As we all navigate this unprecedented time and do our part to stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we thought it might be fun to share what FDL staff are doing to pass the time. While most of us are still working from home, we definitely have more time on our hands for reading, creativity, hobbies, and more. So here’s what some of us have been up to this week – we hope you enjoy!
Streaming Music from Hoopla – “As I’m settling in to my new office and working from home, I’ve been enjoying streaming music from the Hoopla Bonus Borrows collection, particularly some of the greatest hits albums, in between meetings. Wednesday, it was the sweet, soothing sounds of James Taylor’s Greatest Hits.”
Movies and Popcorn – “Other things that are getting me though: coffee (lots of it), an occasional walk around the neighborhood looking for the newly blooming spring bulbs, and family movie nights. We’re watching some throwbacks, like the 80’s classic Teen Wolf. We love popcorn with our movies and will be looking to try some new flavors soon. I love salty flavors, so I’m excited to try Frito Pie popcorn!”
– Genna, Director
Painting – “I have been acrylic painting at night to help me unwind! After a full day of entertaining and caring for a toddler and keeping up on the day to day chores it’s so relaxing to take a small break from reality.”
– Katie, Circulation Assistant
Baking – “Here’s my recipe for Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It’s a simplified version of this recipe from vegweb.com. I’ve been making this for years, and I feel like it’s pretty fool-proof. If you don’t normally cook, I would recommend trying websites like Supercook where you type in what ingredients you have in your kitchen and it finds recipes that use only those ingredients.”
– Cindy, Youth Services Assistant
Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1 cup non-dairy milk (I think plain almond milk works best)
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided (I always use turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw, but regular should be fine)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg replacer (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil, milk, the egg replacer, and 1 cup of the sugar. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. In a separate small bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/3 cup sugar.
- Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 the cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Repeat layers twice. Bake 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (Keep an eye on it after the initial 45 minutes to make sure the top corners don’t burn.) Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Tip: If you have never used flaxseed before, there are lots of things you can do with it. As a general rule, 1 Tbs of ground flaxseed combined with 3 Tbs of water can be used to replace one egg in most recipes for baked goods. Flaxseed is also great for sprinkling in things like smoothies, oatmeal, and homemade granola.
Severance by Ling Ma – “Honestly, and this is a little weird, I’ve been enjoying listening to Severance by Ling Ma (audiobook available from hoopla). It’s a book about the fallout from a world-ending virus that started in China and spread throughout the world, and the point of view is from a Chinese American woman and her dealings with the fallout, racism, and misogyny. I know how it sounds; why would anyone read this right now? I can’t explain why, but as soon as I heard the premise, I had to read it, and it’s the book I listen to late into the night as I work on my sewing projects. It could be the uncanny similarities that pop up throughout the book (a VIRUS started in CHINA and people were RACIST about it), or it could be the stark differences bringing me comfort (the world isn’t literally ending like it seems to be in the book). Whatever it is, I’m into it.”
Planning My Days – “Lastly, (but most importantly in some ways) I would not be able to function on a normal day, let alone these whacky times, without my planner. I really have been finding comfort in scheduling out my day. My husband and I are lucky to be able to work from home, but with daycare shut down, we need to be able to balance watching our son and working. We tried winging it, and it was chaos. It might seem robotic to schedule time with your kid, but it really does help me, and maybe it will help you too. Don’t feel like you have to schedule everything; find your balance and do whatever is useful to you.”
– Jessica, Reference Specialist
Baking – “I’ve been working my way through my repertoire of bread recipes. This is an Amish recipe; it makes two white loaves that are not too sweet for sandwiches, but toast up into a lovely treat to slather with butter.”
– Sylvia, Circulation Specialist
Amish Bread
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 c plus 2 c warm water or milk
1 heaping T lard or shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 T salt
7 to 8 c all-purpose flour (mine took 7 c)
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c warm water. (You can put a spoonful of sugar in too, to make the yeast extra happy.) Let this sit until foamy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lard, sugar, salt, and the remaining 2 c water. Into the mixing bowl, stir the yeast and enough of the flour to make a soft, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours) in a warm, draft-free place. Punch the dough down, and divide it into two balls. Form two loaves. Put the loaves in greased loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise again until double (45 to 60 minutes). Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes. The bread will sound hollow when it’s done.