Sydney's Sunday Reads: #7

Happy Sunday, friends!!

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.

• It’s a no-GLOW. - In case you missed it, the female-led Netflix dramedy GLOW was cancelled this week due to COVID-related production challenges. While it’s not the first show to get the axe in 2020, this one hits especially close to home because we were promised a fourth and final season! It’s quite the bummer to be left on such a monumental cliffhanger forever, but obviously the cancellation was understandable under these circumstances. Still, I’m hoping for a Timeless-esque miracle in the form of a film to wrap things up! (Wired)

• Milk Bar hits a new target. - Here’s some fantastic news for fans of Milk Bar: you no longer have to travel to New York or pay outrageous shipping fees for your favorite quirky confections! Target announced this week that it will now carry Milk Bar’s signature truffle crumb cakes and cookies in stores. The truffles, which you’ll be able to find in the refrigerated section in packs of two for $3, will come in birthday, chocolate birthday, and chocolate chip flavors. Looks like an in-person trip to Target is in the cards for me! (Delish)

• And the next time you hear that beep… - Pandemic binge-watching has led me to some pretty amazing shows this year, but none has captured my heart more than the 60s, 90s, and early 00s game show classic, Supermarket Sweep. I first became aware of it when a few seasons popped up on Amazon Prime in April, and after two episodes, I was positively hooked. The huge hair! The acid wash jeans! The perky host outfitted in an array of Member’s Only sweaters! It’s just wholesome and entertaining television. Well, imagine my absolute GLEE when I saw the advertisements last month for a NEW REBOOT hosted by Leslie Jones, premiering October 18th on ABC! While I’ll certainly miss seeing host David Ruprecht’s gentle jog as he greets the audience, I am SUPER excited to see what Leslie Jones can do. And for a fun, full-circle moment, here’s Leslie’s (failed) audition story to be a contestant on the show in the 90s! (People)

• No CAN do. - This week, while scrolling through my Facebook news feed, I came across a post on one of the many community cooking groups I belong to asking if anyone else had noticed a canning jar shortage in their city. At first I thought nothing of it, but sure enough, when I checked the supply at my local Target, I came up empty. As it turns out, canning jars are the latest product to face pandemic-related shortages nationwide. The reason? We’re all spending more time at home and in the kitchen! That’s good news for canning jar companies, but bad news for us. But don’t worry, many retailers are working overtime to speed up production and you’ll be back to preserving in no time. (CNN)

• The Quarantine Contessa. - Is there anything more relaxing than watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa and living vicariously through Ina Garten? Every time I watch an episode I just want to pop on an oversized collared shirt and pretend I live in a massive coastal mansion in the Hamptons with a humongous garden, a group of fabulous friends, and a sweet husband who I only see on the weekends. A few seasons of BC are always at the top of my comfort-watch list in times of super stress and anxiety. And since I think we can all agree that 2020 has been one giant stress-fest, Ina Garten is stepping in to bring us a much-needed dose of East Hampton comfort in the form of a brand new cookbook, Modern Comfort Food. But before you grab the book, check out this amazing profile on Ina from The Cut! (The Cut)

  What are YOU reading and watching today? Let me know in the comments below!

  P.S. Let’s connect! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Sydney's Sunday Reads: #6

Happy Sunday, friends! What a WEEK it’s been, huh? We’re living in some pretty unprecedented times and it can be hard to see what’s real and what’s not amid the chaos. You may want to laugh at the absurdity of it all, or cry because some things seem a little hopeless, but the most important thing you can do is just allow yourself to feel.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.

Ready? Set? Off we go!

• High dining. - Before air-filled packages with a few peanuts inside, and meals that resemble the Styrofoam packaging they come in, in-flight dining was actually kind of glamorous. Picture this: airplanes, much like trains, had actual dining rooms at one point, and airlines even made it a priority to partner with popular fine dining restaurants of the time to provide the highest-quality food possible. Boy, the history of in-flight dining is a unique one! (Reader’s Digest)

• Fold and go. - What if there was a way to continue to get your morning coffee (or two) from your local coffee shop, but also cut down on plastic waste? Meet the Unocup, a “100% plastic-free, compostable unit that replaces the traditional lid with paper folds that seal the drink tightly.” I love innovative design. (Fast Company)

