quarantine – Pure Sugar

Just the Usual…

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Yikes, I didn’t realize it’s been so long since I’ve posted! As I look, I see that I have several posts I started and never finished or hit “publish” on. Oops! Not much is new, anyway. Kind of the same old, same old around here.

Today Laura and I baked cookies. Honestly, I don’t bake cookies a lot because in the past I’ve never gotten them right. They always burn or come out too hard. But I think I’ve finally learned to take them out of the oven just before you think they’re actually done. These were Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies that were a band fundraiser from a year or two ago. The high school band sells cookies-in-a-jar and I always buy them. Finally I’m using them up!

I’ve been trying so many great recipes lately. I really need to put some up here on the blog to share (and for easy reference later on). Here are a few.

Yes, I think I need to get these up here on the blog for sure! In fact, I will probably be making another turkey pot pie this weekend. It was so delicious and filling!

Another thing I’ve been doing is sewing masks. Here in New York we are supposed to wear them when out in public, and given that I work with the general public I personally plan to wear one for several months once libraries are open again. I know some people in this country do not view COVID as a real threat, but I am not taking chances. I know of several people who have suffered through it, one who almost died, and one who did die. So I have made several for my family, my brother’s family, my parents, and a few neighbors.

The other day my cat Margo kept me company while I sewed away. She loves chasing the spool, which is cute unless you’re actually trying to get things done!

And then yesterday I decided to treat myself and purchase the new Erin Condren Daily Duo planner. As you may know, I absolutely love EC planners and I’ve been using them for several years now. The hourly has suited me well in the past, but I am really excited about a coiled daily planner. Schedule on one side, to-do list on the other, and room for notes? Yes, please!

I figured that over these last 7 weeks of quarantine I have not been buying any extras for myself, so I went for the splurge! Trust me, it is so worth it. (You can get $10 off your first Erin Condren order if you sign up using my referral link.) So that is happy mail I am surely looking forward to getting!

I guess that’s about all. I’ll try to get these recipes up soon and not be away for so long again. A little over a week ago I made the decision to deactivate my personal Facebook page and honestly, I only regret not doing it sooner. I never realized how many hours I wasted scrolling mindlessly. Do I miss feeling connected to people? A little bit, yes, but I feel that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Anyway, my point is that now I want to try to use some of that Facebook time for blogging and craft projects. A much better use of time, in my opinion!

A Quiet Easter

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Well, much like everyone else, we had a very quiet Easter! It wasn’t bad, though. In a way it was nice to have such a relaxed day — no one had to leave, so we could eat whenever we wanted. Of course, the Easter bunny still brought the kids baskets of candy. Usually he brings a few extras, but this year… well, candy was what he could swing, LOL…

The weather was pretty nice. The sun was in and out, but it wasn’t freezing cold and it didn’t rain. We set up an egg hunt for the kids in the yard, but instead of candy in the eggs we put clues and set them on a mini treasure hunt. The prize at the end was a jumbo Reese’s egg! It was silly, but fun.

Dinner was delicious. I made a roast turkey breast, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, and cheddar-olive bread (I’ll be posting the recipe for this tomorrow). Everything was delicious and I still have turkey left over. I think I’ll make a pot of creamy turkey & rice soup.

Laura and I had make double-chocolate cupcakes on Saturday, so we decorated a few with jelly beans and had those for dessert. They were just from an Aldi box mix, but wow — they had a delicious, rich chocolate flavor!

Truly, it didn’t feel like a holiday, but it was still a nice day together! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.

Quiet Sunday

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Happy Sunday evening, everyone! Hope you all had a nice day. Honestly, I found it quite a relief to not feel obligated to go anywhere. Yesterday I did venture out for some shopping. As of 8 PM tonight, the governor has ordered that New York will be on PAUSE (Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone), meaning only essential businesses can operate. I also want to minimize my time in public as much as possible because both Noah and I have histories of asthma and Drew is diabetic, so I am being exceptionally careful.

Grocery shopping was fine. I found everything I wanted (of course, I still managed to forget a thing or two). Yes, I did find TP! Our local Aldi had several packs, limiting them to 1 per person. By the time I was in the last store (Sam’s Club), I started to have a mini panic attack in line because the masks and the gloves and the general weirdness combined with this one irate lowlife screaming at an employee over purchase limits kind of put me over the edge.

But today was different. I slept in (and slept well.) Drew made me a delicious breakfast and I lazed about for a while in the morning. Then I decided to tackle some laundry baskets that I’ve been avoiding. In the afternoon I watched a few old episodes of Unsolved Mysteries while crocheting. I downloaded a few new patterns and looked up some recipes to make.

I also took the time to work on the crossword puzzle in the New York Times Sunday magazine. I’m picking up the library’s newspapers, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy working through the clues! Back in college and right after I graduated it was one of my Sunday traditions. I’m thinking I should definitely make it part of my routine.

I made up a two-week meal plan, which was actually easier than I expected. Typically I create my menus based on what I have in my pantry and my freezer because I grocery shop based primarily on what’s on sale. So we’re used to a little flexibility. And obviously in the past if I decided mid-week that we wanted something different that required me picking things up at the store, it wasn’t a problem. So this is still a little different, also because we will all be home for all three meals. Still, I felt like I had a lot of options because of what I have in stock here at home, so I think it will be OK.

Dinner was delicious! Typically, I’m not a huge fan of pork chops, but hey, when they’re cheap it makes sense to grab a package. I coated each chop with a mixture of honey and Dijon mustard, and breaded them in breadcrumbs and French-fried onions that I pulsed in the food processor. I just baked them at 425 until they were done and wow – what a great flavor. Even Laura who usually moans and groans about pork chops said that this recipe is a keeper.

So now I’m in my PJs. I have a candle burning and twinkle lights on, and I’m ready to start winding down. I think I’ll pick my crochet back up, enjoy a cup of tea, and just relax until bedtime.