has smelled wonderful all day, but we haven't cut into it yet.

[chocomouse]

I've tried a number of pump sprays over the years, and have not found even one that is acceptable. They clog, the mechanism breaks, it's too much or not enough oil, etc. Generally, they don't last longer than two or three uses.

[chocomouse]

Skeptic, that soup sounds really nice! It's an interesting combination of flavors.

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