Any other weekday morning would be a scurry to get ready for work and school. These days, the pajama parties last until noon. Parents are seen more in their yards playing with their families. More neighbors are out for strolls with their pets. It’s been life-changing for families around the world. It wasn’t that long ago days were devoid of school, soccer practice and daily commutes, as school districts remain closed due to the COVID-19 and more parents are having to stay home Instead, family dinner is making a comeback, and you become very thankful for what and who you have in your life.
There’s no question about it, it’s an uncertain and scary time, but one’s self, children, and family still need to eat. If you’re staying home during quarantine, take this chance to make something delicious. Not only is there’s something comforting about starting the day with a full belly, But taking the time to enjoy a meal with family makes everything seem like it’s going to be ok. The act of preparing and serving meals — even a simple one — can bring great comfort to the cook. Surprisingly to some, cooking can benefit your mental health. A few names for it used are therapeutic cooking, culinary therapy, and culinary mindfulness – all of which mean the same thing. Cooking can boost your mental health in these ways:
•Exercising your creativity
•Helping Your Brain Stay Healthy
•Feelings of accomplishment.
•Setting achievable goals for yourself.
•It saves money.
•It Improves Your Quality of Life
•It gets you into the “flow” of things.
•practicing patience
•It rewards you at the end
This is also a great opportunity to support any small local Markets or local farms that provide decently priced fresh produce. Like Joy’s Farm, a certified organic produce farm that offers fresh fruits and vegetables exclusively from their farm located in Sequim.
“From the beginning, we have been working in partnership with the Sequim Food Bank and WSU Clallam County Extension to provide nutritionally dense organic produce to the people in our community with limited access to healthy food. The Farm to Food Pantry program purchases produces from our farm, which we deliver directly to the Sequim Food Bank for distribution. Cooking With The Seasons is a free series of cooking classes for children and the adults who care for them. Each class includes tastings, hands-on kitchen skills, recipes, nutritional information, and goodies to take home.”
During this time, working on your couponing and budgeting strategies is a great skill to gain. Even too practice with kids, teaching them the importance of spending wisely. As you can see, cooking can contribute many benefits to your home. Hopefully, families have been able to stock their pantries during this troubling time decently. I will list a few Quarantine Recipe ideas below that I was able to find on Google. Most respires will require staple ingredients that can be stored and stretched easily throughout the year and few resources where families can get free food.
Breakfast Ideas
– Oats can be soaked overnight and used for a breakfast parfait top with frozen, canned, or fresh fruits.
– A waffle/omelet packed with favorites like cheese, green onions, and cooked potatoes.
– Biscuits and Gravy is a simple recipe buttery, flaky, homemade biscuits, and savory three-ingredient sausage
gravy.
Easy Lunch Ideas
– Chicken noodle soup with last nights leftover chicken.
– Grilled cheese with apple slices.
– Grilled or baked chicken salad.
– Classic tuna melt sandwich or avocado tuna melt sandwich.
– Spicy Roasted Shrimp Sandwich with Chipotle Avocado Mayonnaise.
Easy Dinner Ideas
– One-pot rice and beans.
– Spaghetti loaded with vegetables or meats.
– Sloppy Joes.
– Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus.
– Creamy chickpea pasta with spinach and or your choice of meat.
– Meatloaf
Easy Baking Ideas
– Rice crispy treats with dark chocolate and pretzels.
– One-pan chocolate cake, which just so happens to be vegan.
– From scratch strawberry shortcake.
– Bread pudding or monkey bread.
– Bean pie.
– Apple or peach crisp.
– Box cake peach cobbler.
I hope these easy recipe ideas are helpful. If you are in the Clallam County area, both Port Angeles Food Bank and Sequim Food Bank are Open. At this time, you do not need to qualify or complete any paperwork. Port Angeles food bank is operating a drive-thru and walk-up pick up. They prefer customers to make appointments. However, if you are unable to, that is ok. Sequim Food Bank is also operating a drive-thru and walk-up pick up. Beginning Friday, March 20, they will distribute prepacked emergency food bags. Visitors will drive-up, or walk-up and receive non-perishable food, fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, and meat. At this time, The Sequim Food Bank is asking visitors to use the Food Bank every other week to ensure our inventory remains well-stocked.
*Port Angeles Food Bank Hours and Location:
Wednesday and Friday 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
LOCATED AT 402 S. VALLEY STREET, PORT ANGELES, WA 98362.
Visit to schedule an appointment
https://www.portangelesfoodbank.org
*Sequim Food Bank Hours and Location:
Mondays from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Saturday from 9 a.m. -12 p.m.
LOCATED AT 144 W. ALDER STREET,
SEQUIM, WA 98382
