READ: Baking and literature collide in Cake Zine, the indie print magazine exploring society through sweets I co-launched last year. We just dropped preorders for our summer issue, Humble Pie, a wonderfully weird mix of essays, recipes, fiction, poetry, and more all somehow connected to the classic idiom. Check it out if you’re obsessed with baking, eating, or reading!

COOK: It’s the time of year when I only want to eat salads, especially when they’re tossed in an herby, creamy, green goddess-y dressing. Here’s my no-recipe recipe: Blend together 1 cup Greek yogurt + 2 cups tender herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, whatever is in the fridge) + a good squeeze of lemon + a garlic clove. Use as-is for potato salad or crudités, or thin out with a splash of warm water to use as a dressing for leafy greens.

GLOW: Give your skin a spring-approved glow with Onekind Dream Cream Nighttime Moisturizer. It calms and brightens dull, dry skin of all types with hydrating squalane plus botanicals like rosehip oil and chamomile. Try a full-size cream for FREE with code GNI; just pay S&H. *Sponsor 

FOLLOW: If you like looking at cats, you’ll love following the New Vision Cat Club. It’s a wholesome, decidedly unglossy account from a local cat club in Florida, and I can’t watch it without smiling.

LISTEN: I’m admittedly a K-pop novice, so I thoroughly enjoyed checking out some new releases in the genre through this very cool radio set from Susan Kounlavongsa, a.k.a. Straight Honey. It’s highly vibey and not too intense, the perfect soundtrack for getting ready for a night out.

STASH: It’s been a busy week, so I’ve been leaning hard on these preseasoned beans from Heyday. I’m typically a season-as-I-go kind of cook, but cracking open a can of coconut curry chickpeas or enchilada black beans is undeniably convenient and surprisingly delicious. I recommend adding some extra salt and citrus for brightness.

DIY: Do you have a penchant for holding onto old bouquets or making dried flowers? Me too, and I love this idea to press them into plain taper candles from the low-waste crafting account Sibster.

WATCH: One of my all-time favorite YouTube shows just returned: Mystery Menu on New York Times Cooking. Watching Sohla and Ham El-Waylly transform unexpected ingredients into full-course meals will have you believe in true love—or at least the power of a good attitude and good communication.

When was the last time you actually laughed out loud while reading something? For me, it was the very first page of Samantha Irby’s new book, Quietly Hostile. A comedian and essayist, Samantha is a master of writing humor pieces that hinge on relatablity and “I can’t believe she just said that” realness, and her recs are just as good.—Aliza

1. I just finished watching this new series, Jury Duty, on Prime, and it is straight up delightful. It’s reality-adjacent, about a mock trial featuring one juror who has no idea he’s being set up, but I promise it’s sweet and nice and absolutely hilarious, not a mean prank show that makes him look dumb! I hate mean pranks!!

2. Lately I’ve been getting into lamps (nothing crazy, just cheap little guys) and I love how cozy it makes a room feel. In general I’m an overhead light person because I have bad eyes and can’t see unless a lightbulb with the full power of the sun is shining harshly over my head, but after my need to read or recognize anything goes away for the evening, sweet little pops of warm, glowing light scattered around the room are so soothing!

3. I downloaded this app called Block Site because I found myself just constantly cycling through the same old brain-melting garbage on the internet and needed a way to force myself to just STOP and go do something else. You enter in a website you don’t want to torment you anymore into the app, then the next time you mindlessly enter it into your browser you get an error message that reminds you that you vowed to stop taxing your eyeballs messing around online. It’s definitely lowered my stress and decreased my screen time!!

Follow Samantha on Instagram @bitchesgottaeat and her newsletter Bitches Gotta Eat, and check out her new book Quietly Hostile.

When Did ‘Wholesome’ Become a Gen Z Compliment? (New York Times *gift link*). Being pure and innocent never seemed so cool.

Post Graduation Advice You’ll Actually Use (Vox). Set a budget, don’t center your life around work, and other actually useful advice.

I’m a TV Writer on Food Stamps (The Cut). An important perspective from inside the ongoing WGA writer’s strike.

Trader Joe’s Is a Frozen Food Fantasy Land (Eater). Highlights from the frozen food aisle, from gyoza to gnocchi. 

Welcome to the Era of Very Earnest Parenting (New York Times *gift link*) On “gentle parenting,” Dr. Becky, and the rise of a new generation of social media parenting gurus.

Please note: Some of these reads may be under paywalls depending on your reading habits! We believe quality journalism is worth paying for, and strive to offer gifted links when available.