While You’re In: Bake, then exercise -- plus get the kids enrolled in theater camp
Bake — or watch someone else do it
Sheltering in place has led to a huge resurgence in the popularity of baking. If you’ve been spending lots of time in the kitchen and want some fresh inspiration, check out “Preheated,” a podcast hosted by Andrea Ballard of Olympia and her good friend Stefin Kohn. Particularly suited to a world turned upside down is episode 177, about pineapple upside down cake. Read more about “Preheated” (and get Ballard’s fudge recipe and a peek into her kitchen) on theolympian.com. If you’d rather watch baking than do it yourself, watch — or revisit — “The Great British Baking Show,” streaming on Netflix. It’s reality TV from a reality before the coronavirus, and it’s refreshing to watch what good sports the Brits are, win or lose, and learn about the sometimes surprising sweets they like.
Break a sweat
Parks are open, and the weather is cooperating at least part of the time, so exercise is not the challenge it was back in March. But group fitness classes are still on hold. Fill that void and be entertained in the process with the peppy tunes and fun fashions of choreographer Ryan Heffington’s hourlong Sweatfest, livestreaming at noon Saturdays on Instagram. A few past episodes are available on his feed, and the website of the Sweat Spot, his Los Angeles studio, has details on the Spot’s other livestreamed offerings. (Admire his choreography in the simply stunning shelter-in-place video for “Lay Your Head on Me.” For a blast from the past — and shorter sessions — try Richard Simmons’ “10 Minute Sweat” and other workouts on YouTube. If you have shorts like the ones Simmons is known for, there’ll never be a better time to wear them than while you’re working out in the privacy of your own home. And if you’d rather exercise your sense of humor than your body, comedian Laura Clery’s “Quarantine Workout” might be just the thing, with lyrics including, “Stay inside/Move side to side.”
Send the kids to camp — sort of
Ah, summer camp. It keeps the kids entertained while giving parents some space. This year, though restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus have begun to lift, camp in the usual sense is not possible, but Olympia Family Theater is keeping the spirit alive with a suite of virtual camps taking place over Zoom. With topics such as Wizarding Schools and Fun With Shakespeare, the camps happen from 10 a.m. to noon or from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in three-week sessions between June 23 and Aug. 20. The theater is also offering weekly Teen Improv classes beginning June 22. Tuition for camps and classes is $125-$210.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore appreciates baking as a spectator sport. Listen to her talk about entertainment with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 5:45 AM.