Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #7: April 22, 2020

Hi all,

Apologies for the delay this week, but hopefully the *sweet* theme of this week's digest will make up for it!  This week's issue is chock full of delicious options to revamp your quarantine diet.  Both Disney and the royal pastry chefs disclosed their secret recipes this week, and I'm passing them along to you.  And in case you missed the One World: Together at Home concert last weekend, it's definitely worth it!  Stay healthy, and stay positive - we've got this!

Best,

Sam

Food

Recipes

• Three-ingredient cookies (three different varieties) that you can probably make from what you have in stock right now
• Disney Parks' secret recipes, including their Churro Bites, Dole Whip, and plant-based Cookie Fries.  There are also a bunch of older recipes here, including cookies & cream bread pudding (which I'm probably making tomorrow) and a bunch of cocktails.  I'll be honest, I haven't been to a Disney park since I was two years old, but these recipes are making me wonder if I've been missing out!
• In honor of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, the royal pastry chefs have released the recipe for her favorite chocolate cupcakes - check out the royal Instagram account for details.
• Family Meals is bringing you recipes from some of your favorite local restaurants, illustrated by local artists.  A feast for your eyes and your tummy!

Need Some Help?

• Cooking with Nonnas is a popular tourist attraction outside Rome - what could be better than learning how to make homemade pasta from an Italian grandma?  And as the rest of the world has gone digital, so have the nonnas!  You can take various pasta classes (and other dishes) with the nonnas online (don't miss the 25% discount in the pop-up).  I'm signed up for the pasta class with Nonna Nerina this Saturday at 2pm!
• Check out these options for cooking classes and these for baking.

Where to Find Supplies

• The Filling Station, one of my favorite shops in the city, is having a 35% off sale to do their part of make it easy and fun to cook at home.  I highly recommend the Rosemary Salt - I add it to almost everything I make (it's even great in breakfast foods like matzoh brei!).  I have their Tuscan Herb Olive Oil on its way to experiment with, and their blueberry- and cherry-infused balsamic vinegars make a mean glaze for a pork dish (and a great topping for vanilla ice cream, too).
• Having trouble getting a FreshDirect or Amazon Fresh slot?  Check out these alternative grocery delivery options - I tested a few (without placing an order), and they all appeared to have delivery options for me within the next week or two.  Baldor in particular had a really impressive selection of fresh meats, seafood, and produce, as well as artisanal breads and cheeses.

Entertainment & Exercise

• The New York City Ballet will be offering a virtual spring season, with new pieces available for streaming every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm and will be available for 72 hours - catch them on the NYCB website or follow them on Facebook or YouTube.
• Several of the NYCB dancers are also offering online dance classes, including Ballet Essentials (a 45-minute class every Monday and Thursday at 6pm) and Wednesdays with Wendy (a series of ballet-inspired movement classes taught by NCYB Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, every Wednesday at 5pm).
• Radio.garden allows you to listen to any radio station across the world.  Been learning Italian on Duolingo?  (I have.)  Tune in to an Italian station to hone your comprehension skills!  Curious what other countries are telling people about the current situation?  Find out first-hand!  KHNS in Haines, AK is highly recommended - I've listened to it many a night while visiting my in-laws!
• Random tip: Need a confidence boost?  Save those emails you get when you've knocked something out of the park and someone tells you how great you are.  Stick them in a separate folder, and when you're having a tough day and need a little pick-me-up, open up your "Brag Box" and get a reminder that you're awesome.
• In the mood for a singalong?  How about leaning out your window and singing with dozens of other New Yorkers?  Earlier tonight was Lean On Me, as a reminder from the late, great Bill Withers that we're in this together.  Check out New York Sings Along on Facebook for details on next week's song selection.
• Ever imagine yourself as one of the legendary Rockettes?  The famous dancers are going live on Instagram every Tuesday and Thursday to teach their choreography and workouts.  Virtual kick line, anyone?
• Bored of the view from your window?  Explore The Hidden World of the National Parks, brought to you by Google and the National Park Service, featuring ranger-guided tours of many of our national parks.

