Following my appendicitis, my family and I are isolating to shield me for two weeks, so lockdown just got riiiiipe! Our dog has been packed off on holidays round the corner as we three are confined to the house and garden. It's been six days and it has been ok so far, to be honest. But then one often doesn't feel like doing much when feeling rough. This coming week will be more of a test, I think.

Today, to make someone smile: I made yoghurt cranberry muffins for my husband's breakfast tomorrow. 

Today, for me: I did my first exercise since my hospitalization, and felt great for it, energised.

Today, to be productive, I cleared out my recipe books and put together two charity bags of clothes for when lockdown ends. 

Stay well,

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

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

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

What's made me happy today? I lay in the garden teaching my baby how to bang on pots and pans. She's still a way off but it was relaxing. 

Productivity wise, I did the shopping, cleaned the floors, baked bread, disinfected all the high traffic knobs, banisters and buttons in the house, planted out my seedling of cucumber and courgette, made ribs for lunch, walked the dog, did two laundry loads, put a will pack together for our solicitor...

And helping someone out? I delivered some homemade Chelsea Buns to two of my neighbours. They're a bit brown due to not having the correct flour but they taste pretty good - hope the neighbours had a nice tea tonight!

Doing these three things - making time for my on happiness, being productive and helping someone - is really doing me good through social isolation and lockdown. It's keeping me busy and my mind off other things. I just really fancy a change of scenery!

See you tomorrow, 

Lou x

Today I made bread and it was beautiful. I bake to show love, and we had a gorgeous ploughman's tea tonight as a result. Yum!

That's my biggest productive thing for the day...

Doing something for me... I watched a lot of This Is Us on Netflix. I felt bad to not be out in the sunshine but I felt like a bit of a break today with baby going through a grouchy stage. 

And something for someone else... I delivered two packets of baby food pouches to a friend round the corner. We don't like using them for Rox after hearing of at least two cases of packets with mould inside, and that's all I can think of now when I see them. So passing them on didn't waste them and helped out another family.

Take that covid-19, a good day in isolation.

Lou x

It's ugly as sin, but times are hard. I used the last of my self raising flour -  plainhas already disappeared - the last of a packet of marshmallows and four precious eggs. I have always been able to find butter in the shops in lockdown but I am going to miss cake flour!!

That's my 'help someone' thing for today. My husband likes plain vanilla cake and condensed milk. This cake is both and more. 

My little something for me... I sat in the sunshine on my sun lounger for a good 15 mins while baby napped.

Productivity wise, I continued with the project that needed sanding down yesterday. Today was painting. Tomorrow the real fun starts, if the weather's nice. Stay tuned!

Lou x

It wasn't amazing, a bit dense and mine didn't come out as red as the recipe pictures, but if you want to try it out, here's the recipe. No yeast or eggs required, if you're struggling in the shops!

https://www.thefieryvegetarian.com/herbed-tomato-bread/

So that was my productive thing. Helping someone else... This was a little harder today, struggled to really make an impact. I agreed to be my mum's will executor if that counts? And something for me - I painted my nails and started watching This Is Us. Love it already!

Lou x