Uncharted Territory
Another week and once again, what I was going to talk about this week just seems wrong. As much as I would like to go about my days in a normal fashion, the reality is that things aren’t normal…and we shouldn’t pretend that they are. This doesn’t mean that it would be appropriate to panic. But, thoughtful caution would be advised. Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, preferably with your elbow, and recognize that we will get through this. We just need to remain calm, use our heads and try not to focus as much on the many negatives of this virus outbreak. There are some positives.

Because almost all sporting events from the professional leagues on down to the four-year-olds have been canceled, we have absolutely nothing going on this weekend. There are no games. There are no tournaments. There are no fiddle concerts. That hasn’t happened in at least a year…maybe longer. And while I could take this opportunity to catch up on laundry, I am going with option number two (though I may do a load or two out of necessity). I intend to spend time on the couch streaming movies with my boys and maybe playing some Mario Cart. I intend to spend time with my daughter making something complicated in the kitchen. I intend to once again assert my dominance in Trivial Pursuit. In short, I intend to stop and slow down, sleep in, enjoy my family, build a fire in the woodstove because it will be cold and raining and that is my dog’s favorite thing ever (except maybe chicken). And I will definitely tackle the backlog of books on my Kindle.

As a family, we have been burning it at both ends because of work, school, and everything else. This weekend, it will be nice to just have the 5 of us doing nothing but doing it together. As for the cooking, my pantry is pretty well stocked on any given day. I admit I have added an extra item or two here and there. An extra bag of dried beans. a new tube of Harissa, some fresh yeast to make the bread that requires an overnight rise. Stuff like that. I have also been going back to remind myself of the recipes I really liked that I haven’t made in a while. In the process, I pulled together a list of the recipes we’ve posted over the years that could be good to make if you find yourself hunkered down at home with a bunch of dried goods and no idea what to do with them.

Check out our list of recipes…

Hearty Meals
Chicken Stew with White Beans and Sausage
Winning Chili and Cornbread Recipe
Red Beans and Rice
Lisa’s Lazy Pot Roast
Amy’s Hearty Bean Soup
Refrigerator Soup
Southwestern Chicken Stew
Oktoberfest Sausage Stew
Beef and Guinness Stew
Amy’s Preferred Chicken Pot Pie
Mac and Cheese Two Ways

A Favorite Spread
Amy’s Hummus

Breakfast
Breakfast Grits with Succotash
Buttermilk Waffles

Baked Goods
Sausage and Sage Biscuits
Perfect Banana Bread
Iced Cinnamon Rolls
Hearty White Sandwich Bread