Comfort food? This is weird but my go to comfort food is tuna noodle casserole! Whenever I am sick I have to make it. DH doesn't like it so I can't just have it for dinner. hahaha
I LOVE tuna noodle casserole!!
I am Lee and have been on the DIS since... 1999? I am 63+ and live with my husband and our 19 year old kitty, Weasley (we lost his brother, Potter, 2 years ago). I manage the organic chem labs at UMaine in Orono, where we live (just outside of Bangor), so about a 4 hour drive north of Boston. UMaine is 'officially' on spring break this week, but when the kids left on Friday they took everything with them, as it'd been announced that we were going to an online format until the end of the semester. My husband is a chem professor at another local university (also online only for the rest of the semester) but also does independent consulting. We are both doing our lectures from home now, but also have to access our labs- he for research and me for data to send the students. We are very fortunate to have jobs that allow us to work remotely, mostly, so income won't be an issue. Our DD is a paraprofessional at a school in CT that is closed until at least 4/1, so she is not currently being paid. Her husband has been ill so is on 40% short term disability, so we are cutting corners and anticipating having to help out financially. The "up" side to this is that with her work shut down, she is visiting friends in the area, so we are seeing quite a bit of her at an unexpected time!
I am not sure how I'll fill my days; once my labs are finished for the rest of the semester ( I have to do demo experiments, put together a lab lecture and data packet for each of 4 labs, to send to the students), I will be at loose ends as the University has just gone on to an "emergency/essential personnel only" policy. I have a long list of things I'd like to accomplish around the house, so that'll probably happen. Basement needs to be sorted and cleaned, drawers and closets sorted through, maybe paint the kitchen. I am also at loose ends in my reading. I have always been a HUGE psycho-killer mystery fan; think John Sanford, Jonathan Kellerman, etc. Well... the last time I tried to start a new book, I was distinctly uncomfortable. This was maybe a month ago. I just didn't like the tension that was present in the story, so I put it down. I am going to look for a new genre of book, I think. I like the Stephanie Plum series, and Evanovich's books in general, but am not a "fluff" fan so it might be tough. I am actually considering re-reading the Plum series, or maybe Harry Potter, until I find a new reading direction. I also intend to read Little Women. Haven't read it since the late 60s and think it should be an interesting re-read, from this end of life.
Favorite comfort food? Macaroni and cheese, hands down. I will eat almost any Mac&cheese- frozen, boxed, canned, stove-top or baked- but my very very favorite is my own homemade baked macaroni and cheese. I learned to make it from my mom; it was her go-to dinner when aunts, uncles, and cousins came to dinner when we were kids. I love it, and my "adult" cousins (OK, cousins older than I) say "This is just like Aunt Betty's!" I had bariatric surgery 3 years ago (down 110lbs and holding, wahoo!) so I can only eat a limited amount of it, but that's OK- it means a pan just lasts longer!!
I am visiting at my sister's right now, so supper tonight was one-pot-spaghetti, a favorite of her younger daughter (who is home for the semester from Suffolk and NOT happy). It was pretty good, but as pasta and I really aren't friends anymore, I am full but not feeling satisfied. Oh well.. there's bourbon. My sister is out on a date (don't ask... restaurants are closed, bars are closed, etc) but when she gets home I'm gonna get her to make me an Old Fashioned. She makes a killer mixed drink! I am going home tomorrow, so DH and I will have our corned beef dinner then, IF I can find cabbage, potatoes, and turnip- well, rutabaga, but being from New England we've always called them turnips. I am looking forward to having time to actually cook real dinners, instead of heating up leftovers when we get home after work each night. I am also looking forward to our credit card bill. With THREE microbreweries in town and a variety of restaurants, we spend far too much money on beer and pizza! Covid-19 has put the brakes on the pubs, and there's no sense in getting take-out supper if I can't take it over to the taproom to eat with a beer... or three, right??
