Weekend Reading

i'm not sure if anybody remembers, but way back here....i said i was going to read at least one book a month and report back. well i was really good about it here, here, here and here.

and then, well, i don't know what happened. i kept reading. i promise i did. i just wasn't so great on the "here's what i'm reading now" posts.

but i made a little trip to powell's recently to make up for it. (side note: if you live in portland, have been to portland or have even heard of our little city portland, and you're a book lover, you know exactly what powell's is and you love it).

i picked up six books in a single trip for a whopping $19 (winning!) and because i purchased more than five books, they threw in a cute little bag for free (double win!).

so, needless to say, in between running errands, drinks with the husband, and a friend's bbq (yes we PNWers bbq in November and no we're not crazy) i did a lot of this, this weekend.

hope everyone's weekend was as fun and relaxing as mine!

At Home Spa Weekend and a Delicious Chai Latte

husband and i had a pretty stressful week last week. everyone has them. this one just came out of nowhere and took us both by surprise. we ended up canceling a planned trip back to spokane and instead decided to do a little at-home r-and-r.

i created a spa weekend itinerary complete with yoga, long walks, pedicures, massages, books and healthy meals we cooked together to help us get back on track. the best part...since it was an "at-home" spa weekend, the only money we spent was on groceries and supplies we needed to make it feel as "spa-like" as possible.

it was awesome.

husband and i split up being in charge of the meals, each taking on one breakfast and one dinner. as you may have guessed, i needed a little outside inspiration from some of my favorite blogs out there. i kept it simple for breakfast...a little granola, yogurt and some fresh fruit but then for dinner, got inspiration from one of my favorites, deb over at Smitten Kitchen and made her cold rice noodles with peanut lime chicken. so good! i didn't take any pictures, but click on the link for the recipe and her  beautiful photos!

on saturday we made sure to get porter some r-and-r too. we filled him with doggy treats and lots of excercise at the dog park and long walks around our "neighborhood" (aka apartment complex).

instead of going out for coffee on sunday morning, i found the best recipe over at sprouted kitchen for a spicy chai latte. this was amazing and so simple to make. and while her husband, hugh's photos are way better than mine, here are some photos of the process.

get the recipe and check out the beautiful photography over at Sprouted Kitchen!

In the Woods

Anybody up for a little murder mystery this May? 

Yes!

Good, because I am!

May's Book of the Month is In the Woods by Tana French. 

I'm hoping that this book is as good as last months...

Because, I loved The Birth of Venus and would recommend that book to anyone and everyone. 

Seriously. 

Go read it now. 

Thanks Amy for a great recommendation!!

A little side note...

I know that my food blog has been a lot less about food and a lot more about life, but with husband away, and only me to cook for, it seemed a little silly to make fancy schmanzy dinners just for me. 

So basically, I've been eating a lot of scrambled eggs over here, which is not exactly blog-worthy. 

Don't worry...

Husband is officially back for good tomorrow so the cooking will start right back up again!

Happy Wednesday folks!

The Birth of Venus

Is April's Book of the Month! 

The Birth of Venus is by Sarah Dunant which means this is a whole new author for me. 

It's set back in time, during the Renaissance in Florence, and is about a young girl who is swept up by a young artist who comes to work for her father, a rich merchant. Her Parents have other plans for her, though and have arranged for her to be married off to a much older man. The story follows her as she searches for her place in world that is quickly changing around her. 

History, Love, Art, Drama...I'm so excited!

I have this on loan from my friend, Amy and I'm pretty excited to read it. 

She has done nothing but rave about this book, and I think she told me she's read it about 10 times, which must say something about it, right?

I'm also hoping this book redeems March's Book of the Month. 

For those of you who remember, I read Aleph, by Paulo Coelho...who is one of my all time favorite authors, but I have to say, I wasn't a big fan of this book. 

Normally I can't put his books down, and this last one I really struggled to finish. 

What are you reading?

Aleph

I've finished Julia Child's My Life in France, and, as predicted it's only made me want to visit Paris even more than I did before. 

I loved reading about her life, her adventures learning how to cook at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and her life with love, Paul. I also, couldn't help but read each line in her cheerful peppy voice, (think Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia). 

It was good. Really really good. 

That being said, I'm so excited for my March "Book of the Month." Paulo Coelho is by far, my favorite author of all time. Husband and I love all of his books. If you're ever looking for a great book to read, pick up anything by him, and I promise, you won't be let down. 

The upcoming book for March is Aleph. It's a story about self-discovery. The main character sets off on an adventure in hopes of re-discovering his faith. So many of Paulo Coelho's books are about self-reflection and discovery and ultimately tell a great moral story. 

I can't wait to tell you all about this book when I'm done. 

And if you want to read along with me, grab your book and a nice big glass of wine and settle in. :)

Find my previous "Book of the Month" books here and here. 

My Life in France...

Is my book for February! 

One month down on my "Read at least one book a month" 30 before 30 checklist. I'm so excited for this next book. Why? Well, it has been my dream to go to Paris. I've been to the south of France, but never Paris, and husband and I are planning a trip for this fall! (I can't stop smiling just thinking about it!)

I also, it seems, LOVE to cook. (If the blog wasn't a clue, I don't know what else would be ;)) I want Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook, so badly and I just never seem to stop and buy it. (Maybe I need to add buying that to my "30 Before 30" list...hmmmmm) I also LOVE the move, Julie and Julia (I know I'm a dork). But I have a feeling after reading this book, I'm going to want to watch that movie again!!

iFoodagraphy

Here it is...January's iFoodagraphy post. There were some pretty good eats this month that I'm super excited to share with you! 

First, there was a New Year's Eve dinner at Noble Rot. Simply put, it was AMAZING. I had the butternut squash grilled panini. Mouthwatering good. And the perfect way to end 2012 and ring in 2013. 

(Sorry this picture is a little dark!)

Sweet Potato Foccacia Bread with Garlic & Thyme

Does anybody else out there have a case of the Mondays? I feel like that happens to me every Monday. But really, how can it not? In my "professional" opinion, weekends are just too short, go by too fast, and before you know it, you blink and it's Monday. Bleck! 

Happy MLK Day!

Happy Monday! 

I hope everyone had a fun long weekend, thanks to Martin Luther King Day! I know I did (and still am). 

My weekend started off a little like this:

Nothing Goes Better Together...

Than a nice glass of wine and a good book!

Unfortunately, one of my new year's resolutions was to only drink on holidays. I figured there's probably at least one legitimate a holiday each month worth celebrating, which would allow my body to detox and hopefully lose some extra poundage I've gained in recent months.I gained the marriage 15! YIKES!

But, more importantly, another one of my New Year's Resolutions was to read at least one book a month. I love reading. I used to be (used to being the key thing here) be quite the avid reader, but with work, and life and TV and the internet and everything in between, books got lost. So, I'm starting fresh, and my goal is to read at least one good book a month.

Which mean, lucky for you guys, I'm going to share what I'm reading each month! Maybe it will give you a good book suggestion, maybe you'll see what I like to read and send me some suggestions. I'm all ears!

This month, I'm pretty excited to start this book my friend Morgan shared with me. It's Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn...I'm starting it tonight, so I'll let you know how it is!

If you have suggestions, send them my way and if you've read the book, don't spill the beans!