“Baby, baby, baby, You’re Out of Time.”

Farewell Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and, more than likely, the zaftig and glistening Mrs. Butterworth. You had a good run, but frankly, I’m actually surprised you’ve lasted this long. Also banished from butter (and other dairy products) is the Land ‘O Lakes lass and I believe I heard Miss Chiquita‘s dance party is ending, so hang on to your fruit-filled basket, it’s about to come tumbling down. Colonel Saunders seems ripe for replacement, but monocled Mr. Peanut, who was rumored to have died at the Superbowl this year, is apparently still alive and crunchy. I would bet that the Kool-aid Man is safe (although sugar-haters may disagree), but the Lucky Charms Leprechaun and Chef Boyardee better watch their backs. Eskimo Pie is losing its fur-fringed little Eskimo and the smiling, black-hatted Quaker Oats Man is being reconsidered for religious reasons. It’s only a matter of time before Tall people object to the Jolly Green Giant and short people (like me) to the Keebler Elves. It’s a strange time we’re living in, that’s for sure!

“I’m so worried about all this.”

my friend Martha said the other night at dinner.

She’s worried about her health and her family’s health with the Pandemic, worried about the economic health of our country and worried about the protests and rapid sea change that’s sweeping our country and our world. I can’t pretend not to be worried, but I think these difficult times are here for a reason. Our country is learning valuable lessons and growing; growing pains are painful, but necessary. I think the United States is going to emerge stronger, wiser and better than before, through these experiences. Crises are also opportunities. Let’s hope we make the most of them.

Good news! After weeks of attempting to coddle my sourdough starter into the bubbly white stuff needed to make bread, I finally made my first loaf of (successful) Sourdough bread. Once the starter doubles in size after you feed it a flour/water mixture, the starter is ready to be used. You need to hop to it, or your window of opportunity will pass. When it doubled in size a month ago, I wasn’t “in the mood” to make bread, so it fell and I put it back in the fridge. Mistake! I had no idea I would have to wait another month for this miracle of yeasty bubbles to occur again. This time, when it doubled, I dropped everything to make the holy loaf. It turned out great and came out of the oven just as I was going to dinner at Martha and Luis’s, so I brought it with me. The recipe I used was from The Curious Carrot for Easy Sourdough Bread. Don’t let the name fool you! There’s nothing easy about it.

Martha’s daughter Carolina ordered fresh oysters from #thelazyoyster. Four different delicious varieties were delivered to their door, accompanied with mignonette and cocktail sauces. I would definitely order from The Lazy Oyster again! The variety of oysters varies according to what is flown in fresh. We had Fire Island, Oyster Pond, Violet Cove and Kusshi oysters. Follow them on Instagram at: thelazyoystercompany.

Martha served a delicious lemon pasta with shrimp, which we ate with the sour dough bread and butter. I made chocolate chip cookies with roasted hazelnuts and brown butter for dessert (Oprah magazine recipe), along with lots of champagne and wine. It was a carboholic feast!

The recipe, from Chef Prisinzano, who owns restaurants in New York City, is below. It’s one of the most popular dishes he serves at his restaurant and it’s super easy to make. I got the recipe from Italy on My Mind.

Spaghetti Limone

Dried spaghetti, 14 ounces 6 ounces cold butter, sliced in chunks 2 organic lemons, halved 3 ounces grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water (it should be salty) to a boil. While it is boiling, prepare your other ingredients. Squeeze the lemon halves through a sieve. Keep the lemon halves. Finely grate the cheese and set aside. Chop the butter. Have a pot on the stove, on low heat.

When the water comes to a boil, drop the spaghetti in, pushing it down using tongs when soft enough to ensure it’s immersed in water. Heat plates on low in oven.

Cook 10 minutes, or until al dente. Turn the second pot’s heat off and place cooked spaghetti in using tongs, reserving pasta water. Add chopped butter, lemon juice and squeezed lemon halves and stir, using a wooden spoon, until creamy, adding more cooking water if needed. Keep stirring until the sauce becomes creamy. Ladle onto warmed plates, with one lemon half as garnish. Top with grated cheese. Chef Prisinzano says you can add spinach, kale, black pepper, red pepper, or herbs to this dish. Martha added shrimp and this is how she did it.

