Or, at least, for two months. Can you feel it? There’s something in the air that offers the possibility of Hope. It started with the Flower Supermoon that emerged last Tuesday night. Supermoons, when the moon is closest to the Earth’s surface, are not only a beautiful sight, but cause us to shift, evolve, heal and recharge. It is a time of transformation.

On Friday, May 8th, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, announced that certain Miami businesses will be able to reopen, starting Monday, May 18th. He hinted that this opening, after 2 months of closure, would include Miami restaurants. As a punctuation mark to the transformational week, the Blue Angels flew over Miami last Saturday in support of Health Care workers. This display of airborne solidarity gave many Miamians cause for encouragement, appreciation and hope. Not quite celebration yet, but one can sense it coming.

I texted my housekeeper the next day to inform her of Miami’s reopening and asked if she would feel comfortable coming back to our house to clean. She said “Whenever you need me.” I wanted to say “Yesterday!”, but she’s coming this week, so that’s great news. I also got a mani-pedi at a friend’s house on Saturday. The Nail Lady was set up in the backyard, with a tub of hot, soapy water. She wore a mask, I wore a mask and brought my own tools and nail polish. As another participant noted: “A good mani-pedi can make you feel like a new person.”

I spent the week in the Keys and saw two manatees (mom and baby), a sting ray and a dolphin while out on a paddleboard ride. Dolphins are known to be a symbol of good luck and, right now, we can all use as much good luck as our superstitious hearts can conjure up. Being on the water or just out in nature, always makes me feel better, despite the circumstance.

Zeke rejoined me in the Keys Thursday and we went to dinner at Bayside Grille, near our condo. How was it? Suprisingly normal, although we appreciated a meal out at a restaurant about ten times more than usual. We walked upstairs where the masked host (sounds like the name of a game show) said: “Anywhere you want.” We chose a table on the balcony, near the water, to watch the sunset. A paper menu was brought to us by a gloved and masked waiter, along with a plastic covered wine list. As we toasted our first meal out with a bottle of wine, we couldn’t help but notice we were the only ones in the place. It felt like our own private dining room.

“Are we the first ones dining here?” I asked the host.

He said we were the second. Although it was a limited menu (I assume they don’t know how many people to buy food for) he told us they could make pretty much anything on the menu. I finally got my seafood meal by the water I’d been craving, while Spanish jazz played in the background and the sun set over Buttonwood Bay. One other table entered at the end of our meal, seated far away from us. We paid with a credit card and sanitized our hands throughout.

It all seemed very safe, but as we left and walked downstairs the bar was quite full with people sitting close together without masks. Sigh. So, one step forward, two steps back.

It was nice to be in the Keys for the week. Number one, there’s a lot less cases of COVID-19 and it always feels like we’re on vacation when we’re down here. Or is it up here? I never remember. Zeke left Monday, so I was on my own till Thursday.

Monday night, I made Shrimp-Stuffed Peppers, an improvised version of a Food and Wine recipe but mine was made with leftover shrimp. I served it with an avocado salad and rice and beans. Tuesday, was Cinco de Mayo. For lunch, I got take-out from Tacos Jalisco, my favorite food truck in Key Largo. I ordered three different tacos (shrimp, Al pastor and their special), but it wasn’t an original idea; many people called ahead for pick-up so I had to wait. Not to worry, I had no place to be. That night, I made myself a delicious pineapple-jalapeno margarita for Happy Hour and toasted with my Coronavirus go away text group. For dinner, I made an easy Quesadilla with leftover steak and Monterey Jack cheese and used leftover beans and rice for a side dish. Just call me the Leftover Queen!

Wednesday I made a trip to the local Kmart and found two boxes of yeast! Yeast has been a very rare commodity lately, since everyone has been baking in the pandemic. I was tempted to buy all of it (I now understand that instinct to hoard), but restrained myself and got three packs. I picked up Crispy Duck with rice and vegetables for lunch, take-out from Num Thai and Sushi. I asked the lady inside when they would be opening. She said she wasn’t sure, maybe in a week. There are a lot of restaurants in the Keys open for take-out, but not many open for dine-in. I assume it’s a process to restock and call back employees, etc…

That night I made Fried Rice (again with leftovers!) and Thursday was our dinner out. Friday, we grilled Scallops and Shrimp and served it with pureed garlic cauliflower (Zeke’s specialty) and a Caesar salad with garlic bread.

