Week in Review: Books, Cooking, Home and Family - May 28, 2011

Hello everyone!  Welcome to new visitors that found my site this week during Armchair BEA.  My Week in Review posts summarize the week's happenings in four of my favorite areas:  Books, Cooking, Home and Family

Books
This was a fun week for book bloggers!  I joined in on Armchair BEA with about 500 of my closest book blogging friends.  As I mentioned in yesterday's wrap-up post, I have stuffed my Google Reader with lots of new book blogs and had a chance to see what I was missing - and what I was not missing - at BEA in New York City.

I finished Exit the Actress early in the week and it is certainly one of my favorite books this year.  You can see my thoughts in my review post here.

After finishing Exit the Actress, I turned back to The Happiness Project.  I find myself stopping after certain sections so that I can contemplate how I could incorporate some of Rubin's approaches into my own life.

Cooking
I was asked about my favorite cookbook, earlier this week when I was interviewed by Jennifer at My Life with Books.  When I am looking to cook or bake something that I have never made before, my first stop is the Cook's Illustrated Magazine The New Best Recipe cookbook.  Even though cooking is the best part, I also enjoy learning about the trial and error that happened in the test kitchen in order to achieve THE best recipe.  It's amazing how a little bit of sour cream or buttermilk or combination of sausage and ground beef can make a big difference to the recipe results.  I haven't tried anything new from this cookbook in a few months - I think that it's time find a new recipe and report back here, don't you?

Home
Only two more weeks until my sister arrives!  I was able to make a run to Target this week to get sheets and blankets for the kid's beds.  We had a funny discussion this week about how the bathroom assignments would work.  J seemed to think that her bathroom could remain "her" bathroom and the remaining seven humans could happily coexist between the master bath and the half bath downstairs.  I love how it is perfectly reasonable for a 5 1/2 year old to rationalize how the master bath - with both a shower and a tub - can accommodate two people at a time.  Obviously, we had a little discussion about sharing our space and privacy.

Family
Date night at The Capital Grille last weekend was amazing!  We splurged on a very nice bottle of wine and the steaks were fantastic.  Most of all my husband and I had the best conversation that we have had in months.  It is always wonderful to be reminded about how much you love your spouse! 

We have been using a babysitting service since we moved to Virginia.  We have been pleased with each of the three sitters that have been sent, but I would feel more comfortable if we could find a sitter that we could use consistently and less expensively.  I have to get on that...

Today will be J's first Tae Kwon Do lesson - something that she has been talking about for months.  Since she was only a few months old, I have been able to envision her in the little white martial arts uniform, even more so than a tutu or tap shoes.  I can't wait to see her try one on.  I am hoping that she loves the experience - I think that it will be very good for her!


That's a little glimmer of my week.  Hope that you have a happy and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!