Today a friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook, of her two sons in the car. The caption read: “THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAYS LATER both boys are back at school this morning. For a few hours anyway.” I looked at that number and thought that can’t be right. But it is.
My kid hasn’t set foot inside a school since March 12, 2020—so for him, it’s 321 days (remember, I write these on Wednesday). I know he’s not the only one, but he’s my only. At 14 he’s so isolated, it hurts me to think about. I actually played a video game with him today, just because I needed to see him interacting with another human.*
We’re heading into the deepest, darkest part of winter. My husband and I already struggle just to get him to take a walk. I suspect he could go weeks without leaving our apartment, if we let him. It’s not good, in a bunch of ways. And there’s no end in sight, at least here in NYC. He won’t go back to school until September.
Our kids are going to emerge from this profoundly changed, and not for the better.
*I know, many, many parents play video games with their kids. But I was in high school by the time anyone I knew had an Atari console—and my family never did. Plus I have carpal tunnel problems, so when I play a video game, it’s a Big Deal.
Anyway, here’s the menu for next week:
MONDAY:
Lentil Sloppy Joes from Spend with Pennies, with roasted broccoli. Lentils make an excellent swap-in for ground beef in sloppy joes—though meat-eaters, feel free to go half-and-half if you like. Make a double-recipe to use on Wednesday, and roast extra broccoli for Thursday.
TUESDAY: Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry from Healthy Little Foodies with brown rice. This is a kid-friendly curry, so unless your kid is as picky as mine, you should be fine. Cook a double-batch of brown rice to use on Friday.
WEDNESDAY: Sloppy Joe Tamale Pie with sour cream and avocado. Monday’s leftover sloppy joe mixture goes into a baking dish and gets a cornbread lid. Use this simple recipe for the cornbread, and you’ll have dinner ready in no time.
THURSDAY:
Easy Vegetarian Calzones from Bon Appetit. You’ll have roasted broccoli ready to go, so you can skip to Step 3. And because these are individual calzones, you can customize to accommodate flavor preferences.
FRIDAY: Vegetarian Sushi Grain Bowl from Eating Well. Grain bowls are perfect for picky eaters, since everyone gets to assemble their own bowls. Reheat Tuesday’s brown rice, chop up some vegetables, and dinner is served.
Here’s the shopping list:
Produce
2 green bell peppers (M, W)
2 small + 1 medium large onion (M, T, W, Th)
9 cloves garlic (M, T, W)
Small knob ginger (F)
1 large head broccoli (M, Th)
3 carrots (T, F)
1 large sweet potato (T)
2 avocados (W, F)
Small bunch basil (Th)
1 cucumber (F)
1 lemon (Th)
Pantry
Olive oil (M, T, W, Th)
Avocado OR vegetable oil (F)
Cider vinegar (M, W)
32 oz. vegetable, beef, or chicken broth (M, T, W)
2 cups brown lentils OR 1 cup lentils + 1 lb. ground meat (M, W)
2 cups tomato sauce (M, W)
1/3 cup tomato paste (M, W)
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes (T)
Prepared marinara sauce (Th)
1/2 cup ketchup (M, W)
Yellow mustard (M, W)
Worcestershire sauce (M, W)
Brown sugar (M, W)
Granulated sugar (W)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (W)
1 1/3 cups cornmeal (W)
Baking powder (W)
Baking soda (W)
Buttermilk powder OR buttermilk (W)
Chili powder (M, W)
Curry powder (T)
Smoked paprika (T)
Ground cumin (T)
Red pepper flakes, optional (Th)
Sesame seeds, optional (F)
2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas (T)
2 cups brown rice (T, F)
Rice vinegar (F)
Reduced-sodium tamari OR soy sauce (F)
Toasted (dark) sesame oil (F)
Toasted nori (F)
Meat Counter
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, optional (M, W)
Dairy
Unsalted butter (W)
8 oz. sour cream (W)
4 large eggs (W, Th)
1 cup buttermilk OR buttermilk powder (W)
1/2 cup milk (W)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (Th)
1 cup ricotta (Th)
1/2 cup grated parmesan (Th)
Bakery
8 hamburger buns (M)
1 lb. prepared pizza dough (Th)
Freezer Case
Shelled edamame (F)
On Saturday, paying subscribers will get the details on how it all comes together.
Stay safe, be kind, wash your hands, and wear a mask.
Debbie