Saturday we returned to Miami for Lauren’s Graduation dinner. She was supposed to graduate from UM Law School Saturday, Zeke was going to hood her at the ceremony and we were going to have a Graduation Party for Lauren and Emma. Instead, we ordered Moon Thai take-out and picked up a beautiful chocolate cake (Ebene) from Cecile’s Bakery on Sunset Drive. Lauren likes chocolate, so it was a brownie crust, chocolate spongecake middle with chocolate mousse on top. We got green and orange balloons to decorate and reinflated Emma’s Graduation balloons. Since Lauren had gotten into University of Florida a couple weeks ago, but just got accepted into Georgetown Law School (yippee!) this week, Emma had gotten her a UF Law School t-shirt.

“There’s a 50% chance you’ll use this,” Emma explained to Lauren.

Emma “hooded” Lauren with a napkin as we laughed and played Pomp and Circumstance on our I-Phone at our Coronavirus Graduation celebration. We talked about how when, for Lauren’s birthday when this all started at the beginning of March, we’d jokingly given her a mask, hand sanitizer and gloves. These were all things she actually has now used. No joke.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. Not only did I not get breakfast in bed, we were out of coffee!- a mortal sin in my house. I made my own breakfast and lunch, but Zeke made up for it by making dinner; he even set the table. We had mango-glazed Cornish Hens stuffed with wild rice, with sides of Roasted Brussel Sprouts (made by Emma and Lauren) and a radish salad. A.J., Wyatt and Justin joined us for dinner. We watched the Disney Sing-a-long after dinner and as Wyatt sang enthusiastically to “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, it took on a whole new meaning.

Zeke had miraculously found Bread Flour so I attempted to make Sour Dough Bread with my Sour Dough starter. It turned out like a Sour Dough brick. Oh well! The instructions for making it have to be weighed in grams on a food scale, so it is quite complicated and precise. Also, I believe I didn’t have enough starter to make it rise. Good thing I found yeast!

I did make a recipe that turned out excellently and was relatively easy. My Mom likes Peanut Brittle, but when I saw this Miracle Peanut Butter Crunch recipe by Food and Wine (can you tell I’m on a Food and Wine kick?), I knew I had to try it for a Mother’s Day treat. I thought I had all the ingredients, but when I came to a crucial part, realized I didn’t have Baking Soda. We’ve been out of the condo for 4 months, so are just re-stocking. I called a friend who lives in our community and she picked some up for me. The really cool part of the recipe is when you add the baking soda and vanilla to the caramel mixture it bubbles up into a puffy, foamy eruption, like a tasty, volcano science experiment. The end result, bite-size, peanut squares, was delicious.

As Zeke and I tried one, he said “This tastes like a candy I’ve tasted.” I agreed and then realized it tasted exactly like the inside of a Butterfinger. So, if you want to drizzle melted chocolate chips on the top, all the better. My Mom really enjoyed these.

Miracle Peanut Butter Crunch Food and Wine

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter

1 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Step 1

Line a 9 inch square pan with foil. In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar with the corn syrup and water. Add the butter and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and cook over moderately high heat (medium high) until the caramel reaches 285 degrees, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof, microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter with the peanuts and salt. Heat the peanut butter in the microwave at high power for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Step 3

In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla with the baking soda. As soon as the caramel reaches 285, carefully stir in the baking soda mixture; the caramel will foam and bubble up.

Step 4

Immediately pour the caramel into the melted peanut butter mixture and, using a heatproof spatula, fold together as quickly as possible. You want the mixtures to be combined but not homogenized; the candy will come together very fast.

Step 5

Immediately scrape the hot candy into the prepared pan and press into a flat, even layer. Let cool completely. Peel off foil and cut the candy into squares.

Also, regarding Netflix suggestions, I’ve been watching “Dead to Me“, a series from last year with Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. It’s about two women who meet at a grief group and become fast friends, joined by a surprising secret. There are a lot of twists and turns, it hooks you in; I do occasionally find both main characters annoying- Jen for her intense anger issues, Judy for her constant need to people-please, but I have enjoyed it. There’s also the plus of James Marsden (who plays Judy’s ex boyfriend), who isn’t hard to look at. The second season just started.