For Kids

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art is now offering storytime on Thursdays at 12pm, adding to the many organiziations offering similar events (including 92Y and the NYPL - see previous digests).
• Deep Space Sparkle is a website with tons of art project ideas for your kids.  You can sort by age (5-11), by theme (animals, spring, fairytales, and many more), or by technique (based on what supplies you have around).
• The Bronx Zoo has set up a bunch of webcams, and you can visit the zoo online between 10am and 4pm to check in on the animals.
• The New York City Ballet has launched Ballet Breaks, a six-week series of lively Saturday morning movement activities designed for children ages 3 to 8.  Each 20-minute Ballet Break workshop will be taught by a NYCB dancer and will include a warm-up and choreography inspired by some of the NCYB's most beloved ballets.  These classes will stream every Saturday at 11am starting on April 25th.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #6: April 15, 2020

Hi everyone,

Hope you're staying happy and healthy.  This has been a difficult week for me, as someone very close to me has been hospitalized after fighting the virus for over two weeks.  It's difficult to stay positive at times, but I've been channeling my nervous energy into things like Zumba and cooking, and I even completed a 3,599-piece Lego set that's now proudly on display in the background of my Zoom calls.  I strongly encourage you all to find your own outlets for your stress, whether that's picking up a new hobby, reacquainting yourself with an old one, or simply taking time to reflect on where you want to be and how you can get there.  We will get through this, and we will emerge into a profoundly changed world - let's be ready to hit the ground running when we do.

Previous digests (including my cookie recipes) are posted on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you'd like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

-Sam

Ways to help others

There are so many ways to give back right now - see last week's digest for a long list.  There are a few new ones I've heard about this week to add to that list, plus a few that don't involve donations:

• Noshes for Nurses is delivering meals to medical staff at hospitals in New York, Connecticut, Florida, and more.
• My incredible cousins created a site called Open Doors, with the goal of bringing together opportunities to help, to hope, and to connect.  The site includes lists of companies that are hiring, giving options to support those who are working hard to help us, at-home activities, and even a "wall of heroes" where you can spotlight someone you know who's making an extraordinary effort to support others right now (such as healthcare workers).
• Curious about what others have been doing to help?  For the many lawyers and legal students on the call, I hope you feel the same sense of pride I do when you read this list about how lawyers are helping.
• Send cards and letters to friends.  It really cheers people up to receive a note from someone who cares, and you'll get a hit of endorphins from doing something wonderful for the people you love.  Pick three friends you haven't spoken to in a while, or three doctors or other essential workers in your life.  My personal go-to is LovePop, which makes big, beautiful pop-up cards with all sorts of themes, and will even allow you to enter a personal message and/or a photo and will send it directly to the recipient for you.  As an added bonus, you'll be helping the USPS, whose current low volume poses a financial threat to its future.
• Want to share your talents with others?  Course Horse is seeking new instructors.  Fill out this form and they'll get back to you with details.  If you'd like to see their list of "topics in demand," I'd be happy to forward it to you.

Ways to banish the blues

Entertainment:

• Missing Broadway?  Andrew Lloyd Webber will be live-streaming one of his incredible shows every Friday on his YouTube channel, The Shows Must Go On!  Each video will be available for 48 hours, so you can watch any time you'd like over the weekend.
• The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra didn't let the quarantine come between them and beautiful music.  See their heartwarming rendition of Beethoven's 9th Symphony (aka "Ode to Joy") here. 
• Missing snuggling with dogs?  See here for a slide show with humorous descriptions of a few popular breeds.
• Still missing snuggling with dogs?  If you haven't yet discovered WeRateDogs, I am honored to be the one to change your life.  You're welcome.
• Tired of depressing headlines?  Check out the Good News Network.
• Need a musical pick-me-up?  I'm sharing my "Confidence Boost" playlist here - if you're anything like me, you'll end up singing at the top of your lungs at some point!

Exercise:

• I've been trying Zumba: Burn It Up on the Switch, and it's been kicking my butt, in a good way.  If you can convince your quarantine housemates to join you, it even has a local multiplayer option.
• Spear Physical Therapy has been offering free guided workouts on Instagram Live (the last two were on Mondays).  They're challenging and targeted, but also pretty short so you can hit the "gym" hard on your lunch break and still have time to microwave that EasyMac before heading to your next meeting.

Kids:

• One frustrated mom got creative and invented a new version of Battleship using the periodic table in order to teach her kids chemistry.  See the rules and the game board setup here.

Food:

• Recipe of the Week: Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbons over Jasmine Rice (adapted from HelloFresh) - This is a quick and simple meal and can be made with frozen shrimp - just run the bag under lukewarm water for a few minutes to thaw while you're prepping the other ingredients.
• Rice: Trim and thinly slice 1-2 scallions, separating whites from greens.  Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small pot over medium-high heat.  Add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, about 1 minute, until just softened.  Stir 1 1/2 cups rice into pot with scallion whites.  Add 3/4 cup water and another pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low simmer.  Cook until tender, ~15-18 minutes.  Set aside, covered.
• Zucchini: Trim ends from a zucchini and shave with a peeler lengthwise into ribbons, rotating as you go.  Stop once you get to the seedy core.  Toss ribbons with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and any flavoring you'd like (I used rosemary salt and a chimichurri seasoning); set aside.
• Shrimp: Rinse shrimp, then pat dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in large pan over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and any desired seasonings.  Cook, stirring, ~3-4 minutes, until pink and cooked through.  With about a minute left, toss in the zucchini ribbons and cook until shrimp is done and ribbons are slightly softened.
• Finish: Fluff rice with a fork, add salt and pepper to taste.  Divide between plates.  Arrange zucchini and shrimp on the bed of rice.  Garnish with scallion greens.  Enjoy!
• Bonus Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Truffles with Candied Nuts: These truffles require only a handful of ingredients are a wonderful treat to break up your endless parade of pasta dishes.
• Nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop 7 oz. of whatever nut you have on hand. Mix with 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 tsp salt; spread on parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for ~8 minutes, until golden-brown. Set aside to cool. Use a food processor to pulse the nuts until finely chopped, spread on a plate. 
• Truffles: Coarsely chop 14 oz. milk chocolate. Cut 3.5 tbsp of unsalted butter into small pieces. Put both in a bowl. Mix 3/4 cup heavy cream and 2 tbsp honey in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, then immediately pour over the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate at least an hour, until firm. 
• Finish: Scoop out about 1 tbsp of the mixture and roll it between two spoons or the palms of your hands. Roll the ball in the caramelized nuts until coated. Repeat. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #5: April 7, 2020

Hi all,

In this week's edition of the Quarantine Digest, there are lots of options to help your local community - read on to learn more. I have contributed to every cause listed below, and I challenge you to join me by donating to any of these options (or to another organization of your choice). We are stronger together!

There are also some evolving resources included - e.g., restaurants that have started including board games or toilet paper along with your pasta, or Time Out New York, which has officially rebranded as Time In New York (new logo and all) and launched a newsletter called "Couchbound."

