A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me ...

I've shared a lot of personal posts since starting this blog in April 2014. I've "confessed" a few things, shared some of my blogging fears (as well as described the ways in which I sometimes suck as a blogger!), and talked about how my husband and I first met. A couple of months ago I also wrote a post filled with random facts about me.

It's safe to say that I love personal posts. They can be challenging to write (especially when the question of "How much should I share?" keeps popping into my head!), but I enjoy sharing pieces of myself and my life on this blog.

I also enjoy reading these types of posts on other blogs, so when I saw that Helene was hosting a link-up this week with the theme "You Probably Don't Know ..." I was beyond excited. I'm looking forward to reading what others choose to share and getting to know some new bloggers through this link-up!

You probably don't know that when I watch Gilmore Girls now, I still relate most to Rory despite being closer in age to Lorelei. I grew up watching that show (Rory was actually just a year behind me in school), so I was going through (or had just gone through, in some cases) a lot of the same things she was. I also just have more in common with her in general. I too am passionate about reading and writing, I was also an overachieving student, and I was a serial monogamist who wasn't that great at casual dating. (I never slept with a married ex-boyfriend, though.)

You probably don't know that I don't know how to sew. I can't even mend a hole in a sock or sew a button back on a sweater. Sometimes I feel like I should at least try to learn (I mean, it's probably not that difficult), but I really just have no desire to do so.

You probably don't know that sometimes I feel bad about writing bad book reviews. I'm in awe of anyone who has the discipline to finish a novel, and I'm even more in awe of those with the courage to put themselves out there, securing a literary agent and shopping their book around until a publisher picks it up. I haven't been able to do that, so who am I to put down someone else's work? (Though, on the other hand, a bad book is a bad book ... You don't have to be a writer to recognize that.)

You probably don't know that I know a lot of random facts about serial killers. I should probably note that my senior Honors thesis in college focused on the psychology of serial killers, and that involved a considerable amount of research. That was 9 years ago, though (God, I'm old!), and I can still spout off a lot of useless information on this topic. It's just something that interests me (and apparently lots of other people as well, given the popularity of shows like Dexter and Criminal Minds).

You probably don't know that I have a lot of trouble making decisions. And I'm not just talking about life changing decisions (like determining if I'll ever be ready to procreate, for example). This extends to deciding on which restaurant we should go to, what time I should meet up with someone, which book I should read next, which picture I should use in a blog post, etc. It's ridiculous.

You probably don't know that I love seeing my favorite bands and artists live. Okay, you probably do know that if you've looked at some of my music related posts, but you may not know that I love concerts so much that I talked Eric into going to Montreal with me in December 2010 (yes, we went to Canada in the winter!) to see Alexisonfire in concert because they weren't doing a U.S. tour. Totally worth it!

You probably don't know that I often wonder if anyone I know in real life has stumbled across my blog. I've been working on Divulge and Indulge for over a year now and I still haven't told many people in my life about it. But it's not really that difficult to find things online, so I wonder if they've discovered it on their own, and, if so, what they think (and if they'd ever tell me that they found it).

Tasty Tuesday: Herb Butter Rice

Okay, I know what you're thinking ... The picture accompanying this post looks eerily similar to the picture used in last week's Tasty Tuesday post. (And you're right.)

But I haven't lost my mind. I'm not posting the same recipe 2 weeks in a row. This week I'm actually posting about the rice you see under the fish.

This rice was actually what I would call "a happy accident." I've never claimed to be great at coming up with creative side dishes for my meals ... In fact, I typically serve most dinners with a side salad, Steamfresh vegetables, and/or plain rice. But that gets boring.

When I made the Mediterranean Tilapia, I initially planned to just serve it with plain basmati rice. After some thought, I decided I wanted more flavor so I added some chicken broth to the rice. That didn't seem like enough, though, so I started adding a few more things to the pot. The result was a simple side dish that added just enough extra flavor to perfectly complement the fish.

Herb Butter Rice

A Divulge and Indulge original recipe.

