Sloane Crosley (pictured below) is one of my favorite young authors/ girl crush.  I just adore her.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Sloane wrote a book I’m obsessed with: I Was Told There’d Be Cake.  If you haven’t read this book, you absolutely must!  She’s hysterical – in a very David Sedaris-manner.  It’s a excellent poolside book, too, because the essays are incredibly engaging and easy to get through so you can read-dip in the water-read-talk on the phone-read-dip again-read-check out lifeguards-read-drink a cocktail-read-FINISH w/o feeling like you are having trouble keeping track of what you’re reading.

If you’ve already read I Was Told and you are looking for some more of Sloane’s brilliance, you are IN LUCK b/c she’s recently released her new book, How Did You Get This Number.  I can’t wait to read it!  (Thanks for the heads up, Mindy, and many, many congrats on graduating from law school last week!  xx)

Here’s the Q+DD on How Did You Get This Number:

Nine thoughtful, unfussy essays by the author of the collection I Was Told There’d Be Cake navigate around illusions of youth in the hope that by young adulthood they’ll all add up to happiness.  The account of Crosley’s footloose adventure to Lisbon on the eve of her 30th birthday starts things off in rollicking fashion in Show Me on the Doll: without proficient language skills, getting hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of Bairro Alto, and panicking in front of the myriad QVC channels offered by her hotel, Crosley recognizes that Lisbon was a place with a painfully disproportionate self-reflection-to-experience ratio.  There is the requisite essay about moving to New York and replacing her anorexic-kleptomaniac roommate with a more acceptable living arrangement: in Crosley’s case, delineated in Take a Stab at It, she is interviewed by the creepily disembodied current occupier of a famous former brothel on the Bowery, McGurk’s Suicide Hall.  As well, Crosley delivers witty, syncopated takes on visiting Alaska and Paris, and finding much consolation from a two-timing heartbreak in New York by buying stolen items from her upholstery guy, Daryl, who found them fallen Off the Back of a Truck, as the delightful last selection is titled.  These essays are fresh, funny, and eager to be loved.  (Publisher’s Weekly)

If Sloane isn’t quite your cup of tea - I have something else for you from another one of my favorite Jewish funny ladies…Ms. Sarah Silverman, herself.

Caveat: I haven’t read it yet, but Amy told me that she absolutely cannot put it down.  Amy is brilliant.  She knows everything.  Trust Amy.

Here’s the Q+DD on The Bedwetter:

Demonstrating that her penchant for swearing began at an early age, comedian Silverman begins her hilarious memoir by describing how, at age three, she gleefully responded to her grandmother’s offer of brownies with shove ‘em up your tush.  Growing up in New Hampshire (where cows are well done and Jews are rare), Silverman naturally gravitated toward performing and moved to New York, where she attended and eventually dropped out of New York University to pursue a standup comedy career.  Mixing show business moments (she wrote for Saturday Night Live for one season, but none of her sketches made it past dress rehearsal) with stories of her childhood and adolescence (punctuated by a persistent bedwetting problem), Silverman never shies away from poking fun at her own expense.  Though she’s best known for sexually explicit jokes, Silverman is able to address more serious subjects in the book without losing her edge, particularly her teenage struggle with depression and that her often abrasive public persona allowed her to say what she didn’t mean, even preach the opposite of what she believed…. It was a funny way of being sincere.  (Publisher’s Weekly)

I can safely say that neither of these books will likely be nominated for a Pulitzer anytime soon, but they will certainly make you think, giggle + they are perfect for the beach/ pool. 

Enjoy! 

xx, L

Duh

…but I must admit, I have not even cracked our current assignment, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

As one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs says, “I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

Luckily, my book club ladies’ love is unconditional and they didn’t appear to judge me one bit when I managed not to read a single sentence of last month’s book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, even though I hosted the club at my condo.

Luckier still, the group is comprised of some pretty spectacular chefs! So while the girls were discussing Steig, I found myself face first in all their delicious offerings.

The Club and The Carnage

There wasn’t a bad dish on my coffee table that night, so I BEGGED the girls to send me their recipes ASAP so I could share them with you now…almost a whole month later. (please refer to the Burroughs quote above.)

Anyway, better late than never!

