From the Bookshelf: Recently Read - July 2015 Edition

The fact that I read as much as I did since last month's Show Us Your Books! link-up is pretty impressive. I feel like most weeknights I either head to the gym, have an appointment and/or errands to run, or try to spend some time blogging (writing posts, reading and commenting on other blogs, and replying to comments). And my weekends have been even busier. In the past month I've traveled for work, attended a wedding, celebrated Eric's birthday, gone to various parties/celebrations with my in-laws, had a Skype date with a couple of my girlfriends, and driven down to Kansas City to hang out with Eric's older brother, his wife, and their 2 adorable little girls.

I could probably name a few more things I've done recently, but I won't bore you with every detail of my life. Let's just say that finding time to relax with a book wasn't always easy.

But, since I love reading, love participating in this link-up, and also decided to join this reading challenge, I tried to make reading a priority. I'll probably never be the kind of person who reads and reviews 15 books every month, but I'm really trying to avoid showing up to this link-up with only 2 books to review (like I did in May).

If my reviews get too long for your tastes, please feel free to scroll to the end for my "TL;DR" summary. I know some people just want an answer to the "Should I read this or not?" question, and that's okay.




















Cutting Teeth by Julia Fierro - 319 pages

Completed on 06/14/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

Have you ever read a book that probably just wasn't right for you at the time? Cutting Teeth was like that for me.

I didn't go into this book blindly. I knew it was about a group of 30 something parents who spend a weekend away together (along with their children). As a 30 year old woman contemplating when/if having a kid is right for me, I thought it might be an interesting look at the lives of women (and men) around my age who have already taken the plunge into parenthood.

Each chapter is told from a different person's perspective (though several people have multiple chapters devoted to them). I mostly liked this style of writing, but since there were so many characters, I felt like there were too many chapters about some people and not enough about others.

The characters themselves weren't particularly likable (and several made so many bad/questionable decisions that it annoyed the shit out of me). A couple of things that happened toward the end of the book just sort of ruined it for me. I was like, "Wow, she really decided to go in this direction? Okay ..."

Julia Fierro's writing was engaging, though. I found myself laughing out loud at certain points in the novel and feeling slightly embarrassed when I could relate to some of the characters. (Like I said, they weren't particularly likable.  Not exactly the kind of people you'd want to relate to.)

Overall, I don't think Cutting Teeth was a bad book. I didn't like it that much, but it's not because it was poorly written. I think it just hit a little too close to home in some ways. Julia Fierro basically took many of my fears about becoming a mother and the ways in which my life and relationship with my husband will change and said, "Yeah, you're right. This happens all the time." So yeah ... Probably not the kind of book I should be reading when I'm already so unsure of what I want when it comes to kids.




















The Pact by Jodi Picoult - 389 pages

Completed on 06/21/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

This book was on my "To Read" list for a long time, and I purchased it at Half Price Books several months ago. I really wasn't sure whether I'd like it or not ... The premise sounded intriguing, but I've never really been one for the type of stories they make into Lifetime movies. A lot of people seem to love Jodi Picoult, though, so I was willing to give it a try.

I liked The Pact much more than I thought I would. I didn't think it would be terrible or anything (I never would have purchased it if I did!), but I wasn't sure if it would be my kind of book. And, for the most part, it wasn't (except for the darker parts of the plot, of course). But that really wasn't a bad thing.

The novel tells the story of two families, the Golds and the Hartes, who have been inseparable for years. Their children, Chris and Emily, have grown up together and eventually decide to shift their friendship into something romantic. After a 3:00 a.m. call one November morning, everything changes. Emily has been killed by a gunshot wound to the head, and only Chris knows what really happened.

While at times the book was overly dramatic and unbelievable, there were things that really got under my skin because they were so true. Emily is dealing with severe depression, and it was sometimes difficult for me to read because some of the things she said and did could have been lifted from one of my old journals. I think a lot of readers probably view her as weak, but I saw a frighteningly realistic portrait of a young girl attempting to deal with some pretty heavy shit on her own and coming to a breaking point when she realizes it's too much for her to handle. Yes, she should have talked to her parents, gone to a therapist, something ... But when you're in the middle of a downward spiral, your options are never that obvious.

Chris, on the other hand, seemed like a huge asshole. I wanted to like him in the beginning of the book, but as I read on, I thought he tried too hard to seem like the devoted, loving boyfriend when he pretty much always put his own needs ahead of hers (particularly when it came to sex). I'd say more about this, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers.

