Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #42: January 31, 2021

 Hi all,

Well, it's been quite a week!  On Tuesday, Luke and I bought a house!  We officially live in Irvington, NY - or at least we will in about two weeks once we're moved in.  Once it's safe to do so again, I hope each of you will take me up on an offer to come visit!  We expect that this is both our first and last time buying a house, so we look forward to making a lifetime of memories here with all of you.

But that's not all of our big news from this week!  A few hours later, I decided to accept a job offer, so I'll be starting as the second attorney at FullStory, an UX/analytics SaaS company, in March.  I am incredibly grateful to everyone at Gunderson for their mentorship and support over the past year - I've learned so much, and I've somehow weathered an unrelenting storm in my personal life, which was only possible with the help of my colleagues.  Everyone knows that firm life is very demanding, but the hours pass far more quickly with teammates like the ones I've been lucky enough to have.

This is a pretty dramatic pair of life changes to happen together, but I'm excited to hit the reset button, and I'm hopeful that I will be able to re-energize myself - it's been a long time since I've truly indulged in my hobbies or taken a step back to evaluate and appreciate the life I've built.  Nearly a year into the quarantine, it feels like the time is right to shake things up a bit!  I'll also be taking two weeks off in between my jobs, so if you're interested in catching up on Zoom, Feb. 17-28 will be the perfect time to do it!

But enough about me: It's almost February, which means that this week's Digest is chock full of recommendations for how to celebrate Black History Month!  See below for a rundown on how to keep busy all month!

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

New Beginnings

• In case you missed it, Starbucks released new flavors to kick off the new year - I've already heard amazing things about the Pistachio Latte.
• Tomorrow marks the start of a new month, which means that Martha Graham has revealed their theme for February: Past/Present.  Check out the full line-up here.
• New month, new movies and TV.  Here's what's new on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video.
• I've spoken openly before about my experience speaking with therapists (highly recommended), but I haven't yet spoken about life coaches.  A little over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Anne Collier, who has since become a friend and trusted mentor.  Her company is hosting their Learning Collaborative Management Academy starting tomorrow (but there's another session in May if you're not in a position to clear your calendar overnight).  If you're ever looking for a life coach (even if you're not quite sure what that means or how to begin), I highly recommend calling Anne - she's helped me take stock of new opportunities and possible life paths throughout the topsy-turvy ups-and-downs of the past year, and that perspective is sometimes all I need to make an important decision.  I'm not receiving anything for this recommendation - just sharing with you a very important contact of mine who has helped me tremendously!

Black History Month

• Curious about the origins of Black History Month?  It started in 1926, in a weeklong celebration that was scheduled for the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.  Read more about the history and importance of this national initiative here.
• You can view the official list of events on the Library of Congress' Black History Month website here.
• Kick off Black History Month with a conversation with Ibram X. Kendi (author of How to Be an Antiracist) and Keisha N. Blain (author of Set the World on Fire), discussing their book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019.  The event will stream on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7pm EST.
• The National Park Service has put together a guide to places across our national parks that celebrate African American history.
• The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation has a great guide to "Black History in NYC Parks," from the birthplace of hip-hop at Cedar Park in the Bronx, to the Tree of Hope in Harlem, to the African Burial Ground in downtown Manhattan.
• The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH; a group involved in organizing the week-long celebration that served as the origins of the modern Black History Month) has a list of free events here.
• The Smithsonian Magazine has a broad variety of events listed here, from events for kids to discussions about prison reform and restorative justice.
• The New York Times has a run-down on their recommended events here, including a really touching tribute to Representative John Lewis in the form of 300 trees planted in Atlanta.
• Duchess! Duchess! Duchess!: Steppenwolf Theater presents this filmed play by Vivian J.O. Barnes, streaming all month.  Inspired and/or appalled by the experiences of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, Barnes imagines a dialogue in which a Black duchess helps acculturate a Black duchess-to-be to her new position. Together, they explore what it means to join an institution that acts as if they should feel honored to be admitted, even as it eats them alive.  That the institution in question involves not just royalty but racism, if the two are different, broadens the story. How Black women negotiate power in traditionally white arenas, and at what cost, is something that resonates far beyond Balmoral. (Description courtesy of the N.Y. Times.)
• Find a vast array of cultural events to mark Black History Month here.
• National Geographic Kids published this guide to some of the most famous African American heroes, and PBS has a catalogue of biopics and documentaries about prominent African Americans.  The Oprah Magazine has a different list - 26 African Americans you don't know but should.
• The Detroit Institute of Arts also has a robust slate of events, including a weekly series of cooking classes that's billed as a celebration of African American chefs and mixologists!
• Since no Digest would be complete without recipes, check out this list of "28 Soulful Recipes to Cook to Celebrate Black History Month," courtesy of one of my favorite food bloggers.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #41: January 18, 2021

 Hi all,

Hope you're enjoying the holiday weekend!  I don't know about you, but I really needed it - we're just a few weeks into the new year, but I feel like we started 2021 at a gallop!

