A New Month, A New Me
This month has flown by for me. Work has been good-busy, life has been awesome-busy, and the whole month has been full of love and sunshine and kitty snuggles so this week's ANM totally snuck up on me! I'm gearing up for my annual "No Boys Allowed" camping trip this weekend. Fingers firmly crossed we don't get pouring rain!
Without further ado, let's get to it.
TV show I'm full addicted to: Suits (USA on Amazon Prime)
I know, guys...I know. This is not prestige TV, it's not going to change your life, and I am embarrassed to admit how much I've watched in the last two months. However, I can't help how compelling the characters are and I'm a sucker for shiny beautiful people marching around in suits saying important-sounding things (don't worry West Wing, you'll always be my favorite). So if the new season of Luke Cage that just dropped isn't your thing, give the first episode a try and I bet you won't just watch one - it's guilty pleasure TV at its finest. (Bonus points: it features the gorgeous and charming Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex herself)
Most deeply moving podcast interview I've heard recently: Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York) on the Tim Ferriss Show
I've fallen in and out of obsession with the Tim Ferriss show a few times over the last couple of years. Suffice it to say that Tim gets a hold of some really incredible people and gets them to share some really great advice. Regardless of your feelings about Tim Ferriss himself or his show as a whole, this episode is a must-listen for anyone thinking about career change, chasing their passions, or feeling aimless and not knowing where to step next. I've never actually been a big fan of Humans of New York, but hearing the backstory of how it came to be and listening to Brandon Stanton talk about all that went into creating one of the most well-known photo blogs in the country was honestly inspiring. It really made me start thinking about all the things I can do to be better every day, and not just in my amateur blog writing career. There are other interviews Tim has done that I feel have been life changing as ridiculous as that may sound and this one is up there with the best in my opinion.
Movie that made me happy to be alive: Solo: A Star Wars Story
I know that critically this movie received a lot of mixed reviews. I also totally understand the bits and pieces people didn't like. However, I always say that half of enjoying anything is going into the experience with the correct expectations. I went into this movie desperately wanting the "meet cute" between Han, Chewie, and Lando and guess what? I got exactly that and I was thrilled. I've been a huge Star Wars fan for basically my entire life, so this movie was kind of a big deal for me. If I wasn't trying really hard not to spend so much right now I would have seen this movie at least three times in the theater so you better believe I'll be getting a hold of a copy when it's finally released. I haven't felt that joyful and exhilarated after a movie in years and I'm so glad I got to see it in theaters. Han Solo will forever be my first crush and I'm not embarrassed to admit that. 8-year-old me is just as happy as 30-year-old me with this movie.
Book I just tore through in record time: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. Despite my love for fantasy and science fiction, I had never gotten around to reading anything by Neil Gaiman. I was in the bookstore last month licking my wounds and re-buying some books I lost when I separated from my husband and decided I needed to try something new as well. I doubt I'll explore the TV show that got made from it (correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't imagine they did a very good job...) but the book was exactly what I was looking for. It's a compelling tale of an ex-con who receives a job proposition from a strange man shortly after learning of his wife's untimely demise where the lines between the physical and metaphysical worlds inexplicably become blurred in a really satisfying way. Blending multi-national mythologies and current American culture in a truly unique way, Gaiman does a great job of illustrating the country's roots and of making you ask questions about what really matters and what really has power over you. While the sci-fi/fantasy genre is a turn-off for many, I think if you can suspend your disbelief for this story you have a lot to gain from reading.
My go-to summer dinner that takes no time to make: Salmon and asparagus with lemon and thyme
I love a classic dish that's so easy it's practically cheating; even better if it's fresh and tasty and perfect for summer. I've taken methods from all kinds of recipes and made it all my own according to my kitchen rules you can find in some of my previous posts about food and nutrition.
Ingredients:
Organic asparagus
Wild-caught salmon
Organic lemon
Organic thyme (fresh or dried/crushed)
Himalayan pink sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
For the asparagus, preheat the oven to 250 degrees and drag out a baking sheet. Rinse and wash your asparagus and cut off the bottom half-inch or so (the gross chewy tough bits on the end of the stalks) and discard. Arrange the stalks on the baking sheet so they are evenly spread and not piled on top of each other, then drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, then bake until the stalks start to crisp up slightly (about 10-12 mins in my oven). Remove from the oven and plate.
For the salmon, place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Scoop in a small amount of coconut oil (just enough that it coats an area the size of your filets when melted) and allow to come up to temperature. Remove your salmon from the packaging and place it on a cutting board covered with paper towels. Take another paper towel and blot the filets lightly until they're dry (wet meat doesn't cook evenly) and sprinkle the top with salt. Place the filets in the pan skin-side down and let cook until the skin becomes crispy (5ish mins on my stove, but keep a close eye on it). Flip the filets carefully, then use your spatula to gently remove the crispy skin and discard it. Lightly salt the freshly exposed side of the filet and cook until desired temperature (I like my fish a bit on the rarer side so about 5 more mins on my stove). Turn off the heat and flip the filets back over, allowing the side that was under the skin to brown in the pan for another minute or so. Remove from heat and plate.
Drizzle a little fresh lemon juice over the whole plate and sprinkle the thyme over your fish and you're all set (to take a picture and post it to your instagram)!
I have so much I want to write about next month, I only hope I have the time to get to it all, so stay tuned for more! Please let me know what you're loving and what you'd like to pass on in the future in the comments. All feedback helps me make this what you want to read!