Today is Friday and I was tested on Monday night. Why did I get tested? I had stomach issues, a headache and a low grade fever Sunday night into Monday night. So I got tested… Work is trying to find someone to cover my shifts, my college kids couldn’t go back to school or work, my husband is home and my youngest had to miss her two day hybrid schooling. I am stuck in my room, losing my mind. I feel perfectly fine now and assume it was all for nothing. Yesterday, I went outside by myself and had a bonfire and I might go for a solo walk (with a mask) in a bit, but I feel horrible for inconveniencing my family. It is my eldest’s birthday this weekend and she wants to be with her roommates enjoying herself. Kids today have so little to look forward too and I have taken this away from her. It is her senior year and so many “events” have been cancelled and now I am ruining her birthday. A while back, I had cancer and thought I knew what all this quarantining was about, but that didn’t restrict my family from living their lives and I could leave my room.
I have thought a lot this week about the pandemic and how people are handling it. When I had cancer, people bent over backwards to help me and I believe if I asked them to wear a mask around me, people would have. Everyone said, “go to the best doctors, do what they tell you, trust them.” This pandemic is like a cancer and we all need to do our part, trust the doctors and have patience.
Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.
Unknown
What have I done to handle the confinement. Downloaded books, which I did not read. Sorted through the Christmas presents hidden in my closet and changed the whole look of my blog and watched a lot Food Network, Travel Channel and Hallmark Christmas movies. In addition to all of this… was an undeniable craving for Bruschetta. I cannot wait to get out of here and make it.
If I could have found a rapid test, I would have done that. I worry that people are not getting tested because of the wait time for results. This is really quite hard. Being stuck in your room for 24 hours a day, most likely for nothing. But I will do it, because we all need to do our part. I think of what my grandparents went through in World War II and the sacrifices that they made. Are we living up to their example? Will anyone ever call us the “Greatest Generation?”
Update: The Covid-19 test came back negative! Yeah. What to do now….cook. I have made eggplant parmigiana, stuffed peppers, caprese salad and Bruschetta. I dreamt of the Bruschetta all week and it was great. It is funny the stuff you think about. My late father would always make this for me and I have not had it in years. It will be regular from here on in.
Bruschetta
Ingredients
Method
- Diced up everything except the bread and combine. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to come together
- Slice the bread and put on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. Take out and rub bread with a fresh garlic clove and brush with olive oil.
- Put back in the oven for a minute
- Serve bread topped with the tomato mixture.
So… I stumbled across these in the grocery store a while back and thought I would give them a try. 
Spice & Wine Bistro located in the heart of Trastevere, Rome was a place we just wandered into one night when we were caught in the rain. I was a bit apprehensive as we had not done any research beforehand regarding the food allergies. I like to do research on the restaurants that we go to in advance about how they handle food allergies, so this was a gamble, but they took it all very seriously and were very helpful. (We have allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, carrots, cucumbers, legumes, soy, eggplant, zucchini and gluten) We were seated at a lovely table in the back corner and I felt the place was warm and inviting.
have this cabinet thing where they collect all the corks from the wine bottles and I just had to get a picture of it. The waiters jumped in and made the pictures great. We had the caprese salad, bruschetta, meatballs, spicy penne, cacio e pepe and carbonara. There were no complaints. In fact, my two older daughters dream about the spicy penne, they loved it so much.
I saw that there were bad reviews on TripAdvisor for this restaurant about the staff. My experience was the exact opposite. I gave them a good review on TripAdvisor. They were wonderful and fun. If I ever have the privilege of visiting Rome another time, I would go back there again, it was very good.
In another big pot add the chicken broth, chicken (if you don’t have leftover chicken for the soup, you can leave it out or add a raw boneless chicken breast and poach it in the broth until its done, then remove it, shred it and then add it back) and spices. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes and then add the spinach. It will seem like too much but it wilts down to nothing. Simmer for a few more minutes. Put the tortellini in a bowl and spoon the soup over the tortellini. Top with a little Parmesan cheese and serve with some crusty bread.
I know this sounds silly, but ever since someone told me about this trick, I use it every time. As a parent of a child with food allergies, I always bring the snacks….so I make a lot of brownies. I tend to cook brownies a bit underdone on purpose, which is our family’s preference. The trick is to use a plastic spoon when cutting them. The edges come out perfect and clean and the brownies do not stick to the knife. It is miraculous. Give it a try next time you are making brownies or blondies, you will be amazed.