Up at the crack of dawn, instead of marching I was walking the floor constantly with my small bundle of joy. Instead of jumping jacks, I bounced him, patted his diapers and rocked him to get him to sleep. It was a regimented routine of: wake up, play, eat, burp, eat some more, burp some more and sleep. Over and over again. Instead of ducking bullets from the enemy, I was spit up on, drooled on, pooped and peed on.

I drilled him on his black and white flashcards, read a couple baby books and sang him songs in an attempt to entertain the troops. No Marine Corp Hymn for Liam (the only song my Dad knew how to sing). “Five Little Ducks went out to play” and “Five Little Speckled Frogs sitting on a speckled log” seem to be favorites, with Baby Shark coming in a distant third. A swing and a glider came in handy to relieve the constant holding of my small charge. I forgot how hard it is to do everything one-handed!

I even gave him a bath, which I think deserves an award for bravery- a blue washcloth instead of a purple heart? Liam is a happy baby and was a pleasant most of the day until about five, when he got extremely cranky, fussy and nothing made him happy. It felt like some kind of torture, but instead of a Prisoner of War, I was a Prisoner of Love. I desperately needed reinforcements. Wyatt left around 7, right after Liam finally went to sleep, so all was quiet on the Western Front. I prayed it might be an early bedtime (he usually goes to bed at 8), but no such luck.

There’s no way in hell I’m making dinner tonight.

I told Zeke, when he came home.

So he ordered two sushi rolls from Moon Thai and picked them up for dinner. Just as we were about to sit down to eat our Sloppy J and Sexy Lover roll, guess who woke up? Zeke said “You eat,” and held Liam and I then returned the favor. This reminded me of what my life used to be like with young kids, eating in shifts, gobbling down food as fast as possible and never having a minute to yourself. I don’t miss those days.

The Sloppy J roll had shrimp tempura and avocado inside, topped with tuna, salmon and yellowtail slices on the outside. The Sexy Lover roll has spicy tuna and cucumber topped with spicy tuna, sliced jalapenos, wasabi mayo and cilantro. Both were very good, although sloppily sliced. With dirty hair, spit-up all over my clothes and tight shoulders from holding the baby all day, I felt as far from a Sexy Lover as possible.

Being with the baby all day made me think I need to be doing more yoga, to get myself flexible, relaxed and able to handle these marathon babysitting sessions. Courtney is working 12 hour shifts in Labor and Delivery as a nurse at Mount Sinai and I will be one of the regular sitters each week. It also made me think I need to start eating healthier- more fruits, vegetables and whole grains- in order to stay in ship-shape for all these grandsons!

I had Emma and Guillermo over for pasta Sunday night with Wyatt. As we ate springs with my Grandmother’s pasta sauce, Zeke called me a hoarder. This is the thanks I get for making homemade Sunday gravy, with meatballs, sausage, salad, peas and bread! I was surprised to hear Courtney agree (Emma wisely stayed silent on the matter), saying she’d found something in the freezer she couldn’t imagine what I would be saving it for.

Could it be my frozen celery leaves, parsley stems or onion skins she was referring to? Or perhaps the chicken skin in a plastic bag, mushroom stems or parmesan cheese rinds? Doesn’t she know that eliminating food waste (a big problem in our country?) is all the rage these days? I’ve been ahead of the curve on that one for decades. My mom says I act like someone who was raised in the Great Depression and it’s true; I just can’t bear to throw anything away.

So I took my onions skins, mushroom stems, celery leaves and parsley stems and made a vegetable broth with them. I filled the pot with purified water, added my scraps and a couple bay leaves, brought it to a boil and simmered it for a couple hours. I find vegetable broth in the grocery store has an odd flavor. This broth unfortunately lacked flavor as well, so I added some salt and mushroom seasoning to punch it up. Perhaps a cube of vegetable bouillon would have helped as well. I used this broth as a base for a Minestrone Soup I made the next day.

I used a recipe from Cookie and Kate, which has wonderful vegetarian recipes. This soup is totally vegan, except for the Parmesan cheese on top. I also added Parmesan rinds to the pot, to give it a depth of umami flavor. You know the really hard part covering Parmesan cheese? I cut them off and save them to use in soups and pasta sauces. The only thing I haven’t made use of is the chicken skin, but just give me time.

