February in Review

A new playlist, slavic vampires, poppy sprouts, + a bonus banana bread recipe

Welcome to The Month in Review issue of The Fryday: a little round-up of happenings, content, and products that I’ve been enjoying over the past month.

I’m happy to report that we may now mark the end of an especially-long February— lengthy both in feeling and in reality with the 29th in tow! Here in Seattle it’s been excruciatingly grey, but with its sunny spots, which I’ll share below.

February in Moments:

Watching the full moon rise from the bathtub (so amazing!), POPPY SPROUTS peek their little heads above ground (things I planted are growing!), and a fennel and citrus so good that it might be the topic of next week's email.

One of the many rose pruning diagrams I had in my photo roll, a very cool faux chimney made with thin brick that Chris put up in our bedroom, and one of my favorite things this month: blueberries and ground cardamom in my oatmeal or cream of wheat. I'm going to have to insist that you try it.

A beautiful sunset in Olympia, Udon in Dashi for lunch, and a coyote sighting right in front of my house(!) -- which I read is good luck actually.

Incredible pizza with caesar salad and hot honey from Tivoli, how I held up photo backdrops for my last shoot (if you ever wonder how photographers shoot things, the answer is probably very haphazardly), and the face of euphoria: Luffy in the grass on a rare sunny afternoon.

What I Read, Watched, and Listened to This Month:

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 

This novel has been a departure from the classics that dominated my reading list last year, and at times even a little too exciting for reading right before bed— for example, descriptions of ancient slavic vampires scratching on windows in the night! Yet, with every gruesome and magical detail I find my eyes widening and *“cool!”* filling my head.

Samurai Gourmet on Netflix

This series really scratched my itch for shows where nothing happens (in a good way!) My favorite part about slice of life content is that it feels like a celebration of the mundane, like a poignant appreciation the spectacular fizz of a cold beer, or eating under an open blue sky. I also loved that with each mild conflict that arises in the show, nothing all that courageous is ever done by the protagonist, making it wildly realistic and relatable.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 

Murder! Suspense! Misogyny! Unfortunate but true on that last one— this black and white television show from the 1950s is a non-stop parade of sexism. But, with that said, I’ve really enjoyed the little dramas of each episode, some of them duds, all of them flush with monologic rapport and amusing musical flourishes.

Starling Mumurations

My neighbor sent me a video of starling murmurations, a somewhat mysterious flocking habit of starlings, (a species of bird), that’s mesmerizing, beautiful, and a little eerie. Fascinating!

Art Bell Tape Vault on Spotify  

Old episodes of Ghost to Ghost AM have been perfect for the many, many spooky gray days Seattle has seen this month. Art Bell’s gravelly laugh and signature bumper music frame the outrageous listener stories beautifully.

My Favorite Ghibli Tracks on Spotify

A playlist I made! Studio Ghibli’s films have incredible scores, so I chose my favorite tracks and compiled them. I have a lot of other (non-film score) playlists on Spotify too, if you care to listen.

My Favorite Products this Month:

Lawless Creamy Eyebrow Wax 

I think this brow product has the perfect balance of pigment, texture, and hold. And it’s buildable. And it’s in a soft tube so I can get out every last bit!

Trader Joe’s Winter Wake-Up Tea and Kimbap

No matter how many lovely quality teas I try, I always go back to my humble bargain teabags, small and slim, tasting vaguely like paper. I just love them. TJ’s winter wakeup tea is just such a bag— a nice spiced black tea with a sweetness to it. The kimbap, available in the frozen aisle, is sooo easy and sooo delicious with a side of kimchi.

Glossier Body Hero Scent

So I say scent specifically because it’s the scent itself of the Body Hero line that hooked me. It’s neroli and orange blossom, and it makes me want to roll around in a field of wildflowers (Spring, where are you??) I got the exfoliating bar, and the body oil, which I mix with an unscented lotion because sometimes I don’t want to be that fragrant.

Bonus Healthy-ish Banana-Zucchini Bread Recipe 

This is a recipe I’ve been making since college. I tinkered with it this week, and I’m so pleased with the results that I wanted to share it! Eventually I’d like to halve it because it makes so much, but for now just stash it in your freezer, okay?

Makes two 9x5” loaves (but you could also make 24 muffins, or 12 muffins and 1 loaf)

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 too baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp sea salt— but the kosher salt creates pleasant little pops of salt)

2 medium ripe bananas

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted. Plus more for greasing.

4 eggs

1.5 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

• Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease loaf pans and/or muffin tins with coconut oil. 

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas. Add the sugar, maple syrup, olive oil, coconut oil, and eggs, and continue mashing until well combined.

• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just moistened through. Fold in the zucchini and the walnuts, and divide into bread pans or muffin tins. 

• Bake loaves for 45-50 minutes and muffins for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.

I love to freeze these as soon as they’re cooled to room temperature so they stay ultra fresh. To reheat, bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

That’s all for this Fryday, see you next time!

Kiya