-Sam
Ways to help others

• Does your company offer gift matching?  Don't forget to take advantage of it!
• Have a spare iPad sitting around gathering dust?  Donate it to a local hospital to allow patients to FaceTime with their loved ones since visitors are not allowed in hospitals right now.  It's a terrifying situation for both patients and their families, and this is a small step you can take that can have a tremendous impact on those whom you help.  I donated my iPad this morning. Please join me! If interested, email amy.johnson@downstate.edu, or see here for more info.
• Across the country, restaurants and organizations are finding ways to deliver meals to essential medical workers.   Here are a few local options:
• A restaurant in Greenpoint, Eagle Trading Co. has been delivering meals to medical staff at hospitals in Manhattan.  You can donate $12 here to cover a meal and drink for a medical worker.
• The owners of Tarallucci e Vino created Feed the Frontlines as a way for city residents to gift meals to health-care providers, while also supporting local businesses.  You can donate single meals or larger amounts through this form.
• And if you love pizza, you can share the love through the Slice Out Hunger’s Pizza vs Pandemic initiative — feeding front-line health providers by coordinating large orders with independent pizzerias in Manhattan.  Visit the website to make a donation or suggest a local health center in need.
• If you're interested in helping out hospitals but don't have any masks or other PPE to donate, please consider donating money directly to hospitals in need. If interested, you can donate directly to the hospitals rather than through government or organizational intermediaries.  Here are some of the direct links for a few local hospitals:
• Montefiore
• New York Presbyterian
• Weill Cornell
• White Plains
• Have masks, gloves, or other PPE?  Drop them off at any hospital, police station, or fire station, or visit NYC.gov/PPEdonations

Ways to help yourself

Eat well

• Cooking classes
• Like Milk Bar? Christina Tosi is offering baking tips on Instagram Live every day at 2pm. She even posts the ingredients the night before in case you want to follow along in real time.
• Recipe of the Week: Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas: The beauty of this is that it requires only a handful of ingredients that are relatively easy to find, even during the apocalypse - you can even use canned fruit.  Start by turning on your broiler.  Slice an onion and mince a few slices (2 tbsp minced).  Medium-diced about ½ cup pineapple; if using canned, drain and discard the juice.  Heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high.  Add sliced onion, cook 4-5 minutes til softened.  Add pineapple, salt, and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.   Remove from pan and set aside; wipe out pan.   Pat chicken dry w/ a paper towel (I used about a cup of large-diced chicken (bite-sized pieces)).  Heat another drizzle of oil; add chicken and whatever spices you’d like (I used chili powder, sweet paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder).  Cook, stirring, until chicken is browned, 4-6 minutes.  Add onion and pineapple, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of chopped cilantro.  Rub one side of two tortillas with oil; place oiled-side-down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Evenly sprinkle with ½ cup cheese (I used mozzarella), then the filling, then another ½ cup of cheese.  Fold each tortilla in half to create quesadillas.  Broil until golden brown on top, 1-2 minutes; flip and repeat; watch closely and don’t burn them!  Cut into wedges; top with pico de gallo (diced tomato, chopped cilantro, minced onion, a squeeze of lime juice, salt, and pepper) and sour cream.  Enjoy!

Stay stocked up and stay home

• Need supplies and a delicious meal?  Check out these restaurants that are delivering more than food (board games? toilet paper? they have you covered).

Exercise (and protect) your mind

• Missing math and physics classes?  Check out World Science Festival's new series, Your Daily Equation, in which Brian Greene offers "brief and breezy discussions of equations that can tickle the mind and change our understanding of reality."
• Meditation: Just a reminder that Murray Hidary is continuing to do free meditation sessions via Instagram Live a few times a week.  Follow Murray Hidary or MindTravel on Instagram and keep an eye out for their announcements of the schedule or for notifications that they've gone live.

Relax, and have fun!

• Want to play games with friends from afar? JackBox Games has made Drawful 2 available for free as their contribution to the quarantine effort. Just download the game to your computer, share your screen (and computer audio - a separate setting in Zoom), and then everyone joins in with their phone to play. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
• The New York Public Library has announced some additional online resources worth checking out:
• For adults: They have a new virtual book club as part of the "Get Lit" program. The first edition of the monthly series will include a live-streamed conversation and Q&A with the author.
• For parents and children: They'll be hosting storytime with librarians across the city, with a new video posted every weekday morning at 10am, and they will include read-alouds, songs, and early literacy tips.
• Time Out New York has rebranded as Time In New York, and has launched a new newsletter called "Couchbound," which includes a wide variety of helpful items, from NYC-centric news (e.g., park closures and donation opportunities), to ways to get fresh produce delivered directly from local farms, to online classes from MoMA, to info about a virtual singalong from Marie's Crisis. It's basically an edgier and longer version of this digest, published every few days.
• Quarantine Cartoons: Fort Greene Resident Arielle Royston has been creating cartoons that really capture what quarantine life is like in NYC. Stop by daily for a new creation.
• Watch puppies sleep and play! Warrior Canine Connection (based in MD) has several puppycams set up so you can tune in any time for some serious sweetness.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #4: April 1, 2020