Buffalo Chicken Dip a la Jen DiLorenzo
1. Mix: One pound chicken (cooked and shredded) and one bottle of your favorite wing sauce and layer in your oven-safe serving dish (like a Pyrex)
2. Mix: one small bottle of Ranch dressing and two blocks of cream cheese
NOTE: It mixes best if you warm the cream cheese in the microwave (be careful not to overheat!)
3.  Layer cream cheese/ranch mixture over chicken mixture
4.  Cover with shredded cheese (Jen likes Monterrey Jack).
5.  Bake at 350 until cheese is melted…and serve!

Avocado and Serrano Salsa a la Ellen Terchila
Ingredients:
1/2 Cucumber, diced
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 Lime

In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients.  Toss well.  Gently stir in the salt, pepper, and lime juice (take care not to let avocado get mushy!)
Serve immediately or cover and put in fridge for up to 1 day.  Return to room temp before serving.

BONUS: Ellen notes,  “I learned that this also makes a fabulous “day after” sandwich by toasting two pieces of whole grain bread, scooping on a delicious helping of the salsa, and a slice of Havarti cheese…just saying.” (You are so adorable, E)

Last but not least…

Spicy Corn + Cheese Dip a la Shanon Perry

Ingredients:
1 bar of cream cheese
1 4-5 oz package of goat cheese (S likes to get the kind that has the seasoning in it, but get what you like)
4 cups of sharp white cheddar cheese
2 regular sized cans of white corn kernels (drained)
5 fresh jalapenos – remove the ribs and the seeds, then dice into small pieces (you can obviously adjust this to your own palette)
3-4 scallions – finely chopped
S says that the following ingredients are estimates…she just likes to add and taste as she goes and suggests you do the same.
2 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp of Mexican Chili Powder

Add cheeses and corn to an oven/microwave proof bowl. Warm in the microwave for about 2 minutes to soften the cheeses.  Stir in remaining ingredients, but keep aside enough cheddar to sprinkle over the top of the mixture.  Once you’ve sprinkled the rest of the cheddar over the top of the mixture, then put the bowl back in the microwave for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted on top and the mixture is heated through – OR – you can place the bowl in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so.

Serve each of these with your favorite chip…pita chips or Fritos scoops have been tried and were proven to be a success!

I can’t tell you which was my favorite…they were ALL delicious! It’s always good to have a good go-to dip, so next time you have to bring an app or a side, try one of these!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta dip! (couldn’t resist.)

xx, L

For June, book club decided to move on to The Help.  I just got it in the mail today, and it is kind of a beast – but I’m really looking forward to reading it.  I’ve heard it’s a bit like the Million Little Pieces of 2010.  (Not in the storyline, of course, but the fact that everyone is reading it poolside.)

Here’s the Q+DD on The Help:

The Help is a 2009 novel by American author, Kathryn Stockett.  It is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s.  The novel is told from the perspective of three characters: Aibileen, a middle aged African American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny, an African American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family’s struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Skeeter, a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared.  These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around “the help;” yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.  The novel is Stockett’s debut.  It took her five years to complete the book, which was rejected by at least 45 literary agents.  The Help has since been published in 35 countries and in three languages.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Simultaneously, I’m reading Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Jhumpa Lahiri’s, latest book, Unaccustomed Earth.  She is my one of my favorite authors, and I’m absolutely tearing through UE!  If you liked Interpreter of Maladies, you will love UE.

Here’s the Q+DD on Unaccustomed Earth:

After Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Unaccustomed Earth is her second collection of short stories.  Much like her other books, Unaccustomed Earth is also a reflection of life with two separate cultures, and how people cope with one and the other.  It made number one on the New York Times Book Review list of “10 Best Books of 2008″ as chosen by the paper’s editors. (www.wikipedia.com)

She’s so pretty, too…

you are brilliant.

AND, without further adieu, here’s a picture of our adorable book club:

nerds

Happy reading! 

xx, L

Lately, I’ve been reading memoirs - all of which have focused on childhood trauma, dysfunctional families and serious personal struggles.  I think these stories are of particular interest to me as I had the good fortune of growing up in a relatively uneventful, suburban North Dallas neighborhood with a pretty functional family.  By comparison, my childhood was boring, but these books make me realize how truly lucky I am. 

A girl in my book club caught wind of my memoir kick and recommended that I read Driving with Dead People.  I finished it in three days flat – which is very fast for me.  If you are into memoirs or enjoy books that aren’t rainbows, butterflies and sunshine, I suggest you check out this one.