In other news, Mr. Potato Head is no longer going to be a Mr., but now will just be Potato Head, in order to be gender-inclusive. Potato Head will come with various parts- eyelashes, mustache, purse and pipe- that can go either way (or both ways). Good news! After staying on the phone with American Express for hours last week, I finally scored tickets to a Resy event in Wynwood later this month for a drive-through dining experience. Ten Miami chefs, including Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz, are serving a ten-course meal to diners in their cars. It’s March 18th and I can’t wait!

Zeke and I went down to our condo in the Keys Friday to check on a boat cover I’d gotten him as a Christmas present. Luckily my brother-in-law trailered the boat back from the boat dealership, so we didn’t have to deal with that nightmare again, but when Zeke checked the boat last week in the boat yard, he couldn’t find the boat cover. I wasn’t too concerned, as I know how Zeke looks for things, but we decided we better go down to make sure it was there and put it on the boat.

When Zeke looked again, “Surprise, surprise!” (as Gomer Pyle liked to say)- there was the boat cover, in the head, just as Unique Marine had informed us. Zeke removed it from its bag and it was like a giant black amoeba sprawling out inside our boat, with no rhyme or reason as to how it was to go. There were no instructions, but we finally got it figured out, positioned it in place and we went to get a drink, before heading home.

Getting a margarita at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon was probably not the best idea in the world. But we were in the Keys, celebrating our victory over the boat cover, enjoying the day and missing our little slice of Paradise. The Big Chill serves a margarita I actually like, not easy to find in the Keys. Their Perfect Margarita is made with tequila (Jose Cuervo), lime juice and orange liqueur, exactly as it should be made; for some reason, the salt around the rim tastes better than regular salt. It went down quite easily, as we listened to some island tunes and looked out at the glittering bay. Getting the second margarita was probably not advised, but I did it anyway.

Needless to say, when we got home, I didn’t feel up to going out so we just grilled some sausages outside by the pool to make sandwiches and listened to Margaritaville on Pandora. Which is what we will continue doing as we count the remaining days of March, waiting to get our condo back in April. Until then, I have a little Drill Sergeant living upstairs who demands my time and attention.

So bring me two pina coladas, I want one for each hand, Let’s set sail with Captain Morgan and we’ll never leave dry land, Hey troubles, I forgot them. I buried them in the sand, So bring me two pina coladas, she said goodbye to her good timin’ man.

Garth Brooks

Up Next: Minestrone Soup

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

This posed a dilemma for my husband, who was the picker-up. First we ordered sushi from Moon Thai and Sushi, a combo of tuna, California and JB rolls and a salad with ginger dressing. That wasn’t too crowded, so Zeke felt ok. Still, following Dr. Oz’s protocol, we removed food from the bag, transferred it to our containers, left the packaging outside and came in and washed our hands before eating. I even threw the chopsticks away, I’m getting so paranoid.

The other place we ordered from was Miami’s Best, since they were having a “buy one, get one free” on large pizzas on Tuesday. We ordered a California Dreaming (really yummy with goat cheese and artichoke hearts) and a plain cheese and Zeke and Lauren went to pick it up. The promotion must have worked, because the place was PACKED. Good for business, not good for social distancing. Even though they didn’t give us the free pie, we took the pizza and ran out of there and dealt with the refund the next day.

Since all Miami-Dade restaurants have closed for dining in, and so many people have lost their jobs, I feel the need to do my part and support the local restaurants that are still open. I called my friend, take-out queen Tami, and asked her where she’d been getting take-out for her and her son, home from college. She’s been ordering from Deli Lane, Sushi Maki and Lan Pan Asian. She recommended the Tortellini Alfredo, Chicken Francais, California Dreaming quesadilla, Salad with Salmon and Chicken Chili at Deli Lane. I got an email from Lan Pan (in Dadeland Station) for free delivery of orders $35 and more with the promo code DELIVERY.

Tami also noted that it seemed Taco Craft, Town and Casa Cuba are open for business. HoneyBee donuts, Whisk and Sports Grill are also open. HoneyBee is doing curbside service with credit cards only and Sports Grill (love their wings!) is doing call-in and online orders with pick-up outside the restaurant. Zeke and I passed a newly opened restaurant, Wood Label Bistro on Sunset, in the old Healthy Fresh location handing out menus for lunch and dinner. I felt so bad for the owner, opening a new restaurant under these dire circumstances.