Hi all,

Here’s another batch of ideas for you for this week – hope these continue to be helpful! I will be adding my favorite recipe/experiment from the previous week to these emails moving forward.  This week’s featured dish is a very simple duck confit pasta - everyone's made a beeline to the ground beef, but some of the fancier meats are still readily available (and delicious)!

-Sam


For you

• A group of chefs in Dallas have been posting cooking classes.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art has released a number of online resources, including a virtual tour, an archive of over 500 recorded talks about art, and their series of “82nd & Fifth” talks by curators. They’ll even be posting works from the museum one by one on Instagram. If you’re interested in seeing the initial email that went out about all of them, I’d be happy to forward it.
• The Public Theater (think Shakespeare in the Park) has the full performance of Much Ado About Nothing available to stream online.
• Having trouble with your wifi? The FCC released some tips and tricks to maximize the performance of your home wifi.
• Hoping to get moving at home? I was looking for online Zumba videos and stumbled on Refit Revolution, which has a 19-day quarantine challenge going, with a different YouTube dance workout posted each day. Day 3 (a 19-minute cardio boxing workout) was particularly good – I’ve found myself going back to that one a few times, and I’m always winded by the end.

For your kids

• Looking for more activities for your kids? The Seahawks have a page at seahawks.com/wegotthis/seahawks-challenge where DK Metcalf is posting “challenges” for junior fans, including a recipe book for kids, new activities like workouts and games in the NFL Play 60 App, a whole page of other activities for kids (click here), and even a meditation exercise led by one of the Seahawks Dancers.
• 92Y’s newsletter has tips for kids every morning, including fun activity ideas and some video/remote learning things as well, like this one:
• Take a classical safari with 92Y School of Music! Introduce children of all ages to some “wild” classical music, with this wonderful Classical4Kids playlist assembled by School of Music faculty member Eleonor Bindman. Her “All About Animals” program is like a musical trip through the zoo. Listen to it here. And read School of Music Director Yana Stotland’s tips for listening along with your children.

For your pets

• As Colman mentioned at TMM yesterday morning, some of our clients have launched new products for your four-legged friends: Harry’s has launched Cat Person, a line of stuff for your cat, and Sundays has a new line of dog food that’s advertised as being so good that their humans will be jealous. And don’t forget BarkBox, my tried-and-true gift idea for all the dog-owners in my life (read: my way of vicariously feeling like a dog-owner myself).

For your community

• If you’re looking for ways to give back, see here for an article by CNN and here for one by ABC on ways to support various sections of the population and the economy right now.
• Want to send someone a gift to cheer them up? Wine.com ships across the country; Baked by Melissa’s cupcakes arrive with each tray individually shrink-wrapped for easy wipe-down; Milk Bar’s cake truffle 3-packs are also wrapped in plastic and can be easily wiped down. LovePop greeting cards are my favorite – they’re expensive, but they’re absolutely beautiful and can really make someone’s day all on their own; you can even add a photo and message online and have them send the card directly to the recipient.