Overall, I'd say this is worth reading. Jodi Picoult is a good writer, and I'll probably check out at least a couple of her other novels at some point. As I said before, this isn't the type of book I'd typically go for, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.




















The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper - 285 pages

Completed on 06/25/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

I was really looking forward to reading this. I thought it was going to be amazing and full of nightmare fuel, but it wasn't. Not at all.

I felt cheated by the time I finished this book. Not because I'd wasted time on it (though that was certainly true), but because Andrew Pyper's writing style seemed to be of the "I'll-just-throw-a-bunch-of-random-shit-together-and-readers-will-buy-into-it-because-I'm-quoting-Milton-so-I'm-obviously-smart-and-sophisticated" variety. If you're looking for a smart, sophisticated horror story, this isn't it. In fact, I'd say that The Demonologist read like a really bad action flick with cheesy dialogue.

The main character, David Ullman, is an English professor at Columbia with special expertise in Milton's Paradise Lost. He is approached by a mysterious woman who requests that he travel to Venice to see a particular phenomenon. She tells him that her client has carefully selected him based on his academic qualifications and knowledge of demonology. He initially turns her down. After his wife announces that she's leaving him, he decides to take the woman up on her offer, bringing his young daughter, Tess, along.

After witnessing the "phenomenon" (a man that is likely possessed), David returns to the hotel to find his daughter on the roof's edge. Although it is written off as a suicide, David knows that something darker is at work. And so begins his journey to track the demon who has stolen his daughter from him.

I gave this book 2 stars on Goodreads only because I actually liked some of the ideas in the book. For example, the notion that the metaphorical demons that some people wrestle with (depression, addiction, the need to bully, etc.) are actual demons that they've somehow opened themselves to. (I'll note here that I consider myself Agnostic. I won't completely rule out the existence of something greater than myself, but I wouldn't say I have real faith either. I'm not saying that I believe what Pyper is saying, but I appreciate the unique perspective.) And, despite the fact that none of the characters were well developed, I still give Pyper credit for creating an intelligent, driven woman to play the role of David's best friend and colleague.

Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to keep me from being disappointed in this book. If you're a fan of horror, I definitely wouldn't recommend this ... It's just not scary at all. It seemed like it was slapped together in a hurry, and the ending was very Hollywood. (In case you're wondering, I don't like those types of endings. At all.) Everything doesn't need to be tied together neatly in a pretty little package at the end of a story (especially not when it was a complete clusterfuck just a few pages before). I never understand why authors do this ... I always just assume it's because they either couldn't think of a decent ending so they wrote whatever came to mind first or because they're up against a deadline and need to submit something.

I do have another Andrew Pyper novel on my "To Read" list. He's received a lot of acclaim for his work, so it makes me wonder if The Demonologist just happened to be the one book he's written that wasn't very good. Because, really, that's it in a nutshell: not very good.




















The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey - 403 pages

Completed on 07/02/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

I'll begin this review by saying that I'm not really a fan of the zombie genre. I watched the first season of The Walking Dead, and I just couldn't get into it. I know so many people who love that show, but I found it really boring. Sometimes I think I should give it another chance, but I don't know ... I kind of feel like I'd be wasting my time. I could mention some other entertainment featuring zombies that I don't really like, but I figured The Walking Dead would be the best example since it's so popular.

When I first looked this book up on Goodreads, I didn't read many reviews or look at the tags/genres very closely. I basically just read the short description, thought it sounded interesting, and added it to my "To Read" list. Later, as I was trying to come up with my preliminary book list for the Literary Ladies Summer Reading Challenge, I decided to give this one a closer look. It sounded like it could potentially have a pretty kickass female character (and it did!), so I chose it for that category ... And then I realized it falls under the zombie genre.

I kept an open mind, though, and decided to read it anyway. And I'm really glad I did!

The Girl With All the Gifts was a refreshing take on the zombie genre. While it definitely had some of the main elements you'd find in other books/movies/TV shows featuring zombies, there were a lot of things in this book that made it stand out (in a good way). This wasn't just a "let's-fight-the-zombies-and-blow-up-a-bunch-of-shit" kind of book. That's not to say that there weren't some sections like that, but the novel focused more on ethics, scientific discovery, and themes of identity than on killing zombies.

I really don't want to give too much away in my review (especially since M.R. Carey does such a great job at the beginning of the novel giving readers only small bits of information at a time), so I won't say much more. I will say, though, that I loved that he created several strong, intelligent female characters. I always appreciate that!