Shula’s 347, Root & Bone and Mi’talia, all part of the Grove Bay Hospitality Group, are offering free delivery within a 4 more radius of their restaurants. Old Lisbon, the Portuguese restaurant on Sunset Drive, is doing delivery through UberEats. Three Fold Cafe in Coral Gables (home of the famous avocado toast) is selling groceries, like almond milk and coffee, as well as hot and cold dishes and ready-to-cook meals (like lasagna). Check their website for details and to order.

Fiola’s restaurant, the fancy Italian restaurant in South Miami with an outpost in Washington D.C., is also offering deals. Premium wines are 50% off and they are offering cocktail and menu items for curbside pick-up. I figured it would be way too expensive, but when I looked at the menu, it really wasn’t too bad. Eggplant Parmesan is $22, Fiola’s Meatballs $24, Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Bolognese and Mushrooms is $34. There’s also Grilled Octopus ($24), Roast Chicken ($34) and Branzino ($36), as well as sides, desserts and bread. If you wish white glove delivery by one of the managers, there is a 10% charge, but it is donated to the Relief Fund for their furloughed employees. Call 305 912-2639 for more information.

Cecile’s Bakery and Cafe, a new restaurant on Sunset Drive, is offering online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery. They make it very easy to order off the website and pay, so no touching of a germy credit card machine. I just ordered a smoked salmon and ricotta sandwich on multigrain bread for $14. Zeke dropped me off, I hopped in, picked up the paper bag and left. Easy peasy, non-diseasy. Cecile’s also has salads, soups, smoothies, delicious baked goods, their famous macarons and homemade gelato and sorbet. They’re open 8- 3 p.m. Call 305 397-8206, or visit their website.

When I walked down Sunset Drive (a ghost town), I noticed Spris pizza on the corner is also offering pick up and deliveries, with 15% off deliveries. Yumbrella, the food hall in Sunset Place with different eateries is also open for take-out during COVID-19. My incognito reporter Tami is just back from South Miami with an update. Middle Eastern restaurants Marhaba and Khoury’s are open for ordering food, as well as The Boiling Crab, Pura Pizza and Italian joint Macalusa. Newly-opened BBQ restaurant The Flying Pig (near CVS) is also open 1-9 pm with free delivery, take-out and curbside pickup. And if anyone feels like eating healthy, Earth serves healthy food like smoothies, juices and bowls with no delivery fees.

While I’ve been trying to avoid grocery stores, Whole Foods seemed very clean and well organized when we visited; they have senior hours for 60 and over. A friend who went to Costco during Senior Hours (early) said it was crazy busy, with a line around the store, so I would avoid Cotsco at all costs. This is what Instacart was made for. Wayside Market on Red Road is open (the girls have been biking there) if you need produce and Bee Heaven Farms in the Redlands is having a Pop-Up Farmer’s Market from 2 to 6 p.m. on Fridays.

Bee Heaven is selling loose items such as cherry tomatoes, beans, salads and radishes, eggs and honey. They ask shoppers to wash their hands, use social distancing, point to items they want and employees will place them in the basket. They also ask that you bring your own bags. While I always try to use my own reusable bags at the grocery store (and everywhere I shop) the recommendations these days is to use plastic bags and throw them away.

So, how else can we help our local restaurants besides ordering take-out and picking it up ourselves?

You can buy a Gift Card for future use, either for yourself or as a gift. The James Beard Foundation has set up a charity to help restaurants and their employees- the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund. The Coral Gables Community Foundation, which I’m on the Board of, is partnering with Three Fold Cafe to provide meals to local workers and their families who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. You can donate online or by writing a check. Visit info@Gablesfoundation.org for more information.

And Chef Jose Andres is doing it again, with his World Central Kitchen providing meals to coronavirus patients, as well as launching feeding efforts around the world, including Miami. With his new America Eats Now campaign, he is partnering with restaurants to feed the elderly, schoolchildren and marginalized communities around the world.

Hot shot chef Brad Kilgore has changed his Uber-cool Wynwood Alter restaurant into AlterQ, offering take-out and delivery of Bar-B-Q and more casual eats. He’s also offering other pantry staples, like white bread, rice and even gloves, as a way to stay afloat and help out the community. From the original 100 employees he had for his different restaurants, he’s down to 15. He’s also started the Miami Restaurant Employee Relief Fund to assist laid off Miami Hospitality workers.

So, while we don’t know how long this Global Pandemic will last, let’s try to help out our local restaurants as much as possible. We enjoy them so much under normal circumstances- they feed us when we’re hungry, boost our spirits with their food, drinks, atmosphere and staff. I certainly hope they weather this storm and will be around for us when everything is calmed down.

