A Nigerian-American’s Lockdown List in a Pandemic

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?