I now have Wyatt down in the Keys for “Gigi Camp”, so it’s hard to write at all and Netflix, except for kids shows, isn’t happening. I presently have him watching Paw Patrol in Spanish; I consider this Homeschooling. I am praying for reinforcements (Zeke) to assist me at “Gigi Camp”. My Wish List of Meals this week is: Grilled Chicken with Chile Lime Sauce and Coconut Rice, Green Curry with Mushrooms and Chickpeas, a Turnip Chirizo Quiche and some fat Honey Dijon Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes. But since I have Wyatt, it will more likely be Spaghettios and McDonalds Happy Meals for him, leftovers and frozen pizza for moi.

“Remember when old ones died and new were born And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged We came together, fell apart And broke each other hearts Remember when…” Alan Jackson

Up Next: Spring Meals to Savor

My house is getting really organized. I bought two drawer organizers for my kitchen drawers and organized my kitchen “junk drawer”. All my drawers had kind of turned into “junk” drawers, now they are neat and tidy. I ordered some grey velvet hangers from Amazon and am slowly phasing out the ugly plastic white ones, for the skinnier, more elegant grey ones in my bedroom closet.

I’ve begun weeding and pruning around the yard, a little bit every day. We had a gentleman named Peter come by yesterday and repair our coral rock wall, that had been damaged by a gumbo limbo tree. He also repaired another part of the wall that had started crumbling. Zeke’s been raking leaves every morning, after he comes home (earlier and earlier it seems) from work.

“Look how great our yard looks!” he proclaimed proudly, one day last week.

“But there’s no one here to see it,” I said, sadly.

It’s kind of ironic when our house and yard look so good that we can’t have anyone over, but as a friend pointed out, we are here to see it and enjoy it. And when would we ever have the kind of time for all these cleaning and organizing projects? I still have many more things to do on my to-do list, so much I think I would panic if the stay-at-home orders are relaxed. Of course, that would be a good problem to have.

The highlight of my week was definitely getting to see and babysit my grandson Wyatt. His Dad got food poisoning and was unable to watch him Tuesday, so Gigi stepped in to babysit so his Mom could work. He rode his bike and I walked beside him, as we went to see the stuffed animals on 76 street.

My daughter A.J. was organizing an event for Women Who Rock, benefitting Lotus Children, children with Autism who are staying at Lotus House. The event, Denim and Diamonds, was Friday night and the rehearsal was Wednesday night, which is why I was baby-sitting.

Another milestone, I finally got out of my yoga clothes and wore a dress twice this week. The first was for a Zoom meeting for the Coral Gables Community Foundation. We discussed what the foundation is doing to help the community- distributing meals with Threefold Cafe to workers and their families in the Gables who have lost their jobs- and other topics. It was nice to see everyone (even through the computer), but I have to say there was a weird vibe to the meeting. Serious and the unpredictablity and uncertainty of the future weighed heavily on all of us.

The chair of the Gala, which was to be “La Vie en Rose”, a Paris-themed gala at the Biltmore Hotel, poo-pooed the idea that the gala would not go on in October. But the rest of us were silent, because really, who knows?

Things that we’ve lost.

And it dawned on me around the same time, that there will more than likely be no UM football games to attend this Fall. My husband and I are season ticket holders and really look forward to going to the games and tailgating with friends and family. Now, that doesn’t seem likely; and that makes me really sad. Going to UM football games and supporting the ‘Canes is part of what makes us, us.

Also, my Pinecrest Garden Club, which meets the second Tuesday of the month in the Hibiscus Room of Pinecrest Gardens, doesn’t seem likely to reconvene in September. Many of our members are elderly and we normally have around seventy people crammed into the room, eating, drinking and chatting in close knit groups, all things that don’t seem advisable until a vaccine is available. I’ve been sending photo cards to the members with a quote from Emily Dickinson, as a way to keep in touch.

So, the second time I donned a dress was Friday night for the Denim and Diamonds fundraiser my daughter was the event planner for. I put on a denim dress and my diamond earrings for the occasion. No one saw me but my familia, but that’s ok. The event was held on Facebook Live and many people joined in the fun, via Zoom. My nephews, Mike and James Gerrard, played their guitars from their living room and sang two songs; I was also able to see my sister Elise watching with her boyfriend. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, check out TheLotusChildren.org.