Ingredient List:

• 2 cups dry white basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp low fat margarine or butter (I used low fat margarine to try to cut some calories.)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original blend
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried rosemary

Instructions:

1.  Add all the ingredients to a large pot.

2.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.

3.  Allow the rice to simmer for about 15-20 minutes (or according to the instructions on the package of rice you're using, as many will differ).

4.  Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork or spoon. 

A word of warning: this does make a lot of rice (enough for 2-3 meals, depending on how much you eat and how many people you're feeding). It reheats nicely, but if leftover rice isn't your thing, I'd suggest cutting the recipe in half. 

New Restaurant 4/12 in 2015: Spezia

Eric turned 33 on Saturday, and we spent much of the weekend celebrating.

We always celebrate our birthdays, anniversary, and New Year's Eve with special meals. We don't always go to super fancy restaurants for these occasions, but we definitely go all out: plenty of drinks and food (including an appetizer and a dessert to share). 

Last year we started a new birthday tradition. We secretly plan the meals out for each other, making reservations at a place we've never tried. It's always a gamble since we have to rely on Yelp reviews and menus posted online, but so far we've managed to be pleasantly surprised.

Our meal on Saturday night was no exception. Spezia came up regularly when I've searched Yelp for Italian, seafood, or steak restaurants in the area over the years, but, for whatever reason, we'd never tried it. When I was planning Eric's birthday dinner, I decided to give the menu a closer look ... And I knew we had to go there.

The menu was filled with many of our favorite types of entrées: lamb, seafood, steak, pasta, and duck (to name a few). Add to that their extensive wine list, delicious sounding appetizers and desserts, and romantic ambience, and I was sold. While the dimly lit restaurant didn't lend to wonderful pictures, I was able to at least get decent photos of each part of our delicious meal.

Our drinks: Prosecco for me and a Kentucky Mule (made with bourbon) for Eric.  We each had 2 because they were so good!

We started our meal off with the crab artichoke dip.  The crab flavor was rich and amazing, and the wood grilled bread added just the right amount of smoky flavor.

Since we were both starving (and since they had several delicious sounding dressing options!), we decided to add salads to our meal.  Eric had the Spezia salad with kalamata olives and a balsamic vinaigrette and I had a house salad with gorgonzola crumbles and creamy gorgonzola dressing.

The rolls weren't what I would typically expect to receive at an Italian restaurant, but they were soft on the inside with a nice crusty exterior and the olive oil/balsamic vinegar/Parmesan cheese dipping sauce was pretty tasty.

Eric's meal was the lamb sirloin (juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked, I might add!), served with mashed potatoes, a wood grilled Portobello, and roasted vegetables.

I had the Limoncello scallops (a seasonal special), which were succulent with a great blend of tangy lemon and smoky wood grilled flavors.  The scallops were served with a side of pasta in an Alfredo sauce and roasted vegetables.

The perfect way to end the meal: a rich, creamy tiramisu.  It was divine!

Overall, we both had a nice experience at Spezia. There were a few things that I didn't love about it, though: service was kind of slow (they were busy but not so busy as to keep our waitress occupied for such long stretches of time), I wanted more veggies with my meal, and I felt they were a bit heavy handed with their sauces (especially the Alfredo, which, to be honest, tasted like it came from a jar).  I'm not against using jarred sauces (I do it often if I'm short on time or motivation!), but I expect a homemade sauce if I'm at a restaurant.

On the plus side, the crab and artichoke dip was phenomenal, the creamy gorgonzola dressing was worth every sinful calorie,the lamb and scallops were cooked perfectly, and the tiramisu was heavenly. I also wish I'd taken some pictures of the interior of the restaurant because it had the perfect "date night" atmosphere.

Since there were so many things on the menu that we both wanted to try, I'm sure we'll be back in the future. I'll probably try ordering an entrée with a side of risotto or potatoes, though, to avoid being overwhelmed with pasta sauce!

