You're listening to Burnt Toast! We are Virginia Sole-Smith and Corinne Fay.

And it's time for the episode we look forward to all year long—ever since we made it a tradition exactly one year ago!

It is time for... The Year In Butters, where we look back at everything we've recommended in the past year and tell you what's still buttery and what has...gone rancid.

If you're new here: Butter is what we call the recommendation segment at the end of every episode. It might be a new favorite food, a great book, an experience, or a state of mind. But since we give recs every week, some Butters stand the test of time more than others!

Find out if we still love...

🧈 Tracking Virginia's hydration?

🧈 Corinne's new shower head?

🧈 The $16 sundress Virginia bought last summer!

🧈 And so many more!

To get the full schmear, you’ll need to be a paid Burnt Toast subscriber. Membership starts at just $5 per month and is the best way to support our work! (Just want the Butter, no strings attached? Buy this episode for just $4.)

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Episode 224 Transcript

Corinne

Well our big realization when we did this last year was that a lot of things we had recommended, like clothes, hadn't stood the test of time.

Virginia

They sure did not. We took a real hard look at my fast fashion problem. And I think I've made some real progress on that front, so I'm excited. I think a lot of our Butters held up pretty well this year...but we'll see.

Corinne

Yeah, when I was compiling this I could tell that we were having a reaction to the clothes recommendation thing, because I think there is maybe, like, one this year.

Virginia

Well, it is a lot to think of a Butter all the time! When I invented this segment, I did not know what I was doing. 

Podcast guests always get very nervous about the Butter. (We're not going to go over the guests’ Butters, by the way. These are just the Butters that Corinne and I have recommended together on our episodes, or we'd be here all day.) It is a lot of effort every week thinking of a Butter. I try really hard to think of something that's a little quirky and random, and not necessarily something you have to buy, though sometimes they are things you could buy.

What are your criteria for a good Butter?

Corinne

Well, I think we have both found that if you don't think about it a little bit in advance, and then when you're on the spot, everything you've ever liked just falls out of your brain.

Virginia

Yes, then you don't like anything. Nothing is good.

Corinne

This year, for 2025, I really leaned into food and media Butters. I was basically recommending whatever I was enjoying making for dinner or a snack, or what I was watching or reading.

Virginia

I do think those are the best butters. Although I always enjoy it when we have a wild card. My favorite ever Burnt Toast Butter probably still is your sun face shield, which was one of the very first Butters you ever buttered. It was so out of the box and delightful to me.

Corinne

That one really did not stand the test of time.

Virginia

I know. I guess for me—as much as I think it's valuable for us to look at what Butters hold up—sometimes a Butter is just a moment in time. Not all Butters are lifetime Butters. Some Butters are more fleeting. They're like the the sand art and, you know, that's fine.

Corinne

Maybe in 2026 we should try to have more wackadoo butters.

Virginia

I would definitely be here for that.

Okay, should we jump in and go back and forth?

Corinne

My first Butter of last year was the Connally Goods denim chore jacket, which is named after me. My last name, Fay.

Virginia

So obviously a great Butter right there. 

Corinne

I stand by this one.

Virginia

For you to back away from a denim chore coat would be breaking news. 

Corinne

They actually just came out with a brown version that has blue stitching, and I ordered that.

Virginia

So, you are doubling down on this Butter. You're going to be a Double Butter on the denim chore coat.

Corinne

I think that is my only clothing one of the entire year.

Virginia

Well, and Connally Goods is not fast fashion, right? It's company we feel great about supporting. A good slow fashion brand.

And my Butter from that episode was the brownies you sent me for Christmas last year from Vesta Chocolate.

And I'm going to say, Yeah, that one holds up. I mean, I haven't had them since, but this is making me be like, ooh, who do I want to send those to? Maybe myself?

Corinne

I think it's hard for brownies to not hold up.

Virginia

That's going to be an evergreen Butter in the Burnt Toast universe.

Okay, your next one was the TV show Bad Sisters.

Corinne

Good one. I still like that show. 

Virginia

I still haven't watched the second season. The first season was amazing.

Corinne

Yeah, can't say I've re watched it, but.

Virginia

It's a great clothes show.

Corinne

Yes, and I love Sharon Horgan.

Okay, yours was Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.

Virginia

This is a good Butter and if you don't have that card game, and you regularly play card games, especially with kids, I recommend it. It's great if you have younger kids who aren't as good at harder card games—they can do well at it. 

We haven't been playing it as much recently, but I'm not getting rid of it. I think we've just cycled into other games for the moment? But it's a good one to have on hand if you have a crowd of people you're trying to get united in some way. This is a good crowd pleaser. 

Corinne

Yeah, that sounds fun. I feel like sometimes when you play a game a lot it gets too easy.

Virginia

You can get expansion packs that make it harder, and we do have some of those, but we just kind of maxed out on it for a minute. I could see that come back around.

Okay, I've completely forgotten what your next one is. This outline just says the word Anora and I don't know what that is.

Corinne

That's crazy, because it was a movie that came out at the very end of 2024 and won a bunch of awards.

Virginia

Oh yes! And it had what's her face from Better Things in it?

Corinne

Yes. Mikey Madison. I stand by that. I thought that was a really good movie.

Virginia

I have not seen it, but I love Mikey Madison in Better Things, which I believe was another Butter of mine last year. So, yes, great.

Corinne

Your next one was shearling, big buckle, Birkenstock clogs.

Virginia

On my feet right now. Absolute lifetime Butter, these clogs. 

I think I'm on my third pair? I've been wearing them eight years probably. They do wear out. I wish they lasted a little longer. Shearling often starts to kind of go bald on you. But they are my forever house shoes in cold weather, and they make me so happy.

Corinne

That sounds really comfy. 
Virginia

I've still never bought Birkenstock clogs for outside of the house wear. but they're great slippers. If you're someone who works from home, invest in your slippers. Your feet are important.

Okay, your next one is the book The Safekeep.

Corinne

That was one of the best books I read this year.

Virginia

I co-sign. I read it on your recommendation. My whole book club loved it. And we do not always agree on books. We don't always have the same taste, and we were all uniformly obsessed with that book. 

And then my mom's book club read it, and they were more mixed.

Corinne

Ooh, interesting. 

Virginia

I think it was a little spicy for them? But I think I like that for them. My mom loved it. She got it.

Corinne

That was one of those books I read, and then was just trying to get everyone I know to read it.

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