Dinners this week consisted of a Vegetable Lasagna on Sunday (with bread, roasted garlic and salad). The inspiration came from a lasagna I saw on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It was made with one layer red sauce, then lasagna noodles, one layer of ricotta and spinach, then noodles, one layer of pureed sweet potatoes, then noodles and another layer of ricotta and spinach, and topped with mozzarella and parmesan. Since it made a lot, I shared some with my sisters Kelley and Elise and my neighbor Maggie.

One day, we just ate leftovers, Thursday we had Chicken and Vegetable Tikka Masala my sister Elise made, which I served with white rice. Friday, I had Wyatt, so we just had pasta. My enthusiasm for cooking interesting meals is waning. I made two pizzas on Saturday, made with a two-ingredient Pizza Dough that doesn’t require any yeast. Yeast has been a hot commodity in the pandemic.

Our take-out this week was from Root and Bone in South Miami. The Family Supper consisted of one fried chicken, biscuits, Mac and Cheese, coleslaw and corn for $40. It was all delicious and pick-up was curbside and easy. I also ordered Ribs, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato croquettes and a watermelon salad, all yummy, although the salad was a little wilted. I highly recommend Root and Bone‘s Family Supper. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

You know how they always ask chefs what their last meal would be? I asked Lauren and Zeke last night, where the first place they would want to eat when restaurants open again. Lauren said Hillstone, where she likes to meet a friend to get the Spinach Artichoke Dip and get a glass of wine. Zeke said Capital Grille to get a dry aged steak, with sides and a nice bottle of wine. He really is a meat and potatoes guy. I think I would like a nice seafood dinner, somewhere in the Keys, on the water. With music and the perfect margarita.

We finished two puzzles this week (well, it was really Zeke) and watching McMillions. We liked McMillions, but it’s no Tiger King. We also started watching a corny show- Listen to Your Heart on ABC, part of the Bachelor franchise, to sate our Monday night Bachelor withdrawals. I finished reading the book for my Book Club, Blood, Bones & Butter. It’s written by Gabrielle Hamilton, the chef and owner of a popular Soho restaurant named Prune. She wrote an article about closing her restaurant in the pandemic and what the future holds for Prune. Read about it (or listen to it on the Daily) at www.nytimes.com>closing-prune-restaurant-covid.

Emma just took her last exam and is set to graduate from F.S.U. this Saturday; Lauren’s in the middle of finals online at UM Law School. Other good news: our tenants in our Keys condo are finally leaving! They stayed an extra month, due to the pandemic and we’ve been dying to go down to our “little slice” of paradise.

Zeke and I are doing well. We’ve gotten into a pretty good system. He cleans the kitchen, I do the laundry. He cooks one night a week, we get take-out one night and I cook the other five. It’s starting to get a little dangerous though, because he’s getting used to this situation (me as hausfrau) and likes the fact we’re saving money by eating in and not having a housekeeper. He said:

“I like the way you fold the laundry. I don’t think we even need Isa anymore.”

Ugh, yes we do! My housekeeper texted me last week. I was hoping it was to tell me she was coming back, but she was just checking in. Hopefully, when restrictions loosen up, she will back at our house.

When Zeke and I first started walking together, we talked about which of the kids we thought would disregard the social distancing rules, and come home and give us the dreaded coronavirus. We had different theories of who the most likely suspect would be. Living in the pandemic is like being in an Agatha Christie murder mystery, where we sit around the living room and look at each other suspiciously. Emma has even turned the tables on us and said: “How do we know where you guys have been? You’re probably going to give it to us.” And every time someone goes to the grocery store (I’m still Instacarting), my heart drops. Twenty-four Publix grocery stores have employees who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

One thing about being in such close quarters with your spouse are the smells. Normally, we aren’t together 24/7, but now that we are… I had a friend who insisted separate bathrooms were the key to a happy marriage; I now know what’s she’s talking about. I now also know one month is the amount of time it takes for a toilet ring to develop. And Zeke has this habit of taking his socks off, and leaving them wherever he happens to be that is really starting to get on my nerves.

