Remember when
Remember when we carried on with our lives without a care in the world about catching a virus? I remember being on a plane traveling for a work trip when a mother with three young children boarded and clogged the main aisle as she spent a good 10 minutes using Lysol wipes to clean the seats, arm rests, and flip down tables before she allowed her children to sit down. I remember thinking what a wacko she was and that she must have extreme hygiene issues. Worse yet, the people in the aisle had plenty to say about having to wait to get to their seats. I also remember going to a fast food restaurant with a friend who forbid her children to touch the door handles due to the amount of germs on them — again I thought, what a nut job! These “crazy” ladies must now be happy as heck that they have been preparing for the year 2020 and now get to use their eccentric germ-fighting skills to their fullest.
For those of you who let your kids challenge the 10-second rule for food on the ground (oh a minute or two is fineϑ), roll around in the park sandbox, or heaven forbid, not wash their hands after eating at the restaurant — yes, you parents are probably taking antacid tablets on the daily now. After all, it’s hard to change a lifetime of disease-seeking behaviors so quickly! Do you wash your fruit and veggies in salt water and vinegar or just give them a quick rinse? Well, watch the YouTube video with little white worms crawling out of the fresh strawberries and you too may be buying stock in vinegar. Or, have you ever grabbed the door handle of a public place and a few minutes later are biting your nails or touching your face — Augh! A 2020 deplorable offense and… simply gross.
The sanitizing due to COVID-19 may have many of you bringing out an inner Martha Stewart. For example, did you try to make your own hand sanitizer only to find 40 different “professionals” sharing their recipe as the only recipe that truly works? Did you try to use the CDC pattern to make a face mask only to find out that your sewing skills really haven’t gotten better since you made the ill-fated basement curtains? Asking for a friend…
Are you masking when going to the store or gas station? I hope so… it is the right thing to do and, personally, has saved me about $50 on lipstick. What?! Yes, one of my first lessons learned wearing a mask all day at work — drop the lipstick so the masks can be sanitized and reused and it also saves you from have lipstick ring around your upper lip and chin. Never thought I would have to say that last sentence. Lastly, are there any bonuses from wearing a mask besides saving us from getting deathly ill?
Bonus #1 — I haven’t had my famous spring cold.
Bonus #2 — I can give a quick farmer’s nod/no talking to the five people wanting to talk at Kwik Trip when I just want to get home from work before 8 p.m. (sorry folks, now you know)
Bonus #3 — A person can have a new accessory to help style your outfits. Of course, direct patient care healthcare workers may be limited to color and style but the rest of us can whoop it up with fashionable facemasks.
Bonus #4 — A mask can be a new tool in a person’s weight loss toolbox — yep, cover that mouth! Ha.
During the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, we all have had to change something in the way we work, live, or play. This column is not meant to minimize the seriousness of the COVID-19 but, rather, have a little fun with something we all have in common and recognize how quickly we can adapt if needed. Stay safe and stay happy!
Save the Carbs Summer Chicken Salad “Unwich”
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I also love using the thigh/no skin)
1 1/2 cups low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, preferably Concord, halved
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 small Granny Smith apples, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Optional: 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
The simplest dump, mix, and serve recipe ever. Once mixed, add to a lettuce leaf and roll to make your “unwich.” Or, for just a few carbs more, switch the lettuce out for low carb tortillas — my favorite!
**If you want to be extra naughty, fry the chicken skin and add it to the top before rolling for a yummy crunch**
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