Tuesday 7 April 2020

Strange Times Week 4 Post 2

It felt very odd to go  out shopping yesterday - first big supermarket shop for nearly 3 weeks - the roads between home and Diss were quieter but not empty and I arrived in Morrisons car park to find it a lot less than half full.
I was expecting to join a queue - as seen on TV - but was ushered straight in - although there was a queue and a bloke with a clicking counter thing counting me out later. The shop had plenty of food and everything else on the shelves but still no yeast except some sachets of extra quick yeast for hand baking that I'll  use for Hot Cross Buns which will make my other yeast last longer - still have enough for several more loaves.
A few people shopping were wearing masks - I haven't got one but kept well away from other people in the aisles and several people were wearing gloves - which I had got.There were lots of staff around unpacking trolleys full of stuff and doing the Home Delivery picks - none had masks or gloves and it was difficult to keep well out of their way.

I had a craving for Chinese food which seems rather ironic! and splurged on something from their chilled section. (Judge me if you like!) but my main reason for going was for fresh fruit and vegetables and cat food.......... plenty  available. Funny how it almost feels like having to justify going out and buying food now.

Next shopping trip in about 3 weeks if I can make everything last.

The postman brought a letter from my penfriend on a windy Scottish island (Hi W 👋) and a lovely pressie from Youngest Daughter (a Mothers day gift ) it was an Arthur fob to add to my key ring which she got for me last year. 

My key ring is getting heavier..................... but I love it.


Back Tomorrow
Sue




51 comments:

  1. Such a lovely key ring, I’m sure it makes you smile every time you use it.

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  2. I love the key ring. No I won't judge you for buying Chinese. My first trip to the shops yesterday after 21days in isolation included a Meal Deal for my birthday on Friday, and some cream to make Swedish Lenten Semlor Buns. I walked to the M&S Foodhall round the corner, they had everything 'basic' which I needed. Except yeast. But it was my first trip since everything kicked off, and it was such a different way of shopping! Hope the Chinese was tasty.

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    1. My Chinese was and will be delicious as there was enough for 2 people - so two days for me. Yum!

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  3. I really lovely key ring . . . very heartwarming.
    I have gloves and I have a lightweight scarf which I wrap round my mouth a couple of times. It's the best thing I can do until I get around to mask making! I'm off to Morrisons in about a minute. ;-)
    xx

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    1. I'm lacking a lightweight scarf or mask. I need to make something

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  4. I would rather like to go and choose my own fresh food right now, but I am going to do a click and collect order on the phone with our greengrocer this morning. They know us well and I know I shan't be disappointed. Daughter Tam will then go and pick it up. I presume I pay by card on the phone, though they told me I would do this yesterday when I did a click and collect with our little PO, only to find daughter had to pay for it on HER card. We are in her debt as she's paid for several things recently and we don't bank online (will have to change that). Meat ordered from our brilliant butcher and collect that tomorrow. (Joint of lamb for my birthday meal, sausages and one of his lovely free range chickens which lasts a week in various guises!) Might even have a joint run out for that as he will carry it out and put it in the back of the car for us . . .

    Smiling at your yen for Chinese food!! I bet you were glad it was quiet and organised when you did your shop. Love your little keyring - what a lovely idea that is.

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    1. Lovely to have local delivery .
      Morrisons was busier inside than I thought it would be because of all the staff doing things. I hope I avoided people to stay safe. There are not too many recorded cases in Norfolk and Suffolk compared to London and the Midlands

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  5. Morning Sue,
    I had a hankering for fried onions last night! No idea why so we had burgers and fried onions! Going shopping is very bizarre isn't it.

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    1. I love fried onions too but not the lingering smell afterwards!

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    2. I was just chatting with a friend yesterday and telling her how I was craving a big, juicy hamburger - not even something I eat all that often! It's really just because I can't go to a favourite pub at the moment and order what I want.
      Silly really as I have a stack of food on hand.....

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    3. Yes Sue, the smell when I got up wasn't pleasant, but the door open and a wax melt on the go soon got rid! Isn't it strange Margie, how we want what we can't have! We are all 2 years old again!

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  6. that keyring is a lovely,thoughtful gift x i think that in these strange times, if we have a craving then we should have what we want if it's possible x

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    1. It was a treat to be able to buy something different

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  7. Have you considered making bread with a sourdough starter? Not quite as soft as a yeasted loaf but still very yummy! Here in Australia there's also no yeast on the shelves and I have to have a giggle at the thought of people baking bread that have possibly never baked it before! I do hope they get a nice loaf!!!

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    1. I think a lot of breadmakers are being hauled out from the back of cupboards! - actually there always seems to be plenty of bread in the shops anyway

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  8. I am not doing big supermarket shops now, rather I have chosen to shop locally and support the independent grocers in my village who could face extreme difficulties. Also, I am shopping in tiny amounts {which they are happy to deliver} as it gives me greater control over disinfecting the items when they arrive, as per our local Council's new directives. So, my indulgences yesterday were a bottle of pear cider, a large bar of my favourite chocolate and some tortilla chips. All are now in their own three day quarantine zone. My fresh fruit and vegetables come tomorrow.

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    1. My nearest is a small Co-op which gets quite busy and no deliveries

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  9. It's a brave soul who ventures out shopping these days.