From the Bookshelf: Recently Read - June 2015 Edition

Since my post for last month's Show Us Your Books! link-up was kind of pathetic (seriously, only 2 books?), I knew I really wanted to push myself to read more this time around. (It also didn't hurt that May's personal challenge focused on reading.)

I think my new library card also helped me get through more books than usual. I know I can always renew them, but having a deadline (even a flexible one) forced me to spend more time reading and less time watching random shit on Netflix. I still don't know why it took me so long to get one!

Anyway, on to the good stuff ... Here are my reviews of the books I've read most recently:

Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse - 276 pages

Completed on 05/14/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

Before We Met focuses on Hannah, an independent British woman in her 30s living and working in New York. After she meets Mark (a fellow Brit) through mutual friends, she suddenly finds herself in a whirlwind relationship culminating in a marriage and move to London. When Mark fails to return from a business trip, Hannah finds herself growing increasingly paranoid when she realizes none of his colleagues know about the trip. Her fears deepen when she finds her bank account has been emptied. How well does she actually know the man she married?

I was initially drawn to this book because I really liked the basic idea. As someone who didn't meet her husband at a very young age or in any of the more traditional ways (school, work, etc.), the fact that we didn't have a lot of shared experiences until we were in our early 20s is actually something I think about often.

That's not to say that I think there's anything sinister about Eric ... There definitely isn't. But it is interesting to consider that I will never truly know who he was before we met. (And, obviously, the same goes for him.) We don't hide our pasts or anything, but people change over time. I'm not the same person I was at 12 or 16 or 20 and neither is he.

I always find it fascinating to hear stories and see pictures from Eric's younger years. But the thing is, I know I'll never really know the person he was then. Lucie Whitehouse took that feeling and twisted it into something more chilling in this novel.

The problem is that I thought I would like Before We Met more than I did. It was okay, but I think it could have been so much better. The writing wasn't spectacular (not awful, but definitely not great), and the plot twists were mostly just "meh" for me. I also figured most of it out before the final reveal, so it fell flat for me.

This is a decent book if you're looking for mindless entertainment. It probably won't wow you and you probably won't be thinking about it after it's over, but it's not terrible if you just want a pretty basic mystery/thriller to relax with.




















The Vanishing by Wendy Webb - 286 pages

Completed on 05/19/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

Books like The Vanishing make me so happy that I took the time to get a library card because I didn't have to waste any money on them. It was fucking awful. In fact, the only reason I bothered to finish it was because I'm challenging myself to not only read 50 books this year, but also to complete every book I start.

I'm not a huge fan of gothic literature/horror, but I really liked Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca when I read it years ago and thought The Vanishing might have some similar elements. And it did ... In the absolute worst way possible. I felt like I was reading watered down shitty fan fiction. Yes, the characters and situations were different, but it seemed like Wendy Webb took some of the elements that made Rebecca so interesting and churned out a very bland story.

At the start of the novel, Julia Bishop's life is turned upside down. Her husband recently committed suicide to escape punishment after conning many people (including some of their closest friends) out of their life savings. She has become a recluse in her Chicago home in an effort to shut out relentless reporters. One day a strange man, Adrian Sinclair, appears at her doorstep, offering her a way out of her current situation. Feeling as though she has no other options, she agrees to leave her life behind and start anew in a sprawling mansion (known as Havenwood) in the woods of Minnesota as the caretaker for Mr. Sinclair's aging mother. As soon as she arrives, she begins experiencing strange things ... Whispered voices, ghostly figures wandering the rooms, and paintings springing to life before her eyes. And the longer Julia stays in Havenwood, the more she wonders why she was brought there in the first place.

While I didn't expect this book to be amazing, I was hoping for a few thrills ... I mean, it is a ghost story. Instead, I got something so boring that I only finished it quickly in order to move on to the next book (and because I started reading it on the plane during my trip to Florida, so I didn't have anything else to distract me). The Vanishing was terrible from start to finish. Don't waste your time on this one.   




















