Hey, Counties!

How’s that isolation going? We hope you’re healthy and safe. Welcome to episode 3 of Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle. Last week, we learned about STEEL. Make sure to listen in so you can find out why it stole our hearts

As always, each episode of Counter Programming will focus on a counter of some sort. In this episode, we're continuing our series on counter*tops.* Today, we don't take GRANITE for granted... It's the countertop of the people.

Thank you to Rebekah Peltz for lending her voice in our intro! You can do the same. Record a voice note saying, "Hi, i'm (your name), and you're listening to Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle." Then send it to us!

You can reach us by email to tell us how YOU feel about granite - [email protected]. 

You can also reach us on Instagram - @counterprogrammingpod.

SEND US PICTURES OF YOUR COUNTERTOPS! WE’LL SHARE THEM ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIAS!

In this episode, we share what we're up to during isolation. Shira talks about preparing for Passover and cooking for an isolated seder. Arielle made biscuits before the sun came up. 

GRANITE:
A very hard granular, crystalline igneous rock consisting mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar.

Granite countertops are found in a whopping 64% of new homes. They can be purchased for between $40-$60 per square foot. 

Notable landmarks made of granite:

1. Mount Rushmore
2. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
3. India's Temple to Shiva

Granite in pop culture:

• New Hampshire is called The Granite State
• The Old Man in the Mountain in NH, a natural rock formation, fell in 2003
• Granite State College!
• BYU TV's Granite Flats (available on Netflix)
• Granite State Challenge - a quiz bowl game show

Benefits of a granite countertop:

• It's highly heat and scratch resistant
• It is easily cleaned
• It has a lot of color options
• Each piece has a one-of-a-kind look
• It lasts forever

Disadvantages of a granite countertop:

• It lasts forever, which means if you get bored easily, you might not like it
• It requires a lot of structural support
• It can crack when hit by a sharp, hard object

Would Shira and Arielle get granite in their future kitchens? YES.

Come back next week as we explore another countertop. 

Thanks for tuning in! Leave us a review on Apple or a comment on Castbox.

Tweet at us. Here’s Shira. Here’s Arielle.

Thank you to Daniel Tureck, our engineer.

Thank you to Caio Slikta, our logo designer.

Our music is called Tennessee Hayride and it’s by Jason Shaw. 

Hey, Counties!

How’s that isolation going? We hope you’re healthy and safe. Welcome to episode 2 of Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle. Last week, we learned about marble. Make sure to listen in so you can find out why marble just isn't cutting it.

As always, each episode of Counter Programming will focus on a counter of some sort. In this episode, we're continuing our series on counter*tops.* Today, we steal your attention over to STEEL countertops.

You can reach us by email to tell us how YOU feel about steel - [email protected]. 

You can also reach us on Instagram - @counterprogrammingpod.

SEND US PICTURES OF YOUR COUNTERTOPS! WE’LL SHARE THEM ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIAS!

In this episode, we share what we're up to during isolation. Arielle and her roommates made brunch. She also got a mask from her friend, Rebekah. If you’re in the market for a mask, reach out to Rebekah on Instagram. Shira shares her feelings of anxiety regarding all things COVID. We then shoutout the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Shira and Arielle recently attended a Zoom call with their former colleagues. We discuss Passover during isolation. We encourage you to drink Bartentura during Passover. 

STEEL:
Steel is a hard, strong, gray or bluish-gray alloy of iron with carbon and usually other elements, used extensively as a structural and fabricating material.

Notable landmarks made of steel:

1. The Brooklyn Bridge
2. The Pittsburgh U.S. Steel Tower
3. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis
4. The Golden Gate Bridge
5. Taipei 101

Steel history from Oldhouseonline.com:

• Sheet metal was in many kitchens in the late 1800s
• Metal then went from sinks to countertops
• By the 1920s and 30s, monel came about, and it became popular for counters and cabinets
• Metal became enameled in many kitchens
• Steel is very impressionable and therefore an opportunity for artists
• In the 1950s, stainless steel replaced monel because it’s nearly indestructible

Benefits of a steel countertop:

• Great for cleanliness and getting rid of bacteria
• Non-porous 
• It’s a little more expensive than granite 
• Builds up patina (green or brown film that strengthens the structure)

Disadvantages of a steel countertop:

• It can show cuts and scratches over time
• It can dent easily
• Some people think it looks “cold”
• It’s a noisy material
• Fingerprints linger on steel, so it needs to be wiped down often

Would Shira and Arielle get steel in their future kitchens? UP IN THE AIR.