Martha’s Shrimp for Pasta

Broil shrimp with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder at 400 for 8 to 9 minutes, until they are pink and add to pasta.

The meals I made this week were all over the place, but easy was the name of my game. I made a Fresh Vegetable Soup with homemade chicken broth, that I ate for lunch and snacks during the week from the cookbook From Simple to Spectacular by Jean-George Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. I’m not sure where I picked up this book, but I love the concept. It takes one basic recipe (like chicken broth) and gives you four different ways to twist it. For example, the simplest soup was Chicken Soup with parsley puree, the most spectacular Rich Chicken Soup with chestnuts and mushroom ravioli.

I used the chicken I made the chicken stock with to make Mediterranean Chicken Salad from The Silver Palate, a recipe a friend recommended. It was unlike typical chicken salads, since it had no mayonnaise, but instead a vinaigrette, as well as black olives, chopped tomatoes and capers. You’re supposed to serve it with green beans, but since I had none, served it over Romaine lettuce at a picnic I had in the backyard with Wyatt. He ate a PBJ and yogurt and we swam afterwards. Wyatt loves to swim, but he tends to dog paddle. I suggested we get him some swimming lessons to brush up on his strokes.

That sounds like a horrible idea!

Wyatt

A friend at The Sanctuary gave us some grouper from a recent fishing trip on Sunday. So, on Monday I topped it with a mayonnaise, pesto, lemon and parmesan cheese blend and baked it. An All Recipe’s recipe, the topping kept it moist and flavorful. I served it with rice and Brussel Sprouts. We met friends at Riviera for Happy Hour on Tuesday for chicken wings and pasta. It was my friend Sharon’s first venture out of the house since the lock-down began.

This is the first time I’ve put on pants that aren’t yoga pants in months. And the first time I’ve put my wedding ring back on.

Sharon

We also met other friends at Riviera for dinner Thursday night, although they had been out before. I feel I’ve been experiencing a lot of people’s “First time out” with them, since the Pandemic descended. Does that make me a dare devil? Or an idiot? According to Emma, who sent me an interesting text about masks, probably a bit of both. The bottom line on the text is if both people wear masks, those with Covid and those without, there’s only a 5% chance of it being transmitted.

I made an Oprah magazine recipe for dinner Wednesday- Pasta with Buratta, Pesto and Asparagus. It sounded better and looked better than it tasted. I love pasta, buratta and pesto, so figured I would love it and even added some toasted pine nuts to give it some crunch, but it was kind of just meh. I think it would’ve been better if the pasta was tossed with the pesto, instead of plopped on top. Zeke was not impressed.

Saturday night I made a really good, and easy dinner of Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter and Shishito Peppers. It called for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but mine had the skin on. While chicken without skin usually tends to dry out, with this recipe it wouldn’t because you sear the chicken, then add the butter sauce to the top. I served it with Jasmine rice, something bland because the dish has a lot of flavor. I always like a variety of color, so a radish salad or sliced tomato would’ve been welcome here. Recipe below, from Eating Well, July August 2019.

Sunday, was of course, Father’s Day. I made Zeke Eggs Benedict with a grapefruit half for breakfast. Zeke made a special trip down south to Mainzer’s in the Dixie Belle Plaza (probably soon to be renamed), to get Bratwurst and Knockwurst sausages. The owners are older and worried about COVID, so you have to call them, tell them what you want and they’ll bring your order outside. Zeke’s Dad Mort used to serve these sausages, grilled and sliced, at many parties at his house on the Riviera Golf Course, so the sausages were a tribute to him.

Zeke is a meat and potatoes kind of guy so dinner was dry aged Bone-In New York Strips (from Meat and Bone ) grilled on the charcoal grill, Cabernet sautéed mushrooms, baked potatoes with toppings, Caesar salad and garlic bread. Zeke, Emma and I enjoyed dinner in the Family Room (where the roof’s not leaking) and Emma made some Cheesecake bars (The Best and Easiest Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars from thedomesticrebel.com) that were decadent and yummy for dessert. Zeke got a rotisserie for his grill (Rachel), Golf Bag (Emma) and some socks and a book, The Lincoln Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer, from me.

