May is over and summer is finally here! A few exciting things happened in May, but, unfortunately, I ended up sick for the majority of the month (which really makes it difficult to do much besides binge on Netflix and make soup). I’m finally on the mend though and ready to spend the next two months enjoying my time off. This month’s best things ever are:
Summer Reading
As soon as the school year starts winding down, I beginning reading as much as possible. I love to read, but do not always make as much time for it as I would like. During the summer, however, this changes dramatically. I become the “reading machine” (Sal’s phrase), and challenge myself to read as many books as I can. I finished the following books in May:
What Alice Forgot– Liane Moriarty
Daisy Jones and the Six– Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Proposal– Jasmine Guillory
My Squirrel Days– Ellie Kemper
Rich People Problems– Kevin Kwan
An American Marriage– Tayari Jones
Pet Sematary– Stephen King
You Can’t Touch my Hair– Phoebe Robinson
My Not So Perfect Life– Sophie Kinsella
Dolores Claiborne– Stephen King
I read a few books I’ve had on the shelf since Christmas (My Squirrel Days and Rich People Problems). I also took suggestions from Oprah (An American Marriage) and Reese Witherspoon (Daisy Jones and the Six and The Proposal). Finally, I chose books from authors I already know and like (Stephen King and Sophie Kinsella). I’m very happy with my progress, and hope to get through a dozen books in June.
Frozen Drinks
If you asked me if I like frozen drinks, I would say no. This month, however, I realized I’ve been lying about this. I’m coming clean now and embracing my secret shame. I. LOVE. FROZEN. DRINKS. And I especially love the frozen drinks at Peregrin. I ended up there three times in May. They served sweet and spicy frozen mint juleps on Derby Day, and I returned later in the month for the frozé. (I know frozé is like very 2018, but I don’t care).
This summer I’m going to embrace my love of frozen concoctions (Thanks, Jimmy Buffett). Be sure to follow my Instagram, @alittlesomethingmoreblog, to see all of my adventures with (and perhaps as a result of) frozen beverages.
Two New Cookbooks
This month Gina Homolka of Skinnytaste and Teri Turner of No Crumbs Left put out cookbooks.
These books are actually vastly different, but both speak to cooking philosophies I embrace. The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook offers 75 quick recipes for this year’s hottest kitchen gadget: the air fryer. I received an air fryer for Christmas and quickly became obsessed. It seems crazy, but this small appliance actually makes some recipes (chicken wings, for example) better than my Viking convection oven. While I’ve discovered you can pretty much make anything in the air fryer, I did find some new recipes in this book.
My favorites are:
- Breakfast Turkey Sausage
- Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
- Chicken Piccata
While Gina’s book offers quick and easy recipes, Teri Turner’s No Crumbs Left features the kind of soulful and fulfilling recipes Teri is known for. If you are not familiar with Teri and No Crumbs Left, you should familiarize yourself with her right away. She is an amazing cook, but also a very generous, passionate, and hard working woman. I say this like I know her personally. I don’t, but you can easily get to know her personality and food philosophy through her blog and Instagram. She is very active on Instagram (I’ve even messaged with her before about her heroine chicken), so it’s pretty easy to get to know her without ever meeting face to face.
Teri’s food philosophy revolves around making fresh, seasonal meals (aka “real food”) for those you love. She loves to cook for her friends, neighbors, partner, and children, and this passion is what sets her (and her food) apart.
The books has only been out a few weeks, but I have already made:
- Garlic Confit
- Shoreditch Chicken w/ Jerusalem Salad
- Mediterranean Chicken Artichoke Stew
- Southeast Asian Curry Chicken
The Curry Chicken was our favorite so far. The garlic confit tastes amazing over roasted broccolini or slathered on top of a steak. Teri is also known for beautiful salad platters and magic elixirs (sauces and condiments that are insanely good), and there are plenty of these in the book as well.
Teri’s cooking philosophy truly has had a profound effect on my cooking, so I truly cannot say enough good things about her and her new book.
I also have to thank my best friend Christina for (once again) introducing me to something I love. She first turned me on to Teri Turner. What can I say? She always knows all the best things.