Level 4 lockdown might not have been what you imagined for your weekend but that doesn't mean it can't still be enjoyable. There's plenty to do, to watch and to eat that will keep you and your bubble happy and occupied this weekend.
Have a binge
We know bingeing a TV series isn't a particularly original or inspiring suggestion, but some new highly bingeable content has been added this week to Neon and SkyGo in response to the lockdown. There are two new seasons of Celebrity Bake Off on Neon, with contestants including Louis Theroux, Richard Dreyfuss, Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy and more. Once you've gotten into the Bake Off spirit, you could even set up your own Zoom bake off with your family or friends. Or, if you're wanting something a little more meaty, you can't get much more dramatic than War and Peace. The new series based on Tolstoy's book stars Lily James and is on both Neon and SkyGo, where you can also find the thriller We Hunt Together, reality series The Cabins and wartime love story Birdsong.
If you've already ticked those off your list then here's eight more suggestions to keep you going.
Auckland libraries to the rescue
One way to reframe this lockdown is to turn it into a winter reading retreat. Auckland Libraries has so much content available to download through their apps, you could come out the other side of lockdown with untold new interests and knowledge. Make a cuppa, cuddle up in a blanket and download a good e-book to read on Libby. There are also audiobooks to listen to while you get a head start on your spring cleaning, e-newspapers and e-magazines to browse, and a whole swathe of films and documentaries available to stream through the library's free streaming service Beamafilm. Plus, you can plop the kids in front of some educational television on NZ Geographic TV or Ethnographic Video Online which are both also freely available through the library's website.
Head to their website to access all available content.
Dance it out
This one's just for the ladies: There's no better medicine for your lockdown blues (besides the words "no new cases" of course) than to dance them out. OK Now Ladies is an open dance class for women of all ages and skill levels, which aims to have you dancing your way to empowerment, self-esteem and a really great mood. The classes are usually held weekly at Tapac but are back online Tuesdays 7pm throughout the lockdown period. Anyone can join, all you need is a bit of space in your home, clothes you can move in that also make you feel good, and a willingness to let go and have fun. Teacher Bianca Paine has danced with Parris Goebel and spent two years dancing in Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE show in Las Vegas. She knows what she's doing and she'll have you twerking your way to mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health in no time.
Find @oknowladies_ on Instagram for the link to the class.
Zoom quiz
It feels impossible to maintain any semblance of a social life during lockdown but Believe It or Not quizzes are one way to get your family and/or friends together for some online fun. Believe It or Not, which supply the quizzes to loads of pubs around the country for their quiz nights, are uploading a weekly multimedia quiz to their Facebook page and you can do it over Zoom whenever suits you — there's one up already. Whether you're a know-it-all or simply enjoy being your team's cheerleader, a good old-fashioned pub quiz can be just about as fun from the comfort of your own home as it is in a crowded pub. If you're competitive, brush up on your quiz skills by doing the twice-daily quizzes, also compiled by Believe It or Not, on the NZ Herald site.
Get on board the TikTok train
Before you dismiss this listing as something young people do that you don't understand, consider that this lockdown might just be the perfect time for you to finally get on board the TikTok train. The app is actually pretty easy to learn and has certainly kept millions of people around the world entertained over the last couple of years, much of that entertainment coming from TikTok challenges. Learn one of the hundreds of thousands of dance challenges — that's at least a day's work; do a cooking challenge — a baked feta pasta challenge went viral at the start of this year; glow up with a makeup challenge; or jump on board any number of weird viral challenges such as the flour challenge, the cereal challenge, the throw it in the air challenge, the mole removal challenge and so many more. If you don't think you're the kind of person to make a TikTok video, don't worry, we're confident you can throw many hours of your life into the TikTok hole anyway, just by watching the constant stream of videos the app curates especially for you. Have fun — and sorry.
Download the TikTok app from your Google Play or iTunes Store.
Keep the kids entertained
If you're locked down with kids, we know keeping them entertained and engaged is truly one of the greatest struggles. Check out Outschool, which is like the Airbnb of online classes. It's a platform, or community as they like to call it, where teachers provide Zoom lessons on everything under the sun. There's science experiment classes, writing classes, dance classes of every kind, musical instruments, photography, cake decorating, computer programming, languages, gaming, art classes, sports, even a class called Poop Museum, which teaches kids fun facts about poop. If your child has an interest, you can probably find a class for it on Outschool. Most are live on Zoom, so time zone differences can be a slight challenge, though not insurmountable. Each class lists the age range it's suited for, with classes for kids from 3-18.
