ft. ‘Shark Week’ & Mason Jar Ice Cream

July 16, 2021 by Sydney Grant

Happy Shark Week for all my fellow fin-loving friends! Hopefully, your Friday is going better than mine, who just realized that the second show she recommended this week is not out until July 23. Go me! At least you’ll have time to catch up on the first season ahead of its release, so really, you’re welcome. In other news, this week was a win for Britney, who was finally granted her own lawyer in her conservatorship case, and a big L for Johnson & Johnson, whose sunscreen — which is supposed to protect against cancer — apparently causes it. We hate to see it.

However you’re planning on spending your weekend, enjoy these quarantivities!

Quarant-streams

‘Shark Week’ 2021

Watch this bc it’s the best week of the year!!!:

Move over Christmas — the best holiday of the year has arrived! Well, technically it arrived last week, however, there are still two and a half whole days left of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2021, which is more than enough time to sink your teeth into this year’s sharky #content. Some highlights include Sharkadelic Summer 2, featuring Snoop Dogg narrating some of the past year’s gnarliest shark encounters, and Dr. Pimple Popper Pops Shark Week, which is definitely not the crossover we asked for, but the crossover we so desperately needed!

Of course, the Shark Week staples are back as well, including fan-favorites Air Jaws and your classic shark attack nightmare fuel, I Was Prey: Terrors of the Deep. And if after reading all of that, you still haven’t wrestled the remote away from your significant other/roommate/pet demanding that they turn on Discovery Channel NOW, David Dobrik, Tiffany Hadish, Tara Reid and the Jackass crew also all joined the party this year for special episodes as well. Fin-tastic!

Stream it via Discovery+ or on Discovery Channel through your cable provider.

‘Ted Lasso’ Season 2

Watch this bc Jason Sudeikis:

After winning us all over with buttery biscuits and dad jokes that should have made me cringe but somehow didn’t, Ted Lasso is returning for another season next week! If you missed out on this one the first time around — either because you didn’t know about it or simply did not have the energy to download Apple TV+ — now is the perfect time to catch up and track down that one ex/cousin/old college roommate with an account and convince them to let you borrow their login. While the first season mainly centered around Lasso as he made the not-so-seamless transition from American football to Premiere League soccer, the second digs deeper, utilizing the entire cast and all of their greatness. Of course, this includes Jamie Tartt, who’s rumored to have a subplot so fabulously hilarious that it warrants watching the entire season all on its own.

The perfect palate cleanser for when you can’t watch one more shark-filled episode involving Tara Reid and sharknados, Ted Lasso has your weekend plans written all over it. So what are you waiting for? Bite the bullet, sign up for Apple TV+, and binge-watch your way through the first season to get ready for next Friday!

Stream it via Apple TV+

Quarant-reads

‘Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness’ by Kristen Radtke

Read this if you’re feeling lonely:

If there’s one thing we’ve all experienced at some point over the past year and a half, it’s loneliness. After what felt like centuries of Zooming, social distancing, and altogether-too-much-Netflix-ing, we’re finally able to see each other in person again. It’s the summer of Doing Things and, as the NY Times aptly pointed out, people are even making out again! Everywhere! The pandemic thrust everyone into loneliness all at once, forcing people to talk about it. But as Kristen Radtke explains, loneliness is actually an epidemic that’s been increasing exponentially for decades. In her stunning graphic novel, Radtke seeks to explore the shocking effects of what she describes as a “silent killer,” as well as open up about her own experiences with solitude. A reminder that even when we’re feeling alone, we’re not alone, Seek You is a must-read amidst these (say it with me) unprecedented times.

Purchase via Amazon.

Quarant-eats

Clam Pasta w/ Toasted Breadcrumbs via Alison Roman:

Make this bc you spent all of quarantine re-doing your backyard and want an excuse to invite your friends over and show it off/your impressive clam-cooking skills:

Mason Jar Ice Cream via NYT Cooking:

Make this if you want a weekend project (and an excuse to eat ice cream):

Basic Mason Jar Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
A 16 oz Mason jar, of course.
Yield: About three servings.

Steps

1. Pour the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt into the jar, and screw on the lid tightly.

2. Shake vigorously, until the cream thickens and almost doubles in size, which should take about five minutes. You’ll know you’re done when the mixture doubles in volume and is about the consistency of brownie batter.

3. Freeze for at least 3 hours. Then eat. You’re welcome.

Or, add a twist

You could, if you’re daring, spruce it up. Here are some ideas on what to add to the recipe above.

Berry Ice Cream. If you want the flavor mixed-in, blend ½ cup of fresh berries and add it to the mixture before you freeze it. (You can also cheat: a tablespoon of jam will work.) If you prefer chunks, cut up the berries. Voilà.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter to the mixture and shake. If you want the chocolate blended in, squeeze in 1 teaspoon of syrup. But if you’re going for a marbled effect, swirl in the syrup at the end and give your mixture a quick stir with a spoon.

Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream. Add 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and honey. To infuse the tea flavor, take ½ cup of the cream. Heat it, and steep two bags of Earl Grey tea. Remove them. When the cream cools, add it to the jar and shake.

Chunky Chocolate and Nut Ice Cream. The nuts are easy: Add 1 tablespoon of whatever kind of nuts you choose. (Pecans are buttery and yummy. Just saying.) Add chocolate pieces. A note: Mini-chips will work better than chunks. You’re only making a little bit, after all.

Rosemary Olive Oil Ice Cream. Whoa, right? Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, which will make the ice cream extra creamy. As with the Earl Grey version, heat up half the cream and add four sprigs of fresh rosemary. Strain, cool, add, shake, freeze and eat.

The possibilities are endless. For caramel ice cream, just chop candies into the mix. For banana, blend it first. Coconut is a no-brainer, but make sure the pieces are small and fine. (A pinch of salt on top brings out the flavors.) It will be delicious. It’s ice cream, after all.

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas (Mocktail-Friendly) via The Real Food Dietitians:

Make this bc it’s too hot not to drink exclusively frozen beverages: