APRIL 2020
Wednesday 2020.4.29
I'm Feeling Political
The latest book I've been reading has me feeling political again. I need to do another Kitchen Vlog in which I discuss politics and I'm thinking of using the book as an outline for topics I want to discuss.
This comes to mind because of the news discussion "meetings" (we now meet in an online video conferencing site) in which I participate. One of the guys likes to obsess sometimes about how bad Trump is. My thought: Do something about it; don't just bellyache about it. Another spends a lot of his time on forum sites discussing sex with women in other parts of the world. My thought: Go on the social media sites and connect with people in battleground states to encourage them to vote against Trump.
My connection is my Kitchen Vlog channel on YouTube. I don't get political often, but now that the campaign climate is warming up, I want to do more. California is such a deep blue state, there isn't much good I can do here. Why put a "Vote for Biden" sign in my front yard? Social media, or in my case YouTube, is a way to reach out beyond state borders.
I know I'll upset some people. I'm perfectly okay with that. The channel generates no revenue, which is okay because it doesn't cost me anything either. I created my Kitchen Vlog channel to have something enjoyable to do, a fun pastime, without having to spend any money, as I do when I create cooking videos. A few complain about the politics, but that's okay.
I hear from many more people, Democrats as well as Republicans, who enjoy talking about politics. My recommendation to them is to contact their friends and meet in one of the many online video conferencing sites. Many are free and they create a fun place to gather and converse. And they can be useful beyond this period of social distancing, especially for friends and family who live a long distance apart. And think about relatives who can't go out much, either because of age or disabilities. Give them a laptop computer with a microphone and camera in it, then visit with them online.
And Speaking of My Kitchen Vlog
I shot another Kitchen Vlog yesterday. It's edited, but I haven't encoded it nor uploaded it yet. Tomorrow maybe. It's the one in which I install a part on my car.
It's a little silly, but I wanted to talk about this time of staying safe at home as a useful time to take care of some of those nagging little fix-it chores that need to be done. That car part was one of them. Cleaning all the old trousers out of bins in my shed was another. They're still stacked up on the sofa because the local thrift stores are closed due to the pandemic.
I don't have any important projects planned. At some point this summer I'll shampoo my carpets again. And I'll probably get out the pressure washer and clean my awning cutters again. That's a messy chore. I'd like to pressure wash the Weber grill before doing summer barbecues.
And Speaking of Cooking Videos
I have none planned. I wrote previously about slowing down as I get older. I can't make those videos forever. Lately, what with shopping somewhat risky (the city of Santa Barbara is now requiring face masks in all stores — both staff and patrons), it isn't as easy to buy the foods I need for a video. I have ideas for videos (how about crab meat ravioli in a béchamel sauce?), but I don't want to go shopping. (Now that I think about it, maybe jumbo pasta shells would be more appropriate for crab meat.)
However, those videos require effort and my back has been more problematic lately. I was in pain for a while after pulling those trouser bins out of the shed. I still hadn't recovered from the pain I felt after cutting up more oak firewood for the barbecue grill. It might be time to hang up the aprons permanently. I sit when I'm shooting a Kitchen Vlog video.
Sunday 2020.4.26
Now In Week Six
We are now in week six of this stay-at-home order from our governor. I don't mind. I have food, and when I need a little something, like some fresh broccoli, I feel safe going to the local grocery store. As I've been saying, the number currently ill with the virus in this county has continually risen, but there are only eight confirmed cases in the area where I live.
We might have reached the apex. A few declining data points don't necessarily indicate a trend, but the graph is looking hopeful.
This week I heard a story on the news that said California was the first state to issue a stay-safe-at-home directive. It helped. Our state has one of the lowest rates of infection per capita. On yesterday's news I heard that the county recorded its seventh death related to the virus.
My Kitchen Vlog
I uploaded another Kitchen Vlog this week. For this one, I drove my bike down into the city and rode it along the main thoroughfare, State Street, which was practically deserted. There were almost no cars on the road and there were even fewer people on the sidewalks. It looked like a ghost town.