As I've heard from many of you already, I'm heading into this week full of anticipation and nerves.  I'm certain I'm going to stress-bake several dishes this week to keep myself sane!  So, out of necessity, this week's Digest is full of things that relax me and make me smile - cute animals, old books, cartoons, recipes, and so much more.  And if none of these things are your cup of tea (get it?), spend a few minutes Googling something you love, and find one article or photo or project that makes you smile - I promise it will be time well spent.

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

Distractions

• Here is a Twitter thread of animals interrupting nature photographers - it is every bit as absurd (and adorable) as it sounds!
• Here is a thread of the most beautiful libraries in the world - there are 75 on this list, and I intend to visit every single one (already well on my way)!
• Ok, I know it seems like the sky is falling, but sometimes it actually is, and you have a chance to see it - ten times this year, in fact!  Check out this guide to watching every meteor shower in 2021.
• Is art more your thing?  Check out The Met Unframed (mobile only), which allows you to view virtual galleries, discover hidden secrets of the Met's artwork, gamify your museum experience, and even take home the art to your own living room wall using AR.
• Ever read a Wikipedia article about something truly bizarre?  I included a few suggestions in one of the Digests last May (see here), but it turns out that there is actually a Wikipedia article about unusual Wikipedia articles.  Or you can read about the history of Kool-Aid (and many other beloved snack items) here.  Enjoy your rabbit hole - you'll be there for a while.
• The Animaniacs (and Pinky and the Brain) are back, with all new episodes available on Hulu.  So what are we doing tonight?  The same thing we do every night, Pinky - sit at home and watch TV.
• I started playing The House of Da Vinci (Android; Apple), a delightful mobile game, this weekend.  It reminds me a lot of The Room (Android; Apple), one of my favorite mobile games.  They're escape-room-style puzzle games that are challenging, mysterious, and absolutely suck me into their world.  100 Doors (Android; Apple) is pretty great, too.  If the escape-room games I suggested a week or two ago didn't scratch that itch for you yet, these are a bit darker and more serious, and perhaps a bit more challenging as well.
• If all else fails, try Cookie Clicker.

Self-Care

• Getting a late start on your New Year's resolutions?  Check out MyFitnessPal's 7-day guide to healthier habits.
• The Covid-19 vaccine is now available to all New Yorkers age 65 and over, as well as first responders and certain others.  You can sign up for alerts when new groups become eligible and get more information about how to schedule your appointment here.  If you live outside of NY, check your state government's website for details about your state's vaccine rollout.
• If you still haven't tried it, now's the time to try my favorite workout video (cardio kickboxing).  I also highly recommend any Zumba class (including the Nintendo Switch Zumba game).

Comfort Food

• 101 Easy Comfort Food Recipes from Food Network
• Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding
• Pillsbury Caramel-Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring - yep, that's a mouthful, all right!
• AI is finally being put to its highest use - inventing new cookie recipes!  A Google AI program (with an assist from its engineer-users) developed recipes for a cakie (a cookie-cake hybrid) and a breakie (a cookie-bread hybrid); see here for the secret sauce.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #40: January 10, 2021

 Hi all,

This week has been a heavy one - I'm exhausted, sad, and overwhelmingly disappointed in the world we live in.  I know we're better than this.  For once, I really don't know what to say, so instead, I'm just keeping this week's Digest light (with entertainment recommendations) and comfortable (with two stellar recipes I made this week, both featuring one my favorite herbs: thyme).

Stay strong, everyone - and I'm always here if you want to talk.

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

Entertainment

• What IS fun, anyway?
• Looking for new ways to keep virtual parties fun and avoid the inevtiable awkwardness?  Check out this breakdown of your options from Wired.
• Is your Netflix queue running low?  Here is a list of 50 new TV shows coming out in 2021 - mark your calendar, grab the PopSecret, and get binging!
• Find yourself cursing like a sailor at the news these days?  Netflix's new series, History of Swear Words, investigates the history and impact of six common swear words, all hosted by Nicholas Cage.
• Looking for a new routine?  Set up a weekly event of some sort - Zoom lunch with friends/colleagues, an exercise class, a book club/discussion group, or even the month-long baking class from Christina Tosi of Milk Bar.  Just give yourself something to look forward to each week and anchor you a bit when the rest of the world seems topsy turvy, or when the days start to blur together.  Prefer alone time?  Set a day and time each week when you do something for yourself, like testing a new recipe or playing a video game.
  