If horror and zombies aren't your thing, don't worry ... It's not overly scary and I actually wouldn't categorize it as "horror" (even though Goodreads does). It's the kind of book that makes you think, and the science is actually pretty spot on. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but if you do read it, you should do some research on the fungus mentioned multiple times throughout the book. Carey created a mutation of something that exists in nature, and that's actually pretty fucking scary.




















Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - 458 pages

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

You know those books that everyone raves about and then when you finally read them you wonder, "Why does everyone love this so much?" Well, this was not one of those books.

Big Little Lies definitely lived up to the hype. I was up late with this book every night, sacrificing sleep in order to greedily gobble down page after page. I couldn't put it down!

Liane Moriarty does a wonderful job weaving a story around the lives of 3 very different, very vibrant women. Madeline is a bright, funny woman who thrives on conflict (and therefore often says exactly what's on her mind). Celeste is Madeline's close friend, a rich and beautiful woman hiding a dark secret. Jane is the newest member of their close-knit group, a shy, quiet, young single mother who just moved to the area (and who is harboring a dark secret of her own). The characters are interesting and believable ... I loved that their interactions and conversations were so natural. (One of my biggest pet peeves is when an author writes really unnatural, stiff dialogue/interactions!) I even picked up a new catchphrase from the book: "Oh, calamity!" (I've already been using it regularly at work. Everyone loves it, I'm sure.)

This novel isn't just about 3 friends and their secrets, though. From the beginning, readers know that someone will be dead by the end of the novel. Moriarty's writing seamlessly flows between humor and intrigue, and, as I said before, I was completely hooked.

I will say that I figured out part of the twist before it was revealed, but in this case I really didn't mind. I was honestly shocked when I found out who was killed, and after that, it went in a much different direction than I anticipated. (And that wasn't a bad thing. In fact, I think the ending Moriarty chose was more satisfying for me than the ending I thought she might write.)

I have The Husband's Secret on my "To Read" list, but I might have to add some of her other books as well. If they're as awesome as this one, I'm sure I'll be even more sleep deprived! (I'm kidding ... Kind of.)




















The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - 350 pages

Completed on 07/11/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

Big Little Lies may have lived up to the hype, but The Good Girl did not. This book, which promises to be perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, was, well, not.

I was initially sucked in by the premise: a young woman in her mid-20s is abducted by a man she intended to have a one night stand with. What she doesn't know is that this man isn't some random stranger in a bar ... He was hired to kidnap and deliver her to a group of men planning to hold her for ransom until her rich father (a prominent judge in Chicago) pays up. At the last minute, the man decides to take her to a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading both his employers and the police.

When I read that blurb, I wanted to know why he changed his mind. I wanted to know if the woman, Mia, would ever be found. I wanted a thriller that would keep me up at night, guessing until the very end. Instead, what I got was a boring novel that barely held my interest.

The Good Girl is Mary Kubica's debut, so I'll cut her a little slack here. Some debuts are amazing, but many are just so-so ... The author seems to still be figuring out his/her voice, he/she hasn't quite mastered the art of character development, etc. As I was reading, I found both of those things true for Kubica.

The story is written from 3 separate points of view: Eve (Mia's mother), Gabe (the detective hired to find Mia), and Colin (the man who abducted Mia), and regularly flows back and forth in time. Unfortunately, the voices of the characters were all pretty much the same ... If the chapters hadn't been clearly labeled, I would have had trouble differentiating between Eve and Gabe. (The exception was Colin ... Although his voice wasn't that much different, the chapters told from his point of view were pretty obvious since he was the only character hiding out in a small cabin with Mia.) I think the novel would have been more effective if it were told from just 2 points of view (if the author was determined to write in first person) or if it were written in third person (like Big Little Lies, which more effectively moved between the points of view of several characters).

I also hate to say this, but I really didn't like the overall writing style. I feel like I can enjoy a variety of writing styles, but The Good Girl often seemed awkward. Many of the sentences were short and choppy, and the dialogue was generally very "blah." Near the end of the book, I remember thinking, "If I have to read about Mia's "clumsy" hair one more time, I'll probably end up throwing this book across the room!" For some reason that description just annoyed the hell out of me.

The ending was actually okay, and I'll admit that I didn't see the twist coming in the final chapter. However, when considering everything else I'd just read, the twist didn't make much sense. Kubica had a good idea at the end, but the overall execution just didn't work for me.

Kubica's second novel, Pretty Baby, is still on my "To Read" list. I may still eventually give it a try to see if she's figured her shit out, but I won't hold high hopes for it. I don't want to be disappointed again!




