Here’s the Q+DD on Driving with Dead People:

Small wonder that, at nine years old, Monica Holloway develops a fascination with the local funeral home.  With a father who drives his Ford pickup with a Kodak movie camera sitting shotgun just in case he sees an accident, and whose home movies feature more footage of disasters than of his children, Monica is primed to become a morbid child.

Yet in spite of her father’s bouts of violence and abuse, her mother’s selfishness and prim denial, and her siblings’ personal battles and betrayals, Monica never succumbs to despair.  Instead, she forges her own way, thriving at school and becoming fast friends with Julie Kilner, whose father is the town mortician.

She and Julie preferred the casket showroom to the parks and grassy backyards in her hometown of Elk Grove, Ohio, where they would take turns lying in their favorite coffins.  In time, Monica and Julie get a job driving the company hearse to pick up bodies at the airport, yet even Monica’s growing independence can’t protect her from her parents’ irresponsibility, and from the feeling that she simply does not deserve to be safe.  Little does she know, as she finally strikes out on her own, that her parents’ biggest betrayal has yet to be revealed.

Throughout this remarkable memoir of her dysfunctional, eccentric, and wholly unforgettable family, Monica Holloway’s prose shines with humor, clear-eyed grace, and an uncommon sense of resilience.  Driving with Dead People is an extraordinary tale with a wonderfully observant and resourceful heroine – a story all the more astonishing for being true.

It was very heavy, but it’s a pretty incredible story – and a fast read. 

Lauren + I are starting this one now… 

It’s over 500 pages, so hopefully that will keep me busy through my trip to Puerto Rico next week!

xx, L

Rumor has it that Turner Field oversold their “standing room only” tickets and ultimately had to turn away folks.  I bet there were a number of upset suburbanites who fought Atlanta traffic in hopes of seeing the Braves blowout.  Guess they didn’t expect the weather to be as gorgeous as it’s been over the past week…  Whatever the case, I didn’t attend the game nor did I watch it on TV.  Instead, I spent the evening w/ David Sedaris and finished up his latest book.

brilliant.

I may not have been interested in the game last night, but I AM VERY interested in a new food item @ Turner Field: “The Hammer.” 

namesake

In honor of baseball legend Hank Aaron, the hammer is a southern fried chicken breast sandwich on toasted waffles w/ apple-smoked bacon, fried onions, pepper jack cheese and pecan maple mayonnaise. 

only in Atlanta...

Ummmmm amazing!!  Sounds messy + absolutely delightful!  (Food like this makes me fall in love with Atlanta all over again.)  Did anyone get one??  I’m dying to know what people thought about it.

Someone needs to submit it ASAP: http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Go Braves!

xx, L

love!

One show is at 5:00 p.m. and there’s another at 8:00 p.m.  (With the way this woman takes down Belvedere Vodka, the 8:00 p.m. show is sure to be memorable…)  Tickets start around $80ish.  That’s old news, though…

absolutely brilliant

What I’m really excited about is a recently announced book signing Chels is having @ Outwrite Bookstore + Coffeehouse on Sunday, March 28 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.!!  As a frequent viewer of Chelsea Lately + proud owner of all three of her hilarious books, My Horizontal Life + Hello Vodka It’s Me, Chelsea + Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (my book club’s book of the month) – I can’t wait to pawn off these babies to some kind soul willing to stand in line to get Ms. Handler’s famous John Hancock all over them.  (I have a conflicting wedding shower…)

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet this comedic genius!! 

FYI:  I showed up three hours early to get Amy Sedaris’ signature before her show in Atlanta and I wasn’t even close to the front of the line when she had to stop signing.  I’d suggest getting in line really early!  Outwrite is on the corner of 10th Street + Piedmont in Midtown. 

*Desperate Plea: With big, looming trips to Austin, Puerto Rico and upstate New York on the horizon, I needed to draw the excessive spending line somewhere.  So, sadly, I will not be attending Ms. Handler’s show.  However, if you’ve recently planted a money tree and would like a companion on the 28th – I can be that girl!  I can.  I’m that nice!  Just something to keep in mind…

If any of you are going to the show or happen to meet Chels – I want to hear e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.!

xx, L

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on 03/02/04!

Throughout my whole life, I have ALWAYS been a big Dr. Seuss fan, I’m sure we all were at one point or another, right?  I mean, whose childhood didn’t include The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, or Green Eggs and Ham?