• The Public Theater is hosting a virtual version of their annual Under the Radar Festival, featuring cutting-edge theatrical performances, through Jan. 17th.
• Escape the Room, Escape the World - the NYT understands why people love Escape-the-Room games!  If you're looking for a bite-sized version during the quarantine, try any of the mobile apps from Nicolet (cute, cartoony, snack-sized chapters - try the ones named "Collection", like this one) or Jammworks (a little darker, but still cute, and based on classic fairy tales - a little like Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes, but in cute puzzle game format; try Snow White or Cinderella to get started).  You can also try the one-hour timed games in the Unlock! series that come with cards and a phone app for the official timer and some codes you need to enter, which make for a great date night activity at home.

Recipes of the Week: What to do when you have too much THYME on your hands!

• Pork chop* with balsamic-thyme glaze and garlic-thyme crispy potatoes and tender roasted zucchini: [*NOTE: You can use a bunch of proteins for this - steak or chicken breast would go well with this, too.]  Dice 5-6 new potatoes (or 1 med. potato) into 1/2-inch pieces; pull thyme leaves from sprigs until you have 1.5 tsp; trim and halve 1 zucchini, then cut into 1/2-inch half-moon-shaped slices. Toss potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp thyme, salt, and pepper; place on one half of a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the zucchini with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on the other half of the sheet.  Roast on top rack at 450 degrees until everything is browned and tender, about 20-25 min.  Pat your protein dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper.  Heat a large drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, cook until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Set the meat aside to rest; wipe out the pan.  For the glaze: Heat 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 packet chicken stock concentrate (or 1 cube bouillon), 1/4 cup water, 1.5 tbsp brown sugar, and a few whole sprigs of thyme over medium heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 3-4 minutes - don't walk away or it will burn!  Turn off heat, stir in 1 tbsp butter; remove thyme sprigs.  Place protein in the pan and turn to coat in the glaze; plate meat and veggies; top with remaining glaze and garnish with remaining thyme leaves if desired.
• Butternut squash agnolotti with maple-bacon-thyme cream sauce: [NOTE: You need to stir this sauce pretty constantly the whole way through, but it's worth it!  Because of the texture, I used short stabs with a rubber spatula (gentle, or it will splash), from the outer edge of the pan toward the middle - keep doing that over and over, and the unblended parts will rotate around toward your spatula, like an electric mixer; just don't forget to scrape the sides every 20 seconds or so.]  Boil water; add pasta.  Prepare bacon; if made in a pan, wipe it out lightly and use that pan for the sauce.  While the pasta is cooking, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add 2 cups light cream (I didn't have cream or whole milk, so I used skim and it turned out fine, although the texture would definitely be better with something thicker) and stir for about one minute to combine and come to a simmer (it won't fully combine, but keep stirring until it looks uniform across the pan).  Add 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp fresh thyme (don't overdo it), and a large pinch of salt (I used rosemary salt); stir to combine.  Simmer, stirring pretty constantly, for 3-4 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Add cooked pasta, with a tiny splash of pasta water, to the pan, allow to simmer in the sauce for a minute or two until the consistency is what you want it to be.  Top with bacon crumbles.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #39: January 3, 2021

 Hi all,

I am so grateful that I can finally say that 2020 is hindsight!  I'll be honest: I won't miss it.  Even the animals 2020 has been compared to comprise a fairly snarky list, and this Match.com commercial felt like a spot-on masterpiece when I first saw it.  Although it's not a year any of us will soon forget, it wasn't all terrible, and either way, it's worth reflecting on what last year meant for us.  We learned a lot, some of our tech excelled and some failed, and, perhaps most importantly, we played with our dogs.

Regardless of how you felt about last year, today truly is a new day.  Specifically, today is the third day of what we can look at as a 365-page book waiting to be written.  So let's all make sure that one of the most oft-used descriptions of 2020 turns out to be true - that it is, in fact, a year like no other.  Below are some views of 2020 from the finish line, along with a bunch of things to look forward to in the coming year.  In the words of my spirit animal, Elle Woods: We did it!