I saw a meme with a husband and wife on the couch where she says: “You’re breathing too hard” and I get it. It especially bothers me when he comes into the family room after dinner, with a glass full of ice cream and I hear the clink, clink, clink of the spoon hitting the glass. For some reason, it reminds me of my ex-husband and really bugs the s**t out of me. He knows this and persists on doing it. I just have to leave the room. Deep breaths.

And, even with all the ice-cream eating and wine drinking, Zeke’s lost seven pounds. Another reason to want to kill him.

On the day we had Wyatt, he biked, swam, took a bath, ate dinner and was still up around 9, with no nap. He was exhausted, but refused to sleep. I gave him apple juice and milk (his drink of choice) in his sippy cup, let him watch one of “his shows”,(which are inane) but then turned on ours (McMillions) and he was furious. He started crying. I told him he could either watch our show or go to bed.

“I don’t ever want to be in this family ever again!” he said.

I feel you baby, but our family is all we’ve got right now. We may even eye each other suspiciously, but at the end of the day, we all go to bed under one roof. Luckily, after his outburst, he promptly went to sleep.

So, here’s the Two Ingredient Pizza Dough from the Food Network. One of the ingredients is Greek Yogurt. The recipe called for full fat, but I only had 2% and it turned out fine. I made one with Fig Jam, carmelized onions and Gorgonzola cheese, the other with marinara sauce, mozzarella, basil and parmesan cheese. These were all things I had in the fridge. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use an upside down cookie sheet. The hardest part of this recipe, is you have to knead the dough for eight minutes, but I find it’s good therapy and we can all use some therapy right now.

Two-Ingredient Pizza Dough Food Network Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• Pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella, for topping

Directions:

• 1 Put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
• 2 Put the flour and yogurt in a large bowl and mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. (The dough may appear dry and crumbly at first, but it will come together as you mix it.) Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic, about 8 minutes, dusting with more flour if neccessary. If the dough feels too dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time and continue kneading until it is soft and pliable. Divide the dough in half, roll into balls and then use a rolling pin to roll out into two 10-inch pizzas. Dust the back of another inverted baking sheet or pizza stone with more flour and place a circle of dough on top.
• 3 Top the dough round with sauce and shredded cheese as desired, leaving a half-inch bare border around the edge. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet, top as desired and put the sheet in the oven to bake. Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let sit 5 minutes.

We are all human beings. We all have a role to play and together is the only way we will make it out the other side. Be kind, be present, be well.

Micheal Beltrane, chef at Ariete, Taurus. Chugs

Up next: Fun Kitchen projects and How to Shop Safely at the Grocery Store

A UF Journalism student came over the week before to film me for a project for her TV class project. Her parents had seen photos of my garden on Facebook and suggested interviewing me about gardening in the pandemic. She came Wednesday at 10 a.m. and I showed her my garden. Unfortunately, she didn’t get one of the shots she needed, so she returned the following week, same day, same time and asked me to wear the same clothes and hat I’d worn the week before. Like I said, Groundhog Day. Here’s the resulting product.

Besides that, I’ve learned some new words- Herd Immunity (does this mean we’re cows?), contact testing and tracing. I’ve also signed up for a lot of different accounts I never had before – Zoom, Instacart, Total Wine, Twitter (so I could watch Phantom of the Opera) and the United States Postal Service (to order stamps by mail). With these new accounts, come new passwords, which I quickly forget, leading to resetting of the password and a labyrinth maze of computer hell. I forgot the security question for the USPS, so it instructed me to make a new account, but when I tried to and entered my e-mail, it says: “There is already an account under this name”, leading me back to where I started. Guess I’ll give up and risk my life at the post office.

I signed up for Instacart Express for $9.99 per month since I’ve been using it so much. It will save me the delivery fee. This week I saved $8.92- almost what I spent to sign up, so it’s worth it. My order went better this week, but for some reason I ordered one plum tomato and seven heads of garlic. I did follow Tami’s instructions and followed my shopper on my phone as he shopped. This way I was able to let him know if the replacements he was substituting were acceptable. Despite me say “No, string mozzarella isn’t acceptable as a replacement for a block”, he ignored my orders and now I have three packages of string cheese in my fridge. I did get refunded for it, however. Publix is still out of Clorox Wipes, 409, Charmin TP and yeast and tofu. A lot of bakers and vegetarians out there, I guess.

