So here we are at Day 5 of Lockdown.
I have been trying to think of a nice picture to share with you, as I worry there is too much doom and gloom around at the moment. So I thought a very apt photo would be of the day we collected Teddy. This little fella has brought so much fun, laughter and love to our family, we can't thank him enough. He is still a little character with the nibbling, turning his hearing on and off and stealing things, but we wouldn't have him any other way. He loves going to the seaside which is good as we only live just over half an hour away from Felixstowe. Morning trips are his favourite so he can have hash browns for his breakfast. Although he still has't realised that cones come with ice cream on usually - don't tell him!
Had a bit of a weird morning. So I go to get our click and collect from the Supermarket. I was shocked to find a queue of people with trolleys around the car park at 7:55am and they are only letting 1 in 1 out. This is very sensible but I still find it hard to understand how people did the shopping before? I know that we are all having to cook for ourselves as restaurants etc are shut, but I really don't understand it. Anyways, I turn up with my lovely blue latex gloves on and get my shopping from the assistant. I am shopping for 3 families at the moment, which feels like a military operation. They are limiting the quantity of anything we can have, so we were without milk and break and few other things today. I have now been around 3 shops to get said items, which is not ideal, but I have been taking the relevant precautions. Although when I was in the co-op this guy would not keep away from me. I can get a little to the point with people sometimes and he was getting me to that point, but luckily I was next in the queue before it came to that. Everyone else was behaving but him and he was next to me.
So I know you are all waiting on tender hooks for todays ingredient. Well its Orzo. We always have this in the cupboard and have quite a lot at the moment, thank goodness. We were introduced to this when we went to Valencia with some very good friends of ours. We had a couple of bags in the hold between us to put some food and extra's in and this is one of the ingredients that appeared. For those of you who are unsure what this is, its rice shaped pieces of slow dried durum wheat. Its very small bits of pasta. When you cook it in a sauce it expands and tastes amazing. It doesn't have to be cooked in a sauce - there are loads of recipes out there. I have found a really nice recipe that you might find tasty. Chicken & Tomato Orzo, its from Gusto and although I may not have all the fresh ingredients I certainly have lots of herbs and spices in the store cupboard I can use. Image is from the Gusto website.
When I think about what I am going write in my blog, I often think about days gone by and think about family that are unfortunately no longer with us. My boys have been taking the mickey out of me about wasting food and not using more than you need to in the current situation. Last night there was a small spoon of sauce left in the saucepan so that they asked me what tub I want it put in to save! Cheeky little sods!! Anyway this got me to thinking about a particular person who was taken from our family a few years ago. My Nan Sylvie - she was a real character along with Grandad Eric. When I was pregnant with Matthew, so it would be 17 years ago this May - we went over to France for a week on holiday. There was me & Chris, Mum and Dad, Nan and Grandad and my brother Neil. We had a massive farmhouse with a swimming pool. Now Nan, although she was lovely could be rather annoying at times and stubborn as an Ox. Every night we would all try to cook something and each night if anything was left it went in the fridge for the next day. By day 6 the same sausage had come out of the fridge for at least 4 days and yet she expected one of us to eat it, but wouldn't eat it herself. She had us in stitches every night it turned up and this is one of those stories that comes out time after time. That was an amazing holiday spending so much time with my lovely family. Yes we can all be annoying at times, but at the end of the day we still love each other and that's what really counts. Thats the same holiday that Grandad, who was extremely competitive got angry every night for not winning the boule competition. Mind you I think every game you played with Grandad he wanted to win. I will have to tell you some more stories about him - a character doesn't even start to describe that lovely man.
I got right up with technology this morning and had a meeting on 'Zoom' - how amazing is technology these days. It was lovely to see so many people at one time and hear their voices. Its weird how it hasn't really been that long, but it feels like it has. I am hoping to be able to 'Zoom' in with family soon. I do wonder if the way we are living will become more of a reality going forward, obviously not so extreme. Companies won't pay for their employees to travel to meetings as they will be conducted over the internet. Maybe I am a fossil and that goes on all the time now - who knows?
So its the last day of feeling our sourdough starter. It should be ready to use tomorrow, but I think we will probably leave it until Sunday before we use it for the first time.
This weekend like a few already gone by will be a little weird. Saturday normally has 2 games of football (both in the morning), then tennis lessons and Ipswich Town for the boys if there is a home game. Sunday usually has 2 games of football, again in the morning and different directions. What will we do with ourselves. I am beginning to lose track of which day is which now. We thought it was Wednesday yesterday - I need to keep with this up to try and keep my head in the game.
We did our bit last night for our amazing Carers that are keeping our Country going. We went out at 8pm and saw some of our neighbours. Seeing the images on the TV of what people did made me feel really proud of the caring people that do live amongst us. Its the very few that can sometimes let us down. Thank you again everybody that is keeping this Country going and it doesn't matter how big or small a part you are playing, you are still doing it and putting yourself in the line of this nasty invisible disease. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Its been a lovely sunny day again here, but feels really cold out. I think its going to turn a little colder over the weekend with possible wintery showers, so all keep warm and inside. I bet you didn't expect the weather forecast in this blog!
DO NOT FORGET TO CHANGE THE CLOCKS TOMORROW NIGHT - they go 1 hour forward.
So until tomorrow..... keep distancing!
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