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

2020 Wrap-Up

• Here is the NY Times' Best of 2020 List - a collection of Best of lists and top articles across a number of topics.
• The Dogs of 2020, courtesy of WeRateDogs.  I can pretty much guarantee that these will be the happiest 6 minutes of your day. 
• Here are some of our collective key takeaways from 2020 - well worth the read.
• These were some of the biggest trends of 2020.  My personal favorite: DOGS!
• More of a visual learner?  Check out this incredible collection of images and graphs that helped us chart our way through last year (see what I did there?).
• Want to think about anything other than politics and pandemics?  Here is a collection of trivia reported on by the New York Times last year to distract you.
• Here is a list of the top memes of 2020.
• This year, among grocery shortages, a massive shift to delivery food and essential items, and a common yearning for comfort food, these are the 20 most-read food articles from the NYT.  If I'm honest, I'll be turning to these recipes and shopping recommendations for years to come.
• Here is a list of the recipients of the NY Times' "Good Tech Awards" - companies that worked on technology advances to help get us all through the quarantine and the many other challengest that 2020 threw our way (Zoom is not on the list).
• Listen to Brian Greene of the World Science Festival discussing the top scientific discoveries of 2020.
• Think you've been paying attention to current events over the past year?  Try your hand at this quiz.

2021 Preview

• Here are a few things to look forward to in 2021, from the editors of the New York Times.
• If there's one thing that people focused on more than ever in 2020, it was how to handle stress and anxiety - here is a collection of some of the best/most popular articles on the topic.
• Ok, so it is now, thankfully, 2021, but that doesn't mean an immediate end to our ongoing troubles.  Check out this article for some tips on how to reset your thinking for 2021 and to welcome the new year while we continue the long wait for the end of the quarantine to draw near.
• Wondering what 2021 will bring to your kitchen table?  Check out this list of food predictions for the coming year, complete with upscale chef-to-consumer meal kits and snacks designed to induce sleep.
• New year, new watchlist - see here for a preview of Thrillist's top choices for TV in the new year.
• If one of your resolutions is to find better ways to celebrate future New Year's Eves, try this beautiful Memory Jar tradition, alone or with your family and friends.

New Year's Resolutions: Sticking to New Year's Resolutions is hard, as all of us have probably had reason to find out at some point in our lives.  Below are some resources for sticking to your goals, but don't forget to set reasonable, realistic goals for yourself, too - too big, and you're just setting yourself up to fail.  Break your bigger goals into smaller steps you can take each day in order to give yourself a better chance of sticking to them for longer.  I also like setting calendar reminders to check in every week or two, and setting goals that will either become a sustainable habit or will have become obsolete within a few months, since motivating and tracking your progress on resolutions isn't likely to last any longer than that.  To select my goals for each year, I like to take some time to reflect on the bigger goals I want to accomplish in the coming years, and on those little everyday things that make me unhappy, and then choose tiny, bite-sized steps toward those goals that I can train myself to become accustomed to.  Whatever you choose to focus on for 2021, good luck, and may all your dreams come true!

• Need some help getting started?  Try this guide.  Or just skip the resolutions altogether and spend your energy acknowledging and reinforcing the best habits you've gained since the quarantine began.
• If you don't have time to create your own habit-tracker, you can download one for free here.
• If one of your resolutions is to start working out (or to work out more), check out this guide to getting started from PopSugar.
• If you're hoping for more sleep, try these tips from the NYT.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #38: December 27, 2020

 Hi all,

This week has been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stifling year for me.  I'm finally back home with Luke, and I spent the whole week working at a table set up in front of our gorgeous Christmas tree, often with the other lights out so that the room was lit only by the soft glow of the tree (and the Seahawks-colored LED lights strung around the TV).  I've baked, I've watched movies, I've binged Bridgerton in its entirety (highly recommended), I've slept in til 11am (a record for me), I've watched football with Luke, I've played video games, I've read books, and I've called friends.  Most importantly, I've started to feel a little bit more like me.

Most of our belongings are currently in boxes, which has only amplified a common theme of this year for many people - not only alternating between being grateful for and wanting to purge our belongings as staying home made us realize just how much we have, but also reveling in just how little we actually need.  I even managed to concoct a dish vaguely reminiscent of Eggs Benedict (a holiday tradition for Luke) out of the scraps we had in our fridge and pantry, replete with a homemade Hollandaise sauce I whipped up using my KitchenAid whisk attachment by hand - I felt like the winning contestant on Chopped.

The reason our stuff is all packed up is that Luke and I are preparing to close on a house in a few short weeks, which has been the light at the end of the tunnel for me this year - the thing that has been giving me focus and hope, and optimism about 2021.  I, like many of you, I'm sure, could really use a fresh start - in so many ways.  This house represents so much of what I've always envisioned my life would one day be.  There's a kitchen where I see thousands of family meals being eaten and tens of thousands of cookies being baked.  There are beautiful spaces where I see you sitting when you come to visit, and a guest room so you can stay awhile.  There's a big backyard for dogs and kids, and a gorgeous, tree-lined walking and biking path that I intend to take advantage of nearly daily.  There are bakeries and restaurants within walking distance, and even a theater and multiple nature preserves and parks.  There's room for all of our video games and board games and puzzles, our artwork, and our books, and most importantly, for all the people with whom we want to share them.

