Two months into sheltering at home, here are some vegan food highlights & how we’re passing the time. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners while we’re cooking every meal at home.
Most years when the calendar opens to May, it's a promise of adventures to come. The bi-weekly farmers market, art fairs, and road trips…
So this year, it feels simultaneously comforting and oddly out of place to see the harbingers of spring. There's green grass, daffodils, and blossoming magnolias. But this summer will look different than any we've experienced before.
The art fairs are canceled. The farmers market is no contact. And road trips are off for the foreseeable future.
David and I are now entering week 8 of sheltering at home. Each day seems to last forever. Yet April was gone in a blink.
There's an odd balance between the heaviness of what's going on in the world along with the comfort of home - cozy clothes, favorite TV shows, cuddling cats…
We no longer have landmarks for the passage of time to hold our place - meet-ups with friends, birthday parties, or even the little thrill that usually comes on Friday for the weekend ahead. The days pass from one to the next in a watercolor blur.
At some point, this period will be a memory. So I wanted to write down what the last two months have looked like.
What we are eating
Breakfasts that were usually reserved for weekends in our pre-pandemic lives now get to see what Mondays and Tuesdays are like.
I've been making lots of toasted sandwiches with seitan bacon, eggy tofu, and non-dairy cheese to seal everything together.
There have also been more weekday tofu scrambles with whatever vegetables are in the crisper.
There have been full spreads with hash browns and seitan bacon.
When the potatoes ran out, I air fried tater tots and made scrambles with Brussels sprouts.
Even in the old days (three months ago), we cooked 90% of our meals at home. Since that number has moved to 100%, the thing that gets tiresome isn't so much the cooking per se as much as deciding what to cook. So I've been preparing double batches for easy leftovers later.
A couple of times I've made big batches of potato salad, because it tastes good at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's filling, and of course, good right out of the refrigerator.
I added shredded carrot & celery to this one, like the potato salad I had in Orlando.
Here I served the potato salad with air fried vegan chick'n strips, and a salad topped with non-dairy feta.
I've also been doing a lot of repurposing.
One thing that's particularly good for repurposing in different ways is taco filling. If I make a batch for tacos one night, at subsequent meals the filling can be used in bowls, salads, and nachos. It uses leftovers without getting same-y.
I made bean burritos with soyrizo, tater tots, salsa, and guacamole.
(Individual packs of guacamole are coming in really handy for times when I've run out of avocados.)
Then after we ran out of tortillas, I made corn cakes dotted with roasted corn.
I topped the corn cakes with the soyrizo & black bean mixture. I added more guacamole, non-dairy cheese, and cilantro.
Finally, I used the soyrizo & beans one last time on tater totchos.
I air fried the tater tots. Then I added shredded non-dairy cheese, salsa, hot sauce, guacamole, kalamata olives, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. Easily one of my favorite meals of this time.
Would an official totcho recipe be handy for this? I'm only too happy to make it again if it would be useful.
(For more tater tot themed meals, check out these chili cheese tater tots.)
Continuing with the theme, we had vegan nachos one night with cashew queso, spicy black beans, tomatoes, olives, and chopped spinach because we were out of cilantro.
I made jackfruit taquitos in the air fryer. (I have oven directions as well in the recipe.)
I served them with pineapple salsa and a spinach salad. And to drink, sparkling water with frozen strawberries and lemon, my beverage of choice.
Wraps are also really easy to throw together, like the vegan chicken veggie wraps I shared recently or these falafel wraps.
They're stuffed with brown rice, spinach, hummus, and falafel from the freezer (one of my favorite Trader Joe's vegan products). On the side, dolmas and fries.
Several months ago I made a huge batch of dukkah (nut and seed mixture). We are finally getting to the end of it. I like to dip warm bread into extra virgin olive oil, followed by dukkah (like a savory Lik-m-aid Fun Dip).
We had it with a romaine salad topped with kalamata olives, vegan feta, grilled artichoke halves, and Brussels sprouts.
With more time on our hands and our serotonin receptors looking for little treats to make the days brighter, there was an increase in baking for a while (until we ran out of sugar & flour).
David made blueberry muffins from Vegan Brunch, which were exceptional. We'll definitely be repeating those.
He also made a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and I made peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
How we're passing the time
Outside of curbside grocery pick-ups and a couple of grocery store visits wearing masks, we haven't been going into any stores. No more walks around Target while sipping on a soy latte.
So we've been entertaining ourselves with drives to nowhere through the countryside. We've been taking walks around the neighborhood, and finding reasons to spend time in our yard.
We put up the badminton set that had been sitting in the garage for about 9 years. We threw around a frisbee.
