Favorites 6.26.14

Carrot as hot dog: This is it. I'm finally there. I don't care if I consume another veggie dog or burger ever again (a girl can only eat so much vital wheat gluten and reconstituted soy product). But! I just learned a secret of the vegans: brush a carrot with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and roast it into almost oblivion. Eat it in a bun with such things as slaw, hot sauce, and horseradish. Don't laugh—it's heaven.

Sam Cooke: His voice! It kills me. Esp. the song "Touch The Hem Of His Garment." It's about Jesus, but that's okay.

Listening to your iPod's songs alphabetically instead of on shuffle: You'd like to think "shuffle" means "totally random," but I think we all know by now that there's some sort of algorithm at play here. My Pod's obsession with Johnny Cash, "A Boy Named Sue" put me off the man in black for an entire year. If you wanna hear your library's real deep cuts, click on Songs, head to any given letter, and hit play. It won't disappoint.

Sleeping pet faces: A slumbering pet brings a sense of peace into the room. Also? There's something heart-wrenchingly cute about how vulnerable they are.