One of the most well-known aspects of the Trader Joe’s franchise is its frozen food section. During quarantine, it’s a godsend. It’s probably safe to say that a lot of us are a bit burned out on cooking day in and day out. For those looking for frozen options that cater to different dietary needs, are a bit more health-conscious and offer a wider variety of cuisines, Trader Joe’s has you covered.

No one really wants their refrigerator to die on them, but sometimes blessings come in disguise. I had never been a fan of our inefficiently laid-out fridge. Yet in the nearly 10 years we’d owned our home, I had not felt compelled to replace it.

When’s the last time you reached for an apple instead of chocolate for that midnight snack? Substituted a head of cauliflower for chicken breast? A veggie burger for cow?

This Mother’s Day, let Mom sleep in and surprise her with the best kind of breakfast there is: one made by someone other than herself. (And don’t forget to do the dishes, too!)

Having trouble keeping your kitchen stocked while trying to limit your grocery store trips? Here is a list of essentials to keep in mind so you can make sure you always have enough on hand. Adjust according to meal preferences and dietary restrictions. This will be an underwhelming list for foodies, but it is great for those who are trying to figure out the basics. Pantry staples

Eating at home has been one of the most prominent elements of quarantine. For some of us, this is a bigger shift in lifestyle change than for others – for instance, those of you who came to the harsh realization that you never learned to cook.

When the novel coronavirus pandemic became very serious more than one month ago, Dry Fly Distilling was one of the first to respond with an interesting product – the free Spokanitizer hand sanitizer (props for the price and creative name) – that became immediately popular.

Dried herbs have a tendency to collect dust in the pantry. You buy a jar of them, use a little and then forget about them or just dip into them occasionally. But now that home cooks are turning more to their cabinets out of necessity, it’s time to take a closer look at those dried herbs. Jekka McVicar, who runs an herb farm in England and has written seven books on the topic, says that for better or worse, culinary authorities have been successful in indoctrinating us that fresher is better. “I know people think fresh is best,” she says, but “with the situation we’re all going to be in, dried is going to be essential.”

No one knows where the virus might bloom – or how long restrictions might last. What is clear is that this will be different from the usual “stock up on bread and milk” emergencies: Snowstorms generally only trap people in the house for a few days, whereas lockdowns in China have lasted weeks, stressing even the most seasoned cooks.