Yes, non-believers, these are pics of all the food I have cooked in quarantine. Mind you there were a lot of dinners that consisted of my all-time fave of cheese, crackers, and fruit, but, yes, I have been venturing into the kitchen a lot during the past five months. Working more than full-time was never conducive to spending hours in the kitchen making dinner so we went out a lot. Now, though, with only the dog to wonder what time we’re eating (the other half never asks, he’s just happy to be fed!), making all the recipes that I’ve torn out of magazines over the past 15-plus years actually seems fun.

I have learned a few things over the last few months: I would kill to have a sous chef; I should’ve stuck with the metric system in junior high; our smoke detector is way too sensitive; and magazine recipe authors are all in cahoots with Whole Foods (there’s usually at least one ingredient I can’t find anywhere else — do you hear me piquillo peppers?!).

My kids, of course, are wondering with every picture I send them, where is their mom and what have I done with her? But, they’re also I’m sure peeved at me for holding out on them. We always ate a lot of fruit and veggies just not accompanied by homemade pasta or fresh-baked focaccia. So, as I skate on Hell’s frozen pond, I will lament never attaining perfect mom status as I slurp another spoonful of Watermelon Gazpacho with Feta Crema.