• Make that bread. - What happens when a famed photographer puts down the camera and starts kneading dough to help his community? You get Breadfolks, a new bakery in Hudson, New York, co-founded by Norman Jean Roy. Used to being behind the lens watching other people do their part to enact change, Roy decided to take matters into his own hands (literally) by doing what loves the most: feeding his fellow human beings. Read more about his bread-making journey HERE. (Saveur)

• How postage stamps get the, well, stamp of approval. -We’ve all been at the post office or grocery store in a rush and in need of a new book of stamps. You look at the selection in the display case and quickly choose stamps that make you smile or catch your eye. Then you pay, mail whatever you’ve got, and barely think about it again. But while you might stick on a new stamp without giving its design much thought, you actually wouldn’t believe just how much thought goes into getting the stamp in your hand in the first place! You’ll never look at postage the same way again (for good reason!). (Book Riot)

• Making “Wonderland” a (virtual) reality. - Before the Victoria and Albert Museum debuts their March 2021 exhibition “Alice: Curiouser and Curioser,” charting the cultural impact author Lewis Carroll’s century-old novel has had worldwide, audiences can experience some of the magic themselves via a VR (virtual reality) exhibition this month! Named “Curious Alice” and designed by tech company, HTC Vive Arts, virtual visitors will be treated to a 45-minute session in which they are guided around a color-rich environment inspired by the V&A’s ornate, 19th century building. And what would an Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure be without a few twists and turns along the way, including a “pool of tears,” “hallway of doors,” and much more. The best part is, this digital experience, debuting October 22nd, is totally free! (Smithsonian Magazine)

What are YOU reading and watching today? Let me know in the comments below!

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Sydney's Sunday Reads: #5

Happy Sunday, friends! Have you ever held on to something for way too long? A grudge, a bad experience, a terrible feeling? There’s one that I hadn’t been able to really shake until this week when a bit of news knocked me off my feet. At first, I felt validated because I was no longer alone in how I felt, but as the days passed I started to realize: I had actually moved on more than I thought and it was no longer healthy to put myself back in that headspace. They say that time heals all, and I agree, but there is no one-size-cures-all temporal salve is there? The best medicine I’ve found is just moving on with your life. Show them that you’re thriving by focusing on what makes you happy. You’ve got too much to offer not to share it with the masses.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.

Hold on tight because here…we…go!

• Why the face? - In many countries, but America especially, the more “A-List” you are, the more your face is plastered on the cover of every single magazine known to man. So what happens when you decide to alter that face? Well, millions notice, and because expressing an opinion is free (and they figure they’ll never actually meet the celebrity they’re trashing in real life), they comment on it…a lot. It might seem like a celebrity going under the knife and later making multiple headlines for it is unique to the social media era, but the phenomenon of mega-star celebrities suddenly getting "a new face” and everyone making it their business to talk about it has been a thing for nearly a century. Admit it, you’ve stared way too hard at the pictures in those “Before and After” articles just like the rest of us. (Jezebel)

• Myth busting a superfood. - Avocados have become my ultimate go-to snack during the pandemic. I put them in grain bowls, on toast, in eggs, and even, occasionally, I eat one half raw with a spoon. But if you’ve ever bought an avocado you know what an incredibly slim window of time you have between under-ripe and ripe: if you wait too long, you’ll open yourself up to more brown spots than green. But as popular as avocados have always been, I bet there are a few things you didn’t know about them. For example, did you know you could freeze them? Real Simple has compiled a list of busted myths we’ve all grown up hearing about our favorite oval-shaped eggs of green goodness. (Real Simple)

• If I could turn back time… - Fans of time travel fiction should be excited about this one! University of Queensland student Germain Tobar has mathematically proven that time travel is actually possible. His peer-reviewed findings were recently published in Classical and Quantum Gravity. The math is understandably complex but here’s one super interesting takeaway: traveling to the past would more than likely not alter the present as long as at least two major aspects of a scenario remain the same. For instance, you could go back in time to the Titanic, interact with passengers, and even experience the ship hitting an iceberg, but you couldn’t warn the crew of the imminent threat or try to save someone who was meant to perish, as that would drastically change the present. Here’s another example outlined in a statement released by the university: you could go back in time to find Patient Zero before they spread the coronavirus, but by doing so, you would alter your entire motivation for traveling in time to stop Patient Zero at all. A fascinating paradox indeed! (Yahoo Finance)

