March was ripeeeeeee! I can't wait to tell my grandkids' about that time I witnessed a toilet-paper-throwdown between 2 ladies at a store in NYC. That was the most sophisticated fight I've ever seen. 2 young women swatting 'at each other' with manicured hands and trying to crashing each other's carts - the unrealness....
What's even worse was that I was shopping for Lockdown makeup at the time.
Let's just say your girl was not ready for a Pandemic Year.
It. Was. Not. The. Plan.
Then there's also the fact that I'm West African so there are things in my Pantry that can't be found in any ole place. This post is basically an MTV Crib look at my Pantry in preparation for Lockdown 2.0 and before you label me a Negative Nancy, I'll have you know that there are Neanderthals out there who are still convinced that:
Masks damage our lungs
Covid is a Hoax
It's okay to attend weddings with thousands of people in attendance (Yes. Thousands.)
Washing hands is a deadly sin
In light of these sad truths and the fact that my Lockdown 1.0 pantry was a mess, I'm sooo ready for 2.0 and you should be too.
Freezer
Fruit
Meat
Bread
Bell Peppers, small red peppers, Onions (all blended separately & ‘Ziploced’ to manage freezer space)
Veggies
Yams (peeled & cut up)
Fried Plantains
Bananas
Spice Rack
Goya
Maggi Chicken
Maggi
Salt
Thyme
Ground Spicy pepper
Curry
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Basically, everything that goes into a Jollof Rice pot. I know somebody will DM me that I missed something.
Pantry
Pasta
Syrup
Juice
Flour
Jelly
Wine
Rice
Cereal
Crackers
Oatmeal
Dressing
Olive Oil
Red beans
Nut Butters
Canned Fruit
Canned Soup
Coconut water
Canned Beans
Evaporated Milk
Canned Fish (I'm not a fan of canned protein but any mom will tell you that midday sandwiches save lives and are the answers to uninterrupted Zoom calls)
Cooking oil because you know everything we cook has gallonzzz of oil in it.
Medicine Cabinet
Claritin
Alcohol
Scissors
Melatonin (The 1st wave tanked my sleep schedule and I’m only just getting back on track)
Extra strong Pain Relief
Band Aids (Spesh if you’ve got high energy kids)
Needle & Thread
Prescription Refills
Honey (cold remedy & sweetener)
Lemon juice (cold remedy)
Cloves (toothache remedy)
Aboniki/Robb (Because what’s worse than a Lockdown? A 2nd lockdown in the winter)
Cleaning Supplies
Bleach
Wood Floor Cleaner
Dish Liquid
Biggest bottle of ‘Dettol’
Hand Soap
Kitchen sponges
Laundry pods
Paper Towels
Favorite Air fresheners
Did I leave anything out?
*I substituted Disinfectant spray/wipes with Dettol because I can always find it in the back of most African/Caribbean shop and if ‘Dettol’ could get us through African Boarding school then it can contend with Coronavirus, just my opinion…
What 3 things would you absolutely need in your pantry for a lockdown?