Back around graduating from college in May 2019, I remember talking to my friends and we were all wishing that we didn’t have to enter the real world so we could hang out all the time with nothing to do. Well, if you had told me then that we’d be quarantined at home for months doing nothing, I probably would’ve been psyched about it. Now, on Day 37 of quarantine, I’m not so sure that “psyched” is the word I would use to describe how I’m feeling.
It is honestly nice to have some down time at home, especially since I was juggling two online classes and my full time job, and now I can get all of my school work done with no stress. But it does get boring. I know a lot of people feel the same exact way I do: feeling so lucky that I’m home in a safe environment with food and family that still have jobs, but also feeling trapped with nowhere to go.
So, like everyone else, I’ve been finding ways to pass the time. Other than cleaning and organizing my room, walking Millie three times a day, and binge-watching TV shows, here’s what I’ve been up to.
Ali’s Book Club
My New Year’s Resolution was to start reading more books so that I could make a dent in the huge stack next to my bed. In January I blew through Know My Name by Chanel Miller, a memoir about the Stanford swimmer rape case. It was one of the best books I’ve read, and showed a raw, real perspective from the victim. I couldn’t put it down and I read the whole thing in about a week.
My second book of 2020 was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. It’s apparently also a movie, but it tells the true story of the elite and eclectic residents of Savannah. It was extremely interesting and felt like it was a fiction novel, but it’s actually nonfiction. It made me want to go back and visit Savannah to really soak in all of the old southern charm.
The book I just finished reading is much more academic, and less of a “fun” read, but a definitely thought-provoking one. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan was actually assigned reading for a food sustainability class that I sadly had to drop out of so I could switch into another class to complete my minor. I kept all of the books that I was supposed to read for class and decided to dive in on my own time. This book was one of the best things I’ve read in a while and really challenges the way you think about the food you consume. I wish that everyone was required to read it so that we might actually get somewhere and change the food system. But all I can do is highly recommend it. SO GO READ IT.
I’ve been meaning to start another book while I’ve been home, but with so much to watch on Netflix and Hulu and Disney+, I’ve gotten a bit lazy. I plan on starting one this week, although I haven’t decided which yet. I’m just trying to make my way through the stack.
What’s Cooking in Quarantine?
Inspired by The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I sought out a local farm a few months ago to find real, farm-raised meat products. At the time (aka pre-quarantine), I was trying to only consume meat products that came from sustainable local farms, so I went to this farm and bought a few things. I kept a beef shin steak in my freezer, waiting for the perfect time to make it into a fabulous meal. Being home all day every day seemed like the perfect time to me!
A nice beef shin steak would make a perfect osso buco, and what better way to compliment a nice Italian dish than with fresh, homemade pasta! I had never really made pasta from scratch before, other than one small lesson on a vineyard in Italy. I don't have a stand mixer or any sort of pasta-making attachments, but it's still really easy to make pasta from scratch. The noodles will definitely come out looking more ~rustic~ than what you'd normally have, but they taste just fine.
Unfortunately for my family, I only had the one piece of beef because at the time that I purchased it, Linda and Bob were on a “plant-based” diet. Now with quarantine and more people in the house (specifically, more meat-eaters), they were upset that there wasn’t more to go around, but that’s life.
Another first for me was baking a cake from scratch, and with all of my free time I gave it a shot. For Easter Sunday I decided to make a lovely little white cake with some pastel tie-dye frosting. I decorated the top with some cake balls shaped into little Easter eggs. The filling of my cake was chocolate mousse and the whole thing tasted delicious and was a hit. It was honestly surprisingly easy to make, and I can thank the Great British Baking Show for teaching me some techniques.
A few weeks ago I also made an apple pie, but I can't say it was entirely from scratch because I used frozen pie crusts to try and clear out what was already in our freezer, but I still had to peel all of the apples and bake the whole thing so I'd say it's semi-from-scratch. I used the recipe on the box of the pie crusts but my secret is that I use a tiny bit less sugar and I add some pure maple syrup. I also let the apple mixture sit in a sealed container overnight in the fridge, and then scoop the apples into the pie crust, leaving most of the liquid behind so that the pie doesn't get too soggy. For fun, I added a cheeky decoration too.
Today I’m making lasagna for the family, and I’m hoping to make some flan this week too, since I miss the Cuban food in Miami so much. There’s a reason why everyone has been baking and cooking during quarantine, so if you’ve been looking for something to keep you busy, definitely give it a try and cook something you’ve never made before!