As we head into 2021 (and bid 2020 a long-overdue farewell), I hope you all find something to look forward to in the coming year.  I realize that buying a dream home is a bit dramatic, but there is so very much to look forward to for all of us.  For me, it's the hugs and smiles and laughter that I know will be in abundance once we're able to be together in person again (with occasional Zooms with those who don't live nearby), but it's also the new routines I'll settle into in the meantime, the new resolutions I will steadfastly obey for at least 2 whole weeks before sending them to the resolution graveyard with their predecessors, the new traditions I'll create, and the new memories with dear old friends, whether virtual or otherwise.  So, with that, good riddance to 2020, and here's to a wonderful new year for each of us!

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

Ringing in the New Year

• This year's NYE celebration in Times Square might be the best ever - the ball will still drop, the year will still change, and Times Square will still be "rockin'," but the live celebration will feature only a small number of in-person honorees in lieu of the gazillions of tourists that usually leave the entire area strewn with trash for days thereafter.  To join the fun from afar, see the details here.
• If it's not NYE without a nightclub for you, then check out Eschaton's "The Dissolution, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the End," virtual performance art that allowed you to move your Zoom avatar through various online experiences, complete with an afterparty.
• Prefer to laugh 2020 into distant memory?  Check out "NYE Comedy Mega Show 2021" featuring Fred Armisen, Reggie Watts, Natasha Leggero, Moshe Kasher, Brent Weinbach, and Andrew Michaan.
• If you're intent on ringing in the new year with some bubbly, please remember that there are plenty of ways to get alcohol delivered these days so that you don't need to take the risk of running to the store.  If you're in a city, you can try Drizly, MiniBar, Swill, or even FreshDirect, which has a shockingly large (and pretty good) variety of alcoholic beverages (yes, including sparkling wine).  If you're outside of those services' delivery zones, try calling your local liquor store - many of them now offer delivery (either directly or through various services, like Instacart or Uber Eats) or curbside pickup.  Since the quarantine began, NYC and other cities even began allowing patrons to order premade cocktails from various restaurants for pickup or delivery, so check with your favorite restaurants, bars, or delivery services like Seamless and DoorDash to see the options available in your area.
• Once you've obtained champagne, why don't you try toasting with a twist this year by trying one of these champagne cocktails?
• PopSugar has created a list of festive virtual backgrounds for your New Year's Zoom soirees, following on their lists for Christmas and Hanukkah.  See here for instructions on how to change your background.

Entertainment

• Miss exploring New York City's architecture and neighborhoods?  I sure do.  Try this virtual tour of Lower Manhattan led by cultureNOW.  If you haven't already checked it out, the New York Times also posted a series of virtual architectural walking tours led by one of their architecture critics that I shared a few weeks ago.
• The New York Times' "At Home" newsletter has provided me with tons of inspiration this year.  You can check out their editors' "Best of" lists here, featuring some of the highlights that have carried them through this crazy year.
• Pixar recently released its newest animated movie, Soul, featuring the studio's first black protagonist.  It's only available on Disney+ for right now, but you can read the story behind the scenes here.
• Did you know that the most-played music in 2020 was...white noise?
• Curious how dancers see the arts evolving in 2021?  Check out this Instagram Live conversation between Misty Copeland and Alex Poots, the Artistic Director of the Shed in NYC.
• If you live in NYC, LA, Philly, San Francisco, or Oakland, keep an eye out for gigantic tweets on billboards, murals, and more, as part of Twitter's new ad campaign intended to spotlight some of the funniest and most uplifting tweets that made the Twitter community feel connected and made people laugh over the past year.
• The American Cornhole League's National College Cornhole Championship kicks off on December 31 on ESPN.  That's all.
• Shonda Rhimes' latest masterpiece (and her first as part of her new deal with Netflix), Bridgerton, dropped on Christmas, and it's fabulous.  I saw a Google News alert that informed me that it was perfect for fans of both Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl, so I wasted no time devouring it this weekend.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me terribly sad that it was over far too soon.
• As if we all don't have enough reasons to bid 2020 adieu and look forward to 2021 as a fresh start, check out this list of things for New Yorkers to look forward to in the coming year.

