HELLO, APRIL.
How did you get here so quickly?
No, for real though.
HOW. IS. IT. ALREADY. APRIL?
This March has been a bizarre one, for sure. It started off with unseasonably warm, sunny days, lots of carefree hikes, business as usual, and little whispers in the news that people might want to start buying a few extra pantry staples when they go shopping because there was a storm headed our way in the form of coronavirus.
But, like, we were fine. Everything was fine. No one was overreacting. It’s just the flu. No need to panic. Yeah, sure, we’ll grab an extra can of beans at the store because it can’t hurt to have a full pantry anyway, but, like, can everyone just relax? It’s fine.
And then, everything was not fine.
As most of you are also experiencing, THERE IS NO TOILET PAPER (but whyyy), grocery stores shelves are at varying stages of empty, schools are closed, the general public is being asked to stay home UNTIL MAY, and, yeah, everything is not fine. And did I mention it’s been cold and rainy for like two weeks? UGH.
But also: everything is totally fine. I miss my family and friends, miss having grocery store workers want to chat versus want to keep a 10 foot distance from me, miss being able to let passersby stop and pet Peanut, miss hugging people, miss sitting outside at my local cafe…but these are not real problems. My pantry is stocked. My husband is working from home, work is slow for me but we are still financially okay. I get to spend extra time snuggling Peanut and teaching her fun new tricks and working on projects like homemade sourdough and kombucha and finally planting the seeds I’ve been avoiding for months, and I’m not complaining at all. I am very much grateful right now.
It feels a little weird to share my March Favorites as if this were a regular month in my life, where I might suggest you try a new product or share something fun I’ve been doing when really I’ve been wearing the same sweatpants, tank top, and sweatshirt for like 18 days (okay, I washed them a few times and switched them out for different-colored versions once or twice, and swap them for leggings and a t-shirt every morning when I go out for a walk with Peanut, but lets not pretend here. I’m wearing the same thing every.single.day), barely sharing any new recipes on the blog because I don’t want to waste any of (your or my) precious stock of pantry supplies in the name of recipe testing, and am just generally existing in a very non-exciting, non-internet-worthy fashion.
So, here’s a COVID-19 version of my March Favorites. I hope you + yours are doing well and taking good care of yourselves during these unusual times.
BLUEBERRY PANCAKES WITH TAHINI
Actually, it’s blueberry pancakes + tahini + maple syrup + butter, to be exact. I think I’ve eaten this exact combo for breakfast…seven times…this month? I mean, if you’re stuck home, you might as well make the most of it with some fun breakfast options, right? These fluffy whole wheat pancakes are a great place to start, if you need a recipe of your own. But seriously, I don’t even care what pancakes you make: just don’t skip the toppings. They’ve been LIFE GIVING on these monotonous days stuck at home.
ZERO WASTE LOTION BAR
This was a B.C. (before corona) purchase, from the same company we buy our shampoo and conditioner bars from, and I’ve been using it all month long. Unlike lotion in a bottle, there’s no plastic involved: just rub the bar between your hands to warm it up (like a bar of soap), then rub wherever your body is feeling dry. I keep mine in a little dish on my dresser and love that there’s not plastic bottle to throw away when I’m done with it! It’s also handmade by a small business and purchasing from them (instead of, say, one of the major skincare companies) is a great way to help support some of the people being majorly impacted by all of the quarantine and stay-home orders. I bought the unscented and always select unwrapped, when available, since I don’t need the extra packaging! You can also purchase their lotion in sticks (think a giant chapstick tube) made from compostable paper, and they often sell ‘ugly’ ones for even cheaper! Check them all out here.
STEEL PLANTERS
Another B.C. purchase that has served me well during quarantine: these stainless steel tubs were originally purchased for filling with ice and chilling drinks during a backyard barbecue, but since we can’t have any parties for the foreseeable future, they’ve been repurposed as planters! I filled them with organic potting soil + a handful of plant food, sprinkled in my kale, arugula, and spinach leaves, and have loved watching them grow all month long. We’re not planning to let these plants grow to maturity; just picking and eating them as they grow like ‘baby’ lettuces; a handful in a sandwich here, a few to bulk up a salad there, etc. The planters are currently sitting in a sunny window inside, but I think once we’ve eaten all the greens I’ll replant them with herbs and a few tomato plants, and move them outside.
MAINE GRAINS
We’ve been loving Maine Grains for years now, but are especially thankful for their small batch, stone-ground organic flours and grains right now since those products are hard to come by in grocery stores these days, and Maine Grains’ online store is still up and running! If you’ve been struggling to find flour at the store, I highly recommend both their sifted wheat (aka all-purpose) and whole wheat flours, and their oats are THE BEST. They also grow beans as a cover crop to keep their soil nutrient rich in-between grain growing seasons, and we love buying their dry beans, too! Shipping isn’t free on their site (since it’s a small, family-run business and shipping flour is EXPENSIVE), but if you’re ordering several items it’s not outrageously expensive to ship. I recently ordered a few 5-lb bags of flour, oats, and a six-pack of beans and shipping was around $15.
That’s it! Is there anything you’ve been particularly loving this month?
See you back here soon with some new recipes!
XO,
Chelsea