FEATURE

Scott Titterington

Home for Take a culinary adventure dinner

WHEN JIM AND PHYLLIS of Fort Collins opened their first meal-kit box they were pretty excited. They had been given a month subscription as a gift so that they could try it out. And try it out they did.

“We have experienced so many new dishes that we would never have done ourselves,” says Phyllis as she lists off the meals they’ve prepared: pad see ew, brown butter tortellini with lemon and baby spinach, orange chicken with snow peas and rice, and on and on. There are lots of choices every week and Phyllis likes to order new things that she hasn’t ever prepared before.

Jim has his part, too.

“I like to figure out what wine to pair with each meal,” says Jim. “It feels like we’re on the edge of gourmet cooking.”

And it gets Jim into the kitchen too.

“We kind of tag team,” he says. “Phyllis does most of the cooking. I get the wine and then jump in afterwards

Where do you go when you’re hungry? Or how can you help get food and meals where they’re needed? Larimer and Weld counties offer many programs to help feed those who need it most. These organizations are always looking for volunteers and financial assistance to help with their efforts to fight food insecurity. Food Banks in Larimer and Weld counties offer food and so much more including prepared meals and nutrition information. Other programs deliver food and meals right to the doors of those who need it.

Check out the Nutrition section in our Health Directory for a list of programs. When you want to up your culinary game or just learn some fun new skills, check out the many cooking classes available in the area. Learn to make cheese or pastries or that certain ethnic dish you’ve always wanted to try.

Taking a class with a friend or spouse can be a great opportunity for a fun time. Or if you attend alone, you can make new friends. Given COVID-19 restrictions, in-person classes are small and many classes are taught virtually or offer a virtual option. Following is a list of places offering in-person and virtual classes. Check them out and see if there’s something that grabs your attention.

• Bottled Olive Pantry in Windsor www.thebottledolivepantry.com • Farm Fusion in the Kitchen www.farmfusion.org • Gardens on Spring Creek www.fcgov.com/gardens/adult-classes/ • The Cooking Studio www.the-cooking-studio.com • The Teaching Kitchen at Ginger and Baker www.gingerandbaker.com/the-teachingkitchen/

and do the cleanup.”

Phyllis says she likes that everything needed to prepare the meal comes with it.

“So many gourmet ingredients are a one-time thing,” she says, “So I don’t have to go out and buy a whole bottle of teriyaki sauce that I’m never going to get through.”

And she says it’s marvelous in COVID.

“All the ingredients are there, and we don’t have to go to the grocery store,” Phyllis says.

As we find ourselves at home a bit more than we maybe used to be, preparing meals and taking the time to enjoy them can certainly be a silver lining. We might miss eating out at our favorite establishments, but we can up our culinary game right at home. And maybe spend a little more quality time together.

LOCAL FLAVOR

Some kits are just designed for fun. The Cooking Studio, www.the-cookingstudio.com, has kits to make chocolates and macaroons that come complete with an instructional video and cute gift boxes for your friends.

Check out the NOCO Virtual Farmers Market, www. nocovirtualfarmersmarket.com under Baking Kits for some more fun ideas, such as locally produced, ready-tobake cookie dough from Sara’s Cosmic Cookie Dough or Brownie Mix in a Jar from Star View Farm. Also, check under Prepared Meals to find heat-and-eat meals such as Classic Shepherd’s Pie or Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

GROCERY STORE RECIPES

You can also stop in at your local grocery store and look for kits that you can assemble at home. You’ll find commercial taco kits, salad kits, meal kits, pizza crusts with sauce. You might even check out things like Hamburger or Tuna Helper-type packages.

Safeway and King Sooper both have extensive online recipe boxes. Once you choose a recipe, you can shop for it right there online, too. Then just drive over and pick it up or they’ll even deliver it.

COMMERCIAL MEAL KITS

Plenty of companies will send you ingredients and instructions for dinners just like the one Jim and Phyllis use. Sign up for two to six meals per week and have boxes sent to your house. These can be surprisingly economical and save you the planning and shopping steps.

“We get two full meals for each designated meal in our kit,” Phyllis says.

Search the internet under Meal Delivery Service or Meal Kits to see which options fit your tastes. You can find everything from gourmet programs to basic cuisine or choose menus for special dietary needs.

Getting back to life with Covid-19

Kyle Hampton, DO 970-818-2280

arktosdirectcare.com

3938 JFK Parkway Fort Collins, CO Colorado moved into the “Safer At Home” phase of reopening on April 27th and, as of this writing, that order expires on May 26th, 2020. The next planned phase is titled “Protect Our Neighbors” and is focused on a more normal social life, while still being protective against the spread of Covid-19. What does all of this mean though? Who is still at risk? What does the future look like?

First off, we need to understand that these orders and timelines are a general guide and are flexible. If new case numbers begin to rise, we can go back to “Safer At Home” or even “Stay At Home” orders. We have to be ready to make adjustments to our lives as are necessary.

We also need to be realistic with what our near future looks like with this pandemic. In reality, we are looking at many more months of precautions. Even with our modest control measures currently in place the medical community is expecting a peak for the pandemic to be around July. Then, its expected that we will continue to see cyclical periods of new cases for the next 12 to 18 months, until we can mass produce an effective and safe vaccine.

It is unlikely that we will ever be able to eliminate this virus completely. We may see small resurgences each fall and winter. We should be ready and willing to have plans for business closures as new waves can be identified.

Our most vulnerable populations, those over 65 and people with chronic lung conditions, heart disease, or who are immunocompromised, need to adhere to more strict precautions and should try to practice “Stay At Home” as much as possible.

The best way back to normal life is to have readily available testing for anyone who has symptoms or exposures and to be able to isolate and contact trace any positive cases. With many people being asymptomatic or even contagious prior to symptoms, we should expect waves of infections throughout the population.

Our lives have been changed due to Covid-19 and the next year or two is going to be vastly different than what we are used to. However, together we will return to normal life. Please do your part in looking out for each other and our communities by following our guidelines for “Safer At Home” and “Protect Our Neighbors”. As a primary care physician, I can truly say that we here for you and we thank you for your resolve during these unique times.