Our take-out this week was from Atchana’s Thai in Coconut Grove. Atchana is a friend of my sister Elise’s and used to run the “ugly green building” on U.S. 1 serving Thai food. We ordered Pad Thai with Shrimp, Green Curry with Pork, rice and Steamed Dumplings. It was all good and I would definitely get Atchana’s Thai again.

I also ordered a restaurant coupon booklet through Travelzoo. For $25, I will get $25 off orders of $100 or more to: Glass and Vine, Root and Bone, Mi’talia, Fooq’s, Stiltsville and other restaurants; $10 off $50 order from Pubbelly Sushi. $100 does seem like a lot, but I figure it would be a meal and leftovers and, I want to support local restaurants. Travelzoo is in partnership with FIU Hospitality and the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. $5 of every coupon booklet purchased will go to the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality Industry Relief Fund.

Other things I’ve discovered this week. Turkey Bacon is no bacon. It kind of sucks, actually. Since I was out of regular bacon, I decided to give it a try since we had some in the freezer. Its color is that of radioactive baloney and it has a weird scalloped edge, obviously machine-made. It’s basically ground turkey, shaped into a bacon shape and loaded with nitrates. Bottom line: it doesn’t taste very good. The only upside is it’s only 25 calories, but that isn’t enough reason to recommend eating it again.

Zeke apparently caught on to my complaints (hint, hint) of being sick of cooking and he cooked Monday. He made grilled shrimp, which he served over spaghetti in a lemon, garlic sauce (all Wild Fork purchases). It was good and I tried Palmini, hearts of palm cut into pasta like shapes, with it. I mixed it in with spaghetti to cut down on the carb and calorie content. It wasn’t bad, although despite rinsing it repeatedly, it still retained a bit of a bitter, acidic flavor. It’s similar to zucchini noodles, but it comes in a can. If you drown it in enough sauce, it’s acceptable.

I ate ham and hard boiled eggs, ’till it came out of my ears. Sandwiches, omelets, quiches. I’m glad it’s gone. I made this easy quiche from the blog The Frugaler, which doesn’t require a pie crust or flour. It uses Bisquick, much like the zucchini pie from the 80’s. I added some sautéed kale I had in the fridge for a little green and it turned out pretty good. I served it with sautéed mushrooms and leeks and little herb salad I made with parsley and cherry tomatoes from my garden. The last of my Romaine lettuce was looking iffy so, a little helpful hint if you’re out of lettuce- you can make a salad out of herbs you may have growing or on hand. I used parsley- Italian and curly leaf- but basil, dill or mint would work as well. I tossed it with a mustardy vinaigrette. If you’re using herbs from your garden, make sure to rinse them thoroughly in cold, salty water to get rid of the dirt and bugs.

Impossibly Easy Quiche from The Frugaler

• 1 cup cooked ham, bacon, sausage
• 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, etc…)
• 1 cup Bisquick
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray.
2. Place your choice of meat in the bottom of the pan. Layer the grated cheese on top of the meat.
3. Mix eggs, baking mix and milk together with a whisk or in a blender until smooth. Pour over the cheese and meat mixture.
4. Bake for 45 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

I try to write three things every day I’m grateful for. Even in this fearful and stir-crazy time, there’s always something to be thankful for. Things I am grateful for:

1. I don’t have to Home School small children. I can only imagine how challenging that would be. Yikes!
2. I didn’t lose my job and can work (write) from home.
3. I’m healthy and my family’s healthy. I saw a neighbor walking her mother down the street. The mother was on a walker and struggling. I feel empathy for people caring for elderly parents at this time. Also, people who are sick, physically or mentally, hungry, homeless and women trapped in domestically violent situations. I feel blessed.

There are other silver linings during this period.

1. People are acting nice to each other. At first, all I felt from other people was fear, but now, as it goes on, I’ve had people saying hello on the streets (unusual in Miami) and sharing things other people need. My friend Tami had a friend who needed flour so I gave her some and she brought me some Everglades tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and small bouquet of flowers. Flour for flowers. The bartering system is back.
2. Nature is resurging. From frolicking dolphins in Italy, bears in Yosemite and goats in Wales, animals- without the presence of humans, cars and cruise ships- are making a comeback.
3. Free Events. There are so many virtual tours- of museums, travel spots, national parks and free concerts steaming online, lessons- like cooking and guitar, that we definitely have more than our fair share of things to occupy our time and distract us.