Bad News! Coronavirus is spiking across the US and experts are saying Florida has the making of the next epicenter. According to the reliably sane Dr. Fauci, this is not the second wave but a continuation of the first. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, said this is happening because: “We didn’t complete the social distancing period that we needed to do.” In other words, most states (including Florida) opened up prematurely. According to Hotez, stay-at-home orders should’ve been extended through May. And it’s not just more testing causing the rise in numbers, despite that theory being pushed. “That’s new cases. That’s community spread,” he said.

Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys, reinstated a mandatory mask rule last week, after the free-for-all over the weekend. Florida Covid-19 Cases rose by 4,049 on Saturday, June 20th, the most during the Pandemic, not a distinction we want to have. And it was a record high for the third day in a row in Florida. It makes us look Flori-dumb all over again. So what to do? Wear a mask when out and about (duh!), wash your hands frequently and try not to be out and about at all.

Ugh! Easier said than done, for sure. After months being cooped up like caged birds, most of us are ready to spread our wings and fly free. But we are seeing more and more cases, so weary as we are, this isn’t the time to let our guard down. I am still worried, but I know there are things I can do to protect myself. I love this quote from the Bible.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin….Be not therefore anxious for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for itself.

Matthew 6:28-34

And, if you’ve never seen the movie Lilies of the Field, starring Sidney Poitier, watch it! He won an Academy Award for it and when I met him, I mentioned how much I loved him in that movie. Everybody knows him from To Sir with Love, but this story, about a traveler who helps a group of nuns, is a true gem and an upper. Wyatt and I watched Finding Nemo Thursday night, when he slept over. “What’s this movie about?” he asked. “It’s about a Dad who loses his son and does everything he can to find him,” I said. Now that I think about it, an appropriate movie for Father’s Day. Also, the song from top of this blog was in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, another movie (Quentin Tarantino) I love, that I watched the other night.

I haven’t really watched any series on Netflix, or been reading any books. I mostly check my phone constantly for the latest dire predictions; lately, I’ve had the attention span of a gnat. Something is eating my cucumber flowers before they have a chance to become little cucumbers. Despite my hyper vigilance, the flowers keep dropping off. I’m not sure if it’s snails or something else. I will not give up on you cucumbers!

I’m sad about people moving away, from neighbors and aquantainces, to some in my very family, also I’m sad about businesses and restaurants that I loved that are closing; in general life seems to be changing at a rapid pace. But, as they say, change is the only constant in life and when I can’t stop worrying, I need to look at the quote above and, like Dory in Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming.

Up Next: Mango Mania, Food and Wine recipes I Love and Items You Should Always Have in Your Freezer.

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

I asked my friend Martha, who is a social Cuban butterfly, how she was holding up in the pandemic.

“Oh, I change from one mumu to another every day,” she said.

She really misses having dinner parties, socializing, going shopping and out to lunch.

Martha is kind of famous for her mumus, which are not actually mumus, but Mexican embroidered, cotton dresses. If she invites us to dinner and says “I’m in my mumu,” we know she’ll greet us barefoot and dinner will be a casual affair, around the kitchen table.

When I mentioned getting a mumu like Martha’s to Zeke a while ago, he was firmly against it. He thought it would be an indication I’d given up on life. Now, however, I asked how he would feel if I ordered a Mexican mumu and he said “At least I’ll know you’ve changed out of your pajamas.”

Because, even though last week I actually changed out of yoga clothes into dresses a couple times, this week I regressed, staying in my pajamas for more than the morning. It’s interesting to see how people are dressing during the stay-at-home coronavirus scare.

Chrissy Teigen said on Ellen, she’s in her element because she likes to lounge around in robes during normal circumstances. She has a wide variety of robes, acquired from all over, from vintage, to sexy and flirty; Stay at Home orders are the perfect opportunity to showcase them. The Pioneer Woman, who I watched yesterday, wore a kimono over a black top. I like kimonos, but certainly don’t think they’re the most practical thing to cook in, given the drapey sleeves. I can just see one landing in my pancake batter or being set aflame from the stove.

And some women are apparently going braless during this time of social isolation. This was actually an article in The Miami Herald last week. That is how desperate the situation is getting. The only news in the paper is coronavirus-related, even fashion wise (or lack thereof).