Usual Suspect.

Sidebar: remember when Season 5 Top Chef contender Carla made Green Eggs and Ham during a quickfire challenge?

Don’t you think she kinda looks a little like a resident of Whoville?:

Coincidence? I think not...

Hootie-hoo, Carla! (I love you.)

I digress.

As I was saying, somehow Dr. Seuss always finds his way into my life at every stage. Some of my earliest memories are of my superawesome dad making up tunes to the silly songs in The Cat in the Hat Songbook…

Plinker Plunker!

…and as a suddenly environmentally-conscious 5th grader, I wrote what I considered to be a very moving paper on The Lorax.  Sometimes, riiiiight around wine-time, DK will dig it up to embarrass the heck out of me.

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues!"

The Good Doctor Seuss even followed me to college when DK gave me a copy of Oh, The Places You’ll Go as I settled into my dorm room at the University of Texas.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

Oh, and let’s not forget about Seussical the Musical (!!!) which opened on Broadway in 2000!  (…just to be sure that eeeeeeeevery last one of my tender little heartstrings were played upon…)

"Just tell yourself, duckie, you're really quite lucky!"

Then, when I moved to NYC myself, I met a wonderful guy named Andrew who educated me on the lost art of Dr. Seuss:

From www.drseussart.com: “Dr. Seuss single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the Surrealist Movement of the early 20th Century and the inspired nonsense of a precocious child’s classroom doodles.”

Andrew had a truly mesmerizing (not to mention enormous) landscape painting in his apartment and I came to learn that Seuss not only worked in illustrations and paint, but also bronze sculpture and “unorthodox taxidermy”

Even now, as a full-fledged adult (scary.), I often find myself considering the wise words of Dr. Seuss.  Check it:

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.”

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

And finally, my favorite (my sister’s favorite too):

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Bringing it all full-circle for me, next Saturday my very, very dear friends Jess and Adam will be celebrating the first birthday of THE MOST ADORABLE CHILDREN EVER, otherwise known as their kids, my pseudo niece and nephew, Eli and Alexa, with a Seuss-themed birthday party…where the twin guests of honor will appear as Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Precious!

But if you’d like to have your OWN Seuss celebration, you’re in luck.  On SUNDAY, MARCH 21st the Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, will be hosting a “Seussian” Birthday Party in conjunction with their fascinating exhibition, “Dr. Seuss Goes to War…and More!”, a collection of Ted Grisel’s WWII political cartoons.

showing now through 08/31/10

Click here for details.

So, HAPPY 106th BIRTHDAY, Dr. Seuss… from the Q+DD!

oh, and happy 1st birthday, A + E! Aunt LK loves you!

Oh, the places you'll go!

xx, L

After dinner club@ Cari’s last night, which was predictably delicious, I stayed up really, really late to finish my book club’s book of the month, The Glass Castle.

I just couldn’t put it down; I absolutely had to finish it – regardless of how astonishingly late I had to stay up to do it…

Here’s the Q+DD on The Glass Castle:

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation.  Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children.  In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains.  Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly.  Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.”  Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town — and the family — Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape.  He drank.  He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days.  As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so amazing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity.  Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots.  Now she tells her own story.  A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.  (www.barnesandnoble.com)

The Glass Castle stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks and is now under development as a film by Paramount.   By late 2007, The Glass Castle had sold over 1.5 million copies, had been translated into 16 languages, and received the Christopher Award, the American Library Association’s Alex Award (2006) and the Books for Better Living Award.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Water for Elephants still holds down my 2010 #1 spot, but TGC is a very close runner-up.  (WfE really had me pondering what the zebra running around downtown Atlanta last week must have been thinking…)

The Glass Castle is under 300 pages,a selling point for some, and it’s a story that is definitely worth reading.  In fact, it’s really hard to believe that it’s someone’s memoir.  I encourage you all to put it on your book list ASAP!

Good luck finishing it soon, LK!  Book club will be here before you know it… 

xx, L

Maybe I’ll give it another read this weekend, before I start my new Book Club on Tuesday. (We have a very strict “Chick Lit Only” policy.) Maybe you’ll do the same…

However, if you have a personal “Chick Lit Only” rule, may I suggest:

“Prep” by Curtis Sittenfield

When it was released in 2005, I was working at a VERY preppy store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and all of my coworkers were reading it, so I bought it mainly to keep up with the water cooler jib jab. But at the time, it was touted as the female version of “A Catcher in the Rye.” For the record, I definitely wouldn’t go that far. However, it is a really beautifully written coming-of-age story about an awkward 14-year-old girl who goes away to boarding school. Now, the protagonist, Lee Fiora, is no Holden, but it’s a solid read and might be a good light alternative.

