I know everyone is scared right now. I’m scared, too. But there are lots of things in the world that scare me a lot more than Corona virus, and so I am making a choice . . . I am choosing to view this time on lockdown as a gift, because in many ways it really is.

I have decades worth of unfulfilled New Years resolutions still to achieve, not to mention promises made during Lent (which, for bad Catholics like me, started February 26th).

And so, I am choosing to use this gift of time wisely, by choosing to make good choices.

First, I choose to exercise. I am finally using the treadmill I bought last year, the one that has stood alone and unused in an empty room in my house, like some kind of sacred offering to the god of sloth. I’m using it every single day and I’m loving it.

Second, I choose not to waste food. This has been my top resolution for years and I have gotten so much better, but I know there is so much more I can do. So, for dinner on Monday I made braised celery. I had a large bag of celery sticks that were on their last legs, and I instead of tossing them I googled recipes and settled on one that was simple and would use up every last piece of celery in my fridge. For those who have not had the pleasure of trying braised celery, I highly recommend it. It was one of the best culinary surprises I’ve experienced to date.

On Tuesday I made egg rolls with some leftover cabbage, the leftover braised celery, and chopped ham from a pack of lunch meat I need to use before it goes bad. These were by far the best egg rolls I have ever had. I baked them instead of frying them, because I didn’t want to waste my oil, and they were fabulous. As a side note, I had leftover cabbage from the cabbage steaks I made the week before. If you haven’t tried cabbage steaks, you haven’t lived.

Tonight for dinner I plan to make deconstructed lasagna with a bechamel instead of ricotta. I will also make a separate pan of the lasagna to freeze and use for future dinners. I’ve never made deconstructed lasagna before, and that is rather the point . . . from my choice not to waste food I have a real opportunity to be creative!

And third, I choose to write. I have some writing projects I started years ago (okay, decades ago) that I still have not finished. For years I’ve used excuse after excuse, from not having the time on weekends because I had to drive the kids to their practices or social activities, to not having time on weekdays because my day job was/is too all-consuming (and the antidote to creativity). Well, no more excuses. I have the time, and it is a gift.

I wish everyone a safe and healthy 2020. And if you would like to share how you and your family are using this gift of time, I would love to know. And, send recipes, too!