Corona Recipes.(Kevin Hughes) “Strange how the lockdown has affected so many things that we took for granted.”

As he said this, Marc was sorting through the cans in the upper cupboard over the counter top. The lower one having been completely emptied of its contents (except for two lonely bags of Ritz crackers) a week or so earlier.

“Like what, Honey?”

“Well, you know, Deb. Like going to the grocery store. I get scared every time you have to go out. I worry about folks who aren't standing six feet away, wearing a mask, or touching keypads.”

A little chuckle escaped Deb’s lips.

“Well, to be honest, I get a little scared too. I mean even putting my hands on the cart makes me anxious.”

"Trolley" popped into her head along with a smile- about her friend from England. Promptly followed by a sad smile as a thought raced in her head: 'I wonder if I will ever see Bridie and her new hubby.'

She dipped her spoon back in her bowl, getting the last few drops of Pepsi and Lucky charms out of the bowl. They had run out of White milk. Then chocolate milk. And now…well, she and Marc had used up the last of the Pepsi too. She sighed.

“I guess we have to go to the store soon though. Unless we want to put orange juice on our cereal next.”

She shivered at the thought. The Pepsi wasn’t that bad, especially on the oatmeal. But orange juice seemed a bad choice to wet down Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes.

Marc turned from the cupboard.

“I think we can make it about four more days before you have to go to the grocery store. We can make some meals out of what we have left in the cupboard.”

“Like what? I mean what are we going to make for supper tonight?”

Marc pointed to the counter top where he had separated out a few items.

“We have some spaghetti noodles left, and a can of tomato soup too. We have a quarter of an onion, and about three tablespoons of pickle relish left in the fridge. We can make the sauce by not watering down the tomato soup, adding the pickle relish, and chopping up what’s left of the onion. Mix it all up…and Voila! Just like Mamma Mia made.”

She laughed at the flourish and very Italian hand gestures he accented his newest concoction. Can you really call it a recipe - rambled through her mind, but didn’t make it to her lips.

“Sounds delicious. What are we going to have for a side dish?”

He pointed to the counter again…with pride.

“We have some green beans in a can, two celery stalks, a small tomato, and half a green pepper. We shall combine them all together, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it - and have a proper salad.”

She had to laugh at his satisfied smile. Like some Master Chef had come up with a new (and tasty) meal.

“Don’t we have any dressing left?”

Marc shook his head.

“No. But I guess we could make some with the catsup, mayo, vinegar and coconut oil?”

He looked at Deb to see her reaction.

Deb shivered.

“No. Salt and Pepper will be just fine.”

Marc blew out a breath. He had been afraid she would say:

“Okay, we have tried worse combination over the last two weeks. Let’s make it.”

Later after a supper of pasta with: tomato soup sauce, pickle relish and onion (Which wasn’t half bad actually). And a salad of beans, celery, tomato, and green pepper- lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Marc surprised Deb with a treat.

“I have a surprise.”

Deb’s eyes lit up. There hasn’t been a whole lot of surprises in the now seven weeks of lockdown. And the surprises that popped up tended to be of the negative kind: like finding out how anxious they had become when someone coughed. How afraid they had become of other people - even people they knew. Or how they would rather be home…alone. Even tho they were going stir crazy.

“What kind of a surprise?”

She actually clapped her hands in glee when he pulled out from behind his back a plate that looked like it had cookies on it.
Another smile plastered itself over the one already on her face, because she remembered how long it took her over in England to figure that when Bridie said: “Biscuit” she meant: “Cookie.” She loved those little differences in the way they talked.

Marc put the plate of “cookies” on the table. Even though calling them “cookies” was a very generous compliment. Biscuits, as American’s use the term, would have been a bit closer but not any more accurate.

Deb studied the cookies. They looked strangely like pancakes with some kind of colored flakes in them. She looked back up at Marc. Her eyes smiled a question at him.

Marc blushed.

“Well, I had some flour left over, a bit of butter, and a bag of M&M’s. Actually two bags - one plain, one with peanuts. So… I…I…you know, got creative. So here they are: Candy Chip Cookies!”

Deb couldn’t help but be enthused for her hubby. He was like a little kid showing his mother a drawing of a cow. So what if it was purple and resembled a rock with four pegs for feet…it was his creation and she loved it.

She picked one of the Candy Chip Cookies. The texture was a bit off, more like a pancake than a cookie. However it was firm enough to hold like a cookie. The M&M’s had leaked their candy coatings out in little pools of blue, yellow, brown, green, and red. Making the “cookies” look more like a child’s homemade Easy Bake oven cupcake.

She raised the cookie up with a graceful “cheers” to Marc, and then bit into it. It was…it was…it was delicious!

“Marc! (She squealed) These are delicious. Part cake, part cookie, part candy. I love them!"

She took another chomp out her candy chip cookie. Marc was overcome with relief…and delight. So he took a cookie, toasted her with a little bump of his “cookie” up against her half eaten one…then bit into it.

His mouth still full of the “cookie” he mumbled out the words:

“Mmmm, you’re right, these are good!”

“If only we had chocolate milk…”

Marc got up with a smirk.

He returned with two small packages of Ensure. Chocolate flavored.

Debbie almost cried.

“Where did you get those?”

“I had them left over from when I had that thyroid thing done. I was saving them for a special occasion.”

She opened her little carton of chocolate flavored Ensure - so did Marc. They toasted their very fine dessert in style.

Deb only drank half of her Ensure. Saving the other half for breakfast. Wondering what Lucky Charms will taste like drowning one Chocolate Ensure. At least it won’t be Pepsi again.

Marc did the few dishes while Deb went to binge watch: “Good Girls” on Netflix. He wondered if Spam covered with Progresso Chicken and Dumpling soup, and crumbled up Ritz Crackers would be a good choice for Supper tomorrow.

One thing was for sure. They needed to go to the Grocery Store soon. Until then…what could he make with the two cans of Cream of Mushroom soup, an avocado, and a quarter brick of blue cheese? If he only had some tuna tins left… .

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