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15 Things to Do While You’re Hunkered Down at Home
The small and meaningful to-dos we're checking off our lists.
Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.
I’ve always professed to be a homebody, but some days into a work-from-home situation, I—as well as, I'm sure, every other “homebody”—have been thinking a lot about how our relationship with our home changes when it becomes the only place we inhabit. When the act of “coming home” no longer exists, because, well, you rarely leave.
While I was processing these thoughts, I received an email from a friend, saying she and her husband were holed up in their home upstate, cut off from the city. The good news, she added, was that they now had time to finally get to that pantry reorg they’d been planning for months. It would be something for them to look forward to doing—together, in the evening hours—a glass of wine for company.
Shortly after, I found myself sitting on the floor with my equivalent of a “junk drawer”—my beloved IKEA fjälla boxes bursting with junk. Ok, not all junk. Buried in there were birthday cards and notes I want to keep, but mostly there were receipts (for things I forgot to return), useless bank stuff, and business cards for shops in obscure places. 30 minutes later, I’d reduced the contents of both boxes to half, and was feeling a level of contentment I haven’t felt since COVID-19 brought on a permanent state of discouragement.
I was reminded yesterday about how Shakespeare allegedly churned out his best work while being quarantined for the plague. While this is a legacy I'm ill-prepared to emulate, I thought: What if we all found small (because no one needs one more thing to be overwhelmed by) but meaningful ways to make our time at home—all the extra time we didn't expect to have—more fulfilling?
I’ve since made a list of daily post-work to-dos that include: checking up on old friends I haven’t reached out to in a while (I’m turning to long, news-filled emails. Remember those?), baking bread (I’m a bit terrified), and wiping down my spice drawer and bottles (turmeric, must you be everywhere?).
Turns out half the Food52 team were thinking along the same lines. I asked my colleagues, newly housebound, to share all the projects that they’ve been tackling during their time at home. We'd also love to hear from you! Follow along at Home52 and share all the little projects you’re working on to distract you, comfort you, and make your space a place you want to be.
"I did a very detailed dusting of every leaf on all of my plants over the weekend. They’re all so shiny and happy now—and much less likely to make me cough and freak out!" —Rebecca Sutter, UX designer
"I'm finally getting around to cooking the recipes I've saved on site!! Yesterday I made the Genius Caramelized Cream Eggs and it was delicious. I’m also finally reading some of the books that have been chilling on my bookshelf." —Danielle Curtis Williams, marketing coordinator
"I cleaned out and organized my 'pantry,' aka the big floor-to-ceiling cabinet that I pretend is a pantry, where I keep all my dried and canned goods. For the first time since I moved into my apartment, each shelf has a designated purpose! Next up? My freezer." —Alex Egan, senior SEO strategist
"I keep whole spices (bay and curry leaves, star anise pods, chiles) in the freezer for longevity, but now that I'm braising, stewing, and infusing more, I moved some of these spices to pantry jars so they're more visible." —Coral Lee, associate editor
"I’m hoping to order some peel and stick wallpaper and finally add some life to my dining area. I’ve been meaning to do it for months but now that my evenings are free, I can!" —Caroline Mullen, assistant editor
"I spent some time this weekend moisturizing all of my wooden cutting boards and utensils! My recommendation? John Boos Block Mystery Oil and Board Cream." —Kelsey Burrow, director, public relations
"I cleaned out my glassware/mugs/teapots/random-stuff-I-never use cabinet (Hello, French Press. I was wondering where you were!). Now, when I open that cabinet door, I don't see stacks of very breakable items about to tip over. I donated everything I didn't want to keep, so nothing went into the trash can." —Erin Alexander, associate editor
"I am doing so many little projects, it's hard to pick (Go, Aja!). Most recently I cleaned my bathroom, every corner of it, and then made a pile of all the towels, bath linen, and toiletries and made a huge donation to a homeless shelter." —Aja Aktay, home buyer
"I’ve started doing long-distance origami challenges with my dad who lives in Northern California. He’s incredibly patient—he used to cut out all my paper dolls when I was little— and there are so many lovely tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest for fantastical shapes, birds, and my personal favorite, corgis (it’s true)." —Maggie Slover, senior copywriter
"I finally have time to babysit my dough starter. I’m looking forward to diving into levain breads, fears notwithstanding." —Josh Dion, senior video editor
"I have a backyard at my new place, and haven't had nice weather to do anything with it...until now. First up? A big clean-up job followed by laying sod (if I can still get it in a week or so). I also plan on building planter boxes around the edge to grow veggies." —Rob Strype, video editing lead
"More gardening prep here: sweeping up winter debris and getting seedlings going." —Cody Kestigian, data scientist
"I'm building a deck." —Timothy McSweeney, senior graphic designer
"I’m trying to fix some uneven wall panels and paint in my home with new moldings (Lucas, you’re my hero!) It’s no small task, but I plan on tackling this slowly, one small finite task at a time." —Lucas Monaco, senior QA engineer
Written by: Arati Menon
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37 Comments
As I looked at internal content, what I looked for a new cook is that any new terms or techniques are explained at the beginning of the recipe.
My other thought, was to start with a few things that you really like and search for videos for those: for example, if you like over easy eggs and bacan and toast for breakfast … look for an "over easy egg" tutorial and make it until you feel comfortable. Then build on that or on pasta with jarred sauce or whatever you like, i.e. start with very simple and keep adding to your knowledge and experience.
You can also search online for "learn to cook" and there are some online "courses" … some free, some not.
But I thought of something else: Instant Pot. There are so many Instant Pot recipes that are very simple as in toss in the ingredients, set the time and "Bob's your Uncle" … dinner!! You don't need to know technique, you just need to get the ingredients: Pot roast and veg, Chilis and Stews and Soups … easy filling meals which you can make a quantity of and freeze single servings or just eat all week.
Loving your spice drawer. I’ve created one exactly the same. Loving the ease of finding exactly what I need at a glance. An idea is to place the spices in alpha order.
Sending my love to you all during these terrible times 💕
Have fun, Arati! (And congrats on doing something about the all-white walls. I simply cannot imagine that, though I understand that many people live in all-white spaces.) ;o)
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