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1. Watch Orphan Black.
This brilliant and incredibly underrated show came to an end this week. 😭😭😭 What I love so much about it is that it's so brilliant and so imperfect at the same time; it's a show that really grew into its own over the course of five seasons spent exploring ethics in science and creating a really interesting and relevant discussion around women's rights to their own bodies through a plot concept surrounding cloning and genetic mutation. Also, Tatiana Maslany, who plays, like, 12 different characters, is just an absolute dream. So if you haven't caught up, or if you're in denial, slap it in your Netflix queue right this minute.
Watch it on Netflix UK.
Or catch Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano is the very weird but warm Swiss Army Man, which just came to Amazon Prime Video.
2. Read a book that will teach and entertain you.
If you'd like to brush up on your trivia or just look very scholarly on the tube, check out this brilliant list of books that will definitely make you smarter.
Or how about finally getting David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks on your to-read list. It's a brilliant adventure of a book AND only 99p in the Kindle store right now.
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3. Listen to The Butterfly Effect.
The Psychopath Test and So You've Been Publicly Shamed author John Ronson's fascinating radio show explores ethics in the porn industry and is well worth dipping into. Bonus: It's currently available for FREE on Audible.
Listen here.
It goes without saying that if you haven't caught Kesha's new album, Rainbow, yet, it is essential listening.
4. Download the Tasty app.
Get simple, colourful, and exciting foodie tutorials right to your phone with this delightful and handy app. Featuring all your Tasty faves, and offering a really useful search function that allows you to narrow down based on your cravings, skill level, and other criteria, this app infuses cooking with even more joy.
Get it here.
I'm also really enjoying the Oxford English Dictionary app for its word-a-day push notification fuction.
5. Make this to-die-for croque-monsieur.
Dominique Ansel, creator of the Cronut, has shared his out-of-this-world recipe for a rich and comforting croque-monsieur with us. I recently visited his London bakery and got to sample a range of his unique sweet and savoury treats, and I'm still drooling tbh.
This makes four sandwiches, so be sure to double the recipe if you're feeding two. ;)
For the béchamel:
* 1 cup of milk
* 1 tbsp of butter
* 3 tbsp flour
* 8 oz grated gruyere cheese
For the custard:
* 4 cups of milk
* 4 large eggs
* Pinch of nutmeg
* Salt and pepper to taste
For the sandwich:
* 8 oz sliced gruyère cheese
* 1 pound of black forest ham, sliced
* 8 slices of sourdough bread
Method:
* Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F.
* Make the béchamel sauce. In a pot, warm the milk (make sure not to boil).
* In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 30 seconds over medium heat until the mixture becomes dough-like.
* Stream the warm milk into the butter-flour mixture in three increments, whisking continuously until smooth. Let boil for 1 minute.
* Stir in the shredded gruyère cheese, mixing until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour the mixture into a shallow dish, cover in plastic, and place in fridge to let cool.
* Make the custard. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of milk and a pinch of nutmeg, whisk in 4 large eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool in the fridge.
* To assemble the sandwich: Dip each slice of bread in the custard. Spread a layer of the béchamel sauce on one slice of bread, add 4 slices of ham and 2 slices of gruyère, and top with another slice of bread. On the top, spread another layer of béchamel and finish with 2 more slices of gruyère. Bake in oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is golden-brown.
If you're still hungry, how about these adorable aquarium cookies for dessert?
6. Treat yourself to a bouquet of flowers.
Add a little joy and colour to your life by ordering yourself a little bouquet online. Nothing says "You are an adult who is doing great" quite like getting yourself flowers, I swear. Here's a list of great places to order.
Or why not treat yourself to something cheap and useful on this list of helpful products under a tenner?
7. Follow @tunameltsmyheart
Tuna definitely does melt my heart. This little chiweenie (that's a dachshund and chihuahua mix 😍 ) has a very, very lovable account with loads of high-quality photos of his super-glam life that are bound to brighten up your day.
Follow Tuna here.
If you're more of a cat person, I can recommend @EmrgencyKittens on Twitter.
