Rant: Coronavirus-Stock up on these pantry items

Coronavirus (COVID19) has us all thinking of stockpiling hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and our pantries. Do we have all the shelf stable items we need for two weeks? How many cans of soup are enough? Please note, this is simply a guide and not meant to panic anyone. Let this be a resource.

Q. Should we all be stockpiling food?

The short answer is NO. If tested positive or have been in contact with someone that has been infected home quarantine or self-isolation at home would be for 14 days. I would recommend having enough food for your entire family and focus on dry and canned goods that are easy to prepare.

Q. What should we stock our pantry with for 14 days?

Keep Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks simple.

FOR BREAKFAST

Stock up on oatmeal, oats, granola, cereal and other dried grains (average out 1/2 to 1 cup per person per day), nuts and dried fruit, shelf-stable nut milks or powdered milk, protein or granola bars, and coffee and/or tea, nut/seed butters, honey

FOR LUNCH/DINNER

Make double for dinner and use leftovers for lunch; to make sure you have enough for leftovers buy enough food to double the recipes.

A few examples of good canned/boxed foods to have on hand: canned beans (chickpeas, black beans, white beans), canned tomatoes (either diced or whole), cans or jars of tomato sauce and paste, cans of pumpkin or squash puree, canned soups and canned (or boxed) broths, canned coconut milk, canned fish such as anchovies, sardines and tuna. Unopened, firm tofu and tempeh will stay fresh for weeks in the fridge and jerky are also good to have around.

Dry goods like grains, such as rice, barley, quinoa, rice, bulgur, farro) pasta, beans, oats, nuts and seeds, should be your foundation. They have a long shelf life, are easy to store

Frozen vegetables such as spinach, kale, peas, corn, edamame, spinach, kale, avocado, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and okra are great to have on hand, since fresh vegetables can’t be kept in an emergency supply kit without spoiling. Don’t forget your frozen fruits like berries, bananas and mango. Frozen fish, particularly shrimp and proportioned vacuum packed salmon, trout can be extremely handy if you have the room for it.

SNACKS

Include granola bars, whole grain crackers, roasted chickpeas and energy bars. Popcorn kernels and paper bags (make your own microwave popcorn or stove top)

Q. Do you have a meal plan you can share?

Plan 7 days of dinner, repeat for week 2 and double the recipe and have it for lunch the next day.

1. Shrimp and Veggie stir-fry.

2. Grain Bowls: Make a big batch of whatever grain you have on hand: rice, quinoa, barley, farro, etc. Heat a can of black beans and frozen corn with a little extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock and spices (or taco seasoning)

3. Vegetables and Grains: Make a batch of quinoa or rice set aside. Sauté frozen spinach and kale with white kidney beans, in a little extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper and garlic.

4. Pasta and tomato sauce or I’ll take it back to my childhood with cooked pasta and a dollop of salted butter

5. Four Bean Salad: 2 cans of bean medley, tuna, oregano, parsley, pinch o thyme, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil

6. Lentil soup

7. Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili: avocado oil or olive oil, frozen corn, 1 can each of black beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, rinsed, drained, 1 can tomato purée, 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, salt, ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic and onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Add all ingredients to a large pot over medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
   

In conclusion, wash your hands with soap and water to the tune of Happy Birthday and sing it twice, don’t touch your face, and keep your hands to yourself. Say it don’t spray it, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing. Elbow bump, hip bump, or tap toe to toe when greeting someone. Hugs are usually a warm welcome but can also bring some unwanted guests.

Rant: Wait! WHAT? I’m going blind?

This is a hard one for me (deep breath) but it's something I need to do for myself, to keep moving forward and live my best life. I haven’t always had the  smile you see in this photo, nor have I always had a positive outlook on life. Especially when I was told I was going to slowly lose my sight and there wasn’t a damn thing I can do about it. My reaction was exactly what you would expect.

Wait! WHAT? I’m going blind?

Photo Description: Mary smiling, head tilted to the camera, wearing a studded leather jacket, t-shirt and smile necklace

It started at age seven. Playing a very intense game of hide and seek, my cousins and I scrambled to find our perfect hiding spot. Running down the porch steps, I missed the last one. I brushed off my scraped knee, dismissed it as  being clumsy, not thinking much about it.  As time passed, it became evident that I wasn’t missing steps because I was clumsy, but because I was struggling to see them. Months later as I stood at the top of a poorly lit staircase, ready to descend, I had difficulty deciphering where one step began and the other ended.

Over time, I began having difficulty seeing at night.  Being a vocal child (perhaps too vocal if you ask my siblings), I described the visual irregularities I experienced, and my mom scheduled an appointment with the optometrist. Sitting in the oversized chair at his office, I heard the words “she has a stigmatism”, followed by “she needs glasses, she’ll be fine. Nothing to concern yourself with.” Little did I know that was the furthest thing from the truth. Shortly after I began wearing the largest black framed glasses I could find—my nod to Yves Saint Laurent and his iconic black-framed eyewear.

Tragedy struck

When my mom lost her battle with cancer at the age of forty-seven, I lost my best friend, my protector, and the only one I confided in about my vision loss. She left behind a husband and four children. I was the youngest child at thirteen. Sadly, life continued—and so did the deterioration of my sight. Aware of my vision loss yet unaware of what this meant. Unsure of what was happening to me, as I continued to grow into a teenager, date nights and movies began. Every teenager’s dream was to go out with a group of friends—no chaperone—and catch the latest buzz-worthy movie, but I dreaded this scenario. A dark room lined with steps—lots of steps! Panic surged through my body just at the thought of trying to make it to my seat. I dismissively told myself that no one would understand. I confided in a few close friends, but we were too young and naive to understand the symptoms. Pushing that fear down deep and using humour to deflect from the real issue of my vision loss, I developed a new normal.

In my early 20s, at nightclubs and bars, I used alcohol to explain away the missed steps, or failing to notice a friend and say hello. I turned down free drinks, not wanting others to notice I couldn’t see their hand passing it to me. Although I loved to dance, I chose to dance alone because I couldn’t make out facial features or expressions so the fear of someone catching on to my struggle was paralyzing.

Coming face to face with blindness

I was twenty one and enjoying a night out with friends at a local bar. The evening was coming to an end my nightmare began. I couldn’t find my way out of the bar. I looked for a flicker of light to bounce off one of the metal door frames, but saw nothing. I relied on my distance vision in dim lighting, and I began to scan the walls of the place and there it was, a red and white lit EXIT sign. Hallelujah! Although I found my way to the door following the sign, I recognized that something was terribly wrong. 
The next morning, I walked myself into the Emergency Department of a local hospital, where they told me that I had a retinal irregularity. Unfortunately, the ophthalmologist I had the misfortune of seeing decided it was okay to blurt out “you’re going blind”. I will never forget that day, twenty four years ago. I glanced over to my sister, who was there for moral support, and saw the colour drain from her face.

Feeling helpless and alone

In shock, a tear began to stream down my face, to which the ophthalmologist responded with, “There’s no cure—stop  crying, it’s not going to change a thing. See all you can see, because it can happen very quickly”.  My sister quickly linked my arm with hers as we stood to leave the office—I’m certain if she hadn’t, I would have dropped to the floor. This is how I found out I had Retinitis Pigmentosa, a cruel degenerative eye disease that slowly robes you of sight. There is no treatment, no cure, and no control of what is happening to those suffering from the disease.

Every one of us has a story, and this is where my story begins. What came next was a lonely time of trying to hide my condition. You’ll learn more about this soon. Do I hide and let fear consume me? Only time will tell. Until we meet again. xo’s

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind”