Currently is a series I recently began during the lockdown to reflect and bring me back to blogging in a conversational style. I was inspired by Misadventures by Andi’s series and she was inspired by another blogger and so on.

In British Columbia they’ve announced that we will be slowly reopening the province mid May. Measures will be in order to ensure social distancing remains but now shops can open with a max capacity that will be a fraction of what once was. But it is a start. A safe start. A slow new beginning in time for change of weather. As I write this I am sipping tea in a tank top beneath the pleasant sun.

This is a good day. Some days I am eager to work on my garden, am happy to be home with my son. I spent 2 days shovelling new garden dirt into the back yard which kick started my healthy eating and daily walks. Other days I am at odds with the world and wonder when I will ever leave Canada again. When will I be able to go out and mingle. When will my food tours begin? Daycare? Work? Life? Or is that life no longer realistic? Maybe we’ll have a new normal to adjust to?

To distract myself from my wandering worries I’ve been cooking/baking and creating foodie boxes for delivery with our food tour partners. Local goodies delivered right to your door once per month.

The response has been better that I expected and I’m contemplating doing a third box in time for Father’s Day. It feels good to support our local partners. After all, I need each and every one of them to be here when the smoke clears!

But here’s what I’ve been filling my hours with…
Tell me what you’ve been doing in the comments below!

In the Kitchen

1.  I’ve been making a wide array of things from Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourgugnion, inspired by the film Julie & Julia as well as frozen pack of beef cut for stews haunting me from the freezer. This beef is one of the very few packages left from a very rich tasting Highlander cow named Skippy from my in-laws. At first the taste was enjoyable but now I find it too rich and gamey. The red wine really did mask his unique taste!

2. I made a “clean out the fridge” green salad and many people were asking for the recipe! I was shocked. I literally just threw it together. I am typing it up as a post next so stay tuned!

3. As I type this in the balmy sun I am also waiting on a strawberry ricotta cake to complete its baking. The recipe was provided by Elizabeth Minchilli. You can see the quick video on her Instagram’s IGTV and blog. She is quarantined in her villa in Puglia. It has been a joy to watch her garden grow and daily walks/martinis/recipes unfold over coffee in the morning.
PS, it is a dream of mine to join her and her daughter on their food retreat tours! One day!

4. This May marks a decade since my first trip to Italy. I’ve been making lots of pasta and enjoying it in moderation. I made a stellar pasta and meatballs which I will have to type up a recipe for. David Rocco’s speedy recipe for carbonara from his book La Dolce Vita also graced our table but I have to admit, his revised one from his website, which has since been taken down, had much better depth of flavour with the addition of more than 2 cloves of garlic and red pepper flakes. CHI DORME NON PIGLIA PESCI!

5. One of my friends from high school, Camilla, needs her own cookbook and blog. She has a fascinating family background and makes the most amazing vegetarian and vegan foods. What perplexes me is how obedient her young son is – just over 1 year and he is helping, accompanying her in the garden and so on. What a fantastic childhood this kid is living! But anyways, some of her recent Instagram posts have me drooling. From dandelion jelly, garlic honey, almond baklava, cauliflower tacos and nettle pasta! I am envious of her time management and creativity! Check out her Instagram here!

6. I’ve been indulging in take out and two notable local spots couldn’t be more different from each other…

a) The corn dog poppers from Jack’s Pizza & Liquor are insane. I could eat them like M&Ms I kid you not! At $13 per box they are a splurge but so well worth the takeout – ordered through Door Dash.

b) The plant-based BLT sandwich with smoked coconut “bacon” from KB & Company. It is a small chain that began in Alberta but now has a location in Kelowna. They opened during the lockdown and offer delivery using Skip The Dishes.

My neighbourhood

I also have taken up a lengthy walk each day with my son and out of shape pup. We stop by the local cherry orchard to observe the changes. Within 10 days the transformation was apparent and I am glad I decided to take a photo of the same branches every second day.

Back in early March when the kids were on spring break they took up painting rocks with lovely sayings of hope. Someone in the neighbourhood has decided to take it to the next level!

Plans

1.  Sunday is Mother’s Day, my second as a mama. I really don’t know what we are doing but I know the weather is supposed to be amazing and they’ll be good food. I made sure of it since I baked the strawberry ricotta cake 😉

2. My sister is about to celebrate her 30th birthday. I feel terrible as COVID crashes her party I had planned. Especially because I had such an amazing 30th birthday in Tofino, BC!

But make lemonade from lemons. I have something pretty spectacular planned and a blog post will be forthcoming! But for right now I can leak some of the secret since my family are my least avid readers lol. We are going SUP boarding and then ebiking to wineries with Okanagan E-Kruise. While the wineries are not open for tastings they are open to purchase wine as well as outdoor picnics. Most wineries have permits where you can drink wine on their property at one of their picnic tables or on the grounds.

Otherwise, at the end of the month wineries and restaurants expect to open but with very different rules and restrictions placed on them. I’ll be sure to cover that on my Instagram and of course here on the blog.

Tell me what you’ve been up to in the comments!