Quarantine marches on. So too does Banfield Recommends, our take on a classic series from one of the internet’s most iconic websites.
In this edition, we ask the motion team what’s getting them through this unprecedented time of physical distancing. How are they cutting their hair? Which is their go-to country of choice for reality TV? Cleaning your house: Yay or nay?
Read on to find out!
Watching Japanese reality TV
In a world saturated with reality TV stars on beaches with toned muscles talking about their feelings, one show dares to be different.
I’m talking about a show called Terrace House. It’s about six people in Tokyo living their lives and looking for love. It has a refreshing tone, which combats that of the hyper-energetic, mostly yelled dialogue of other MTV and Netflix reality TV shows. I highly recommend watching before bed as the onslaught of subtitles will make your eyes heavy.
-Ben Marley
Nerding out while cleaning your house
Throughout this quarantine, I’ve learned to enjoy cleaning. I used to dread having to do a huge clean every once in a while when things in my place were really neglected. But being home this much, I’ve found a few ways to make consistent cleaning fun. I know I sound a little nerdy but I’m happy with the clean floors 🙂
-Madison Foran
Improving your kitchen
Two recommendations:
One: Last year I began the process of re-evaluating the organizational structure of our kitchen cabinets.
One of the most effective tactics I used was removing all dry goods and baking ingredients from their packaging and moving them into sealable containers. This is a great way to maintain sanity, especially when you have a small kitchen or a lack of storage space. Firstly it’s stackable which takes up less of a footprint. Secondly they are see-through which allows to see how much you have left of any given ingredient at a glance. Thirdly it provides a nice visual consistency which can give you some peace of mind and reduce stress whenever you go digging for stuff.
Two: Something everyone should have in their arsenal but surprisingly not a lot of people have, is a real Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Probably one of the most versatile cooking vessels known to man. They are durable, weighty and reliable. You can braise, sear and stew pretty much anything in them. They’re perfect for soups, chilis and making French fries. When deep frying, the heavy weight of the pot means you’re not as likely to bump and splash oil around. Its secret super power is bread baking. Preheating your Dutch oven for an hour or so at the required temp and popping your dough in on a piece of parchment creates a perfect steam chamber for a great oven spring. My Dutch oven is easily the most-used piece of equipment in my kitchen. If you don’t have one already, you’re missing out. I own the Lodge 6 quart. It’s affordable compared to Le Creuset or other fancier brands but still great quality. These babies will last a lifetime if you take care them.
-Devin Singleton
Going to your “happy place”
YouTube:
I wake up and do “Yoga with Adriene”. Free YouTube 30-day challenges that you can do at home. They’re short and sweet (20 minutes) but good; Adriene’s got a great attitude and the best dog.
Reading:
Locked down at home and hungry for something exhilarating, I’ve embraced my inner explorer and am reading Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis. It’s a big read, but it’s an extremely well-written account of the British obsession with conquering Mount Everest as a response to WW1. Makes our lives seem easy.
These journalists have a knack for exploring any topic and make it relatable. Best served when washing dishes or taking a bath.
-Koa Padolsky
Gardening, bread and “Criterion and Chill”
I’ve hit on a few of the quarantine trends so far – I’m sporting the official haircut (thanks Marissa!), I’ve started a victory garden and my bread game is probably at its peak (but no sourdough starter yet). I’m also streaming a lot of media, and even though there’s some Netflix and chill happening, I think the streaming service that everybody should be checking during quarantine is the Criterion Channel. Yes, I was obnoxiously pushing the Criterion Channel to anybody who could stand to listen to me talk about it before quarantine (my engraved charter subscriber card takes place of pride in my home office), but really there’s hasn’t been a better time to get away from the world by losing yourself in a film! And even though I love the opportunity to browse through decades of art-house cinema on demand, the channel also has an incredible collection of Godzilla, 70’s B-Movies and more Jackie Chan films than I will probably ever realistically watch. It doesn’t have to be The Seventh Seal every night.
-Ryan Grevatt
This has been another edition of Banfield recommends. Stay safe and (if you can) stay home!