There was a segment on CBS Sunday Morning about a woman who went through her closet, trying on clothes that reminded her of happy occasions. She then took selfies and posted them to Instagram. She said it made her feel so much better about life. This sounds like the worst kind of torture to me. I HATE trying on clothes, even ones that remind me of happy occasions. And I’m sure a lot of them wouldn’t even fit me right now.

And there’s also the pillowcase challenge, where people are strapping a pillow to themselves with a belt, and taking selfies. Halle Berry rocked this look, looking like an Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffanys diva, but she could look good wearing a paper bag. I’m not jumping on this craze anytime soon; Lately, I just need a small pillow to scream into on occasion.

Every Day is a Bad hair Day

Everyone seems concerned with their hair these days, and what to do about it. I have a friend who had her hairstylist come to her house and color and cut her hair and also, the rest of the family. My friend Ellen attempting to cut what she calls her “tri-color” hair. She confessed it turned out lopsided. Our friend Sherida said she cut her own bangs and her boyfriend’s hair, but this is something she did before the pandemic. So, if you have those skills, go for it but I will not attempt to cut my own hair, nor any of my loved ones. For this, they should be thankful.

My hair is getting darker by the day, so I broke down and ordered a tip kit on Amazon, although It hasn’t come yet. I haven’t been a natural blonde since I was about 15, but when my hair gets dark I just don’t feel like myself. Luckily (I think) some of my hair is growing in grey so it doesn’t look as dark as usual. Come to think of it, my hair is tri-colored too with: my natural (dark) roots, highlighted ends and encroaching grey strands at the temples.

In the last six weeks, I’ve given myself two mani-pedis and endless facial masks. My nails never turn out as good when I do it myself (they always get messed up) and of course, I don’t have a massage chair, which is the best part of getting a mani-pedi. I have a friend who has her Nail Lady come to her house and I’m thinking that my friends who have Hairstylist/Nail Techs/Masseuses come to their house are on to something. Import your staff and be an island unto yourself.

I’m hoping my housekeeper will consider coming back soon. While the girls originally, in optimistic first days of the outbreak, were pretty good about picking up after themselves in the kitchen, these days there are countless cookie sheets, dishes, glasses and silverware collecting on the counter and in the sink. I finally left a note informing them to clean after themselves and that “Isa is not here.”

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to…

Emma was supposed to graduate from F.S.U. last Saturday. They did a Virtual Graduation at 2 p.m., but did not call individual names, as there were too many students. What normally stretches over two days, with two ceremonies a day, was condensed into one ceremony. I’m not sure who would want to watch a Virtual Graduation, especially without hearing the student’s name being called. The commencement addresses are usually something you suffer through to see your child cross the stage and grab their hard-earned (and expensive) diploma. Watching the ceremony, without that payoff in the end, seems pointless.

We did have a graduation dinner for Emma on Wednesday. She wanted stone crabs and, as luck would have it, my brother-in-law called to see if we wanted some Sunday. The only catch was, they were selling them in 10 pound portions, so we took 10 pounds and made three meals and a dip with them. Commercial fisherman who used to sell their stone crabs to hotels and restaurants have been left with a lot of inventory and no one to buy it. Stone Crab season ends May 15th.

The graduation dinner consisted of: cracked stone crabs with mustard sauce and butter, Joe’s tomatoes, Cole slaw, hash browns and pecan pie for dessert (Emma’s request). Zeke also made his famous tuna nachos as an appetizer to go with the celebratory champagne.

Since I had so many stone crabs, I made Crab Toast on Tuesday, a NYT recipe from Gabrielle Hamilton, chef and owner of Prune. It was delicious (even though I messed up the recipe). I served it with asparagus soup, topped with crispy prosciutto, making a perfect Spring meal. My favorite meal all week was a Stone Crab Roll I came up with, since I had leftover stone crab meat and a mayo, butter sauce. I served it on a butter-toasted hamburger bun (I had no hot dog buns) with shredded lettuce and a thin slice of beefsteak tomato. It was heavenly. The buttery crunch of the bread with the creamy, succulent crab meat, fresh snap of the lettuce and sweetness of the tomato, made it a memorable sandwich.

