FLOUR
Seriously folks, what's going on? Demand is up 500% I hear for domestic baking during lockdown. Is baking with kids staying at home really that big an activity to cause  flour shortages like we're seeing? I'm all in favour of kids learning to bake but really, has all that flour been used?? Did people bulk buy ridiculously? It's certainly not because theres a shortage of cake or bread in the shops and people intended to make their own. Of anything in the shops, if I can't find flour (or eggs), I find it very disheartening. 

WALKS
I walk the dog daily. I have favourite routes, but most of them are where, normally, there are not many people. I prefer deep woodland and open fields to streets and parks. However, since lockdown, even my more remote walk have seen an increase of fellow walkers. I reckon, on average, you can use the power of 5 to measure it. So if you normally see two groups or people, you'll see 10 now. It's nuts - did these people not exercise at all before lockdown, and suddenly everyone's determined to get their daily 'Boris Walk' in?

I want to say... Amateurs!! You're spoiling my baking habits and my solitude and peace in walking. 

How miserable do I sound? I'm not miserable really, just a bit gobsmacked and mildly amused/annoyed. It is good people are getting out and about more, and baking. It just feels a bit like when you have a gym membership and the facilities get soooooo busy in January when everyone's on a health drive. I wonder if these walkers and bakers will continue in such numbers once lockdown ends. 

Lou x

However, some comfort food is permitted and what better than shortbread. I use this recipe: 

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/shortbread_1290

I would normally double this recipe to make thicker shortbread, but I'm being tight with flour these days! 

My mum used to make shortbread a lot when we were kids and I can see why now. Its ultra quick, only has three ingredients (4 if you count the cherries I added) and has great results. 

Try it today! You wont be disappointed. 

Lou x

Productivity today: See above
Make someone smile: See above
Something for me: See above.

Easy. Cheating, but easy!

Anyone else starting to feel like this is the new normal? Not seeing friends and family, no reliable deliveries, no outings, work all a-cock... 

I'm hearing a lot from other people about "things they've read" about how long lockdown  is going to last for. We obviously don't know for sure but the speculation makes me panic a bit. I haven't dared to think about not seeing my family for the whole summer... and into the Autumn. 

I normally see my mum (often my dad joins too) once a week and my brother probably every two weeks, that's what I'm missing the most. They're not walkable to where they live so I can't walk past and wave like I've done with some local friends. If I think about it more than a couple of seconds, it is hard to bear. 

I do try to remember though that El Husbandio's family permanently live away, in another country, I'm lucky to have my folks in reach easily normally, but it makes it hard to talk about with El Husbandio because he always trumps me by pulling the foreign card.

But, as someone else said to me today, at least we're  all safe and healthy. Best not to dwell on might happen and how, just keep on keeping on. 

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Today's productivity: Did a trip to Costco for dog food and toilet paper, mainly, and dyed some boring white baby PJs blue and yellow.
 
Today's smile for someone else: I made soft, fluffy cheese and onion rolls for tea tonight, which El Husbandio loves. 

Today's thing for me: I took the dog out for a longer-than-normal walk in some fields we've not seen for a while. Rox was in the baby backpack, enjoying pulling my plaited hair and looking at the goats we found. A lovely afternoon. 

Lou x

Apologies for the terrible picture formatting. I added one and then couldn't get rid of it or shrink it or anything. I miss my laptop!!!!

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Today I did something for me in the shape of dying a shirt which was ruined with bleach at the weekend. Don't ask. I'm still in mourning. Hoping the dye works, even if it's a new colour...

Today I made someone smile by having afternoon snack on Zoom with my baby and my parents. They are really missing Rox so it was lovely to chill with them, albeit online, for 30 mins or so. 

Today I was productive in that I made (another!) cake and Aztec Soup for the first time for lunch. It's one of our favourites but El Husbandio normally makes it, so I thought it was time I stepped up. His is better, which isn't a surprise, but mine was good enough. Even if he did eat all the tortilla chips himself. 

See you tomorrow, 

Lou x

Well, I won by default as she decided to make bread pudding (weirdly with no milk - anyone else do that??). Here's my cake and here's the recipe if you fancy trying it yourself. It's dead easy. 

Today's 'make someone smile' activity will be to deliver a few slices to my neighbour. I've been productive in doing a load of washing and going through my sock draw, binning the holey and never used underwear. As for making time for myself, I'm now going to paint my toenails as the baby naps. Boom!

Lou x

The post may be a bit unreliable at the moment, understandably, but she did get some nice treats today - even a cake from her boyfriend!

Have a great day, S, and stay safe xx

Lou x

My productive thing for today... I'm going to make a pineapple upside down cake this afternoon. 
My 'make myself happy' thing... I'm going to watch the special showing of Phantom of the Opera on YouTube tonight with El Husbandio. 
My 'help someone' today... was more like 'bring a smile to someone's  face'... Maybeni should rename it. Anyway, Rox and I had a video chat with (her) great-grandma, which was lovely. 

This meant I had to spend hours yesterday moving across photos and re-installing apps. But looking at my apps of choice, a massive percentage of them are useless in lockdown!

Just Eat - a lot of places aren't delivering anymore. 

Wriggle - mainly good deals in town so a) places aren't open and b) we probably shouldn't be doing that non essential 8 mile round trip.

First Bus - no need, I'm not taking a dirty old bus anywhere anytime soon!

Ringo parking - again, with me having used my car twice in almost a month, paying for parking isn't a thing at the moment. 

And not 100% lockdown related, but I'm not getting paid at the moment (last months of mat leave), so there's not much banking action happening. 

Maybe I should get rid of these for a bit!

There are however some apps which are getting some serious overtime in during this time. Hello Netflix and Prime Video! Hello Zoom, WhatsApp and Words with Friends!

So having a new phone made me happy today, moving across all my data was productive, and I hosted a mini WhatsApp party for one of my favourite people's birthdays. Hoping that made his day.

See you tomorrow,

Lou x

I was productive... Cleaning the oven inside and out after my potato weirdly jumped out of its skin. I must have been feeling the fear of boredom!!

I made myself a littler happier today by... Joining in (and coming a respectable second) with an online noughties music quiz with some mum friends. It's been a while since I've listened to JLS!!

I helped someone out today by... Popping along to another shop other than our usual ultra local Lidl and offering to some neighbours to grab something they need if I see it on the fresh territory. Who knows what Avonmouth may have that we don't?!

Lou x

We've had around 3.5 weeks of Lockdown and I've already... 

Given myself a BBQ burn
Burned myself on an oven shelf 
​Bruised my forehead by walking into an open cupboard door

El Husbandio has been...
Working from home - enter back ache
Sunburnt

These injuries need to stop! No one wants a hospital trip during Lockdown...

Lou x

Friends of mine know that I'd go nuts if I could t bake, nothing more depressing than no flour in the shops. So two of my fabulous friends have dropped on my doorstep a total of five bags! I am one lucky baker in this shortage. 

Secondly, a cashier at Asda was being a bit hoardy, telling me they've not got many stamps, insinuating could I go elsewhere... I said I only needed one and the lady behind me in the queue (2m away of course!) offered me one from her wallet. She said it would make her happy to help someone out, so we both won. Take that, Asda and your hoarding ways!

Also, my bestie dropped round some of her hot cross buns. She knows they're my favourite food, so what a pick-me-up on an otherwise boring day in lockdown.

Good times. It's lovely to be the recipient of good things and good vibes. 

(I'm still being productive and making time for myself too, by the way - today I read a lot of my book to relax, and made some South African chocolate bread).

Lou x