• Life’s a picnic! - To me there is nothing more soul uplifting or romantic than dining outdoors. There’s just something about packing a basket to the brim with goodies for yourself or to share and taking in the nature around you that totally puts me at ease. Ever wondered how our friends around the world celebrate dining al fresco? Wonder no more! (Smithsonian Magazine)

• The New Spice Girls. - We all know how vital spices are for elevating literally any food, but how often do we take the time to learn exactly where the jarred spices on our rack come from or who’s growing them? In this article on MarthaStewart.com, you’ll meet a group of female entrepreneurs who are disrupting the spice trade by bringing small batch, high-quality spices directly to consumers, while also empowering growers and harvest teams around the world! (Martha Stewart)

• I always cry at weddings. - Just when I thought I had gotten every Zoom-hosted television and movie reunion I could ever want or ask for this year, romantic comedy queen and superfan of the sun-soaked coastal kitchen aesthetic Nancy Meyers goes and makes Father of the Bride 3 (ish). Not only were we blessed with an update on the beloved Banks family during quarantine, we were also treated to a super sweet surprise event! Best of all? This was done to raise awareness for a nonprofit I love, World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to those in need in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. Get your tissues ready for all the happy-crying you’re about to do!

What are YOU reading and watching today? Let me know in the comments below!

P.S. Let’s connect! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Sydney's Sunday Reads: #4

Happy Sunday, friends! What’s new? This morning I woke up with a pep in my step because the sun was shining brightly through the windows and I could feel a little nip in the air. Autumn in New England is my absolute favorite season of them all, and I plan to do as much as I can to celebrate it. If you’re looking for some fun things to do you could: find an orchard open to pick apples for ciders, caramels, and pies, go for a hike in a forest full of brilliantly-hued leaves, make the best, most spectacular-looking fall porch display, or even fix yourself a cuppa, open the windows, and let the smells of nature carry you away for a moment. Life might seem a little dreary right now, so find what makes you happy. There will always be beauty around you, even if you have to make it yourself.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.

Here we go!

• What the Peep? - Say what you will about our little marshmallow friends who taste like raw sugar, chemicals, and all the dyes your mother ever worried about: Peeps are a holiday staple every year. And as if 2020 couldn’t get any worse (who are we kidding, it seems like it tops itself every week), Just Born Quality Confections, the company that owns and makes Peeps, recently announced that their Halloween, Christmas, and even Valentine’s Day ‘21 collections won’t be released! They have a good reason though: production was halted n in March at the start of the pandemic shutdown to put safety first for their staff. While I’ll miss seeing miniature fluorescent fowl on my local supermarket shelves this year, you just can’t argue with the reason why. Still, I know there’s an old graduate professor of mine, a true fan of Peeps despite all the gourmet food he’s exposed to, who is somewhere deeply lamenting this loss. (Real Simple)

• Cuisines that connect us. - When Durkhanai Ayubi and her sisters traveled back to their native Afghanistan in 2012 after being away for 27 years, the first thing they noticed was its beauty - the beauty of nature, and the beauty of its people. The second thing they noticed was the cuisine, richly-steeped in history, and a true celebration of foodstuffs both native and imported. The sisters were touched by the enthusiastic and generous hospitality of relatives they had not seen in decades, and in those decades, their relatives had seen more than their fair share of hardships. Yet the need to give their guests the best that they could offer signified a lasting sense of pride. Inspired both by the magnitude of generosity bestowed upon them, and the food that had instantly resonated with them, the Ayubi sisters returned to their home in Australia ready to share their culture with the world by opening a restaurant, then opening another. In doing this, they found a way to stay deeply connected to two homes at once. (Travel + Leisure)

• Don’t rain on my (virtual) parade! - In 2020 it seems that almost every fun in-person event has gone virtual and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be no exception. According to a rep from Macy’s, this television-only special event will not feature the traditional 2.5-mile parade route, but will feature many of the parade’s signature character balloons, as well as street performers and other attractions. While we might miss seeing the crowds cheering with joy (and also looking like they’re about to freeze their fingers off. Seriously, doesn’t it always look SUPER COLD there?), Mayor Bill de Blasio promises that this reinvented take on a holiday tradition will still “really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving day”. (Rolling Stone)

• How COVID-19 has made us better cooks. - All this extra time at home has given seasoned and novice home chefs alike the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen, whether we wanted to or not! In this fun article, Dakota Kim talks about her quarantine cooking journey to discover new ingredients and strengthen her connection with other food lovers! (Food and Wine)