Pinterest recipes I used:
Osso buco: https://www.recipetineats.com/osso-buco/
Other Hobbies to Pass the Time
There’s obviously still a lot of time leftover after you’ve read all of the books and cooked all of the recipes, so what else is there to do? My family and I completed five puzzles in the first few weeks of quarantine, but once we finished all of the puzzles we had, we gave up on that hobby (or at least until we get another one).
TV shows are always a great way to pass the time, but which should you watch? I’m watching a few right now that I can switch between depending on my mood. My boyfriend (Alex) and I have been watching Narcos together (via the Google Chrome extension “Netflix Party” where you can stream simultaneously with anyone who also has the extension) but I can’t binge that all day since we watch it together. It’s a really well done show that does involve reading subtitles, but it has enough drama, mystery, and action to keep it really interesting. It’s all based on the real events of Pablo Escobar’s life, which I think makes it even cooler. Just don’t read up on him too much beforehand or you’ll spoil the show for yourself.
If I’m in the mood for something light that I can tune in and out of, I watch either 90 Day Fiance or old seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City on Hulu. Classic trashy TV that you can laugh at while judging these insane people who broadcast their lives. I’ve been following this 90 Day Fiance master watch list, which perfectly places all of the seasons and different spin-offs in an order that makes the most sense. What still doesn’t make sense to me is how these people decide to marry someone who is clearly only in it for the green card, but you can watch all of that for yourself.
When I want some drama with a good, solid storyline, I’ll watch either Sex and the City on Amazon Prime Video, or I’ll watch Heartland on Netflix. SATC is such a classic show, and it really makes me miss New York and being able to go out with friends. But it’s fun to live vicariously through their messy single lives. I’ve already seen every episode, but the nice familiar characters and stories is comforting when everything else right now seems like a shit show.
Heartland is one of my guilty pleasure shows, one that probably no one else would ever be interested in, but it’s cute and my inner Horse Girl loves it. It’s a Canadian family drama about a girl who’s essentially a “horse-whisperer” and it follows all of the family’s adventures. I really love watching it for the scenery and because it makes me want to move to a ranch in Canada somewhere. I’ve honestly always felt that way, but now with quarantine forcing us to stay home, now more than ever I’m wishing I lived on a cool farm where I could keep busy with farm chores and stuff. Seems really fun to me.
And yes I did watch Tiger King, and my thoughts are that everybody in that whole documentary should be in jail, all of those wild animal breeding operations need to be stopped ASAP, and Carole Baskin's husband was not murdered and eaten by tigers, but instead he used his millions of dollars that he had hidden to get a new identity and flee the country to start a new life so that he didn't have to put up with her shit anymore. I know Joe Exotic is literally batshit crazy, but I do feel bad for him that he went to prison when that Jeff Lowe guy has done many more sketchy things and he's walking free.
I’ve been thinking about doing some crafts to pass the time, but haven’t decided what I want to do yet. I have a bunch of acrylic paint, so I’ve been thinking I might turn on an episode of Bob Ross and learn to paint something pretty. Maybe I could make it into one of those “wine and paint nights” that people used to go and do before lockdown. We’ll see if anyone in my house wants to join me.
Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and ignoring these idiots who are protesting to reopen everything. The sooner we all stay inside, the sooner this will all be over. Try to stay positive, but remember that if you’re feeling down or lost, that’s okay too. These times are WEIRD and we’ve got to get through it together.
Inspired by Andy Cohen:
Mazel of the Week:
Air pollution has dropped by huge amounts because of stay-at-home orders across the globe. I know everyone has been making memes of “we are the virus”, but it is honestly very nice to see that some of the harm we’ve caused the Earth has started to come undone. There’s a lesson to be learned here, and I hope we’re all a little more mindful. once things start to return to normal.
Jack-Hole of the Week:
This Las Vegas Mayor who volunteered her city as a “control group” to test reopening. When asked if she would be on the casino floor risking her life alongside the employees, she avoided the question. Not only is it idiotic to protest stay-at-home orders, but it’s downright evil to force others to go back to work and risk their lives to make some sort of political point. Tbh, I hope this lady gets coronavirus and doesn’t get a ventilator.
Favorite Memes of the Week:
follow @memedealer.0rg on instagram for some quality memes
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