Festive Foods

• Can't wait for the 2021 Cookie Party?  Many bakeries across the country are offering cookie boxes for the holidays this year, including some that are shipping them across the country.  Check out this long list of some of the standouts, and get clicking!
• If you're still too nervous to try indoor dining and don't feel like wearing a parka to sit outside, there's a new quarantine trend popping up - restaurants that are teaming up with hotels to serve meals in private hotel rooms in order to minimize exposure to other patrons.
• Ever feel sad that your dogs can't share your sweet treats when it comes time for dessert?  Well, now they can!  This new cookbook is chock full of recipes for you and your dog to share together.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #37: December 20, 2020

 Hi friends,

I hope you're all getting into the holiday spirit!  Last week, I lit the candles with my parents, my brother, and my husband (some in person, some through a screen), and our neighbors surprised us with homemade latkes - it was a much-needed Festival of Lights in this dark year.  Today, I finally reunited with my husband in NYC after a few weeks with my family, and our beautiful Christmas tree (with a Star of David on top, of course) welcomed me home with its beautiful golden glow, and I was grinning from ear to ear as I once again remembered how some of you helped me surprise Luke by setting it up last year.  Combine all of that with the myriad social media posts and TV news clips showing friends and strangers alike getting the new vaccines, and it's hard not to feel a bit more optimistic (although I really do wish they'd stop showing the actual needles!).

Today, I'm combining my somewhat-delayed Thanksgiving reflections with the upcoming holiday, because what I want to talk about for both of them is what I'm grateful for this year.  I spoke with a therapist this week for the first time in a while, and she asked me what I'd been doing to take care of myself during the quarantine.  My honest answer was that I've been sending out this Digest.  And that's really true - the messages I've received back from many of you have been the bright spot of every week this year, and they've given me the energy to keep it up.  They've reminded me of all the wonderful memories we share, and all the things I have to look forward to when this is all over.

So, thank you.  Thank you for giving me an outlet and a purpose this year, and a place to focus my nervous energy.  Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable and completely honest.  Thank you for giving me a way to truly be myself, and for giving me a chance to talk to you for a few hours each week, even if it is through a keyboard and a bcc list.  Thank you for the years of memories you've built with me before the quarantine, and for the years of memories yet to come.  Thank you for giving me so many reasons to smile every single time I look at your names while sending out this email.  Thank you for sharing fun articles with me and for trusting me enough to click a link or test a recipe every now and then.  Thank you for all of the support, for the texts and the calls and the emails and the cards.  Thank you for making me excited for 2021 and confident that things will continue to get better.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Best,

Sam

Holiday Spirit

• Is there anything better than dancing around your apartment singing holiday songs at the top of your lungs?  Is that just me?  Either way, here is a playlist of my favorites.
• Looking for a new way to celebrate?  Check out the Slay Ride: A holiday drag brunch featuring Manila Luzon, Monet X Change, and Ritzy Bitz.  The event was livestreamed earlier today, but it's still available on YouTube, so you can enjoy this brunch any day of the week.
• The holiday season would not be complete for me without The Nutcracker.  Although I'll miss Lincoln Center this year, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it from home.
• The New York City Ballet (my favorite - I've been a subscriber for over a decade) performs George Balanchine's classic choreography that made The Nutcracker so popular in modern times, and this year you can stream a performance on Marquee TV for $25.  It's a little steep, but it comes with a 30-day trial of Marquee TV with access to their selection of dance, theatre, opera, and music performances in case you're all caught up on (or getting sick of) Hulu and Netflix.
• The "Virtual Vignettes" from New York Theatre Ballet were performed at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan.  This is a series, with the final performance being released on Wednesday.
• American Ballet Theatre is offering a performance of Alexei Ratmansky's version of the Grand Pas de Deux for Clara and the Prince here. 
• Read stories from NYCB dancers reminiscing about their first time performing The Nutcracker.
• Make a holiday wish and a charitable donation all at once.  At Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan, the Winter Garden is currently home to a canopy of colorful lanterns above the palm trees.  There are scheduled light shows every hour on the hour, plus two touchless wishing stations that let you activate the lights with a holiday wish.  For each wish, Brookfield Place will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to ROAR (Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants).
• Light, Hope, & Joy: The German embassy and Washington Performing Arts have teamed up to offer a virtual holiday concert featuring the internationally renowned Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the United States Air Force Band, and the String Queens.
• Looking to make some holiday magic with your little ones this year?  Plant some jelly bean "seeds" in a bowl of sugar, sprinkle with a little peppermint fairy dust (crushed candy canes), and then stick some full candy canes in the sugar bowl after the kids head to bed.  Final step: Get your camera ready to capture the look on their faces when they find that candy canes sprouted up overnight!  Bonus points for starting off with mini candy canes the first day and then making them "grow" each day!
• Don't forget to look up at the sky tomorrow night to see the rare "Christmas Star," when Jupiter and Saturn appear to be closer together than they have in 400 years.  This one is very real, but still downright magical!