Under the Skin by Michel Faber - 311 pages

Completed on 07/14/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

Under the Skin has been on my "To Read" list for years. I knew only a little about the plot (which is all I'll reveal here to avoid spoilers), but that was enough to pique my interest.

Isserley spends her days and nights driving up and down the Scottish Highlands. Although she isn't really going anywhere, she drives with purpose: she's looking for hitchhikers (specifically muscular male hitchhikers). Once she finds her perfect victim, she engages him in small talk until she hits a toggle switch in her car to release a drug that will knock him out. She then drives him back to the farm where she lives to meet his unfortunate and horrifying fate.

If you're at all interested in reading this novel, please please don't read any spoilers. Don't even read the extended summary on Goodreads. The less you know, the better. Michel Faber does a great job slowly revealing Isserley's "mission" and the fates of the hitchhikers, and it would be a shame to ruin it.

If you're still not sure if this is the book for you based on that summary, I'll tell you this: it's equal parts disturbing and hilarious. It's also one of the strangest books I've ever read. As I was reading, I kept wondering what the movie version could possibly be like. I'll probably end up watching it at some point just because I'd love to see how the characters and situations Faber created translate to film.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. Michel Faber is, without a doubt, very talented. There were a few parts of the book that dragged a bit for me, though. It also didn't deliver the satisfying ending I was hoping for, which is why I didn't give it a higher rating on Goodreads. (I gave it 3 stars, if you're curious.) The ending wasn't terrible or anything ... I just wanted something more.

And now, as promised, my TL;DR summary:

Big Little Lies shouldn't be missed. I stayed up late reading it on multiple occasions because I couldn't bear to put it down.

The Pact and The Girl With All the Gifts were both very enjoyable and worth checking out. I didn't love them the way I loved Big Little Lies, but I'd recommend them both without hesitation.

Under the Skin was good but not great. Michel Faber's writing was wonderful, but it felt like the story was lacking in some way. Still, it's worth a read if you're looking for something different ... I've never read anything quite like it.

You won't be missing anything if you pass on Cutting Teeth, The Demonologist, and The Good Girl. They weren't so awful that I wondered how they ever managed to get published (though I'll admit that question ran through my mind a few times while I was reading The Demonologist), but I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on them.

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet and Spicy Salmon

I've been trying to cook fish a little more often lately. Not only is it a goal of mine to make healthy dinners at least 3 times a week this month, but we also have quite a bit of fish on hand from a recent Costco trip.

Just a few years ago, I was completely intimidated by the thought of cooking fish at home. I have no idea why ... Fish is actually one of the easiest proteins to work with. I feel like it doesn't take much to create a flavorful fish entrée, and you can simply toss it into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. And, while I'm admittedly still intimidated by the thought of cleaning, scaling, gutting, and filleting a fish, I can definitely handle cooking with the fish I pick up at the grocery store.

That's why I get so excited when I come up with a fish meal myself. I can't claim that I didn't glance through Pinterest for ideas (I totally did), but I didn't use any of the actual recipes. I basically just considered what type of flavors I wanted, and what went well together ... And then I created a sauce and paired it with some salmon.

I'm sure there are other similar recipes floating around out there. I mean, let's be honest ... A lot of people know that soy sauce, honey, Sriracha, garlic, and ginger go together. But I'm going to live in my fantasy world a little while longer and pretend that I've just created a groundbreaking new recipe.

Okay, okay ... I may not be ready to take on MasterChef yet, but I'm still allowed to be excited when I come up with something that tastes amazing and is actually healthy!

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

A Divulge and Indulge original recipe.

Ingredient List:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp honey (I added in the additional 1/2 tsp after doing a taste test and determining the sauce was a little too spicy. You can obviously adjust the amounts up or down to fit with your own tastes.)
• 1 tbsp Sriracha (This will make the sauce pretty spicy. If you want something a little milder, feel free to cut the amount in half.)
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• Diced green onions for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

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

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, Sriracha, 1 tbsp honey, ginger, black pepper, and garlic salt. Taste the sauce, and if it's too spicy, mix in the additional 1/2 tsp honey.

4.  Spoon the sauce over both sides of each fillet.

5.  Bake the fish for 12-15 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve with diced green onions if desired.

This was a ridiculously quick and easy meal. As you can see from the picture, I served the fish over a bed of jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli. If you're a seafood lover and want something a little lighter for dinner, this is the perfect thing to try!