Newsflash: Sushi Maki in South Miami giving out toilet paper (a valuable commodity these days) with take-out orders.

Up next week: Choosing Fresh Food that lasts a while (reducing trips to grocery store) and Foods to eat to Fight Viruses.

Right after my tennis match, the season was cancelled for my South Florida Women’s doubles league, quickly followed by suspending play on my USTA league. School was cancelled for all Miami-Date Public schools, as well as my Grandson’s preschool. Publix is somewhere you now want to avoid at all costs and good luck finding toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wipes, alcohol (the rubbing kind), bleach, or any kind of cleaning product. Salons are closed, as are all non-essential retail stores and all the Miami-Dade Public Libraries. And, as of Tuesday, all restaurants are closed for business, except for order out and take away.

Even while I enjoyed the simple pleasures of life we take for granted last week, there were clues of the eventual avalanche. At tennis, we elbow bumped, instead of shaking hands and my partner didn’t even want to do that so we air high-fived. At my grandson’s school, everyone appeared on high-alert, with hand sanitizer positioned at every opening. As I went to sign him out for the day, the Dad in front of me said “I believe that pen’s been sanitized.”

Even weirder was the library, where the lady at the checkout desk poured straight alcohol onto her hands as I got Wyatt some books. My Blo Dry salon was crowded, but there was a nervous energy to the place, the way it feels before a hurricane, where everyone’s terrified of what might happen, but hoping for the best. And, as we were leaving Sea Siam after dinner Saturday night, we peeked in the dining room and it was totally empty- an eery sight. It had the same effect on me as when my dog Bandit came inside the house before Hurricane Andrew and threw up on the kitchen floor. Although I hadn’t been worried before, this was an ominous sign that something was not right.

Today is Lauren’s birthday. While she originally thought about going out to Hillstones for dinner, we decided against it due to the need to socially distance. This was even before there was no option of eating out. Now we are going to get take-out from Moon and eat at home. I am making the girls favorite cake- a yellow cake with delicious chocolate frosting (from Joy of Cooking), topped with Reese’s pieces. I’m giving Lauren some TP, a mask, gloves and wipes as gifts, as a joke- kind of. I’d already given her one of my last two hand sanitizers, which is like liquid gold these days. We will celebrate her birthday, our small little family (Wyatt and AJ are gone) and try to make the best out of a very strange and unprecedented situation.

I am remaining calm and trying not to eat 24/7. Obviously, I ‘ve been cooking a lot. Also, working in my garden, taking walks around the block (six feet apart from others), meditating and doing yoga from You Tube videos. My husband Zeke’s decided to close his office, since no one is working anymore, so I will be getting a peek at what life will be like when he retires. (Insert terrified face emoji here. )And giving thanks for the fact that my family (as of now) is healthy, including my 83-year-old mother and her boyfriend Bob.

I’m giving thanks for the small things, like finding a cucumber at Publix yesterday. I was craving smashed cucumber salad, but unsure if I could find a cucumber. There is so much we take for granted. And remembering just a week ago, when life seemed much more normal and knowing that eventually, life will return to normal again. Hopefully, with a deeper appreciation of all the services, food, supplies and freedoms we normally are blessed with. Just not now.

It made me think of Hillstone where Lauren wanted to eat for her birthday. It’s not a place I eat a lot, but I do remember their Spinach Artichoke Dip being good. I found a recipe for a Knock-off of it on a website called cdKitchen. If you have canned artichokes and frozen Spinach, plus a few other essentials, you can make this. It’s creamy, cheesy and satisfying- comfort food to the max. Also fattening, but according to my stepdaughter Emma “calories don’t count in a pandemic.”

“Like” Hillstone’s Spinach Artichoke Dip from cdKitchen

• 1 jar (6.25 oz) marinated artichokes, drained
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup 1/2 and 1/2
• 1/2 cup sour cream

In food processor, blend artichokes, Romano, garlic and Parmesan cheese for 1 1/2 minutes. In a mixing bowl, add drained spinach, half and half, sour cream and mozzarella. Stir well. Spoon into artichoke mixture and blend all ingredients.

Butter an oven-proof shallow serving dish. Pour mixture into dish and baked 20-25 minutes at 350 until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve with tortilla, sour cream and salsa.

Serves 16 (or 6 in a pandemic)

How bizarre indeed.