Zeke cooked on Sunday. I made a super easy 2-ingredient dip with chipotle in adobo and cashews; I served it with pita chips, cooked in the oven, for an appetizer. We sipped wine as Zeke grilled steaks on his charcoal grill. He made a delicious, perfectly cooked steak, with Gorgonzola cheese, a shallot, balsamic vinegar sauce, baked potatoes, salad and a baguette. Dessert was ice cream with a caramel fig sauce and a pita chip garnish.

Since I ordered seven heads of garlic on mistake, I made Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic for Monday’s meal, a delicious James Beard recipe. I served it with mashed potatoes, Brussel Sprouts and, of course, hot crusty bread to dip into the jus and spread the roasted garlic on. A tip: Farm Stores sells delicious freshly baked bread and it will save you a trip to the germy grocery store.

Start me Up…

I was very excited when I picked up some sourdough starter from a friend’s house, but when I asked for instructions on what to do with it, she told me to “Feed it three days every 12 hours, then once a week. Feed it an hour before you use it.” I wasn’t sure if I had sourdough starter on my hands or a demanding tamagotchi. I haven’t made any bread with it yet, but it’s on my list of future projects.

Probably the most exciting news this week is our tenants in our Key Largo condo finally left Friday, clearing the decks for us to reclaim “our little slice of Paradise”. Joy turned to dismay when we discovered several treasured items that their dog destroyed. There was also dog hair all over the couch and easy chair, which sent Zeke into a sneezing fit. I don’t think we’ll ever rent again. Lesson learned.

People in the Keys (and only Key’s residents can be down here now) don’t seem as vigilant about following rules for the coronavirus as in Miami. Publix on Saturday was packed with people, many without masks and not following the arrows indicating direction down the aisles. The cashiers and bag boys, did have masks, however. People walking down the street, for the most part, aren’t wearing masks.

“Maybe because there are so few cases?” I speculated to my sister Kelley, who’s been stuck at home by herself since this whole thing started.

“Or maybe because it’s the Keys, and people in the Keys don’t like to follow rules,” she said.

Zeke ordered me a cute face covering from the Florida Keys Brewing Company, one of our favored establishments. You wear it around your neck when not in use, then pull it up over mouth and nose when needed. It’s pretty neat. I have to admit, I’ve had a hard time with this mask thing. My sister Kelley gave me a mask she made, but it was a little large and gaped at my chin. I made my own mask with a bandana, but it’s so thick it practically suffocates me when I use it. My latest option, seems the best, although I discovered it doesn’t work with ponytails.

After unpacking stuff we brought down, having to call a locksmith to get into our owner’s closet (I packed the key IN the owner’s closet) and unpacking the boxes from the owner’s closet, we were too tired to cook so ordered Thai food from The Key Thai and Sushi. We got Spring Rolls, a Spicy Tuna Roll, Drunken Noodles and Red Curry with Pork and Rice. With a nice glass of Josh Sauvignon Blanc, it really hit the spot. I love The Key Thai and Sushi restaurant, located in a strip mall near a Dollar Store, and it’s a stone’s throw from our condo, making it super convenient.

Saturday night was Surf ‘N Turf, with grilled shrimp, coffee-rubbed filet mignons, a delicious Caesar salad, baked potatoes and mushrooms cooked with red wine. We used bamboo skewers, soaked in water, to grill the shrimp and we used two, so the shrimp didn’t curl up. Quite yummy and then we went down to the Chickee Hut (which Wyatt used to call the chicken hut) to have a glass of wine and watch the sunset with fellow condo owners. Again, no one had masks on.

Zeke’s returned to Miami, since the girls accused us of bailing on them and he has work. He will now be the chief cook and bottle washer at home, while I relax in my little slice of paradise. “Alone, alone, alone!” as Dorothy told Jerry McGuire. And some restaurants in the Keys are opening for business, starting today. So that first restaurant meal I dreamed of, on the water, with a seafood dinner and the perfect margarita, may be eaten by myself.

Up Next: Easy Cinco de Mayo Meal with the Perfect Margarita, How to Grocery Shop Safely and What to do with Ten Pounds of Stone Crabs.