Got a Case of the Mondays? 5 Simple Ways to Get Out of a Funk

Mondays are always the worst days for me. I have trouble sleeping anyway, but winding down from the weekend on a Sunday night (even when that weekend was completely relaxing and low key) is so hard. I then, of course, wake up feeling sluggish and irritable. One cup of coffee isn't enough to get me going, but because I insisted on hitting the snooze button a million times before getting up, it's really all I have time to gulp down.

And then I'm heading off into the morning traffic, which, since I leave pretty early, really isn't that terrible. However, there is inevitably at least one idiot out there who does everything in his/her power to piss me off.

When I finally manage to pull into the parking lot at work, I'm greeted with massive amounts of shit that needs to be done right away. I, unlike a lot of people, am fortunate enough to actually really enjoy my job. I'm busy most of the time, but I always feel accomplished at the end of the day. Mondays, however, are always our busiest days. Factor in my lack of sleep and general grumpiness, and it just feels like a major shit show.

I know it sounds like I'm writing this in order to complain about my first world problems. I'm not. I don't even have "a case of the Mondays." (Well, no more than usual anyway.)





















I'm writing this because I think sometimes we all need to give ourselves a boost. We all have days that suck (or that suck the life out of us). As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, it's not always easy for me to lift myself out of a funk ... But it's important that I at least try.

These are a few of the things I do when I've had a particularly trying day. Sure, these things won't fix my mood when I'm going through a period of major depression ... But they definitely work on the average Monday when I just feel zapped of energy and need to shake my grumpy mood.

Image provided by Unsplash (unsplash.com) and edited by me.

1.  Hit the gym.

This is the easiest way to naturally boost your mood. I think it's pretty safe to say that most people already know this, but I had to include it anyway because this is usually the first thing I do if I'm feeling sluggish and blah. I feel amazing for the rest of the evening after a great workout. And if I've gone to a yoga class, I also feel more energized and less anxious.

2.  Relax with a book.

If you've read many of my posts, I think you probably already know that I love to read. For me, reading is all about escaping into a completely different world. So when I'm feeling the need to get out of my own head for a while, getting lost in a book is the perfect distraction.

3.  Turn the music up in my car and sing along.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm one of those people you see at red lights completely rocking out in the car. I've always loved music more than most things, so it's probably no surprise that I often use it to boost my mood. There's something particularly satisfying about singing at the top of my lungs in the car, though, especially if I've had a really stressful day.

4.  Wear something new.

While I don't always have the luxury of wearing something new for the first time, I sometimes like to save things for the days I think I'll need a pick-me-up. There's just something about putting on a new outfit or pair of shoes or accessory that instantly makes me feel a little better and more confident.

5.  Write in a journal.

I mentioned that reading can be a great way to escape your thoughts, but what if you want to reflect on them instead? Writing can be extremely cathartic. In fact, I've worked through some of my most serious issues by putting pen to paper and letting every ugly emotion find its way to the page. You don't have to be dealing with something major to get something out of this, though ... Sometimes it just feels good to have a place to vent about whatever annoyed you that day.

As I said, these are just a few simple things I try to do when I want to lift my spirits on a particularly stressful day. They may not work for everyone, but they're quick and easy fixes for me when I find myself feeling really blah.

What are some of your tricks for getting out of a funk?

New Restaurant 5/12 in 2015: Sunset Grill (Overland Park, Kansas)

I feel like I've really been slacking when it comes to trying new restaurants this year. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to try at least 12 new places in 2015, but, since I really wanted to share this with my food loving husband, I'm not counting any of the new places I've tried solo or with friends. If I included those, I'd probably already have 12 restaurants checked off. (Or I'd be really close.)

When we went to visit Tony, Stacy, and their girls (these people are my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and 2 nieces, if you're wondering) the last weekend in June, we mostly either ate at our "usual" places (like Joe's Kansas City BBQ, formerly known as Oklahoma Joe's but still just as delicious) or made stuff at their house (including my first ever attempt at homemade sushi!). We did manage to squeeze in a new brunch place Sunday morning before we left, though.

Sunset Grill seemed like a local favorite kind of place. (I'm basing this on the fact that it was pretty busy the entire time we were there, and also the fact that Tony said it was one of their favorite spots for brunch.) It had a really cute interior (that, of course, I didn't bother to take pictures of) that made you feel like you were on vacation at the beach. It's a really casual, low key kind of place, perfect for families or a relaxing breakfast/brunch. (They only serve breakfast on Sundays, though, so if you're in the area and planning to check it out, please keep that in mind!)