Nearly everything down in the city was closed. The parking garages were open, but unattended. All parking was totally free. Only the first level of the garage I used was full. All the other decks were nearly empty. I finished the video by riding my bike into the garage and up the ramp, which was really easy with the help of the electric motor on my Pedego e-bike. For the music, I downloaded one of the royalty-free soundtracks available on YouTube's Audio Library. I chose Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers."
One flaw I noticed a lot in this video is that I say "um" often. That's what happens when I don't write a script and use my teleprompter. Note to self: Use the prompter. It's more work, but the quality of the video is better.
O Joy of Joys!
Hearing is a wonderful sense, which I appreciate all the more when I go without it for a while. This week I lost the hearing, again, in my right ear. I went through this several years ago. At the doctor's office the nurse used this large water cannon thing to flush out the ear canal. A chunk of ear wax came out. It was pressing on the eardrum, muffling my hearing. The doctor recommended Debrox, a liquid for cleaning the ears.
It isn't as easy to do at home, but it's possible. The "kit" I bought has a green plastic squeeze bulb thing in the package. The directions say to use the product twice a day for up to four days. Following the doctor's directions, I put several drops of Debrox in my ear, waited about 20 minutes, then flushed my ear canal with warm water using the squeeze bulb.
It didn't work the first two times. But yesterday morning I did it again and this time a chunk of ear wax came out. My hearing is back to normal. And what made me feel all the better was that I did it myself. No need to go see a doctor.
I try to be careful with my ears because I am practically a clone of my father. He started wearing hearing aids at an early age. His mother needed them too. I'm nearly 70 and, so far, my hearing is normal. So when I experience a sudden loss of hearing I worry. Thankfully I was able to clear away the problem myself this time.
Heat
As I mentioned on Wednesday, we were expecting a heat wave. We got it. Daytime temperatures rose into the 90s most days. Yesterday wasn't too bad. Today I'll probably run the office air conditioner again, and a few more times in coming days.
I always do poorly during the first heat of the season. I don't sleep well and this morning I woke up feeling nauseous. That's typical. After this wave passes I will have acclimated and feel much better.
That leaves me wondering about summer. Last summer I barely used the air conditioners at all. The bedroom AC never came out of the closet. If this week portends anything, summer might be different this year.
Wednesday 2020.4.22
I Almost Forgot to Blog Today
Here it is. A little late, but not forgotten.
Do You Have a Proofing Oven?
It turns out I do. A proofing oven (proofing box or other names) is an enclosed space where bread dough is allowed to rise in a controlled environment to maintain temperature and humidity. They are especially important to commercial bakers who want consistent product.
As I've said in earlier blogs, I've been watching many pizza videos on YouTube. One cook said his preferred method of allowing dough to rise is in his Instant Pot (IP) set to the yogurt function. It makes sense. The IP maintains a temperature between 106° and 113°F (41° to 45°C). On my IP there is no way to adjust the temperature outside the normal yogurt setting. That's okay. It works.
I tested it by making some bread dough for a simple Focaccia with olive oil, Romano cheese, sea salt and a little pepper. I baked it on a pizza stone heated for one hour in a 450°F (~230°C) oven. It was done in about 15 minutes.
For a more flavorful pizza crust or focaccia it is preferable to allow the dough to rise slowly in the refrigerator 24 to 72 hours (some cooks go even longer). This allows more time for the yeast to work on the starches in the dough and mature the flavor. An Italian friend told me the pizzerias in Italy always make their dough at least one day in advance.
Time to Purge
I want to buy one of those pizza oven accessories that turns a Weber kettle grill into a wood fired pizza oven. I used one with a neighbor many years ago when we made focaccia in his backyard.
The problem, of course, is where does one store such a big thing? One downfall with having a large storage shed is that there is rarely any inclination to throw anything away. I'm not a hoarder, but I often look at something and think I might need that someday.
In my shed I had six large plastic bins of trousers, with sizes ranging from 37-inch waist all the way up to 46. I wore them to work. I've been retired for nine years and even if I were to lose a lot of weight, my body is still a victim of gravity. Let's just say there has been some settling over time. At nearly 70, I'm simply not the shape I once was.
This week I decided to sort the trousers. There were 73, and that doesn't count the ones that are in my closet. 73! Maybe that is hoarding.