Holiday Treats

• Appledoodles: This new addition to the Cookie Party this year is one of my personal favorites of all time (and I think many of you already agree)!  In a large bowl, cream together 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar.  Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 egg until smooth.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 3.5-oz. box of instant vanilla pudding (dry), 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, and a generous pinch of nutmeg.  Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until well-combined.  Peel 1-2 apples and dice them very small until you have 1 cup in total.  Dry them by wrapping the diced apple in paper towels and squeezing gently until the paper towels stop soaking straight through right away (maybe 6-10 times).  Stir the apples into the dough along with 1 cup white chocolate chips.  Refrigerate for 1 hour (if skipping, make sure you've really dried out the apples!).  Form the dough into balls, then roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture (I use 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon).  Bake on parchment-lined sheets at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (do not overbake!).  You won't have leftovers, but if you do, they're great stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

• Eggnog-Bourbon Buttercream: Transform pretty much any baked good into a festive holiday masterpiece with this boozy topper.  Try it with anything from sugar cookies to cinnamon rolls to fruitcake (yes, really).  Stir together 3 tbsp refrigerated eggnog and 1 tsp bourbon in a small bowl; set aside.  Beat 1/2 cup (4 oz.) salted butter (softened) in a medium bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in 3 cups (12 oz.) powdered sugar, alternating with the eggnog mixture, until light and fluffy.  Add another 1-3 tsp eggnog if needed to reach your desired consistency.
  

Other Fun Facts

• Is your day making too much sense?  Let me help you out with this tidbit, courtesy of my husband: Mincemeat is fruit, sweetbreads are meat, and sweetmeats are candy.  Chew on that one for a bit!
• I think the headline of this article from the New York Times says it all!  Feeling Socially Awkward?  Even Extroverts Are a Little Rusty.  Don't worry, you're not alone.
• The American Ballet Theatre has teamed up with the Collective Conservatory, an immersive online music-making initiative, to create a collaboration called Visceral Harmonies.  This past summer, students from across the country gathered in an online collaboration to create music.  For one week, these young artists captured recordings from their daily lives and improvised together to generate content for a collective composition.  It was then choreographed by Amy Hall Garner, and ABT Studio Company dancers filmed their performances from locations in the US, South Korea, and the Philippines.

Sam's Weekly Quarantine Digest #36: December 6, 2020

 Hi all,

It has been yet another extremely difficult week, but this one extends far beyond my own household.  My husband's hometown of Haines, Alaska, was hit with an intense rainstorm (called an "atmospheric river") following a deep freeze that had left the ground frozen and non-absorbent.  The result was massive flooding and mudslides, with two people still missing, half a dozen homes destroyed or severely damaged, a number of roads in town broken up, and several neighborhoods evacuated, all in the dark of winter.

It's hard to comprehend that something like this could happen in this beautiful, idyllic little community that I've come to know so well and to love so much over the past 13 years.  When Luke and I got married, we had a second celebration at the fairgrounds in Haines, and hundreds of local residents came to celebrate the occasion and wish us well, including many who had welcomed me with open arms over the preceding years.  Some of our friends who flew up from the lower 48 to celebrate with us hiked the mountain where the worst landslide occurred this week (also the site of one of my very first true Alaskan adventures when Luke first brought me to visit in 2008).  I remember Mt. Riley as the place where I first learned about devil's club and muskeg and what to do if we encounter a bear in the wilderness, and where my breath caught in my throat as the clouds parted at the summit to reveal endless rows of blue and purple mountains stretching into the distance.  I remember hiking up Mt. Ripinski from one of the neighborhoods that's been evacuated, and encountering a magical, snowy lake en route to the summit - in July.  (My Facebook profile photo was taken at the summit.)  Haines is where I learned to chop wood, to identify myriad animals and plants I've never seen anywhere else before or since, to say "Thank you" in Tlingit (Gunałchéesh), to wade through a tidal inlet in rubber boots, to dig up carrots and garlic and pick blueberries and rose hips straight from the bush, to snowshoe and cross-country ski and to truly hike, to look up at the mountains and the trees and the eagles and the sky and to breathe deeply in the fresh air when we arrived from NYC.  Haines is a place that's so beautiful that the day after a big hike, when my quads are screaming in pain and every part of me is exhausted, I still desperately want to go out anyway just to be able to see all those sights again.  Haines is where I started to understand how my husband came to be the man he is.  It's difficult to reconcile the images in the media this week as being these same places, and my heart aches for all the amazing people who live there and have taught me all of these things.