• Dear Diary… - Dwell magazine wants to know: is it time to start journaling again? Like many writers and stationery lovers, I am guilty of buying many, MANY pretty journals in which I planned to pen all of my deepest thoughts. What ends up happening instead is my chicken scratch gets scribbled into the same tattered notebook on my desk again and again and my pile of beautifully-bound journals grows, but the pages remain untouched. Perhaps if I had one of these beautiful babies I’d be inspired to switch over! (Dwell)

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Sydney's Sunday Reads: #3

Happy Sunday, friends! What’s been on your mind lately? For me, it’s been the power of friendship. Dating can be a bit of a mixed bag, made even worse by a global pandemic and a total dependency on technology to build connections you hope will last. But when times are tough, and you think it’s next to impossible to meet someone you truly vibe with, turn to your friends, the ride or die companions who have been with you since Day One. They’ll laugh with you, listen to you, and make you remember that there are people in the world who get you. Sometimes the most meaningful relationships (romantic and platonic) are just under our noses, whether we realize it or not.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.

Ready? Let’s get into it!

• What a thrill! - If you’re a 90s kid like I am, then you might remember the magical fierce fabulousness of Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills. The fashion, the lingo, the female empowerment; it’s one of my favorite movies of ALL TIME. So imagine my shock and glee this week when I found out that there’s a sequel in the works! Dust off that DVD and your best 90s-era khaki fashion throwbacks - 2021 is about to be (campfire) lit! (Elle)

• A family that cooks together… - What are some traditional recipes in your family? The recipes passed down to you from your elders, or the ones you and your siblings clipped out of magazines years ago and are now so crinkled and tattered you can barely make out the instructions? In this sweet piece by Abigail Raminsky, the power of a handmade cookbook filled with memories in the form of recipes has helped her stay close to family throughout the years, even when she was thousands of miles away, or now, as she shelters in place with the new family she made with her husband. (The Week via Food52)

• Food for friends. - When writer Lisa Donovan learns the news that her two best friends are divorcing each other in the height of the pandemic, she’s devastated. Her first instinct is to invite her closest friend over for a socially-distant meal on the porch. But three hours before their visit, Lisa cancels. She wants to lend a healing hand, but she’s still healing herself - quarantining alone in her home for two months had led her to a resolve: she had to quit drinking, and she had to confront her depression. But that proves to be no easy feat. Finally, she turns to cooking, a practice meant at first to produce a soul-nourishing ginger-based soup for her friend, but ends up becoming her saving grace as well. A really powerful essay. (Lithub)

• Seeing blue. - When it comes to selling a product, or encouraging engagement, color - specifically the color blue - matters. The folks over at Travel + Leisure took a deep dive into how their readership ticks based on the way they click, and their findings went well beyond what was expected. According to the Insititute for Color Research, which is cited in the article, we all make initial snap judgments about people, places, and products within 90 seconds, and 60-90% of that is based on color alone. And since the color blue promotes productivity, a sense of calmness, and inner peace, it’s no wonder that readers, social media users, and even in-person impulse shoppers respond exceptionally well to it. But it doesn’t end there: research has also shown that adding ANY bit of color to an image will increase the amount of time a viewer will pay attention to it. Color science is fascinating! (Travel + Leisure)

• 🎶 My girlfrieeeends. 🎶- - In more 90s/00s entertainment news, did you know that Girlfriends, the hit Tracee Ellis Ross-led sitcom about four twentysomething Black women navigating life, love, and friendship in Los Angeles is now on Netflix, 20 years to the day it originally aired? You know what I’ve been doing since Friday. But if you’re looking for even more content, check out this cast reunion interview with Elle! (Elle)

• Literacy Matters. -In honor of International Literacy Day (September 8th), here’s a handy way to locate independent bookstores in your area. And if you’re specifically looking for Black-owned booksellers to support, here’s a list for that, too!

P.S. Let’s connect! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Sydney's Sunday Reads: #2

Happy Sunday, friends! What have you got planned this Labor Day Weekend? We’re probably going to fire up the grill around these parts and toast to the beautiful weather! The leaves are slowly changing, and the days are getting shorter, but there’s still enough summer-like weather to celebrate a little longer.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a new weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet. Ready? Let’s get into it!