Come back next week as we explore another countertop. 

Thanks for tuning in! Leave us a review on Apple or a comment on Castbox.

Tweet at us. Here’s Shira. Here’s Arielle.

Thank you to Daniel Tureck, our engineer.

Thank you to Caio Slikta, our logo designer.

Our music is called Tennessee Hayride and it’s by Jason Shaw. 

Hey, Counties (that's our nickname for our fans)!

How are you doing? How’s that isolation going? We hope you’re healthy and safe. Welcome to our official episode 1 of Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle. Last week, we released our intro episode. It was a chance to get to know us and why we're doing this Corona-inspired podcast. As always, each episode of Counter Programming will focus on a counter of some sort. In this episode, we're starting our series on counter*tops.* Today, we cover MARBLE.

Find out how we *really* feel about marble countertops -- hint: it ain't lookin' good for marble.

You can reach us by email to tell us how YOU feel about marble - [email protected]. You can also reach us on Instagram - @counterprogrammingpod.

SEND US PICTURES OF YOUR COUNTERTOPS! WE’LL SHARE THEM ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIAS!

In this episode, we share what we're up to during isolation. Arielle made avocado bread (which is apparently a thing). Shira and her roommate, Jenna, made steak tacos using a muffin tin(!) and finished off their tequila. Of course, Tiger King has been on our minds.

Background facts on countertops:

1. The first countertops were made of stone and wood

2. Soapstone and slate were abundant in the Northeast so they were brought into the kitchen to be used for counters

3. Marble was initially used because pastry chefs liked rolling their dough on it

4. Metals such as stainless steel and nickel were used starting in the early 1900s and then became more popular

5. Stainless steel and laminate became popular in the 1940s

Thank you oldhouseweb.com for these facts!

Let's marble at marble:

It's a metamorphic rock that's commonly used for sculpture and as a building material. 

Notable Landmarks Made with Marble:

1. Taj Mahal

2. The Pantheon

3. The Washington Monument

4. The Supreme Court Building

5. The Parthenon (sort of - the foundation is limestone but the tiles are marble)

Benefits of a marble countertop:

- The look - it's beautiful, it's warm

- Marble has a "nice character"

- Each piece is unique

- It has elegant veining and a sophisticated appearance

Disadvantages of a marble countertop:

- It's a porous material

- It can stain

- It's soft so it can chip and scratch

- It's expensive (more expensive than wood, laminate, and tile)

- Low resistance to heat

Would Shira and Arielle get marble in their future kitchens? NO.

Come back next week as we explore another countertop. 

Thanks for tuning in! Leave us a review on Apple or a comment on Castbox.

Thank you to Daniel Tureck, our engineer.

Thank you to Caio Slikta, our logo designer.

Our music is called Tennessee Hayride and it’s by Jason Shaw. 

Welcome to Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle!

In this intro episode, meet Arielle and Shira, long-time friends who are embarking on a fun project during the time of Corona. The duo are offering Counter Programming to all of the hubbub surrounding COVID-19 in the form of episodes about counters. What kind of counters, you may ask?

Well:

 - Counter tops (marble, granite, steel)

 - Counter culture

 - Counters of calories, time...etc

 - SO. MUCH. MORE

This podcast is sure to be a mix of comedy and useless information shared in a fresh way with a lot of laughs.

Shira and Arielle met in 2015 at their first job post-college in Jackson, Mississippi (at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life). They lived down the street from one another. Now, they're separated by almost 50 states (Arielle in California and Shira in NY), but, in an effort to quell their respective anxiety, they wanted to take on a podcast during Corona.

Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle is a limited-run podcast series meant to bring you some levity in a time of heightened uncertainty.

Episodes will be published weekly and will feature counter programming of all sorts.

Tell us about your favorite counters, won't you please? You can reach us on Twitter:

Shira is at @shishimosk

Arielle at is @arithisandthat