I even brought out the hula hoop and Color Guard flag, doing tricks in the yard while listening to Lizzo.
It reminds me of being a kid again when the summers were long. We didn't live in a neighborhood with other kids and my brothers are older, so I spent a lot of time entertaining myself.
David bought a retro Atari with games installed in it, and I already had a similar Nintendo console. So we've been playing Pitfall, River Raid, and plenty of old school Mario.
The music and sound effects of the games may be the best part. So transportive.
We've also been playing piano every day.
We started taking lessons for the first time back in the fall. But those are on hiatus for now. Instead, we're just going through our piano books and working on whatever appeals.
Right now I'm honing Do-Re-Mi from Sound of Music.
I'm also continuing to work at There's No Business Like Show Business. I was in Annie Get Your Gun in high school, so that one has some nostalgia value.
I went through phases of Tomorrow, Edelweiss, and Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma.
We've also been watching our share of television. 30 Rock is getting yet another series re-watch. What We Do in the Shadows is new every week, so that's something to look forward to.
I'm watching The Tonight Show: At Home Edition during the week. And when I need to calm my mind before bed, watching an episode or two of Bob Ross is salve.
Staying in touch
Until recently, I'd only done video calls a handful of times. However, since we aren't doing any in-person visits with friends or family, the computer has stepped up its game.
We've had happy hours with several sets of friends, coffee with my parents, and a tea break with my pal, Becky Striepe from Glue and Glitter.
Becky is doing a weekly video chat live on Facebook (and later posted on YouTube as well). She has a different guest each week. I got the chance to chat with her a couple weeks ago.
I hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe & well during this stressful time. I'd love to hear from you about how you're staying occupied, and what you're cooking.
Also, let me know if there's anything that would be particularly useful to you right now blog post or recipe-wise. Chime in below.
Lucy
Love this! It’s making me wish I had started a journal from day 1 of quarantine. You’re so right about the days blurring by. I do know there will be certain meals I’ll always associate with this time: your eggy tofu on toasted homemade bread; “horsey porridge” (a mixture of barley and oats cooked with carrots apples and served with a couple lumps of sugar), which we invented one day when we were short on oats and had a surplus of apples and carrots; tacos with sautéed zucchini, onions and peppers and peanut queso (when we ran out of cashews!).
I’ve never been much of a meal planner. Until recently almost daily grocery shopping was the norm for us too. When lockdown started we signed up with a couple of small local food delivery services and now we get a random box of organic fruits and veggies twice a week, plus some grocery staples from a selection that’s more limited than we’re used to but still ample for our needs. I like figuring out what to cook based on what they send, it’s like a game! And we’re also eating a greater variety of produce because they try to switch things up each week. We may keep doing it this way forever!
What We Do in the Shadows is definitely a high point of each week for us too. I want to rewatch all of Twin Peaks but we did that last winter and my partner says it’s too soon 😆
Cadry
You could always start a journal now, and record what you can remember about the early days. It’s interesting that we’ve all been doing this long enough, some of the things that were talked about a lot in the early days aren’t getting the focus now. For example, two months ago, people talked a lot about singing Happy Birthday when washing hands or other songs with similar lengths. Now no one talks about that.
Your quarantine meals sound delicious! There’s a restaurant in Orlando that used to make peanut queso, and it was really good. (They don’t use peanuts anymore, probably for allergy reasons.) I’ve meant to make it that way at home but haven’t. How did you like it with peanuts? Did the peanuts overtake the flavor?
It is kind of fun to have to make up meals on the fly with what’s available – like Chopped at home. That’s a nice side effect that you’re eating a wider variety of produce this way.
Lucy
True—why don’t I just start now?!
We really loved the peanut queso! You can definitely taste the peanuts (or PB in this case) but we didn’t mind. If you love queso and you love peanut sauce, it’s a very happy marriage between the two. I did add a lot of Cholula to it, which seemed like the right thing to do 😁😁
Bianca Phillips
Aw Cadry, I love this post so much!! Also, HOW DID I NOT THINK TO BUY INDIVIDUAL GUAC PACKS???? Genius. I’ve been going to the store every 2 weeks or so (as opposed to my pre-pandemic daily shopping trips), so I always buy avocado and run out very quickly. I have been keeping jars of Herdez guacamole salsa on-hand (because it’s amazing and lasts longer than guac), but next time, I’m definitely getting guac packs. Your quarantine looks quite lovely! I’ve been cooking at home more for sure (but still getting some takeout), and I’m using this time to KonMari my house (which I’ve discovered will take months and months to complete, but I’m getting a nice headstart).
