My Covid Experience

Today is the first time, since getting a positive Covid test, that I’ve physically managed to hit 20km. It took considerably longer than it normally does and I felt absolutely horrible afterwards, but I did it.

For me being ill is never really something that crosses my mind, it happens very rarely and, most of the time, when it does happen it’s very mild and I’m over it in a day or two. When Covid hit the scene I obeyed the rules and followed all the guidelines, but not because I was worried about myself, I was doing it to protect the people in my life who are vulnerable. I’m relatively young, I’ve a very robust immune system and I’m fairly healthy. I thought that if I got it I’d either be asymptomatic or it would be extremely mild and I’d bounce back in a couple of days.

Several weeks ago someone in our office tested positive for Covid, the following day we were all sent home with our computers and remote logins. The day after that I started feeling a little rough, realised I’d lost my sense of taste and smell and booked myself a test for a Friday evening. 

It’s Monday morning, I’m burning up, I ache all over, I have absolutely no energy, I hardly have the strength to move around, I feel like I want to die and I’ve just received my positive result. 48 hours passes, it’s Wednesday and, admittedly, I’m starting to get over it, I still have no sense of taste and smell, I still ache, I still feel drained, I can’t really concentrate on anything, but I’m mostly functional. Monday morning rolls around and I’m well enough to be working from home, but I still have no sense of taste and smell, I still ache, I still feel drained and I’m still finding it a little difficult to concentrate.

It’s now a few weeks later and I’m still not 100%. My sense of taste and smell is back, but it seems extremely muted and things don’t quite taste the same. I’m physically able to exercise, but I get out of breath much easier, I’m not able to do as much and I ache afterwards. I’m finding it much easier to concentrate, but I’m easily distracted and feel like I’m catching myself just staring into space more often than usual. My general drive hasn’t really returned, though I’m not entirely sure there was all that much of it to begin with.

Covid 19 isn’t a joke, it isn’t a hoax, it is very infectious and, whilst I concede that it may well be being exaggerated, it is definitely hospitalising people, it is definitely killing people and it is definitely an absolutely horrible disease to suffer with.

Now could somebody please gently massage my shoulders, they really ache...

A Fever Dream?

Did I really witness Nigel Farage watching clear cut video evidence of Donald Trump suggesting people look into injecting disinfectant, then have him try to deny it and then call someone fake news on live television... or did I just fever dream that whole sequence? It seems so surreal that that's kind of what it feels like.

Politics makes me so angry at the moment. I had to turn off the tele and put the kettle on, if I hadn’t I felt like I might have lashed out in some stupid way.

A nice pot of tea, and 15 minutes of light exercise, and I’m feeling a lot better, so it’s off to the "home office" to get a day's work done.

Review: Yorkshire Tea Toast & Jam Brew

As some of you may know I have a bit of a minor fascination with tea and, to a slightly lesser degree, coffee and to that end will occasionally look out for new products to try. As some of you may also know I'm quite a big, literally and figuratively speaking, fan of the traditional tea and coffee accompaniments, cakes, biscuits, crumpets, toast etc. Bearing both of these facts in mind, when Yorkshire tea announced their new toast and jam brew, and given how pleasant their malty biscuit brew is, my interest was somewhat peaked.

So after a bit of research, in which I discovered this product was going to be a timed exclusive to Asda (who knew tea and video games had so much in common), and the resulting several visits to multiple branches of Asda, I managed to get my hands on a box of these bad boys.

I've now been drinking this fairly regularly for the last couple of days and in my opinion, whilst it is a fairly pleasant brew that offers something slightly different, it's not quite as nice or as accurately flavoured as I'd hoped it would be.

After trying the malty biscuit brew a while ago and being extremely impressed by how it tasted almost exactly like a freshly dunked malted milk, without compromising on the tea flavour, I had fairly elevated expectations. I was hoping for a big fruity hit, with a nice hint of sweetness and a slightly smokey, bready aftertaste. What I got instead was a slightly lighter tea taste with a gentle hint of background fruitiness, a pleasant, relaxing, afternoon brew that would go down well with a couple of crumpets, but certainly not the big flavoured breakfast brew that I was hoping for.

Whilst this won't be something that I go out of my way to buy again, if I happen to stumble on it on offer or someone else offers me a mug of it, I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

Cheeseburger Pasta Bake

When I call this Cheeseburger Pasta Bake I’m not joking, the simplicity, the flavours, the carb hit from the pasta, come together nicely and really do conjure up those old school cheeseburger vibes. This pasta bake is a super simple, super comforting, tasty, and surprisingly healthy, nostalgia hit of a dish. It can be knocked up fairly quickly, with absolutely no nonsense, and stored in the fridge, or freezer, ready to be popped in the oven at a moment's notice.

You will need:
400g dried penne (or other pasta shape)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
500g lean beef mince
125g lean bacon, cut into 1cm chunks
2 cans peeled plum tomatoes
120g extra mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
6-8 pickled gherkins, halved and sliced
Good sized pinch of salt and pepper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
2. Add the pasta to boiling, salted, water, cook for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time, drain and set aside.
3. Pour the oil into a fairly large, oven safe, low sided saucepan and allow to heat over a medium/low heat.
4. Add the onions to tha pan, stir to coat in the oil, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until thoroughly softened.
5. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to high, add the beef and bacon and fry for about 5 minutes, until browned.
6. Remove from the heat, add in the pasta and stir through.
7. Add in the tomatoes, half the cheese, some of the gherkins and the salt pepper. Gently break the tomatoes with the back of the spoon and stir everything through.
8. Sprinkle over half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven, divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and gherkins then serve.

