February may be the shortest month, but it managed to cram a whole lot into its 29 days (Happy Leap Year!). The weather flip-flopped from balmy spring to frigid winter and back again. Scout left one job and started another (her first real, honest-to-god, 9-to-5 gig — having weekends off is crazy, guys). Zelda upped her culture quotient and went to several museums, took in some films, and of course consumed some great food. We celebrated the wonder of lady friendship with a squad sleepover: dinner, a show, and then falling asleep on the couch among your besties. All in all February was a great month, but we’re looking forward to the bounties of spring: outdoor eating and theater for all!
What We’re Doing: We started the month with a playlist all about love, to celebrate a month dedicated to l’amour in all its forms. Zelda outlined her checklist of Southern books to read in a lengthy Required Reading post. We moved quickly into a week-long celebration of everyone’s favorite Southern holiday — Mardi Gras — with some NOLA-themed inspiration on the festive day itself, followed by a GRITS profile on the one and only Reese Witherspoon, native Louisianan and celebrater of all types of love. We changed up this month’s Eat This, Drink That: Zelda cooked up something, while Scout shook up something. Finally, Zelda brought you her list of 20 emojis that every New Yorker absolutely needs. We’re starting a petition now.
What We’re Listening To: We may be single this Valentine’s season, but that doesn’t mean we’re immune to the powers of a great love song. For this month’s playlist, we compiled some of our favorites, from the classic to the corny, indie to Disney. Some of these songs make us want to dance around our kitchens in our underwear, other ones make us want to sit in our bed crying into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, but they all remind us to appreciate the love the brims through our lives, whether it be romantic, familial, or forged in the fiery cauldrons of female friendship (and blogdom).
We also love: We were blessed this month with a new album from our favorite peddlers of retro cool, Lake Street Dive. Side Pony is full of all the fun and funk we’ve come to expect from this quartet, and the title track has become our new “ain’t got a care in the world” commuting jam. We also love this video from Crackerfarm, featuring Langhorne Slim and our favs The Avett Brothers covering the Everly Brothers classic, “Bye Bye Love.”
What We’re Watching: Our favorite under-appreciated science fiction show, The 100, came back in late January, and the first five episodes of the season already have us on an emotional and moral roller coaster. The recent vacancy on the Supreme Court had us (and the rest of the internet) queuing up every Supreme Court-related episode of The West Wing for a much-needed re-watch. And we even managed to make it to the movie theater more than once; Zelda loved How to Be Single and The Danish Girl, while Scout took in the Coen brothers’ latest, Hail, Caesar!
We also love: Favorite celebrity couple Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell’s only goal for their final trip before having kids was a fitting tribute to Toto; they were in Africa after all. The video for T-Swift’s Out of the Woods is probably our favorite from the 1989 album, but this behind-the-scenes is just as great. This interview with Ben Schwartz on being the voice of the most lovable character in Star Wars: Episode VII, BB-8, is delightful. And Lin-Manuel Miranda and the whole cast of Hamilton accepting their Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album made us feel all warm and fuzzy — the first of many awards this year, we’ll bet.
What We’re Reading: This hilarious reinterpretation of “The Princess and the Pea,” if the pea were a small piece of mild criticism (The Toast). This interview with one of our favorite GRITS, recent Grammy-winner Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes (NPR). This delightful ode to Southern road trip staple and rocking chair mecca, Cracker Barrel (The New York Times Magazine). This oldie but goodie, an explanation of how “y’all” is in fact the most enlightened, equal opportunity, and feminist of the English pronouns (Brooklyn Magazine). This portrait, part of a series, of a Syrian refugee family learning to make our hometown of Louisville their new home (The Courier-Journal). This break-up letter from an exasperated Netflix account (The New Yorker). These gorgeous photographs (and the interview that comes with them) of Misty Copeland recreating Edgar Degas’s classic ballerina works (Harper’s Bazaar). This incisive look at what would happen if male characters were introduced in screenplays like their female counterparts — we laugh because otherwise we’d be crying (Slate). This peak behind the scenes of some of the newest shows opening on Broadway this spring (The New York Times). This essay, which speaks to our hearts, on female friendship and platonic romance and the beauty that is Broad City (The Atlantic). And last but not least, Grace and Style, the second book from hilarious lady, awesome human, and the chicest sweatpants-wearer we know, Grace Helbig!
What We’re Eating: We switched things up for this month’s “Eat This, Drink That.” Zelda put on her apron, broke out the food processor, and got back in the kitchen to whip up some rosemary shortbread, with a recipe courtesy of NYT Cooking’s Melissa Clark. They were oh-so-easy and oh-so-delicious, just the right balance of sweet and savory with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. The perfect treat for a frigid Galentine’s Night! And definitely going in her recipe box.
What We’re Drinking: On the drink side, Scout took hold of the shaker this month and tackled the Salty Dog. With balanced flavors of rosemary, grapefruit, gin, and, of course, salt, these babies brought a touch of sunshine to our cold February night, and their rosy pink hue was very on trend for a Valentine’s weekend. In the non-cocktail world, we are loving Westbrook Brewing’s Siberian Black Magic Panther, a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout that is spicy, rich but not heavy, and so goddamn delicious. Dear Sampler, if we’re good, will you stock us some more? Please and thank you.
What’s On Our Wishlist: There’s a beloved Brooklyn tradition called Punderdome, in which, as one might guess from the name, contestants try to out-pun each other (Hannah Hart, eat your heart out!). But now even Hannah, way out in California, can own the tabletop card game and compete in her very own Punderdome. We of course need a copy: It’s available for pre-order now and will be released in July. We’re also into these wares from the Louisiana-based Red Arrow Workshop (thanks to Zelda’s former roomie for bringing it to our attention!), because, though it’s a stiff competition, moonshine beats sunshine, and we’re all assholes in the morning.
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Zelda & Scout 