    A brilliant idea for a key fob and a thoughtful gift from your daughter.

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    1. It felt quite strange - I said to the lady on the till that I'd forgotten what a supermarket looked like

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  10. The keyring is a nice present from your pen friend. So pleased the shops were not to busy for you. When my daughter ask me to do my list fir shopping and I was like a couple of others on your blog we're craving for things I was wanting a cream cake she brought me back a apple cream puff and I did enjoy it. It looks a lovely day so will be in the garden today.
    Hazel c uk 🌈🌈🌈

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    1. Sorry I got it wrong the keyring was from your daughter and the letter from your friend. Hazel 🌈🌈🌈

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    2. Another letter today from another friend which was nice

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  11. Aww nice to have the addition to your key ring :-)

    Shopping is very strange isn't it and yes you feel like you have to justify everything you buy, which is a first for most of us. I've shopped twice since all this started and hopefully should be able to get at least through next week or a tad longer before I need to venture out again, it's milk for Alan's tea that is the indicator.

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  12. It is a bit of a worry about yeast. Watched a video about sourdough, it practically took him all day to make the loaf. Artisan baker my foot!

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  13. I thought the oddest thing (funniest?) was seeing the staff going round doing the trolley hand picking for the home deliveries with deep frowns on their faces as they peered from shelf to small handheld devices and back again.

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    1. There seem to be 3 or 4 doing the picking on Monday. They were a bit difficult to get out of the way of

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  14. no judgement on your food choices here. Whatever gets you through, that's what I say.

    I've not been in a supermarket for a good couple of weeks and I miss it. But the old normal way of shopping, not this new scary way of shopping. I'm glad Bill is taking care of it. I do feel for the shop staff, they are very much in the thick of things.

    Very sweet keyring.

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    1. The ladies on the tills had a bit of extra protection with screens thank goodness. Hope they stay safe

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  15. It's possible to make your own yeast from dried fruit, and the yeast is suitable for bread. Haven't tried it, though. Google "make yeast from dried fruit".

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  16. I've not mustered up the courage to go shopping in a supermarket yet, still shopping local..

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  17. I haven't been in a supermarket for two, maybe three weeks, and then it was only the small Coop in our little market town. I went in for fresh fruit and vegetables, only to be greeted by almost empty shelves. Luckily our village pub have organised themselves as a shopping service, linked in with a local greengrocers, so I just order through them now. Very reasonable prices, unlike some I have heard about. I believe they also do their weekend roasts as takeaways/deliveries, anything to keep the business ticking over.

    (Let me know if you need the tin.)

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    1. I think the tin of yeast won't work in a bread maker? Not sure. My hand made bread isn't good any more

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  18. Yeast: I was a fan of Shirley Goode. I often used her method of stretching yeast in the summer half of the year (as our house is far too cold in the winter). She made a loaf of bread with yeast as normal but before shaping into a loaf to bake, she would remove a ball of dough about the size of a small apple. The loaf was baked as usual but the apple sized piece of dough was put into a small bowl and just covered with water and then with a tea towel. This was left sitting on the side in the kitchen for 3 or 4 days by which time it would have "collapsed" into the water and be ready to use. This was mixed with a fork to a creamy mixture and used as part of the liquid for the next loaf of bread. The dough would take several hours to rise, like sourdough bread does, or be left overnight to bake in the morning. And another small apple sized piece of dough was kept and put into a bowl, covered with water and a teatowel etc etc for the next loaf.

    Hope this helps : )

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    1. I only use a breadmaker now so don't think that would work.
      I was a fan of Shirley Goode too and have all her books

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    2. Oh I loved Shirley's blog - still have the link to her posts.

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    3. I have all Shirley's books too. One of mine fell apart totally from too much use and I had to buy a secondhand one (from Amazon) to replace it.

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  19. Buying groceries is a new experience these days. I love your Mother's Day gift!

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  20. Apparently yeast is also in short supply here, as well as flour unless you want to buy 20kg of it. My SIL is a checkout operator and says they have so much bread they don't sell it all, yet people still seem to think there is a shortage of it!
    Love the key-ring idea - if I don't have a bulky key-ring I can never find my car-keys!
    Take care, Mxx

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  21. Supermarkets terrify me. But I still go.

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  22. A very lovely keyring.
    I've not been to the supermarket so not actually seen the sights apart from on the TV and local newspaper. Both my son and daughter have been alternating delivering supplies each week.

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  23. I'm really surprised that the employees were not wearing masks and gloves - did you question why? I'm baking too and did stock up on yeast, flour etc. before they scared us and we realized this truly is serious stuff! It's almost a week since I went to a grocery store - may head there by Friday for essentials but have a mask and gloves waiting right there with my key chain - which is nowhere near as cute as yours!!!!!

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  24. Love the key ring Sue. Made me smile. Stay safe. 😘

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  25. My niece (who lives with us) works for a company called InstaCart. She works out of one large grocery store and gets lists of things from customers and does their shopping for them. One requested toilet paper and she had to take a photo of the empty shelves, to prove to her that they didn't have any. She keeps busy and she wears a mask and gloves.
    I've ordered masks but there seems to be a hold up in their delivery. Soon we won't be allowed out without one.
    Why is yeast so scarce?
    Love the key ring. THat's so nice.

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