Notes:
If you’re not a fan of gherkins then simply don’t add them, they’re there simply because I feel like they give the dish a more authentic burgery taste.

If you want to really ramp up the burgeryness, serve with a simple side salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato and thousand island dressing.

August Bank Holiday Weekend

It’s been a few weeks since I posted anything on here and that’s partially due to my own laziness and partially down to being back at work after a brief period of being furloughed, I managed about a month before I was asked back into the office, and clearing the backlog that being away from the office, for even the briefest time, creates.

The weekend just past was the last bank holiday before Christmas, and the only time off I currently have between now and then, and I spent the long weekend taking in some pretty spectacular views up in the hills of deepest, darkest Shropshire.

It's been a while so it was definitely good to get out and hiking again, though I did manage to hurt my back and mildly sunburn my face.

I stayed in a lovely little shepherds hut, with a nice log burning stove, a comfy bed, a composting toilet and nothing or no-one else, other than the farm it is situated on, for miles around.

My car had a hell of a work out getting there, it's a little, low slung, 1.4 litre hatchback. It isn't really designed for steep hills and rough roads, but it managed admirably and, other than a few extra scratches, doesn't seem any worse for wear.

It's Tuesday now and I'm back at work, which is a hell of a come down, but at least I have some nice photos, and a sore face, to distract me.

The Storm

I’m currently lying on my bed, by candlelight, listening to the storm. This is the most thunder and lightning I’ve experienced in years, I’m probably misremembering, but growing up it seemed like we had thunderstorms most summers. I do love a good thunderstorm.

Now, to make me feel more human again, all the weather has to do is actually rain and lower the temperature by about 15 degrees.

This heat is killing me, my body can’t handle it, it’s also almost destroyed my garden, the sun has been so intense it’s scorched my herbs and shriveled my strawberries.

Reduced Fat Mince Beef Stroganoff

I love a beef stroganoff, but it's an incredibly rich dish and doesn't exactly make for the most healthy of meals. This is my attempt at making something that is both healthy(ish) and scratches that comfort food itch.

You will need:
1 calorie spray
500g 5% fat minced beef
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
300g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp english mustard
½ tsp black pepper, ground
200ml beef stock
6 tbsp reduced fat creme fraiche
Salt to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Put a high sided pan over a medium/high heat to warm.
2. Spray in a few squirts of 1 calorie spray and add the minced beef. Once browned, tip the beef into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onions, to the same pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
6. Add the worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper, stir through until incorporated.
7. Add the beef stock, bring to the boil, reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced slightly.
8. Add the browned beef and creme fraiche and stir through.
9. Check for seasoning and add salt, if needed.
10. Serve over rice, pasta or mash and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Notes:
Stroganoff is a very widespread dish, with dozens of different variations, so adept it to suit your own taste. I often add a couple of spoons of paprika, mostly because I love paprika.

Apple And Cinnamon Cupcakes

The flavour combination of apple and cinnamon is a firm favourite of mine, also, I really love cake. This recipe combines apples, cinnamon and cake in a glorious amalgamation of heavenly delight.

You will need:
100g low fat spread
60g Half Spoon
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tbsp fat free creme fraiche
100g self raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped and lightly tossed in plain flour

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
2. Add the spread and half spoon to a medium sized mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy.
3. Add about ¼ of the beaten egg and stir until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining egg, until it’s all added.
4. Stir through the creme fraiche.
5. Add half the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg, fold into the mix, until fully incorporated, and repeat with the remaining flour.
6. Add in the apples and fold through the mix.
7. Using a spoon, add the mix to paper cupcake cases, filling to about ⅔ up the side of the case (the mix should make about 9, depending on the size of the cases being used).
8. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out of the cake clean.
9. Remove from the tray immediately and place on a wire rack to cool.

Notes:
I like these on their own, but they’re also great with a super simple cream cheese frosting.

Download 2020

I should have been spending this weekend in the middle of a field in Donington, potentially doing irreparable damage to my hearing and body in general, but instead I'll just have to make do with a slice of cake, a cup of coffee and a smoke in the back garden.

Removing The 'Shield' From The Vulnerable

In the UK we’ve been steadily releasing the lock down for a few weeks, despite our scientists advising it’s too early, to be fair it had to happen at some point and our conservative government was always going to put money above human lives. As part of the pandemic response we have a category of people referred to as ‘shielded’, these are vulnerable people, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions. As a group they’ve been locked down the longest and have had the strongest restrictions imposed on them. As of today they’re allowed out for the first time in weeks, and it really shows. I went out first thing this morning for a few essentials, the supermarket was full of very confused looking very elderly people. They were milling around like zombies, not following the social distancing rules, ignoring other people's protests and, for some insane reason, none of the staff were doing a thing about it. 

The really crazy thing is that, when they were first restricted, there was an uproar about it being unfair to those 'shielded’ people who are still capable. The fact that now we’ve eased restrictions on them and had an influx of vulnerable people not following the guidelines, either because they don’t understand them, whether that’s willful or not, or because they are just refusing to, shows exactly why it was necessary. A line had to be drawn somewhere and protecting the most vulnerable, even though our government completely failed, and is still failing, to do so, should always be a high priority. It was inevitable that people just falling to either side of that line were going to feel hard done to, but it was a necessity and, having several vulnerable people in my family who would almost certainly not have survived catching the virus, I'm glad that it happened.