The Weekend Reset – Sugar & Booze and Gizmo and Scrooge.

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.

 

SIP: Holiday parties require a festive cocktail. This one is terrific.

Geese A’ Laying! This is an easy to make party favorite which gives the host a chance to visit with guests as they make each drink. The recipe calls for the following measurements (but I’m thinking that your actual proportions may change as you get the hang of these and adjust to your liking):

.5 oz Grey Goose
.5 oz plum jam
2 tsp Cointreau
Juice of a quarter of a lime

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, pour into a glass and top with Proseco. The plum jam provides a unique bit of flavor that brings something different to the drink.

 

WATCH: Whatever you do, do NOT feed them after midnight!

Gremlins is a terrific movie for this time of year. It’s a Holiday movie for people who maybe think they don’t like Holiday movies. And I get that. They are not for everyone. This one remains a slice of 80’s Americana that is less new wave and neon as it highlights some of the things from the 70’s that were still so common. The pop cultural references and mass market brands on display were part of Steven Spielberg’s brand of movie making and Joe Dante, the film’s director, had cut his teeth working with him. #gizmorules

 

EAT: A hearty winter meal that is all dopamine.

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli casserole. I am just going to suggest that this dish be part of a process that includes music, something to drink, and an attitude that embraces the attitude that this delicious meal will take some time and attention. There are more ingredients with this recipe than I generally recommend, but they are all part of what makes the dish so good. There might be some new concepts here for you as well but if you read everything in advance (You do do that right? Because you have to ), you won’t be surprised by anything. When the weather outside is frightful, this is what the doctor ordered.

 

READ: A traditional Holiday character reimagined.

Samantha Silva released her addition to the Scrooge cannon last year to rave reviews. This is an entertaining take on the most famous Christmas ghost story of all time, written for those of you who appreciate historical fiction. It is engaging, imaginative, and something that you might want to share with your bibliophile pals.

 

LISTEN: A retro holiday collection from Ana Gasteyer.

Every holiday season there is a songs-of-the-season collection that stands out from the crowd. Sometimes it’s just an artists I wasn’t familiar with. Sometimes it’s a project that I had hopes for like last year’s fantastic album Socks from JD McPherson. Sometimes it just comes out of thin air and is a complete surprise. Saturday Night Live alumn Ana Gasteyer has delivered this year’s surprise. As she says: “The holidays are also the one time of year we can let it rip, so we wanted to make a record that was festive, fun and celebratory. A holiday record should land on a turntable and create a warm, uplifting ambiance, leaving you free to tend bar, wrap presents and live in the magical moment.” There is a mix of classics and originals which allows Gasteyer to shine. Did I think the world needed an Ana Gasteyer holiday album? Surprise! Turns out it might be the best of the year. With it’s 50’s/60’s vibe, This is just old-school fun and a perfect addition to your holiday party playlist.

Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s music correspondent as well as our resident gatherer of all things interwebs related. He’s pretty sure about some of the things most of the time, but totally clueless about everything else all the time. This is happening at his place.