Most are not even good enough to donate to a charity thrift store. Some have grease stains on the legs from riding my bicycle to work everyday. Some are frayed along the bottom where the hem scuffed against the ground as I walked. Others are wearing out in multiple places. A few just look old and dirty, even though they were laundered.
I decided to dispose of all the smaller sizes. I cut some up for kitchen rags. They're 100% cotton; so they'll make good disposable polishing cloths. I'm keeping only two or three of the largest sizes. There is enough room in my closet to store the few I want to save. That clears three large shelves in my shed.
And Then I Changed My Mind
After reading some reviews, I decided the pizza accessory was overpriced ($125 on Amazon) for a curved piece of stainless steel, two wooden handles and a thermometer. It's more wow factor than utilitarian. It's also too big. One reviewer said he makes pizzas on his Weber grill just as easily without the attachment and they come out the same.
However, the old trousers are still going. I want the empty shelves.
And, Finally, Some Weather
We are enjoying a heat spell. Temperatures for the remainder of this week are projected to be in the mid- to upper-80s. Add another five to ten degrees where I live. Yesterday I hooked up my office air conditioner. The computers needed it today.
We are also under a high wind warning with projections up to 40 mph and gusts 65 to 75 mph in isolated areas. Downed trees and power lines are possible with power outages predicted. I doubt we'll see much damage where I live, but I prepared my storm lanterns anyway.
Sunday 2020.4.19
Experimenting With Pizza Dough
I tried an America's Test Kitchen recipe for pizza dough. The formula wasn't anything different, but only a small amount of yeast is used and the dough is left to rise slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
I also experimented with using a cast iron skillet as a pizza pan because I read about it somewhere. Like using a pizza stone, I heated the pan in the oven for an hour. The hour wasn't necessary because unlike a pizza stone, the iron pan absorbs heat quickly. I also used a little safflower oil in the pan because that oil has a high smoke point.
I arranged the dough in the bottom of the hot skillet then quickly put a few toppings on it before returning it to the oven. It only took about 10 minutes to lightly brown the cheese on top. The oven was at 475°F (246°C).
The result was a pizza that tasted like any other homemade pizza. The crust wasn't the same as the pizzeria crusts I love. It was good; however, the pan was a mess. The oil left a hard wax-like coating on the pan that was difficult to scrape off. The black seasoning on the iron was fine; it was the messy coating I disliked. After removing it all I coated the pan very lightly with flax oil, the best oil to use for seasoning cast iron cookware (Google it) and then heated it to about 500°F (290°C) for 20 minutes. The pan was good again.
Tracking COVID-19
I refined my mathematics for graphing the coronavirus infections here in Santa Barbara county. Rather than looking at the total cases, I looked only at the number recovering, either at home or in the hospital. In other words, only the active cases, not including those who are listed as "recovered." The result wasn't encouraging.
There is a dip at the end, but there have been two dips in the past. I want to see a downward trend.
The county is not a hot spot for infections; however, I don't see the numbers leveling off. Unlike other parts of the country, we don't appear to be at the apex yet. Why? Where do most people go to risk getting this infection? I suspect shopping, especially Costco, where I am told the wait in line to get into the store is at least 10 minutes. I haven't been to Costco in about a month.
I get it. Shopping at Costco can be fun. It's entertaining, and therefore a good way to alleviate some of the boredom of being stuck at home everyday. If I were king, I would order the big box stores to close for a while. There are no foods in those stores that cannot be purchased, albeit in smaller sizes, at the grocery store. Non-food items are available at places like Target. Some stores, like Smart & Final, offer home delivery with a minimum purchase. The grocery stores, the few times I've gone, are quiet.
The city with the highest number of infections in the county is Santa Maria, and they have an even larger Costco. I know it isn't fair to single out that one chain as a source of infections, but I personally believe they are a contributor, especially after reading a BuzzFeed News article that claims Costco's corporate management put profits ahead of their people. Therefore, I stay away.
However, I can be somewhat thankful the store is open. A friend shops there at least once a week. He recently brought me a 60-count carton of their eggs.