• Why so salty? - Seasoning meats, elevating baked goods, or finishing a dish, kosher salt is a workhorse pantry staple in the American kitchen. But did you know that no two kosher salts, specifically Diamond Crystal and Morton, are exactly alike? All salt is the same (NaCl or sodium chloride), but as it turns out, the way in which the crystals are formed to create the final product can differ greatly! Ever tried a recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt then later with Morton and noticed things had become way saltier? Your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you - a cup of Morton is nearly TWICE as salty compared to that of Diamond Crystal! While I’ve used both brands in my kitchen with excellent results, I’ve got a brand preference. What team are you on: Team Diamond Crystal or Team Morton? (Taste Cooking)

• Uncle Ben? Try Uncle (Master) P! - If you’re a millennial like me, you may recall rapper and actor Master P. He was pretty prominent in the early 2000s, but somewhat disappeared from the mainstream spotlight by the 2010s. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, Boy, I sure wonder what happened to Master P, here's the answer: he’s been slowly breaking into the food scene! It started out with a line of individually-wrapped ramen noodle packages, appropriately named Rap Noodles, last year. Now, he’s ready to expand his offering with a newly-launched brand, Uncle P’s Louisiana Seasoned Foods. We’re talking beans, grits, rice, pancake mix, syrup, and even oatmeal. The cool thing is, Master P has vowed that a portion of sales will go to directly assist Black communities nationwide, from education programs in inner cities, to real estate development in Black neighborhoods. Read more HERE. (Food and Wine)

• The power of community cookbooks. - Hunger strikes, secret meetings, and public protests; all famous tactics used by the brave suffragettes to win women the right to vote. But there was another tactic used to raise both money and awareness for the cause: cookbooks! It’s all outlined in a new book by Laura Kumin, All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Right to Vote. (Jezebel)

• Homeward Bound: Pip’s Incredible Journey. - This is a story about a loving family, strict pet import laws in Australia, and a tiny dachshund named Pip who traveled 10,000 miles to reunite with her family after COVID-19 forced them apart. I’m calling it now: someone’s going to make a movie about this! (CNN)

• More Masks, More Market Saturation. - Can you believe there was a time when wearing a mask wasn’t even on our radar? Sure in the past many of us have seen sick people wear masks, but we probably didn't think much of it. Now, masks have become one of the hottest (and most necessary!) accessories of the year. There was a time in early March when stores were selling out of medical masks, so your only option was to purchase masks from a few shops on Etsy. Now, everyone’s trying to get in the game. Here’s what Lisa Corsillo, a writer for The Strategist, learned from writing about masks for six months. (The Strategist)

• #Cottagecore - If you’re a fan of gentle and relaxing cooking content, you will LOVE this series from Taste Life. In the video below, a woman in an Azerbaijani village cooks up dishes using vegetables grown in her garden. ALSO, those knives are the real deal and I want them for my kitchen.

What are YOU reading today? Sound off in the comments!

P.S. Let’s connect! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Sydney's Sunday Reads: #1

Happy Sunday, friends! How are you wrapping up the weekend today? I plan on catching up on the 10,000+ shows piling up in my DVR and enjoying the inevitable nap that follows.

Sydney's Sunday Reads is a new weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, and think-pieces from around the Internet. Settle in with your favorite morning beverage (I’m sticking with water this AM), and enjoy!

• Aw (Tiger), Nuts! - For centuries Egyptologists and food historians have struggled to unlock the secrets to ancient Egyptian cuisine…until now. Recently-discovered hieroglyphics found on tomb walls depict at least one culinary staple: tiger nut cones!

• Talk about being together forever. - A couple in Ecuador is celebrating 79 years of marriage this year, making them the oldest couple in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. But that’s not all, he’s 110 years old, and she’s 104, giving them a collective age of 214 years old!

• #WakandaForever - Here’s a lovely tribute written by Richard Brody for The New Yorker on the late great actor, Chadwick Boseman.

• Cocktails with the Childs - We’re all aware of Julia Child’s incredible culinary prowess, but did you know that Paul Child also tried his hand at recipe development? Several cocktail recipes (likely created during their time in Paris) were unearthed after his death. Would you care for a Butterfly’s Breath?

• Good news: we’re reading more! Bad news: we’re reading more. - A spike in physical book sales paired with the delay of several spring and summer titles due to the pandemic make for a tricky predicament for two of the country’s leading printing companies: supply can’t keep up with demand, and it’s costing them big time. Now with fall title publishing dates fast approaching, companies are scrambling to make a plan, while also avoiding financial ruin. Read more from the New York Times HERE.

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