As for the food, I liked it but didn't love it. I think Eric liked it more than I did. I ordered the Florentine, which was a spin on the classic Eggs Benedict. The spinach was good, the bacon was flavorful and only slightly crispy (which I prefer to super crispy), the eggs were perfectly poached, and the English muffin underneath had a nice crispness, which I really appreciated since they can occasionally get soggy underneath sauce and toppings. I just didn't like the hollandaise they served with it (mostly because it wasn't really hollandaise). I was expecting something classic: lemony and smooth. It was definitely smooth, but it tasted nothing like any hollandaise I've ever had. And, while I'm no expert, Eggs Benedict (and its many variations) is one of my most ordered breakfast/brunch dishes ... So I've eaten my fair share of this sauce. The sauce at Sunset Grill almost had a bit of a sour cream taste. It wasn't terrible, but it was a little bland and not what I was hoping for when I ordered something with hollandaise.

Additionally, the hash browns they served tasted like they'd been microwaved and weren't seasoned at all. I found that really disappointing since I love breakfast potatoes. The fruit cup they served with my meal was a pleasant surprise, though ... Fruit cups at places like this are usually loaded with melon (which I hate!), but this one was filled with some of my favorites: strawberries, bananas, grapes, and pineapple.

The Florentine.

Eric, on the other hand, ordered a pretty classic meal, which may be why he had a slightly better experience. He ordered the Meat Lover's Sunrise Skillet and just kept adding shit to it. I asked him what was in it, and he couldn't even remember everything he asked for. Here's what he could remember: scrambled eggs, diced potatoes, sausage, bacon, ham, cheddar and Jack cheeses, pico de gallo, mushrooms, black olives, and spinach. There may be more under all of that madness (see below), though. His meal came with a side of pancakes, which are not pictured here. We actually didn't try each other's food this time (mostly because we had a little person sitting between us who insisted we eat on either side of her), but he said everything was good and he gobbled it all up ... So I'm going to assume his food was a little better than mine.

The Meat Lover's Sunrise Skillet.

Overall, it was a decent place to grab brunch. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I'd be open to trying other things on the menu if this group wanted to go again. I'll just stay away from their hollandaise (and hash browns).

And since I know you might be curious about the homemade sushi, I took a few pictures to share on the blog. I didn't get any real action shots (unless you count the one of Eric posing with his knife and the raw fish he was cutting up), but that's okay. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, but it's very time consuming (this feast took 4 people about 3 hours to make). You also need the right supplies (Tony and Stacy received some as a Christmas gift last year). Eric and I don't have the supplies for this right now, and since we're really trying not to buy any kitchen stuff until after we buy a house (a.k.a. until we have more room to store it!), I won't have any sushi making tutorials on the blog any time soon. Sorry.

Eric was put in charge of the fish due to his superior knife skills.

All of our ingredients (minus the tempura shrimp) prior to rolling: tuna, salmon, crab sticks, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo (basically mayo mixed with Sriracha), and, of course, nori seaweed sheets and rice.

You can totally tell we're amateurs (and this was one of our best looking batches!), but it tasted delicious!

Our sushi feast!  I'm not kidding when I say I probably ate between 30-40 pieces of sushi plus tempura shrimp.  No regrets!

And because at this point I'm basically recapping that weekend anyway, I'll end this post with a few pictures we took at a local petting zoo. The baby goats were my favorite ... They were so sweet!

It was kind of hard to get a good picture through the screens, but this breed of chicken was so funky looking we just had to get some pictures!

The aforementioned baby goats.  So cute!

I know you can't see my face, but whatever.  Here I am with my youngest niece, Lucy, who we affectionately call my "little buddy."  My other "little buddies" here are the goat and the giant iced coffee from Starbucks.

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

One of my goals this month is to cook healthier meals at least 3 times every week. Although I do love my creamy pastas and other not-so-healthy things, I don't think it's that hard to come up with meals that are lighter but still delicious.

Desserts, on the other hand, are another story.

I love desserts. Since I'm not that comfortable with baking (or making desserts in general), I don't post a lot of them on this blog ... So you may not know that I have a pretty massive sweet tooth. I used to eat dessert after almost every meal when I was younger, but as I've gotten older, I've tried to avoid keeping sweets in the kitchen as much as possible. Eric and I still allow ourselves treats once in a while, but it's kind of dangerous for us. One of us will say something like, "I'm kind of craving a Coldstone milkshake," and suddenly we find ourselves at Coldstone multiple times that week. (It's like we have no control over our vehicles ... They just seem to drive us there!)