I went shopping on Thursday to buy some fresh broccoli (I should stock up on frozen), some batteries (more on that in a bit) and some Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
Itching for Summer
According to projections, we should be safe to leave the house again in June. I want to cook on the BBQ again. With that in mind, this past week I took out my chainsaw and cut up two of the oak logs I have stacked on my firewood rack. I sawed the wood into slices, which I then split into chunks that work well in the grill. It's hard work; the oak is really dry and hard. I only did enough to fill one five-gallon bucket with wood blocks, but that will last a while.
I probably have enough oak to get me through several summers. When that wood is gone, I'll buy charcoal briquettes. They're easier. And my age, nearly 70, I shouldn't be cutting up logs with a chainsaw, even though I try my hardest to be very safe.
And speaking of summer, on Wednesday I'll try to write something about the weather. If the predictions prove accurate, the temperature here will be in the low 80s here.
Another Collector's Item?
About the batteries: I bought them for my old Hewlett Packard 42S RPN Scientific calculator. The batteries cost 40% less at the store than on Amazon. While surfing on Amazon I noticed my calculator selling "used" for $225. You can do better on Ebay, although I saw one listed for nearly $900. But hey! They were giving free shipping!
I got mine from a former job. The head accountant was a guy who had worked at NASA. I was the only person in the department who knew RPN (Reverse Polish Notation); so they gave the calculator to me. What is RPN?
It's useful when calculating with formulas. You tap in a number, press the ENTER key (which loads the number into a register), then you tap in a second number. With both numbers in there, you specify a function to perform. It's "reverse" because rather than number-function-number-equal on a regular calculator, it's number-enter-number-function (there is no equal key). It's still four steps, but it's different. Those who are familiar with HP calculators will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Maybe part of my satisfaction of working with the calculator is the elitist feeling of knowing how to use it.
However, here's the thing: I buy batteries for it and then put the calculator in my desk drawer, where it remains mostly forgotten. The next time I go to use it, like when I'm doing my taxes, the batteries are dead. Duh! Why didn't I think of this? This time, after checking that the calculator still works, I removed the batteries and returned them to the blister pack. Now, when I want to use the calculator, I'll install the batteries, do my number crunching, and then remove the batteries again.
I had an older model HP when I was in college. Like the 42S, it was programmable. I loaded all my stats formulas into it. When taking exams, we had to show our work, which was okay. I knew the formulas. However, being able to use the calculator to step through the formulas to check my arithmetic was perfect. I found mistakes, corrected them, and aced my exams.
Finally, Another Kitchen Vlog
Yesterday I shot and uploaded another Kitchen Vlog video. I kind of rambled, covering some past stuff and talking a little about some future projects. Mostly it showed that I am still healthy and safe from this pandemic.
Wednesday 2020.4.15
Comfort Food
I decided on Sunday that I needed some comfort food. The weekend went well. I succeeded in getting a cooking video and a Kitchen Vlog ready for YouTube. We had our news discussion group meeting through a video conference web site. And I still managed to finish all the updates to my web site in time for Sunday morning. So, a reward seemed appropriate.
I made a pepperoni and Italian sausage pizza. It wasn't one of my truly superior Pizzas with all the toppings, but neither was I entertaining nor trying to impress anyone. I'm stuck at home, feeling like some of my liberties have been taken away (for my own good and that of others, to be sure); so I felt like I needed a treat — something I could make from ingredients on hand.
It wasn't perfect. The crust wasn't crisp along the bottom. It didn't even brown. If there had been corn meal in the cupboard I would have baked the pizza on a well heated pizza stone. I used a pan instead. However, it was delicious and satisfying, exactly what I needed to comfort myself. And I got three meals out of it. The Italian sausage, by the way, is under the cheese. I do that to protect the sausage from dying out in the oven.
Here's a trick: To reheat one of the slices stored in the refrigerator, I placed it in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. As it heated the pizza it browned and crisped the crust. It was quite good. It was like eating fresh baked pizza, not leftovers.
And speaking of pizza, I ordered another pizza stone. I bought a thick one that is supposed to tolerate temperatures up to 1,500° without cracking, not that anyone would cook a pizza at that temperature. I wanted a stone I can use in my Weber grill. I ordered it from Amazon for about $45. They said I could expect it in mid May. For a while, Amazon was giving priority to essential items, shipping non-essential items later. But recently I read they were going back to their regular shipping.
