The Weekend Reset – Spring eats, drinks, and chills.

It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week contributor Tim Johnstone pulls together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.

 

WATCH: Grade A B-Movie fun.

You are either down for this or you aren’t. This is pure genre fun, with an excellent cast and production values that steer clear of anything wince-inducing. Maybe that’s not your thing. Totally get it. It shares a concept with last year’s “A Quiet Place” (although it is from a book published before that film’s release) so maybe you think you’ve been here and done that. You haven’t. This is a hoot. It doesn’t reinvent anything but it keeps you on the edge and you could consider it the mental version of a palette cleanser. Pop some corn and settle in!

 

READ: The Book that Saved the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Yes. I realize that the video above is an actual movie version of Victor Hugo’s classic. And that it is a silent movie. Also, black and white. It’s still sexier than an edited picture of a book cover. Besides, this whole story about how Hugo wrote this novel to save the famous cathedral was something I only learned about this week. This week’s fire was really difficult to watch, as someone who has been fortunate enough to have been there and stepped inside. And so, in Hugo’s book, the cathedral is every bit as important to the story as the famous protagonist of the title. A gothic story about gothic times? That was enough to get me to read this years back and it is enough to make me return to its pages.

 

LISTEN: LSD for your earholes.

I have included a song or two from LSD in past Dappered playlists. The band name comes from the three artists who joined forces for this project: SIA, Labrinth, and Diplo. I am a sucker for this upbeat, inventive and hook-filled sound. The production is so very, very impressive. It seems perfect for the season. Open the windows, turn up the volume and smile. (You might also find your body language alter accordingly.)

 

EAT: An Early Spring Mixed Grill.

Shrimp and Chorizo Mixed Grill. As soon as I am able to move the majority of my cooking outdoors, I do. It’s not just about leaving the kitchen clean (although that is a really strong notch in the plus column), it’s also about keeping my kitchen as clean as possible. Plus, the clean kitchen. I kid. Mostly. What I appreciate about this menu is the combination of fresh-right-now ingredients like asparagus while including the chorizo, which hints at the more robust cuts of meat which will roll out over the summer. I suggest adding green onions and other spring greens available at area farmers markets.

 

DRINK: A Tasty Easter Mocktail.

Coconut, Cucumber, Lime, and Mint Cooler. There are only a handful of ingredients. From the link: “4 cups of coconut water 2 cucumbers sliced very thinly, half cup of lime juice, quarter cup of sugar (optional), and a quarter cup of chopped mint leaves.” You simply combine all of the ingredients and chill. If it’s me, I’m doubling ingredients. And then some. Shouldn’t be too hard to make this attractive to the 21+ adult beverage set either.

Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s music correspondent as well as our resident gatherer of all things interwebs related. He’s currently chasing his spirit animal.