Recipe of the Week: Pasta with Duck Confit and Homemade Tomato Sauce

• Lucky enough to have a FreshDirect delivery slot? D’Artagnan duck confit has yet to go out of stock, unlike ground beef, and it lasts for months (and freezes for longer). Prepare any pasta according to its instructions (I used fresh pappardelle, but you can use anything). Heat the duck in a pan (on medium-high to get a sear) – it’s precooked, so you just want to warm it up and brown it. Set aside. Heat a drizzle of oil in the pan and add a couple cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt (I like to slow-roll garlic to avoid burning by adding it right away along with the cold oil), then add either fresh or diced tomatoes and any seasonings you’d like (I’m a big fan of rosemary). Simmer until the tomatoes get tender, then add ¼ cup of the pasta water and simmer a few more minutes until it thickens slightly to a more saucy consistency. While the sauce is simmering, use a fork and knife to remove the duck from the bone. Once the sauce is ready, toss in the pasta and the duck, mix until everything is coated with the sauce, and serve topped with parmesan cheese. Grand total, this took me around 20 minutes and made enough to last four meals.
• Coming next week: Something using the blueberries that got substituted into my order this week!

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #3: March 25, 2020

Hi all,

Hope everyone is doing well at home! Below is the full list of suggestions I’ve compiled thus far, plus a few new ones – enjoy!

-Sam
What to do with your time

• BroadwayHD is offering a limited-time free streaming subscription to access their library of Broadway performances.
• 92Y has made selections from their online archive available for free and their daily newsletter is sending out highlights (if you’d like to catch up, I can forward you a few). They’ve also been hosting free streaming concerts and talks a few times a week.
• The Metropolitan Opera is streaming live every evening at 7:30pm (and will be available for 20 hours thereafter) – you can access it through their app on most mobile/smart devices, or go to their homepage (Tip: Try the apps first, because the wait time is pretty long to get into the stream via their homepage – almost as though most people didn’t already have the app downloaded…).
• Virtual museum tours (a whole bunch of museums offer this these days – this article lists some of the most prominent ones).
• Complaining that there’s “nothing to watch” on TV/Netflix? Oral arguments in the 11th Circuit are now being livestreamed publicly. See their website here.
• A lot of artists have been streaming performances from wherever they’re quarantined, including John Legend, Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Keith urban – check out #TogetherAtHome if you’re curious.
• Baking/cooking: If you’re looking for a place to start, here is the link to my recipes from last year’s Cookie Party (I'll replace the link when I get this year's recipe collection finalized). I’m also sharing my base risotto recipe, to which you can add pretty much any produce or other ingredients you have lying around (including things like canned diced tomatoes or that pound of ground beef in the back of your freezer).
• Quarantine Bingo
• British Sports Announcer Commentating on Daily Life Activities
• Don’t forget to pull out your board games and jigsaw puzzles.  For couples, one game I think would work particularly well for two couples on Hangouts/Zoom is Codenames (also just a great group game in general if you’re quarantined with a larger group).

What to do with your mind

• Mindtravel: Guided meditation – I’d never really been able to get into meditation before, but this guy came to perform on the roofdeck of my building last summer, and his music is some of the most beautiful and soothing I’ve ever heard. Whether you’re a meditation guru or have just been wanting to dip your toe in, I highly recommend MindTravel. He has three livestreamed performances coming up this weekend: two free ones on March 27 and March 28, and a ticketed live performance (proceeds go to his foundation, which brings music to schools) on March 29.
• An article by Arianna Huffington with some cute and practical tips

What to do with your body

• A listing of free workouts
• GymPass has launched a virtual class subscription with a free 30-day trial period.
• I’ve been doing Zumba all week – if that’s also your thing, check out Refit Revolution on YouTube - they have a 19-day Covid 19 Quarantine Challenge.  Day 3 (kickboxing) was particularly great.  And for anyone with a video game system, my favorites on each of the main systems are: RingFit (Switch); EA Sports Active (Wii); and Your Shape Fitness Evolved (Xbox Kinect).  
• In addition to using your computer to stream workout videos, remember that you can toss them up on a larger screen if you have a Chromecast or a smart TV. If you’re not sure, pull up a YouTube video, hit the “Cast” icon and see if your TV shows up on your screen – you might be surprised these days.