Meanwhile, I've been watching many pizza videos on YouTube. One technique I want to try is letting the dough proof in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using. Supposedly it makes a crust that is closer in texture and flavor to the pizzas made at pizzerias. Another technique is to create the pizza in a cast iron skillet and place that on the barbecue.
Some Good News?
My $1,200 stimulus benefit, when I get it, will cover my federal income tax. I paid an additional $1,140 this year. Uncle Sam giveth and Uncle Sam taketh away. Yesterday I submitted a request to increase my federal withholding. I don't want to be slapped with a penalty.
Also among the good news is that I successfully continue to avoid shopping. I was running out of butter, but one friend goes to Costco at least once a week. He picked up some butter for me. When he brought it to my home he asked for some alcohol wipes. He used one to wipe down the package before he handed it to me.
I still have plenty of food. I might not need to shop at Costco again until May or June, maybe even later.
Some Bad News
The area in which I live is not seeing the apex of the COVID-19 infection rate yet. One area of concern is the federal prison in Lompoc. Of the 29 new cases reported yesterday, 16 are at the prison.
Sunday 2020.4.12
Happy Easter.
Shopping
For the first time in two weeks I went grocery shopping. It was not a pleasant experience. I wouldn't have gone; I have plenty of food in the freezer. However, a friend brought me a piece of guanciale, an Italian meat made from cured pork jowl. "Meat" might not be correct. It's mostly fat. And it sells locally for about $26 per pound. My friend likes that sort of thing.
I found a recipe, which I made for this week's feature on the home page, Spaghetti with Guanciale and Cheese. It's a simple dish, for which I also made my own Pasta from Scratch. You can substitute the guanciale with bacon, prosciutto, pancetta, or even ham. If I make it again I will probably use some of the serano ham I have in the freezer, although some regard using that ham as an ingredient as a sacrilege.
As for the shopping experience, I went only because I needed some cheese for the guanciale recipe. I bought other things, about half the items on my shopping list. I wore a mask and disposable gloves. There was no line to get into the store, but there was a line set quite a distance from the registers, of which only one was open. Thankfully a clerk showed up and opened a second register. He was nice enough to select me out of the line to be first through.
I will be very pleased when this pandemic is passed and a vaccine is available. I'm sure many people will also.
Social Distancing
Other than that one recent trip to the store, I have been living like a hermit. I've been staying inside my home, not even sitting on the deck (the weather was rainy). Now that the sunshine has returned, I'll try to sit outside more often. Otherwise, the furthest I go is to fetch my mail.
There is one exception: Friday afternoon I went for a bike ride with my GoPro camera mounted on my helmet. I wanted to video the Pardall Corridor, a main street in Isla Vista that leads onto the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara. The campus is mostly closed and most of the students are studying from home. What would have been a busy thoroughfare on a normal weekday was a deserted place. It was almost eerie.
I'm not sure how long the video will be there. As soon as I uploaded it the video was tagged with a "copyright claim." I don't know why. The music I used was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which has been in the public domain for many decades. Maybe Google's police algorithm automatically assumes all music is copyright protected unless content creators use one of the selections YouTube provides.
I checked the metadata. There was no information other than the name and composer. I filed an objection to the claim. Even if the claim is upheld, I probably won't remove the video unless YouTube threatens to close my channel. That channel is not monetized. It generates no revenue for Google nor for me. It benefits no one, except maybe the people watching the videos. So, I don't know how I'll respond.
My Way or the Highway
Some people amuse me. There is only one way to do something — their way. I don't agree. Case in point: When cooking pasta made from scratch, do you cook the noodles in salted water? No. You can, of course. It won't hurt anything. But it's pointless. When you make fresh pasta dough you put salt in the dough, unless you plan to dry the noodles for storage, in which case no salt is added. Why?
When cooking dry pasta, you put salt in the water. As the pasta absorbs water, it also absorbs salt, which enhances the flavor. Most dry pasta has no salt in it. Check the ingredients on the package.
When cooking fresh pasta, it will absorb almost no moisture. The moisture is already in it. And it cooks in only a minute or two. Therefore, it won't absorb enough salt to improve the flavor. That's why salt is added to the dough if you plan to cook it fresh, not dry it.