Cadry
Thanks, Bianca! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Individual guacamole packs are a lifesaver right now. I’m down to my last one. I usually get them from Trader Joe’s, but I’ve been visiting TJ’s less often since they don’t offer pick-up or delivery like other grocery stores in our area. We’ve done a couple of really big trips there, but they’re infrequent. It’s sad. I miss TJ’s! I saw your post about Herdez guacamole salsa. I need to try that sometime!
It’s funny you mention that about KonMari, because I was just thinking that I bet a lot of people are wishing they hadn’t purged so many things that they weren’t using. Haha! I’ve done a couple of big rounds of KonMari – after I read her book and then again after watching her TV show. Depending on how long this pandemic goes on, I may be using the sled in my garage after all, just like the forgotten badminton set.
Shell
Cad, I’m so jealous of your flag! I taught my girls some basic color guard moves using sticks recently. Where did you get that?
Cadry
You should order one! I got mine from a Color Guard supply store online about 10 years ago. I looked through my emails to see if I could fine the exact one, but I don’t have the email anymore. Anyway, if you google “color guard flags” lots of options come up.
They even sell them on Amazon. Although, it looks like they only have aluminum poles like we used for winter guard, but I really prefer fiberglass, like our practice poles.
Be warned, the shipping from the supply stores tends to be pretty high. But I haven’t regretted getting one anyway, even though I wondered how often I’d use it. It always brings me joy.
Mandy
Nice to see that despite quarantine, you guys are still eating REALLY well! It was fun to learn that I’m not the only one who has eaten potato salad for breakfast 😉 give me ALL the savory goodness. Speaking of that, I would love an official totcho post from you 🙂 It’s been a long time since I’ve had tater tots and that would give me a great excuse to buy them! Yay!! I’ve been busting out my hula hoop too! One plus side to all of this extra time at home, is being reunited with old hobbies/activities and learning some new ones! Love it – we have that Nintendo console with all of the games pre-loaded! I completely agree, the music/sound effects transport me straight back to those carefree days as a kid! Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful photos and a glimpse into how you’ve been! Hugs to you and David!
Cadry
Yay! I’m glad I’m not alone in my feeling that potato salad is welcome anytime, day or night. Plus, I love that it’s so satiating. I really need to make another batch.
Thanks for the go ahead on the totcho recipe! Haha! Could you tell I was angling for that? I just added tater tots to our grocery order. 😀
That’s so fun that you’ve been pulling out your hula hoop too. Hugs to you as well!
Patti
Thanks for sharing a peek into what you and David have been doing. I love how you still have your Color Guard skills. My grandkids have always found it entertaining when I do one of my Pom Pom routines from 50 years ago. We put out our badminton net too! Trying to find our old croquet set. We’ve also done about 15 puzzles.
I have a question about the variation on the breakfast sandwich..do you go ahead and cook the tofu as usual before putting it on the bread and grilling in the skillet?
Cadry
That’s so fun that you do your pom pom routines for your grandkids sometimes! I can see why they love it. I’ve been meaning to order a puzzle! They’re really popular right now.
Yes, I cook the tofu and bacon as usual before adding them to the bread & shredded cheese. When I add them to the bread, it also helps the non-dairy cheese to melt a little faster since they’re hot.
Susan
It looks like you have been eating well. I am into my fifth week now of social isolation, and the days do simultateously drag but then vanish. Thank you for sharing what you have been up to during these times. I hope the kitties are helping keep morale up. <3
Cadry
Thanks, Susan! The kitties are definitely helping with morale. They make me smile multiple times a day. They’re the heroes of our household! 😀
Laura VZ
Thank you for sharing this! We’ve been cooking so much more, and it’s been pretty fun. I wish I could catch Becky’s chat live but since I’m still working, I’ll try to catch them on YouTube. And now I need to go find tater tots… 🙂
Cadry
Yay! I’m glad you’ve been having fun with cooking. It looks like you’re getting a lot of delicious take-out too. When you get an opportunity, you’ll have to check out Becky’s show on Facebook or YouTube. They’re available either place afterwards.
James
I love breakfast, and your eggy tofu recommendations have been great. While I’m not typically a saucy guy (not with my food anyway), I do love hollandaise at breakfast. Have you run across any really good eggy/lemony/buttery vegan sauces that might be a good substitute? It’s just so good on asparagus or roasted potatoes or your tofu scramble!
Hugo correa
Thanks for your recipes and to let us enter a lil bit in your life!! God bless you!! Big hug from the mountains of argentina!!
Cadry
Thank you for the kindness, Hugo! Hugs to you from Iowa!
Cadry
I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the eggy tofu! Hollandaise is a favorite of mine too. I have a really old recipe for cauliflower-based hollandaise that I’ve been meaning to update. These days, I’d probably make it with cashews instead, though. I’ll try to push it up on the to-do list!