What to do with your kids

• PBS has curated lists of freely available resources (content, activities, etc.) for parents and teachers
• Parent and teacher resources: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/parents-and-teachers/
• What's streaming: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/what-to-stream-on-pbs-nature/
• 92Y’s daily newsletter (mentioned above for entertainment purposes) also has tips for crafts and other activities specifically intended to keep kids occupied while their parents are working from home.
• This list has 125 quarantine activity ideas for kids – I’ve been tempted by a few myself!

What to do with your money

• One way to support local businesses you like is to buy gift cards – it gives them liquidity now when they need it to ride out the Covid crisis. Just remember to treat it as a donation and not to count on getting the value back later, because there is a chance that these businesses don’t survive – that’s exactly why they need your help.
• The James Beard Foundation has launched a new Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund which will give grants to small and medium independent food and beverage businesses in need during the Covid shutdown.
• DonorsChoose is an organization that allows teachers to make direct appeals for the supplies they need. There are a lot of projects now aimed at providing teachers and their students with the supplies they need to make remote teaching a reality, especially in low-income communities where the students’ families can’t afford to fund the transition. Today and tomorrow, Bill & Melinda Gates are also matching any donations made through this specific page.
• There are also many organizations that are collecting funds and supplies related to delivering medical supplies to those institutions most in need. If anyone has information about some of the best options in this area, I’d encourage you to share them! Even your new Allbirds can help donate to healthcare workers right now!

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #2: March 23, 2020

Hi all,

Here are some light-hearted twists on tips for surviving quarantine, as well as some more free options for staying active, healthy, and sane for the next few months. Subscribe to the blog using the link in the margin if you're interested in getting updates when the next digest gets posted!

-Sam

• Quarantine Bingo
• British Sports Announcer Commentating on Daily Life Activities
• A listing of various free online workouts
• An article by Arianna Huffington with some cute and practical tips
• Free guided meditation: I’d never really been able to get into meditation before, but this guy came to perform on the roofdeck of my building last summer, and his music is some of the most beautiful and soothing I’ve ever heard. Whether you’re a meditation guru or have just been wanting to dip your toe in, I highly recommend MindTravel. Follow Murray Hidary or MindTravel on Instagram and keep an eye out for announcements of the schedule or for notifications that they've gone live.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #1: March 19, 2020

Hi everyone,

Although this started as a blog focused on cookies and baking in general, there are times when the world needs more than a great cookie (hard to believe, I know).  I've been sending out a weekly "Quarantine Digest" to my team at work, but I'm also going to start sharing them here as well for everyone to enjoy.  Subscribe to the blog using the link in the margin if you're interested in getting updates when the next digest gets posted! Here's the first list, and the rest will be posted shortly, with weekly updates to follow.

-Sam

-------------------------------------

When you really start getting antsy being stuck in your apartment (or really need to distract whomever is there with you so you can get some work done), don’t forget that there are lots of free streaming options right now in the hard-hit entertainment sector. Here are some of the coolest ones I’ve seen so far:

• The Metropolitan Opera is streaming live every evening at 7:30pm (and will be available for 20 hours thereafter) – you can access it through their app on most mobile/smart devices, or go to their homepage (Tip: Try the apps first, because the wait time is pretty long to get into the stream via their homepage – almost as though most people didn’t already have the app downloaded…).
• BroadwayHD is offering a limited-time free streaming subscription to access their library of Broadway performances.
• Free streaming concert from 92Y (their daily newsletter also has tips for crafts and other activities to keep kids occupied while their parents are working from home).
• Virtual museum tours (a whole bunch of museums offer this these days – this article lists some of the most prominent ones).
• A lot of artists have been streaming performances from wherever they’re quarantined, including John Legend, Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Keith Urban – check out #TogetherAtHome if you’re curious.
• Baking/cooking – If you’re looking for a place to start, here is the link to last year’s Cookie Party recipe collection – I don’t have this year’s in a sharable format yet, but I will soon and will update this link.