Ft. Insecure & Creamy Lemon Pops With Basil

August 7, 2020 by Sydney Grant

It’s (almost) the weekend! August is in full swing, meaning warm weather, fighting with your roommates/spouse about how expensive AC is, and cooling down with some frozen bevvies. Remember to slather on the sunscreen this weekend, wear your mask and give yourself some much-needed R&R!

However you’re planning on spending your weekend, enjoy these quarantivities! And as always, please add your own activities to the list!

Quarant-streams

‘Insecure’

Watch this if you want to laugh, cringe, and appreciate your bestie, all at the same time:

After having this show recommended to me by probably upwards of 15 people (shoutout Julie!), I’ve finally gotten around to watching Insecure. Based on Issa Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl, the show centers around the friendship of two black women living in LA, Issa and Molly, as they attempt to navigate the ups and downs of, well, life. From Molly’s Tinder dates-gone-wrong to Issa’s cringe-worthy interactions with her coworkers, this show excels in capturing life’s most uncomfortable moments in a way that’s as honest as it is laugh-out-loud hilarious in the best way.

Like the web series, the show is semi-autobiographical (Issa is played by and based on Issa Rae) and highlights personal and universal character struggles that make this show relatable to everyone. Issa and Molly are funny, sharp, yet flawed – they have no problem giving each other advice but can’t seem to take their own – which is something that I happen to excel in.

Stream Seasons 1-4 HBO Max.

‘The Midnight Gospel’

Watch this if you like Adventure Club and have had at least one existential crisis this quarantine:

Shoutout to Ana for this rec! The Midnight Gospel is, well, a trip. This cartoon-meets-podcast weaves together Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward’s notoriously whimsical animation style with actual clips from Duncan Trussell’s The Duncan Family Hour podcast. The show follows main character Clancy (voiced by Trussell) as he traverses the universe, interviewing otherworldly beings about existential topics ranging from death to spirituality.

The setting of these interviews are perhaps a bit more chaotic than your standard podcast, as my favorite episode reimagines Dr. Drew Pinksy as president of a universe facing a zombie-apocalypse. Clancy and the president debate the pros and cons of psychedelics as they run through the world, attempting to escape the zombies. I’m not sure that any description would do this show justice, so if this sounds like something that would be up your alley, give Joe Rogan a rest for the weekend and give Midnight Gospel a go instead.

Stream it now via Netflix.

Quarant-reads

‘Three Perfect Liars’ by Heidi Perks

Read this if you like Big Little Lies and are currently launching an investigation into which of your roommates broke the garbage disposal (again):

A fire, a glitzy ad agency and three possible suspects all with a motive for revenge? Sign me up! If you liked Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere, odds are, you’ll like Three Perfect Liars too, as it’s been compared to them both and falls under that same “successful people with dark secrets” theme. If you’re in the market for a twisty new thriller for your next beach read, look no further!

Purchase now via Amazon.

‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ by Awkaeke Emezi

Read this if you’ve ever felt misunderstood by your family:

The Death of Vivek Oji wastes no time getting to the point of the novel – it opens with the death of, you guessed it, Vivek Oji. Despite the name, however, this book is actually about the life of Vivek Oji, a young man living in southeastern Nigeria who, like so many, is forced to hide his true self from his family and friends. An exploration of identity and sexuality, The Death of Vivek Oji may sound like a depressing read, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that for a book named after a death, love still does manage to prevail. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll let you read it for yourself but believe me when I say that this will be your next favorite summer read.

Purchase now via Amazon.

Quarant-eats

Greek Feta Dip via Delish

Make this bc your dip game is #strong:

Creamy Lemon Pops With Basil via NYT Cooking

Make these bc it’s hot and AC is expensive:

Photo: Bryan Gardner for The New York Times/Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne

INGREDIENTS

4 lemons
8 large basil leaves, smashed
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh blueberries or raspberries (optional)

PREPARATION

Have a 10-pop (1/3 cup each) popsicle mold (or similar size) ready. Using a vegetable peeler, strip the zest of 3 lemons, taking care to leave the white pith behind. Finely grate the zest of the remaining lemon. (Save the remaining lemon juice for other use.)
In a small saucepan, combine the zest strips, basil leaves, sugar and 1/2 cup water, then heat over medium. Cook, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cover and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes.
Strain the sugar mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measuring cup, pressing the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
Add the cream, milk, salt and the finely grated lemon zest, and stir to combine. Add a few berries to each popsicle mold, if using, then distribute the cream mixture evenly among the molds. Cover and freeze for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, add the popsicle sticks and continue to freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.
To unmold, briefly dip the mold in hot water a few times just until the pops can be pulled out.

Rosé Negroni via Infatuation

Make this bc Rosé all day: