Monday Pep Talk No. 27
Happy Monday! We’ve got a few fun ideas to add to your to-do list for the week.
3 fun things to do this week
Monday is Leap Day! Learn more about the science and history behind our extra calendar day this year
Mark National Anthem Day (on Thursday) by traveling back in time to 1814 with the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary “A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America.” Plus: 9 things you may not know about “The Star-Spangled Banner” via the History Channel
What better way to celebrate World Book Day (on Thursday) than by exploring the history of books? The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has a terrific online exhibition of books through time, starting with clay tablets and continuing all the way through to modern-day editions.
3 ideas for this week’s dinners
Dress up your standard grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup dinner with this labneh grilled cheese sandwich. (Have you made your own labneh? It’s really easy and also tastes delicious on your morning toast with honey and hazelnuts—just saying!)
Nigella’s French lasagne is really a savory bread pudding made with leftover croissants, and it’s the perfect dinner for a chilly winter evening. I’d serve it with an easy kale salad.
If you are looking for a side idea for your regular grilled or rotisserie chicken, these barbecue carrots with yogurt and pecans will steal the show.
one great readaloud
Wrap up Black History Month by reading The Book Itch, a lovely history of Lewis Michaux’s National Memorial African Bookstore, which opened in the 1930s and became a rallying point for the civil rights movement.
one thought to ponder
“Men become builders by building houses, harpers by playing the harp. Similarly, we become just by doing just acts, brave by doing brave acts.”
—Aristotle
