Day 24: "Sorry, baby girl."
Hi! You can do anything for 24 days.
A lot of people responded to Monday’s email with news about what they’ve been cooking and baking, and the comfort they’re getting out of that.
From Ellen S.:
I rarely bake challah or light candles or clean the apartment before sundown on Friday night. But we did all of that last Friday. Challah, the rich bread with eggs and oil, too precious for every day. Candles to celebrate the end of the week. A clean apartment after a week inside. Gather together and raise a glass in hopes of doing it again next week.
Look at how delicious this challah looks.
Laura B.:
A small thing I like to do to make a very kid-friendly snack feel grown up: mix spices in with your nut butter and eat with apple slices. I usually do some nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and a lil swoosh of honey.
Grace C.:
Right now, I am into recipes that take time. It creates the feeling of tangible reward and extends the activity over a period of time. Things like slow-roasting soups, pickles, breads that need a night to rise, cookie dough whose flavor enhances through freezing, or this salmon gravlax recipe. It takes three days.
A few others wrote in about little slices of life they’re seeing out of their windows, or ways (sometimes weird, sometimes joyful) they’ve found to adapt to These Times. (Got a story of your own? Hit reply or send it to me at hi@lauraolin.com.)
Abbey K. wrote:
I have been quarantined for 2 weeks. I got sick, but now I'm getting better.
Yesterday I saw a man walking a dog. The dog was small and black, and he had a little plaid sweater.
The man wanted to walk, but the dog didn't. He (the dog) sat down and blinked towards the sun.
The man pulled the dog's leash and the dog didn't go. He tried again and the dog still didn't go.
The man laughed, walked back to the dog, and ruffled his fur. He said, "C'mon."
And the dog went.
Courtney H.:
I’m in Canada and people are pretty generally stereotypically polite but sometime over the past weekend (I put it at Monday, March 16th) the temperature really dropped sharply. Over the course of my mat leave I’ve tended to walk the few blocks to the grocery store pretty much every morning to get like a small basket full of stuff that fits in the bottom of the stroller. “Stocking up” and “panic buying” had been slowly ramping up over the past weeks but Monday morning I took my two kids to the grocery store and we were repeatedly snarled at and shoved at least twice for, what I assume was because we were taking up too much space with our stroller and rolling basket??? Who knows. All I know is that it shook me and we left without everything we needed. The next day I decided to go back to get the rest of our things. My husband was home and at first I thought it would be best to go by myself but I looked at the baby and had a different and much darker thought. I decided to wear the baby to the grocery store in her front carrier LIKE A BULLET PROOF VEST. I walked through the store, people gave me space, people almost even smiled at us as they filled their carts with cat food and macaroni. I felt invincible. But also like a crazy person in a suddenly crazy world. Sorry, baby girl.
Honestly? I think when she’s older she’ll understand.
When we next meet, it’ll be Day 22.
Send stories to hi@lauraolin.com; stay healthy; and see you Friday.