An Untamed State by Roxane Gay - 367 pages

Completed on 05/23/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

I really enjoyed An Untamed State, though I wouldn't say I loved it. The book opens with a bang, as Mireille, the daughter of one of Haiti's richest men, is abducted in broad daylight. Roxane Gay feeds her readers details from Mireille's life (focusing mainly on her relationship with her husband) throughout the novel, alternating between her privileged past and the horrors she experiences as she's held captive.

It's an incredibly dark and brutal book, and I found myself cringing as I read some of the descriptions of the abuse and humiliations Mireille was forced to endure. It's definitely not a book for everyone, as there are some fairly graphic scenes of rape and torture. (So don't say I didn't warn you!)

Ultimately, though, An Untamed State is about a woman who does what she needs to in order to survive. It's about a woman who, after being broken in unimaginable ways, must try to mend herself in order to find her way back to the person she once was.

The novel was very good, but the often awkward dialogue and childish behavior from Mireille was enough to keep me from loving it. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to books is when an author makes his/her characters speak and/or behave in a really unnatural way ... It just completely takes me out of the story. That was really my only complaint about this book, but it was enough for me to rate it 4 stars instead of 5 on Goodreads.




















The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly - 323 pages

Completed on 05/26/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

I really loved this book. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but I found myself wanting nothing more than to pick it up again every time I put it down. I finished it in 2 days (which is pretty amazing for me!).

The Poison Tree, like so many of the books I tend to enjoy, alternates between past and present. Karen, a college student in London with a bright future, spends an unforgettable summer with free spirited Biba and her overprotective brother, Rex, in their crumbling mansion. Karen feels lucky to have been accepted into their lives, and eventually finds herself falling in love with Rex. Unfortunately, that happiness can't last forever ... And as the summer draws to a close, a tragedy changes their lives forever.

10 years later, Karen and her 9 year old daughter, Alice, are picking Rex up from prison. Although she should be ecstatic to have her family reunited, Karen is increasingly paranoid that someone is threatening to tear down the life she has spent years building ... And she'll do anything to protect them.

This novel reminded me in some ways of the movie The Dreamers (which I love, by the way). There are a lot of differences, but the idea of an outsider being taken into the strange and dreamy world of a young brother and sister living on their own was still there. It may not be the most realistic story, but it succeeded in sucking me in and delivered a satisfying ending ... And that's really all that matters.





















The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld - 233 pages

Completed on 05/31/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

This novel is unlike anything I've ever read. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and tragic and horrifying. I don't know how she did it, but Rene Denfeld managed to make the bleakest place seem, well, enchanted.

The novel is narrated by a nameless, mute death row inmate.  I will note that his identity is revealed at the end, and I had a sneaking suspicion I knew who it was fairly early on (and I was right). He seems to see and know everything that goes on in the prison: the corruption, the sadness, the brutality. He lives in a world of books and fantasy in an effort to forget the monsters living all around him (as well as the monsters that reside within).

The Enchanted also features several other characters who are never named (not even in the end), including the lady, the fallen priest, and the warden. There is kindness and sadness in each of them, and the narrator watches and listens to them, hoping that maybe one day they can move past their personal tragedies to find true happiness.

There is so much that can be said about this novel, and I feel like I'm not doing it justice with this brief review. It's not a book that will make you feel good about life, but it will make you feel something. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.



The Longings of Wayward Girls by Karen Brown - 311 pages

Completed on 06/07/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

The Longings of Wayward Girls, like The Poison Tree, alternates between the past and present. The story begins in the summer of 1979, when Sadie is an imaginative 12 year old girl clinging to her childhood. She spends her days playing with her best friend, Betty, and trying to figure out exactly how she feels about her mother, a dramatic, beautiful woman who is unlike any of the other mothers in her neighborhood.

When Sadie and Betty grow bored with their usual games, they decide to play a prank on Francie, an annoying girl who always tries to insert herself where she isn't wanted. They tell her a boy named Hezekiah has been leaving them letters under a rock, and, intrigued, Francie begins to leave her own letters for him. Sadie and Betty continue creating a fictional world for Hezekiah, encouraging Francie to share more and more personal information. "He" finally asks her to meet up with him ... And then she disappears.

