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Things to do (from home) this week: Make your kitchen time easier

It’s chilly out today, as we’re writing this week’s newsletter. Not that we needed another reason for comfort food right now. So today’s edition is about making all that kitchen time easier. And we also have some great games and art projects for kids of all ages.

Silicone kitchen whisk, tray of chicken eggs on yellow background. Cooking concept, Top view, flat lay, minimalism.
Silicone kitchen whisk, tray of chicken eggs on yellow background. Cooking concept, Top view, flat lay, minimalism.Read moreVladimir Sukhachev / Getty Images/iStockphoto
    by Staff Reports
    Published 

It’s chilly out today as we’re writing this week’s newsletter. Not that we needed another reason for comfort food right now. So today’s edition is about making all that kitchen time easier. And we also have some great games and art projects for kids of all ages. But before we get there:

  1. We’ve got the best online events and streams this week, including the music-isn’t-canceled PlayOn Fest, the concert-inside-Minecraft Block by Blockwest, and a new Chris Hemsworth movie, among other entertainment. Get the full list at inquirer.com/calendar.

  2. Should you wear a mask while running or biking outside? Grace Dickinson breaks it down: The key is to find one that’s comfortable, and make your workout more manageable. But it’s also important to make sure you’re exercising where there aren’t crowds, whether you wear a mask or not.

  3. Need another at-home activity? How about this one: Brew your own beer. Nick Vadala shows you how to get started.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and, as much as possible, stay home.

— thingstodo@inquirer.com

Cook this

For most of us, we’re spending a lot more time in the kitchen than usual. But what basic tools do you really need most right now? Tiffani Rozier compiled a full list of kitchen essentials, and here are some low-cost tools that will help make your kitchen time easier:

  1. Stainless steel tongs: They’re a simple tool but, a versatile one; and, essentially, an extra set of hands. Use them to flip or turn food, toss salads, or even reach those hard-to-get-to spots in your pantry. You can get a good pair for under $15.

  2. An immersion blender: It’s small, cheap and easy to store, and lets you blend and mix soups, batters and more in the same pot, which makes it simpler, less messy and creates fewer dishes to clean. They cost about $20.

  3. A spice or coffee grinder: Most spices lose potency and flavor after about three months. But you can extend their usefulness by buying spices whole and in bulk, and grinding them as you need them. A quality grinder should cost about $20.

  4. A digital scale: Especially if you’re among those of us making a serious foray into bread baking, a good digital scale will mean better loaves (and therefore, better use of all that labor), because you’ll be more precise with your ingredients. And kitchen scales start around $15.

  5. A cast iron skillet: Cast iron is great at distributing heat evenly, and its consistent cooking surface also helps to keep food warm. A well-seasoned pan is as good or better than nonstick and stainless steel skillets. A 10- or 12-inch skillet costs about $15.

» READ MORE: With the right tools, cooking at home is much easier

» MORE FOOD: Local Philly grocery stores that are still delivering produce, dairy, meat, coffee beans and more

» MORE TECHNIQUES: Miss your coffee shop? Here’s how to make better coffee at home, from a Philly barista

Make this

Parenting during the quarantine has turned into a 24/7 job, and for many, that’s on top of trying to work from home. No wonder so many parents are tired. Grace Dickinson asked staff at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for art projects to keep kids of all ages creatively occupied. Here’s some of what they came up with:

  1. Pre-K and younger: Send kids on a scavenger hunt for objects around the house that fit a theme (think a color, pattern, shape, etc.). Have them collect all the objects in one place, say a table or the living room floor. Then, hand over your phone and create a photo exhibition of the collection in different compositions and configurations.

  2. Elementary school ages: Have kids create a sculpture (for example, create a character or creature) by binding objects together to a foundation, like a stick, jug, or stuffed animal. Then when they’ve completed their creation, have them draw their invention.

  3. Middle- and high-school ages: Spend 15 minutes a day journaling or sketching in a book, which is both a creative activity and also a useful self-care ritual. Use weekly prompts (like “start with your earliest memory when you were little”) to keep the creativity flowing.

» READ MORE: Art projects for kids of all ages from the Philadelphia Museum of Art

» MORE ACTIVITIES: Do this at home: Best puzzles and games to play right now

How do I do this now? Our latest answers to your coronavirus questions:

  1. What to do if you need to visit a vet , by Marc Narducci

  2. Where you can get your bike tuned up now, by Grace Dickinson

  3. How to get your car fixed during the shutdown, by Marc Narducci

  4. How to get a medical marijuana card now, by Nick Vadala

Have a question about how to do something? Ask us.