A staycation (a portmanteau of "stay" and "vacation"), or holistay (a portmanteau of "holiday" and "stay"), is a period in which an individual or family stays home and participates in leisure activities within day trip distance of their home and does not require overnight accommodation. But since our only version of a true vacation these days are day trips, it would follow that our version of a staycation is literally staying at home and partaking in fun activities there. Very du jour. That was what we did yesterday. We decided to have a cooking and baking marathon of sorts. It did require a special trip to the market in the morning and quite a few dishes and cleaning up as the day progressed, but it was well worth it. We had delicious meals and treats to enjoy throughout the day. On the menu: Blueberry ricotta cake, 4 loaves of our favorite zucchini walnut bread, ham salad sandwiches for lunch on thickly sliced fresh white bread (using the final bits of ham leftover from Easter), and split pea and ham soup (simmered all day using the ham-hock from the same Easter ham). There wasn't a corner in our home that didn't smell delectable. Staycations aren't so bad when your house is filled with the aroma of delicious food baking in the oven and simmering on the stovetop; and your tummy is filled with the scrumptious edibles that result.