I made the mistake of sending the link for my latest video to an Italian friend. Big mistake. Note to self, "Don't send her any more links." She is very opinionated. I get it. She grew up in Italy. There was a family way of doing things, probably handed down from generation to generation. I have no problem with that. But I wish she wouldn't assume she is the ultimate authority on cooking Italian food. My mother and grandmother were Italian. We have our own ways too.
Wednesday 2020.4.8
Some Good News
I've mentioned before in these blogs that I'm a statistics sort of guy. And I mentioned that I needed only one stats course for my college major — I took three.
I've been following some of the statistical data, especially the projections, on this pandemic we're all coping with. The newest projections this week indicate that the stay-safe-at-home directive here in California is working.
Formerly, we were expected to reach the peak of our hospital needs at the end of this month. That peak, or apex, is now predicted to be at the middle of this month, two weeks earlier. By the beginning of May we could be mostly out of danger, with the need for hospital beds and ventilators dropping to near zero by the middle of next month.
However, other projections say we'll be sheltering in place into November. I'm wondering if these projections are as reliable as the political polls.
I'm watching the pandemic stats because I'm wondering when it might be safe to go shopping again. I'm well stocked with foods in the freezer, but I don't have enough to get me through the fall.
As I demonstrated in this week's feature video recipe, I can always make some fresh pasta and dress it with foods on hand. I have eggs and flour.
The link is, of course, also on the home page. By including it here, it will go into My Blog Archive and still be available long after the home page changes.
I'm trying to eat conservatively, but my stockpile of foods won't last forever. A trip to the stores for groceries is inevitable. I'm already compiling a list of items I'll need.
Reading
I certainly have enough time on my hands to read, even without staying safe at home during this pandemic. I finished reading Dark Towers by David Enrich, a book about Deutsche Bank and, somewhat, its relationship with Donald Trump. It's a fascinating look at the corruption inside a greedy big bank and its perplexing long-term relationship with a borrower who is notorious for defaulting on his debts by filing for bankruptcy. Next up is Front Row at the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl.
And a Little More Good News
We enjoyed some late-season rain this week. A slow-moving storm passed through the region, dumping moderate amounts of rain. One part of the county received 5½ inches, another more than 4 inches. The reservoir upstream from our lake is full; excess water pours over the dam and into our reservoir, which is now more than 75% full. We're a little behind our annual rainfall, currently 90%, but we're doing well enough to avoid another declaration of drought this season. The rain will continue to fall today and tomorrow with sunny skies expected on Friday. I might go for a bike ride.
And Something a Little Boring (maybe more than a little)
As I mentioned earlier, one new project I gave myself was some reorganization of this web site. With more than 400 files in the Blog Archives, I needed to do something to make them easier to maintain. I don't know of anyone who has ventured in there, but if anyone should want to, they're all there, going back to the first blog I wrote in August of 2010. The functionality of the web site hasn't changed; the improvements are all internal. I did check many of the links and so far everything is working as it should. Thankfully, Dreamweaver has an internal link checker. It reports no broken links. Next, maybe the blog images.
And, Finally, Something Political
This morning Bernie Sanders dropped out of the presidential contest. Joe Biden is now the presumptive Democratic candidate. Trump is not happy, as demonstrated in his latest tweet storm. He views Biden as his most threatening competitor. I won't project the outcome. I was one of those who believed Hillary Clinton would be the clear winner in 2016. If we really are out from under the threat of COVID-19 by autumn, maybe the Democrats will be dancing in the streets in November.
Sunday 2020.4.5
Staying Occupied
I'll write about something I don't normally admit to. If you know where to look, you can find some really great stuff for free. I never offer to teach anyone how because it took me about a year to get fairly good at it. Although that was a long time ago, I'm still learning.
Stuck at home with not a whole lot to do, I've been watching stuff on TV. I was able to get a BBC miniseries, A Christmas Carol. It's awful. Other than barely following the plot of the Dickens classic Christmas tale and using the same names (Scrooge, Marley, Cratchit, etc.) there is almost nothing resembling the original story. I don't know why it was rated so well on IMDb.com.