This also extends to buying sweets to keep in the kitchen. One of us will pick up a pint of gelato or a couple of bags of candy, and it's somehow all gone within a day or two. (Again, I have no idea how this could possibly happen!)

So I decided it's probably necessary to find some healthier dessert options. We eat a lot of fruit (we almost always have at least 3 kinds of fruit on hand), but sometimes I want chocolate. And since I clearly have no self control when it comes to "bad" desserts, I needed to find something that I can enjoy without packing on the pounds.













































So I jumped on the chia seed pudding train. If you're not familiar with chia seeds, here are some quick facts:

- Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica.

- Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole grain food.

- Chia seeds contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids (like fish), carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.

- Chia seeds can be used in a variety of ways: you can sprinkle them directly into something (like cereal), bake them into food, mix them into drinks (like smoothies), or mix them with water to form a gel.

(By the way, I'm not an expert or anything. I just Googled them and shared some of the information from WebMD, which I would consider a more reputable source than, say, Wikipedia.)

If you're not sure where to find chia seeds, I bought mine at Trader Joe's. I haven't looked for them at every grocery store I've visited, but I'm sure they can be found at any grocery store with a "health food" section.

I know the texture may be off-putting to some (it's a little reminiscent of tapioca pudding), but it's really so good and so easy to make. It's also much healthier than many of the other chocolatey desserts I eat, so I don't feel bad having a bowl of this after dinner. I would suggest adding toppings for extra texture and flavor, but it's not necessary. We didn't have any chocolate chips or peanuts on hand when I made this, so I just used some sliced almonds ... Whatever you have in your kitchen that goes with chocolate and peanut butter will work.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

A recipe from Blahnik Baker.


Ingredient List:

• 1 cup almond or soy milk (I used vanilla soy milk.)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds 
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp peanut butter (I used 2 tbsp natural peanut butter. The peanut butter was pretty strong, so I'd suggest using less if you don't want that to be the predominant flavor.)
• 1 tbsp sweetener (I used honey, but you could also use agave nectar or maple syrup.)
• Chocolate chips, nuts, or sliced fruit for serving (These are obviously optional toppings, but I do think it gives the pudding a little something extra.)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients (except for any optional toppings!) in a medium bowl, whisking together until well combined.

2.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours (preferably overnight). 

3.  Stir a few times within the first 30 minutes of refrigeration to avoid clumping.

4.  Serve with whatever toppings you like.

I refrigerated mine overnight, so I'm not sure how the taste would differ if you only chilled it for a few hours. I may experiment with it a bit sometime, but I'd just suggest making it a day in advance if you know you want to try it.

A Random Assortment of Things to Accomplish: My July Goals

I was planning to post my goals for July on Friday since I had the day off work, but I got busy with cleaning and reading. Then Eric got home from work and I decided I'd rather spend the evening cooking dinner with him and watching Netflix together than working on my blog. It happens.

Ashley left a comment last month telling me she'd be continuing the monthly goal link-up in July, so I'll be linking up with her today. I'm a few days late, but, again, it happens.

Image provided by Unsplash (unsplash.com) and edited by me.

My July 2015 Goals:

1.  Make a real effort to comment on other blogs. Sometimes I go on commenting sprees (last Thursday was a perfect example ... I think I probably left at least 12-15 comments on various posts), but there are too many times when I read something and think, "That's great!  I'll have to comment on this later when I have more time." And then I forget. This was also one of my New Year's Resolutions this year, so I'd really like to get into the habit of commenting regularly. I don't know why this isn't easier for me!

2.  Going along with my first goal, I need to remember to reply to comments via email (unless, of course, the person is a no reply blogger ... Then I'll reply to the actual comment). I'd always just assumed the person would receive my response if I replied to the comment, but I guess this isn't the case. Obviously I'm still kind of a newbie blogger. I may have started Divulge and Indulge over a year ago, but I didn't go out of my way to really join the blogging community (link-ups, commenting, etc.) until more recently. Thanks to Kristen for helping me realize my original assumption was incorrect ... Now people will actually know that I do make an effort to respond to every comment!

3.  Read at least 5 books this month. At least 3 of these should be for the Literary Ladies Summer Reading Challenge. I'm only counting books read from start to finish during these 31 days to make it a little more challenging. (In all honesty, this shouldn't be as difficult as it sounds. I'll be flying to Ohio later this month, so I'll have plenty of time on flights and during layovers to read.)

