Royal Reading

Is anybody else as geekishly excited about the upcoming royal nuptuals as I am? What a cute couple William and Kate make! And growing up with a diehard Princess Diana fan of a mother, I too have always found myself intrigued by the royal family.

Lucky me, I was given William and Kate: A Royal Love Story as a birthday present and am loving getting the back story of their relationship-you know, more than the shallow layer I get from my weekly People magazine updates. I'm only about halfway through this book, but I would already recommend it to anyone interested in the details of how the Prince and his lovely bride-to-be fell in love! It is a truly sweet story!

ps~ mark your calanders-April 29th!

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Nesting

Nesting: It's a Chic Thing

by Ame Mahler Beanland & Emily Miles Terry

Last night I decided to do some reading before bed and picked up this little read. I purchased it on a whim at Goodwill several months ago-it was one of those "I'm at the checkout stand but this looks cute" buys. And I am very glad I did, because even though it's taken me a while to finally skim its pages, it was well worth the $1 I paid!

It's pages are beaming with real, honest-to-goodness advice about nesting and making your home an inviting haven for loved ones. I already love it and I'm only on part 2!

Being a new homeowner and wanting desperately to make my home feel just as cozy and inviting as our little apartment was, I am struggling with enjoying the process of "putting together". But last night I had a moment of calm, reminding myself that the process is never really ending and the journey is the fun part! Below is a little tidbit from the book that I really loved:

"Interesting houses, like interesting people, evolve, so take your time and enjoy the process. Keep building your room off the special things you've chosen, the palette you've established, and the personal style you're developing. Never try to do a whole house at once. And remember that in decorating, as in life, the rules are meant to be broken."

So there it is, my new motto:) I have given up any anxiety I may have had over not knowing what I want to do with several rooms in my house and instead, will enjoy the process of feathering our new nest!

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Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Even with the little free time I have to read for fun, I finished this book in two days flat. I could not bring myself to put it down, meaning everytime Chris picked me up from work (remember we are carpooling right now), between clients, at lunch, before bed, I was reading this book. Aside from being a quick read (which I can definitely appreciate!), it was truly captivating!

You should know, it is written in the perspective of Enzo, the family dog. Sounds a tad unconventional, but it begs the question, "What do my dogs really think?" and "How much do they really understand about what's goin on?". If you are a dog person, you will find it hilarious, intriguing and maybe even a little embarrasing when you contemplate all your pets have seen (or heard) you do!

I would conclude that the story is a beautiful depiction of learning to rise above the countless challenges we face in life with humility and grace. I highly recommend!

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Book Review: My Life in France

This weekend I finished My Life in France, the memoirs of Julia Child and am truly mesmerized by the woman! Her love for all things French, her appreciation for truly amazing food and most of all, her genuine curiosity to learn everything about the wonderful world of cooking make her the lovable French chef we've all come to know and love.

As I read this telling story about Julia's life, I could almost hear her robust and infectious voice jumping off the pages. I would highly recommend this lovely read to anyone who has the faintest affection toward food! I'll leave you with a piece of advice from the master cook herself:

"Learn how to cook-try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!"

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Feeding the Tummy and the Mind

What happens when you combine two perfectly succulent salmon steaks with some Asian-inspired ingredients? You create a wonderfully simple and healthy meal, of course!

We were given this delicious salmon on Monday by Chris' grandpa who just got back from a fishing trip. Yep, he caught it himself!




For this oh-so-simple dinner I didn't fuss with complicated ingredients. I just used some pantry staples.

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine the following ingredients~

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2-3 gloves chopped garlic
2 tsp sesame seeds
a dash of crushed red pepper
a dribble of chile oil (optional)

Place steaks (4 oz. each) in an oven safe dish, then pour the mixture over the fish. Cover the dish with a lid (or aluminum foil in you don't have a lid). Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Voila!

I served this with a side salad and couscous.

I tried to keep the rest of the meal simple since the main course had so much flavor and garlicky bite!

Lately, I have had so many books on my "to-read list", but I can never find the time to get them all read, let alone the concentration to finish one book before I begin another! My goal for the rest of the year is to get all of them read. We'll see:) I have currently just begun Blue Like Jazz (which I read a few years ago and really enjoyed). Also on my nightstand is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book I started several times in college but failed to finish. A few others on my list include: Those Who Save Us, Undomestic Goddess (which I am halfway through), Julia Childs autobiography and I would like to get in Redeeming Love this year (one of my all-time favorites that I like to read at least once a year). I would also like to track down A Severe Mercy because I have heard raving reviews about it from several friends. The list may seem hefty, but I have a plan...I'm trying the whole, read before I go to bed thing and it's been pretty successful so far:)

Got any other reading suggestions I can add to my constantly growing list?