Another series I've been watching is The Mandalorian. I don't have access to Disney+, but someone in another country either got DVDs or created his/her own and shared them. I suspect the latter. There are Dutch subtitles. The video format is PAL (common in Europe) rather than NTSC (USA).
If you know what you're doing (as I said above, it took me a year to learn), you can remaster the discs without the subtitles. Thankfully, my Yamaha Blu-ray player handles PAL as easily as NTSC. The video quality is excellent.
I know there are copyright laws not to be broken. I can afford to obey them. However, there are times when no DVDs or Blu-ray discs exist — otherwise I would buy them. If someone makes unavailable videos available, who am I to turn down an opportunity to enjoy something while we're under an order to stay home? I can always buy the discs later when they become available. I've done that before.
So, that is what I am doing to fill up some of this time we are directed to "stay safe at home." I've been watching all eight episodes of season 1 of Mandalorian. So far, I love it. I also tried watching a Katherine Hepburn movie, The Corn is Green, but the copy I borrowed from a library was faulty. After watching half the movie the video became distorted and pixilated. So I ordered a new DVD from Amazon.
Cooking
I have plenty of food in the freezer to keep me going for a while. I made more Texas Beef Chili yesterday, using the last of the beef in the freezer. I can stretch that by serving it on a bed of cooked rice. Rice is high in carbs, but I'd rather have the carbs than go out shopping.
I considered doing a video of making food at home from simple ingredients already on hand. For example, many of us have flour in the cupboard and eggs in the refrigerator. How about making Pasta from Scratch? Not everyone has a pasta machine, or even a rolling pin. What are some workable alternatives? How about using a large plastic jar to roll the pasta? How should the cooked pasta be sauced? How about some olive oil and minced garlic? I have some pesto in my freezer. You get the idea.
Being stuck in the house can be fun if we find enjoyable things to do. Making pasta from scratch seems like a fun and time-consuming project that would keep us occupied. And it would be better than sitting on the couch all day, watching daytime TV. So, I shot and edited the video yesterday, which is this week's feature, although there is no actual recipe. Instead, I refer viewers to an older recipe — Pesto Chicken Fettuccine.
Wednesday 2020.4.1
Home
Looking at my April 2020 calendar, I see a note saying I bought my mobile home on this date in 1994. I've lived in this home for 26 years. A lot has happened, which I won't list here, except to say I made some changes down through the years to improve my living situation. I'm happy here, which is good because now I am spending nearly all my time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking of which, I uploaded another Kitchen Vlog video to YouTube today. Although it is titled Week 3, we're not quite into week three yet. I think tomorrow is the beginning of our third week under the governor's orders to stay home.
For this vlog I did something a little different. Rather than doing the entire video in my kitchen, I rode my bike around the local area to show how the stores have changed to cope with the illness sweeping through the world.
And Speaking of Shopping
I read a report in the news that said the shopping frenzy at places like Costco, Walmart, and other large stores, was finally subsiding. I'll wait a little longer before I venture into Costco again. As shown in the video linked above, Costco set up barriers to limit the number of people going into the store. Maybe I'll wait until those barriers come down, or at least until I see no line forming at the entrance. I don't need much, but I will need to buy eggs soon. I like Costco's 60-egg carton.
Another Project
Having completed the projects I gave myself to keep busy during this time at home, I needed something new to occupy my time. I decided it might be the best time to do a major reorganization of my web site.
All my past blogs are in the Blog Archive, going all the way back to my first one in August 2010. There are 116 of them, all in one place. I think it's time to organize them into folders, each one a year. My blog images, like the thumbnail above, are another issue. Those need to be organized too.
Moving everything will, of course, break all the links. So I will need to work on them a little at a time, maybe dividing the project into segments, each one a single year to organize. If it all goes well, none of the links on my web site will be broken when I'm finished.
Then there will be the project of uploading all the re-organization to my hosting service. Maybe I'll do that one year at a time too.
And, Finally, Saying Good-bye
Not to worry. I'm not going anywhere. This morning I gave up all hope for the pineapple plant I was trying to root. No new roots were forming. The existing roots were not getting longer. And the entire top of the plant turned brown.
I might try again, if I think to buy a pineapple the next time I go to the store.