But you know…there’s nothing like the real thing, baby.

xx, L

When I switched careers a few years ago, I became good friends with a colleague who had previously participated in the Teach for America program in Atlanta.  Her stories absolutely blew my mind, particularly regarding how many of her students could not read.  Public schools were just fine in North Dallas – I had no idea how terrible some of them are here and throughout neighboring states.  It was truly shocking to hear her speak about her classroom experiences at a local Fulton County elementary school.

I was motivated to do something, but my career path could not be any further away from education.  Since literacy has always been a hot button issue for me, I was thrilled to hear that I could volunteer through my company for the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch Reading Program at a local elementary school near the Georgia Dome.  I’ve now been a Reading Mentor for third graders for three years running.  I think Everybody Wins! is an excellent organization with an important mission – and more people should know about it.  So, here we go…  

Here’s the Q+DD on Everybody Wins!:

Everybody Wins! Atlanta, a local affiliate of the Everybody Wins! national non-profit organization (find a program in your city: http://bit.ly/4lrsV6), is dedicated to promoting children’s literacy through shared reading experiences with caring individuals.  Their mission is to reach students while they are young, stimulate a love for reading and develop the reading skills needed to succeed in school and in life.  Studies have shown that the single most important activity required for building eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.  Everybody Wins! Power Lunch pairs students who are at-risk for academic failure with volunteers from businesses and organizations to read together one-on-one each week during the school year.  Simply reading with the same student all year, a child experiences the joy of reading, as well as the remarkable benefits of sustained, individual attention by a caring adult.  These lunchtime experiences are proven to improve children’s attitudes toward and interest in reading.

The program operates in Title 1 schools at no cost to participating schools and students.  EW! recruits and trains volunteers to be Power Lunch Reading Mentors and manages program administration.  Everybody Wins! Atlanta seeks to serve a geographically, culturally and socio-economically diverse population, but primarily targets at-risk children whose needs are the greatest.  

What Is Power Lunch?

Power Lunch is a lunchtime literacy and mentoring program in which elementary school students are matched one-on-one with caring volunteers.  Volunteer mentors promote reading for pleasure by reading aloud with the students and providing positive support and encouragement as an informal mentor.

Primary Objectives of Power Lunch Are:

- Improve student’s interest in and attitudes toward reading.
- Advance their reading-related skills (e.g. vocabulary, listening and comprehension).
- Expand children’s opportunities for academic success.
- Build children’s self-esteem and confidence.

By engaging volunteers in this simple activity, Everybody Wins! Atlanta helps bridge the literacy gap one mentor, one child, one book at a time.

How Power Lunch Works:

- Once a week (or every other week if two people volunteer as a team), volunteers travel to a nearby elementary school, are welcomed by an EW! staff School Coordinator and meet their students in a designated area.
- Students and Reading Mentors then choose a book from the EW! book cart and go to a specified reading area.
- Volunteers commit to Power Lunch for one school year, with the program starting at the end of September and ending the first week of May. 
- Students are identified by their teachers based on academic performance, English spoken as a second languahe or someone who could benefit from a positive, consistent mentoring experience.

How Do I Get Started?

- Visit the www.everybodywins.org website to check a list of participating companies to see if your organization is already a partner.  If it is, you simply complete a Reading Partner Application online and send it in.  EW! will quickly match you with a student.
- If your organization is not listed, let the EW! team know.  You can help introduce your organization to Everybody Wins!  They will respond quickly to help make Power Lunch a part of your week.
- Power Lunch volunteers attend an Orientation Session, usually held at the beginning of the new school year in the fall.  These orientations supply you with the training and information that you need to get started as a Reading Mentor.  From there, you will be matched with a student and your Power Lunch experience begins.

If you are looking for a mentoring or volunteer opportunity, I strongly suggest getting involved with Everybody Wins!  Please contact Terri Beck, Executive Director, at 404.943.0404 or tbeck@everybodywinsatlanta.org for more information.

As Princeton says in Avenue Q, “helping other people out makes you feel FANTASTIC!”

xx, L