24 years later, Sadie is married with 2 children of her own. She has recently suffered a miscarriage, and begins to withdraw from her family. After randomly running into Ray, the older boy that inspired Hezekiah, Sadie is drawn back into the strange world of the summer that changed everything for her.

I wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I thought the plot was interesting, and I loved that it brought to life the idea that sometimes "harmless" childhood pranks can actually cause significant damage. Unfortunately, Karen Brown's execution left something to be desired.

This was a case of characters constantly making bad decisions. With fiction, I try to suspend my disbelief as I'm reading in order to fully immerse myself in the story ... However, when every character does and says completely unbelievable things, I start to lose interest.

The Longings of Wayward Girls had its high points, and I wanted to keep reading to see how things would unfold. It also had its very low points: it dragged in some places, made me wonder how so many people in one town could possibly be so stupid and/or crazy, and a few of the things that happened seemed to have no relevance to the rest of the plot.

Overall, though, I liked the book. It wasn't great, but it definitely wasn't bad. Like Before We Met, I think it's worth a read if you found the summary intriguing ... It's just not a must read.

I know that's a lot of books (and a lot of lengthy reviews!), so if your eyes are glazing over and you're scrolling down thinking, "TL;DR," here's a quick summary:

Before We Met and The Longings of Wayward Girls were just okay and maybe worth a read if you think the plots sound at all intriguing.

An Untamed State was really good and worth reading, but it wasn't without its faults. It's also pretty brutal, so you may want to skim over my review if you're unsure about it.

The Poison Tree and The Enchanted were my favorites out of this bunch. I'd say The Poison Tree might appeal to a more mainstream audience, while The Enchanted is much more unique and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

The Vanishing sucked. Don't bother adding this to your reading list.

I'm sure I'll be adding to my own reading list once I read through all of the Show Us Your Books! posts. I love this link-up because I always find at least a few books to check out!

Tasty Tuesday: Mediterranean Tilapia

I didn't know what to call this particular dish. The feta cheese and olive oil gave it some Greek flavor, but I didn't think it seemed like something that should be classified as Greek. And since I'm pretty sure it's not a traditional Greek dish, I decided to just call it "Mediterranean Tilapia."

Regardless of what you call it, this meal is delicious. I made it twice the week before I left for my conference! And, if you know me, you'll know that's kind of crazy ... I usually won't make anything for dinner more than once a week (unless it's leftovers, of course).

Flaky fish, fresh vegetables, and salty feta combine to make a flavorful, healthy meal.

I found inspiration for this recipe when I was searching Pinterest for creative ways to use tilapia. We'd just purchased a bunch of tilapia and salmon from Costco, and I didn't want to keep making the same thing over and over. We have a few favorite fish recipes, but I felt like I should be trying some new things. And after I made this and realized just how great it was, I was really glad I decided to branch out!

Mediterranean Tilapia

Adapted from a recipe on Just A Pinch Recipes.

Ingredient List:

• 2 tilapia fillets
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves 
• 12 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tsp capers
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 tsp black pepper, divided
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original blend
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.

3.  Mix 2 tbsp of the olive oil, 2 tsp of the black pepper, garlic salt, Mrs. Dash Original blend, and dried parsley in a small bowl.

4.  Rub the olive oil and spice mix on both sides of each fillet.

5.  Bake the fish for 15-20 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. 

6.  While the fish is baking, add the remaining olive oil to a medium pan and turn the heat to medium.

7.  Add the spinach leaves to the pan and cook until wilted. (This should only take 3-5 minutes if your pan is already heated when you throw in the spinach.)

8.  Stir in the grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and capers. Add the sea salt and remaining black pepper, mixing thoroughly. Cook through until cheese is slightly melty (this should only take 1-2 minutes), and serve this mixture on top of the fish.

I love that this meal is simple, healthy, delicious, and quick. It's something I can easily throw together on a busy weeknight, and, for me, that's really important! I served this with a simple green salad and some herb butter rice (that recipe will be coming soon!).

