Summer Reading

If it's one thing I plan on doing this weekend, it's getting back on track with my reading as I've been majorly slacking. It only took me forever to finish Relish and I haven't even touched the ones on my 25 before 25 yet. Summer reading in school days used to be the biggest pain, but now? I love nothing more than to relax and "escape" with a good book, whether I'm at the beach or in my backyard. Here are a few of the reads that will have me dusting off my Kindle (haven't used it in months!) and taking advantage of Amazon Prime.

Ask Wendy
Wendy Williams

The Wendy Williams Show comes on as I'm either finishing my workout or icing, and as a result, I always find myself getting sucked into her Hot Topics segment or whatever guest she may have on that day. Besides her love of DVF, one thing I love about Wendy Williams is the fact that she doesn't sugar coat things, something that is evident when she is giving advice in her "Ask Wendy" segment on the show. With the book covering everything from office etiquette to friend drama, I can't wait to read the A's Wendy has to these Q's. 

The Secretary
Kim Ghattas

I have a not-so-secret love of the Clinton family, and over the last few years I've enjoyed seeing Hillary Clinton go from First Lady, to Senator of NY, to Secretary of State. (And yes, I fan girl shrieked when I saw she joined Twitter this week...) The Secretary is a unique look at Clinton's role as Secretary of State and some of the 956,733 miles she traveled, as well as a journey of self discovery for author Kim Ghattas, as she gets a look at the country that played such a part in her childhood. 

La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language 
Dianne Hales

By now, it's probably obvious that I love Italy/the Italian language. La Bella Lingua has been on my to-read list for some time now, and since I've progressed recently with practice, I've fallen even more with the country and the language (if that's even possible). I can already tell La Bella Lingua will be my "escape" book, and have me dreaming of my next trip.

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible

Tim Gunn

Fashion books are some of my favorite reads, but so often they can be boring and redundant. Instead of "wear this, not that," Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible takes a look at "everything in your closet," and gives a brief history on it. Since I love a bit of fashion history and Tim Gunn, this one has "me" written all over it.

Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry
Elana Amsterdam

After reading about it on instagram, it was a recipe for Paleo bread that first brought me to Elana's Pantry a few months ago. Elana's site is filled with a ton of great gluten-free and Paleo recipes for everything from breads to cakes. After skimming the index (and seeing bagels!) Elana's newest cookbook is looking to be a quick favorite as well as my first Paleo cookbook!

I've shared mine, now it's your turn. What do you have on your to read list?

Relish

What is it about summer weekends that are so blissful? For me, this weekend was equal parts relaxing and productive filled with shopping, (too much, I will admit..and soon deny) running into old friends, and consuming yummy treats. I also attended a cooking demo by Daphne Oz at the Columbus Circle Williams-Sonoma, which was really exciting.

For the demo, Daphne made two recipes from her book Relish: a massaged kale salad with hemp seeds and Parmesan cheese, and her chili jam chicken. Both were as delicious as they appear in the book, but also required few ingredients, and very little time with both dishes ready in less than 30 minutes. Throughout the demo, Daphne chatted about her book, her love of food, what it's really like behind the scenes at The Chew (as hysterical/crazy as it appears on TV), and why she thinks it's so important that we take time to relish life. 

The trick to the massaged kale salad? "Manhandle it!"

The finished salad with a little red pepper thrown in and the most amazing vinaigrette ever. 

The demo was a lot of fun and Daphne was as sweet in person as she is on TV and in her book. Even though it took me a bit longer to get through than I anticipated, I guess you can say I relished Relish as it is filled with SO many great recipes and tips (and beautiful photos) like how to use PLU (price-look up) codes to find out how your produce is grown, how to decorate and entertain effortlessly, and what is essential in making the most out of all the relationships we encounter in life. Everything Daphne Oz presents in her book is doable, no matter what your age, income, skill level, etc. and best of all, Relish is all about finding your joy and happiness in every day, something that I am finally learning/allowing myself to do. If you are looking for a summer read that you will love way past summer, Relish is it. 

Isn't the weekend such a tough act to follow for Monday? (Yes, that was a reference to the Tony Awards...) What did you get in to this weekend?