The Beacon of Hope – Belfast, March 2020
Just out of your broom cupboard? Welcome, and here’s what you need to know to pretend that you’ve been awake and paying attention so far..
2020: And a Happy new year to you too. Truthfully, it’s not going so great. There’s this thing (see below) and it’s totally fecked everything you had planned this year. Daughter’s Wedding? Nope. Two weeks in sunny Spain? Nope. #AnythingElseYouCareToMention? Nope. Get over it – we’re all in the same boat, and making the best of it.
Corona Virus: This nasty little virus spreads like red wine on a new cream carpet, to even more devastating effect. People. Good people. People better and more deserving than you and me, have died. All over the world. We’ve been told to go home and stay there. Oh, and the Pubs are shut.
Empty streets in Belfast..
COVID19: the official name of the disease which is caused by the Corona Virus. The 19 is a bit confusing, I’ll admit, but it was first identified last year, hence the 19 – it sort of makes sense when you know that..
Panic- buying: We all know someone who panicked, right? Tell me it wasn’t you? It was all about toilet rolls and pasta apparently. And it’s left the rest of us too embarrassed to be seen buying toilet paper, which is another issue entirely..
Pasta..
Members of your household: Anyone who normally lives in your house. If you weren’t quite clear what your relatives’ opinion of ________________ (insert name/topic/food here) was, you’re about to find out. Every day. ‘Til the end of time.
Member of the household!
Another member of the household..
Self-isolating: If you or anyone else in your household – see above – has come home from foreign parts, or who has a new cough or high temperature, just lock them in the smallest bedroom, and feed them through a hastily-installed cat flap for 2 weeks. You can let them out after the 2 weeks, but they still have to live in your house and might be slightly grumpy about the cat flap business. Self-isolating with more than 1 person is responsible for large numbers of the population offering to go back to work – just saying..
Fluff has this self-isolating thing sorted..
Social distancing: This is actually something that many of us have been trying to do for years. So if keeping away from your relatives and acquaintances has been a life-long ambition – congratulations, your day has come.
6 Feet: Now that you’re back in 2020, please acquaint yourself with what 6 feet/2metres actually looks like and stay that far away from other people. This will endear you to those who understand the reason for this distance (it’s to reduce the spread of COVID19 – see above). ‘Up-close and personal’ is so last year. Have hours of fun making a list of those who don’t observe the 6 foot rule.
6 feet!
Home-Schooling: Did I mention that the schools are closed?
Front line: Usually refers only to staff in Healthcare facilities, but more recently has included people who work in places such as Supermarkets, Pharmacies, and Delivery and Bin Lorries. The Front Line is where normally under-appreciated people with a wide range of skills are working to save the rest of us. You might want to say thanks the next time you meet someone from the Front line..
‘Stay Safe’: This is the new ‘goodbye’, ‘cheerio’, ‘see you soon’..This is what you say when you’re finishing an email, or a phone conversation. It’s suitable for use with people of all ages. The correct response is – ‘and you too’.
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx