Too soon to tell for sure, but I think the main thing for me is going out to eat only when I really want to, not just because I’m not feeling like cooking.
And consequently, cooking more often, and keeping pizza in the freezer for when I really don’t want to cook.
I’ve already stopped getting groceries delivered and baking my own bread.
The only really new habit that I picked up during the pandemic is having a (sort of) full bar at home. Previously all I kept on hand was wine, beer and maybe one kind of hard liquor. But now I like being able to have a negroni or a martini or a whiskey sour whenever, so I’ll keep replenishing my stock.
I hope more permanent outdoor dining spaces in LA and the OC.
Buying more meat on sale and sticking them in the freezer for future meals.
Definitely eating in more. We’ve saved so much on dining out that we were able to pay off two of our cars and put a ton away in savings.
We are also using Instacart more.
Looking at the five pound bag of Gold Medal flour for $3.00 versus the 25 pound one for 7.99 I realize I may be sticking with buying flour in bulk and storing it.
I’ve gotten used to trying new recipes and not worrying about “Oh it’s the last of the flour.” And buying in high gluten flour in bulk led to to trying a no-knead recipe for bialys - and loving it.
Sorry if the pictures are too huge, I have no tech skills.
Looks great!
Thank you! And that was the very first try, which made me extra impressed with the recipe.
I lived on this gals no knead peasant bread (and gave it to all my neighbors) during the lockdown. Easy, tasty, cheap. Now I am actually trying different recipes - that’s how you know I’m feeling more hopeful!
Hah! I also started making bialys and bagels, because my dad usually brings them (he’s an excellent baker) when my parents come to visit. And they didn’t, for a year. Desperate times.
I hope your dad - and his bagels - are back on regular visits!
Yes! We are all vaxxed and able to be in the same room once again. I’ll probably keep baking bagels and bialys, though, 'cause now I have a dependency.
Eating twice my weight each day seems to be my new normal.
Those look amazing! Bialys are a favorite mine! Saved that recipe…
Actually… I thought I would bake more during the pandemic… but in generally, my sweet tooth has remained in check. Hubs also baked bread each week… which has kept us in sandwiches…
What will remain however is meal planning. Nothing super fancy… I just use Notes on my iPhone, which I can share with my husband. Then, I can set up the shopping lists from there. It’s not that I love being SUPER organized. It’s just been so much easier having a ready set list of ideas that I know I have most of the ingredients, if not all to make…
I also used to go shopping willy nilly. Now I have a set day… that I put in my calendar. I’m not longer on a strict… only one store once a week… regime… which is great… but it is nice to be able to plan around the items I really need vs. what I may pick up on a whim because I’m there… It’s saved us so much…
–Dommy!
The pandemic enabled me to switch to permanent WFH and things that have stuck with me so far are things like baking breads where previously I would need a large window of time to do at home. I love being able to let the dough proof and rise while I work, then take a quick break before the next step, etc. Not only that, but not losing 90+ minutes a day on commuting means I can spend more time cooking something as soon as I log off work.
I’m also making more items like salsas and hummus to go with fresh tortillas or flatbreads. Things I can snack on easily when I work from home. When I was going into the office, I didn’t like going through the hassle of packing and dealing with the different containers and keeping plates sanitary at my desk. Now at home, it’s easy for me to pull those out and have a healthy snack.
Other items that also take time such as making my own jam with fresh or frozen fruit. Same idea as the bread, something I can put on the stove and leave on a slow simmer with minimal oversight while I’m working. My daily breakfast of toast and jam is now all homemade.
Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’m also not anxiety prone going grocery shopping, but I’ll keep to running out quickly in the middle of the day when crowds are small. I can get out of the house, do some quick shopping and be back in 30-40 minutes, something I can easily fit in between meetings and calls.
I’m confident these habits will stick as long as I stay WFH. Remains to be seen how my restaurant habits will change after things open up more fully.
Nice!
So far this has been sticking in part because restaurants are booked solid a week or two in advance, so if I don’t plan ahead, we’re not going.