Also, some restaurants and theme parks are releasing their formerly secret recipes. Disney Theme parks released their recipe for the Dole Pineapple Whip you can get outside the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room. I made one for lunch and ate it while I watch a You Tube video of the Enchanted Tiki Room. I didn’t use a star shape piping bag, so it didn’t turn out as pretty, but it was just a delicious. It was only three ingredients- 1 big scoop of vanilla ice cream, 1/2 cup pineapple juice and 2 cups of frozen pineapple. Put it in a blender, blend it up and voila! Delicious and oh so refreshing!

And McDonalds released their recipe for their Sausage Egg McMuffin. I made it according to the recipe and just substituted ham (leftover!) for sausage. I didn’t have American cheese (McDonald’s actually has their own formula that melts over a hot English muffin) so used sharp cheddar. The only item you might not have is the egg ring to break the egg into. They sell them at Bed, Bath and Beyond or online. My homemade McMuffin was quite tasty.

We had another Corona Virus Go Away! Zoom Happy Hour this weekend. It was Adele’s Birthday, so we all sang her Happy Birthday as she cooked her own birthday dinner. We were off-key but enthusiastic. Everyone seems to be holding up well during this stressful time, although some of our hair definitely looks better than others.

The Natives are Getting Restless.

I’ve had this sense for the last week or so (at least). People can only be by themselves for SO long without going a little crazy. At least two couples I know, had other couples over to their houses, six feet apart of course. Human connection is crucial.

I also had a Social Distancing Happy Hour, six feet apart, with my Book Club. While there, drinking drinks we’d brought ourselves, I asked everyone what they missed most in this continuing s**t storm of the coronavirus. Most everyone agreed getting their hair done and getting mani-pedis. Guta, an interior designer with fabulous taste, said she missed the gym and shopping to find the perfect, little thing she didn’t know she needed and then, having a leisurely lunch with a girlfriend. Diana, who owns a couple of chain restaurants, said she misses tennis and dancing. She normally takes dance lessons a couple times a week and is in great shape. She’s applied for assistance for her restaurants, but wonders what the restaurant scene will look like, when the dust settles. Vicki, our resident nurse, misses Pilates and going with friends to restaurants. Loli, who hosted, misses getting her hair done, eating out, seeing the water (she calls herself a beach bum) and going to the movies. As a former actress, she says: “streaming is ok, I guess, but like to see movies in the theaters.” I agree!

Sumita, a realtor who started our Book Club and always tries to look on the bright side of things, said “all this”, motioning with her arms to indicate hair, nails etc… Then she elaborated “going to visit my parents (they live in India), going for ice cream on a whim, dinner parties with friends, office meetings with colleagues, hugging a friend.” Louisa, an ESOL teacher, misses being able to visit her mother in Stuart, attending physical therapy sessions and eating out. She also misses her children, who live in different states; any of us with children we can’t see, miss them.

I was supposed to go visit my son Christopher and his wife Courtney in Tallahassee in April, when the weather is glorious and the dogwood and azalea trees are in full bloom. My flight, on April 2nd, was cancelled. I thought about hopping in the car and doing a road trip, but my daughter-in-law is a labor and delivery nurse who works in a hospital, so my son advised against it.

So, I miss road trips and traveling in general. Also, I really miss getting my monthly massage. I need to get my teeth cleaned and this is something I can’t do myself, despite enthusiastic brushing and flossing. They are starting to get that slimy feel. I miss going to Trader Joe’s to shop- everyone there is happy and helpful and they have things you can’t get other places. And also dinner parties- going to or throwing them.

As for what we’ve been watching on TV, we still haven’t finished McMillions (about McDonald’s Monopoly game scandal) but we did enjoy Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, about Fred Rodgers. This documentary, chronicling the life and legacy of Mr. Rodgers, is an upper, and honestly, who doesn’t need that these days?

Up Next: Foods to Fight Viruses and Projects to do Around the House while you’re stuck inside and have nothing else to do.