4.  Cook healthier meals at least 3 times every week. Eric and I have to complete an annual health screen to be eligible for discounts on our health insurance through his employer. That's coming up soon, so we should probably stop pumping fatty shit into our bodies and start looking for healthy recipes. I know we can't change ourselves overnight (or even within a month), but I think since we already go to the gym regularly, we'll see some results if we cut back on the carbs, cheese, Chipotle/Qdoba burritos, etc. Last year I got a 95 out of 100 on my health screen, so I'd love to do at least that well (if not better!) this year. (I do realize this goal will basically be shot to hell during the time I'm in Ohio. I'm visiting my best friend, and we're both big fans of pasta and alcohol ... So yeah. However, I can eat healthy while I'm still at home that week, so maybe it won't be as bad as I think.)

I kind of wanted to make more goals this month, but I don't want to go too crazy trying to complete everything. They're kind of scattered, I know, but these are the things I most want to accomplish in July. (As you could probably tell from my oh-so-original title for this post.)

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering why I'm not recapping my fabulous Fourth of July weekend, it's because it was incredibly low key. Eric worked Friday through Sunday, and I was in a massive cleaning/organizing frenzy the majority of the weekend ... So we were both exhausted and not really in the mood to go out. (Not to mention the fact that last month was insane and we were busy every single weekend. It was kind of nice to just hang out at home in the evenings.) We did watch some fireworks from our balcony on Saturday (along with some idiots a couple of buildings away who clearly did not read up on firework safety), though.

Monthly Goals: June Results

As I mentioned last month, the monthly personal challenge link-up I'd been participating in since last September ended with the May results post. I still wanted to continue the tradition of creating monthly goals for myself, though, because I think it helps me stay a little more focused on things that are important to me.

I know that a lot of people make seasonal or quarterly goals, but I don't think that would really work for me right now. The amount of time I have available to devote to my goals can vary significantly from month to month, so I think it's a lot easier to come up with what I think will be a reasonable number of goals on a monthly basis. That's just me, though ... Obviously everyone is different!



Before I get to my results, I just wanted to say a couple of things about the picture above. I thought it would be nice to use my own photo (versus a stock photo) for this post, so I thought, "I'll just take a picture right now as I'm writing this." It's surprisingly awkward/difficult to take a picture of your hand on a keyboard. I wanted it to look natural, but I don't know that it actually does. You can also see that it's actually Sunday when I'm writing this (which isn't unusual for me) based on that little calendar icon on the bottom of my screen.

The other thing is that I usually put my blog's name somewhere on all of my photos. I don't really think anyone will try to steal them (they're not exactly the most amazing pictures ever or anything), but I do think it's a good idea to mark them. I obviously didn't add any additional text to this photo, though. I figured that since my blog's name is already featured in the image (not to mention a portion of this post), someone would have to be pretty ballsy to just steal it and claim it as their own. I know these are completely random thoughts (and probably way too many for such a simple picture), but I figured I'd share them because, well, why not?

Anyway, now I'll actually get to the point of this post and share my June results.

To recap, my goals were:

1.  Get back into a regular exercise routine, working out at least 4 times each week with at least 1 day of cardio and/or strength training.

2.  Use MyFitnessPal regularly.

3.  Post on my blog at least 3-4 times per week.

4.  Get my recipe index up to date.

I think overall I did pretty well, but I could have done better.

1.  I'll give myself a pass on this. I worked a day of cardio in each week, but I was only able to work out 4 days during one week ... Every other week I only worked out 3 days. I think I just have to face the fact that it's often too difficult for me to make it to the gym 4 times every week because I have other commitments. I still think I did a decent job keeping up with an exercise routine, though, and I'm definitely going to stick with it as much as possible!

2.  I'd say I was about 50/50 with this. I was doing really well for a while, and then I just sort of stopped logging my food and exercise. I got lazy, and that's not a good excuse. I want to give this another try because I think it's important to keep track of this stuff.

3.  I definitely passed on the posting! I didn't always blog on the same days, but I managed to squeeze in several posts every week. (By the way, I was counting each week as Sunday through Saturday ... So by those standards, I definitely hit at least 3 posts every week!)

4.  Done! I just need to remember to regularly update my recipe index so I don't have to spend as much time on it in one sitting.

I need some more time to come up with my July goals, but I'll post them soon. July is actually slightly less hectic for me than the last couple of months have been (though I will be going out of town later this month to stay with my best friend in Ohio for a long weekend!), so hopefully I'll be able to stick with all of my goals this month!