Good Eats & Exercise
How TMB Employees are Spending Their Newly Found Free Time
For the last several weeks, TMB employees have been working from home to follow social distancing orders recommended by the U.S. Government and CDC guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19. For some TMB employees, teleworking during the pandemic has generated more free time that has allowed them to pick up new hobbies, skills, or exercise routines that may have been difficult to fit in pre-quarantine.
An exercise routine that Melanie Breads, Junior Analyst on the IWS 4.0 ESS Program, has picked up during this telework period is hiking! Melanie, her mom, and sisters have been hiking miles each day! They have explored many different trails and parks in the Southern Maryland area. Their favorite is Cedarville State Forest, which is made up of many different trails for hikers and a pond for fishing. The longest trail in the park is the Orange Loop, at 6.6 miles long, which Melanie and her family plan to walk soon. With the transition into Spring, Melanie explained that it is nice to have time to get some fresh air, enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather, and spend time with family! Although we are living in a unique time, Melanie states that it is nice to have time to enjoy the little things.
Melanie is not the only TMB employee to use her free time to incorporate more wellness activities throughout the day during the pandemic. Michael Farfan, a Jr. Project Controller, practices meditation when he first wakes up in the morning to strengthen his mind and spiritual wellness, and enjoys taking afternoon walks, running, and doing an exercise routine before or after work to hit the refresh button and finish the workday off strong.
Whipping up something tasty in the kitchen has been another past time for TMB employees. Natalie Baggott, TMB’s HR Assistant, has been hard at work in her free time to learn how to bake delicious treats. One of her favorite dishes that she has made so far are her blueberry scones. Natalie has agreed to share her recipe for the blueberry scones for everyone to have a chance to enjoy.
~ Katie Flowers
Blueberry Scones
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (+2 tbsp
additional cold butter)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
(fresh or frozen)
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in all the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead in the blueberries. Divide the dough in half. Pat each portion into an 8-in. circle; cut each into 8 wedges. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Serve warm. Super easy and so good!