I love Haines - even though Luke and I live here in NY, I consider Haines one of my homes, and I truly hope that everyone reading this email gets to visit that incredible place one day.  All week, I sat helplessly, staring at the computer, praying and trying to think of ways to help from afar.  I was so inspired by the immediate and powerful reaction of the community - it didn't surprise me, but I felt so lucky to know a place like this, and people like this, and to know that each person was in good hands with all of the other townspeople to help them.  Within hours (minutes?), there were hot meals and baked goods for the search and rescue teams and the evacuees; by nightfall, they had to ask people to stop dropping off blankets and clothing and other items because they had more than they needed; one woman even offered to catch and transport any livestock at the evacuees' homes and to house them at her property until they could return home.  Messages of support poured in from all over the surrounding area - from "neighbors" in Juneau and Fairbanks in Alaska, to Whitehorse and Haines Junction in Canada - and from friends of Haines all over the country and the world.  I cried both tears of sorrow, for the destruction and loss I was hearing about, and tears of gratitude for all the amazing things people were doing to help each other. 

So today, my hope for all of you is that you hold your loved ones close if you're with them, or, if you're not, that you call to remind them how loved they are.  The past year has been difficult and terrifying for so many, and in so many ways.  Remember how lucky we are to have met the people we love, and to have places in the world as beautiful as Haines, Alaska.  And remember how lucky we are, no matter where we are, to be able to build homes and lives that bring us joy, no matter what a year like 2020 brings our way.

If you'd like to support Haines and those who have lost so much this week, please consider making a donation through the Tlingit and Haida tribes' Emergency Donation Request, the Chilkoot Indian Association, or the Salvation Army.  There are also separate fundraisers for each of the families of the missing residents here.

As always, previous digests can be found on my blog at thatsthewaythecookiecrumbles.com.  If you have suggestions or would like to stop receiving these emails, just let me know.

Best,

Sam

'Tis the season!

• The holiday season is officially in full swing!  There are loads of incredible livestreamed theater performances coming up in the next few weeks, including a live broadcast of The Grinch Musical!, Estella Scrooge (depicting the classic character as a Wall Street villain with a taste for foreclosures), and an international Hanukkah celebration from the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene.  Check out a wonderful roundup of these performances here.
• The Rockettes are now offering kicking classes you can take from home.  They'll be doing it weekly, and the videos will be available afterward if the timing doesn't work for you.  Check out the details here, or follow the Rockettes on Instagram for further announcements.
• Drive-through holiday lights displays:
• I mentioned this Jones Beach lights display last month, which is 2.5 miles long and pretty darn impressive.  If you're planning to go, advance tickets are $25/car; it's $30-35 at the gate.  Open November 13-January 2.
• My family and I tried Westchester's Winter Wonderland at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla last week, and it was pretty enjoyable.  This one is relatively small (just set up in the plaza in front of the dam, but the path twists and turns through different areas, and they even recommend a radio station playing only holiday tunes to complete the experience.
• Speaking of holiday music, if you're in Westchester, radio stations 106.7 and 88.7 are all holiday music, all the time.  So buckle up and get ready to sing along!
• If you still need more holiday cheer, don't forget that 'tis the season for Hallmark and Lifetime movies galore, plus an attempt to emulate these wonderful traditions by Netflix and Hulu - both streaming services have a splash page when you arrive at the site that will offer you a one-click ticket to Tinseltown.  Oh, and once you've finally gotten over the fact that you actual love this stuff, feel free to top up your cheer gear with a festive cup (or two, or three) that publicly identifies you as the delightful holiday elf you really are inside.

Other Entertainment

• The Anti-Defamation League organized a beautiful concert this evening, ADL in Concert Against Hate, featuring a huge number of celebrities standing up to inspire viewers to fight hate, antisemitism, and extremism across the country.  You can view the hour-long performance here; if you're inspired to, please don't forget to make a contribution along the way.
• The Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill (featuring Alanis' Morissette's music) will be livestreaming a concert next Sunday, December 13th, at 8pm.  Purchase a ticket here to gain access to the performance either live or on-demand following the live concert.  In the spirit of the #SaveOurStages movement that has risen during the Covid-19 pandemic, this concert directly supports our nation’s most vulnerable venues experiencing catastrophic revenue loss during this time of suspension for live arts.
• One thing I really miss is taking tours of NYC's neighborhoods and architecture.  However, New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman is filling that void from afar - check out this listing of tours you can take to transport yourself from your home office to the grittiest corners of the City.
• Is working and playing from home suddenly making you realize that your typing skills are lacking?  Wish you could read more books?  Well, now you can solve both problems at once!

Festive Food

• Want to learn to make your own sufganiyot (donuts) for Hanukkah?  The Boulder JCC is hosting a virtual cooking class on Wednesday, December 9 at 8:30pm EST - purchase your ticket here, and remember that the times are in Mountain Time (2 hours behind NY).
• Since many people associate cookies with the winter holidays, I thought this might be a good time to re-circulate my Cookie Party Recipe Collection!