Lockdown 2: Eat Less For More

I love cooking. First I'm going to sing the praises of London's 'Sam's Restaurant' purely because they made a highlight of something that I love. Steak and kidney on toast - toast and dripping that is. Anyone who can promote toast and dripping can do no wrong. Back in time, the early 1950's, when rationing was on the idea of steak and kidney - well it would have been scarce. A cube of steak and a kidney halved on toast and dripping went down well. The most essential ingredient of dripping is the jelly for that is the goodness. Today I still make pork, chicken or turkey dripping. I find most TV cooks make a meal and then taste it with a comment of self satisfaction. Though some make me laugh as they admit that they did not know that a kipper was a herring or that making your own apple or mint sauce is cheaper than shop bought. Bring back the days of Philip Harbon and Fanny Craddock who taught us how to cook. And our grandparents who taught us the rest.

LOCKDOWN: 1. Good Times and Bad Ones

March 2020 should have been good times. A time for the family to get together and enjoy the good times. My wife and I were going to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary but the lockdown put that out of the question. Had we listened to all the 'woe is...' attitude back in 1970 we wouldn't have lasted 50 days, weeks or months let alone years. The thing was that we were chalk and cheese therefore we knew what we were doing. If you know each other then you know about how strenghts and weakness work together. Lockdown was something that neither of us expected to last - still we topped up the food cupboard and fridge freezer to prepare for a seige. Time to catch up with reading and binge on boxsets but after a while it becomes a drag. I think that I got rid of six carrier bags full of books and dvds plus 2 containing CDs. . The kitchen has become my domain. The wife is in isolation so all the household chores fall to me. Seemed like a good time to clear out the stuff that was crammed into cupboards that were surplus to requirements. However with the passage of time comes the dark clouds for all there is are four walls that close in. Depression with anxiety creep up until I found myself in an armchair enveloped by lethargic sleep. No space for exercise that doing a trip to the loo is a slow walk to nowhere new. The thought of going to the shops are daunting for me and magical for the young. Depression is hell - until....I looked in the mirror and saw the length of my hair and the shaggy beard that hid most of my face. What, I wondered had happened to me? The kichen sink was piled with plates and cups for it had been easier to use clean rather than wash up. October 2020 - we are still in lockdown but I am writing this. The beard is trimmed, the kitchen sink is empty and the surfaces have been cleared of clutter. My mind is aware of the lethargy lurking in the background but I have to wake up each day with a determination to become positive again. Oh, yes and the consoles are dusted off - better to escape than dwell within the enclosed four walls.