The First Week in June: Philadelphia and a Wedding

As I've mentioned several times in recent posts, I spent some time in Philadelphia last week. And although I spent the majority of my time in a hotel conference room, I did manage to make some time in the evenings to explore the city.

I know I wrote this post about living in the moment and stepping away from picture taking and social media just a week ago, but I couldn't help myself. I had to act like a tourist and take a ton of pictures while I was gone. The last time I was in Philadelphia was November 2007 ... I'd forgotten how beautiful it is!

Proof that I can be a total tourist (and that I never know how to stand in pictures!):





































I know I already posted this one on Instagram, but it's my favorite from the week.









































And, of course, I couldn't do a photo recap of my trip without including some pictures of my favorite meals. Both sushi pictures and the seaweed salad were from the same dinner. It was all you can eat sushi, and I definitely ate until I couldn't eat any more! (I made a friend at the conference, and we shared the sushi. I may be able to eat a lot, but there's no way I could have eaten that entire platter by myself!) The top right picture is a spicy chicken flatbread covered in Sriracha and peanut sauce that I got at a little restaurant just down the street from my hotel. Below that is a bowl of 5 cheese macaroni and cheese with duck confit that I got from the restaurant in my hotel on a night when it was raining way too hard to venture out.





































On Saturday Eric and I went to my friend Ann's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception, and she looked stunning! I didn't take many pictures while we were there because I feel like the pictures I've taken in the past at weddings always turn out horribly. Eric and I took a couple of selfies at our table after we'd had a few cocktails and stuffed ourselves with dinner and dessert ... And those are the only pictures I took. I'm only going to post one of them, though.



Sunday was filled with blogging, Netflix, reading, and errands. I also managed to squeeze in some time at the gym (I did cardio for the first time in months and it felt great!). Overall, it was a very relaxing day and the perfect end to the week.

Getting Back on Track: My June Goals

Image provided by Pexels and edited by me.

In yesterday's post I promised to share my goals for the month today. I initially wasn't going to stick with a theme since I wasn't sure I could come up with something clever every month, but then I realized that I already kind of had a basic theme in mind for June. We'll see what happens as time goes on.

This month my goals are all about getting back on track. I've steadily been slipping when it comes to my yearly goals (as I mentioned earlier this week), and I really want to make some positive changes this month.

My June 2015 Goals:

1.  Get back into a regular exercise routine. I was doing really well for a while, but several changes in my schedule made it more and more difficult to get to the gym on a regular basis. I'd like to work out at least 4 times each week with at least 1 day of cardio and/or strength training. If I can do more than 1 day of either of those, great, but I plan to spend the other 3 days in yoga classes. Yoga is my favorite form of exercise, and I'm much more likely to drag myself to the gym if I'm doing something I genuinely love.

2.  Use MyFitnessPal regularly. I love this app and I think it's incredibly useful, but if I don't track my calories and exercise for even one day, I stop using it for weeks (or months). I want to make some healthy changes, and this is such a great tool to help me stay on track. I just need to stop forgetting to log my shit!

3.  Post on my blog at least 3-4 times per week. When it comes to blogging, I'm all over the place. Some weeks I post several times, some weeks I post once, and some weeks I don't even bother posting anything at all. I do get pretty busy from time to time, but I'd really like to spend more time working on my blog. I really enjoy writing and sharing in this space, so I should make more of an effort to do it consistently.

4.  Get my recipe index up to date. I haven't updated it in a few weeks, and the longer I wait, the more work it will be.

Since I was out of town Monday through Friday and busy all day yesterday, my month of June will start today. I mean, until today I didn't use MyFitnessPal, I didn't exercise (except for walking around Philadelphia and airports, of course), and I didn't work on my recipe index. I did manage to get several posts up this week, but that was only because I actually planned ahead.

I'm the kind of person who needs some sort of schedule and order in her life, so I'm really excited to get back into a routine. Hopefully it will be a productive and healthy June!