Pantry clear-out
Instead of panic-buying every food item you have a lockdown craving for, why not use this time at home to do a pantry clear-out? Start reaching into the back of your cupboards, find all the staples that are buried back there and see how much of that stuff you can consume. There are a number of recipe-builder apps and websites that find recipes for you based on the ingredients you already have at home, which can make this process much easier and quite fun. Download apps like Allrecipes Dinner Spinner, Epicurious and BigOven, among others, and cook your way to a tidy pantry. You'll save money, reduce your waste and clean out your pantry all at the same time. Anything you haven't managed to use, put in a box to donate, because if you haven't used it by the end of this challenge, you're never going to.
Comfort food
Wellington on a plate might be on hold due to level 4 lockdown but that doesn't mean you can't create your own winning burgers at home.
What transforms a simple beef burger patty and a bun into a memorable burger? According to Annabel Langbein it's often the sauce. She makes hers American-style, simply by combining 1 cup of good-quality mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp ketchup, 2 Tbsp American mustard, a two-finger pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder, 1 finely chopped gherkin, 2 tsp of gherkin brine and a good shake of white pepper. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Here she shares three great burgers you can easily whip up at home.
Get baking
With weekend brunch at your local cafe not an option, it's time to turn your attention to what you can make at home instead. Sourdoughs are so 2020 but baking is still just as theraputic this lockdown so why not try your hand at something new? Anna King Shahab has some great options for you to test out this weekend.
For many of us sultana cake provides the ultimate comfort vibes, evoking memories of grandparents. It's easy to make and accompanied by a cup of tea is the perfect cold-weather treat.
Sultana cake
Makes: 1- 22cm cake
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45-55 minutes
Ingredients:
400g sultanas
Zest of 1 lemon
200g butter, diced
Enough water to cover sultanas
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 22cm springform cake tin.
2. Put sultanas and lemon zest in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil over high heat on stove top. Turn heat down to a slow boil and cook for 8 minutes or so, until some of the liquid has cooked off and the sultanas are nice and soft.
3. Carefully drain off the water (you'll lose a bit of the lemon zest but it's already done some good work imparting flavour). Place butter in to melt with residual heat.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs until light and frothy, then beat in vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt and fold to combine. Fold in drained fruit-and-butter mix until evenly combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, until cake is golden on top and there's no wobble. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to continue cooling. This cake is superb when still slightly warm. It keeps for days and freezes well, too.
Tips:
You can make this in a loaf tin if preferred; you may need to reduce the cooking time by 5 or so minutes, just see how you go.
Coconut creme caramel (Vietnamese - banh caramel)
If you're looking for something a bit classier, or have a special lockdown bubble dinner planned then this dessert is the perfect way to cap it off.
Serves: 6
Prep: 20-25 minutes
Cook: 30-35 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup water
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
1 cup cream (use milk if you prefer)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or use palm sugar, or coconut sugar)
5 eggs, lightly whisked
2 limes, finely zested (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and place over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring (you can shake the pan from time to time) for 4-5 minutes or until it's a deep golden colour (you want it a little dark to get that slightly bitter flavour — but not burnt). Pour the caramel evenly into six lightly oiled ramekins (use any neutral oil), or you can use cups, glass jars — whatever you have on hand that can go into an oven. Place ramekins in a deep-sided oven dish and set aside. Be careful, toffee melts skin!
3. In a medium-sized pot, add the coconut milk, cream and brown sugar and warm over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug and pour evenly into each ramekin.
4. Place the tray of ramekins in the oven (middle shelf) and pour enough boiling water (use your kettle) into the oven dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (this way you're not carrying a tray of boiling water to the oven, we don't want any A&E trips in lockdown). Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the custard is just set.
5. Remove from the oven, and carefully place the ramekins on a wire rack to cool for about an hour. Cover with a tea towel (or plastic wrap) and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled.
6. To serve, run a small knife around the inside edge of the ramekin and carefully turn (invert) on to a serving plate. Give them a shake and slowly remove the ramekin. They should slide out (if they don't, then eat them from the ramekin, it works). Zest some lime over the top and you're good to go.
Tips:
You can add lime leaves, lemongrass, etc to infuse the milk if that's your gig; toasted shredded coconut to serve works well.
