Book Review: Stir

Ever since I started blogging for The Jewish Food Experience, I've become more in tune with books about food and Judaism. So when I saw an ad for Stir pop up in Goodreads, I immediately flocked to it. I knew it would be about food, but then after doing some research, I found out that Jessica Fechtor is Jewish. Voila! Since I got the opportunity to interview her for the JFE blog, I prioritized Stir so that I could talk about it when I worked on her post. Little did I know that I'd be presented with such a rich, honest, and beautifully written memoir. (Well, I had some idea it would be great, given her engaging blog posts over at Sweet Amandine.)

At 28, Jessica Fechtor was happily immersed in graduate school and her young marriage, and thinking about starting a family. Then one day, she went for a run and an aneurysm burst in her brain. She nearly died. She lost her sense of smell, the sight in her left eye, and was forced to the sidelines of the life she loved.

Jessica’s journey to recovery began in the kitchen as soon as she was able to stand at the stovetop and stir. There, she drew strength from the restorative power of cooking and baking. Written with intelligence, humor, and warmth, Stir is a heartfelt examination of what it means to nourish and be nourished."

Woven throughout the narrative are 27 recipes for dishes that comfort and delight. For readers of M.F.K.Fisher, Molly Wizenberg, and Tamar Adler, as well as Oliver Sacks, Jill Bolte Taylor, and Susannah Cahalan, Stir is sure to inspire, and send you straight to the kitchen. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The best way I can describe Jessica's writing is to say that it was like sitting across from her at a café and chatting as if we were lifelong friends. She takes readers through her journey from the time she fell off a treadmill to over a year post-recovery. Between chapters talking about her aneurysm and the fall-out that came afterward, she also reflects upon how she first met her husband. There are chapters where she just talks about her food experiences while traveling. At the end of most chapters, she shares a recipe that she mentioned somewhere in that chapter. Most are baking-oriented, but there are some soup recipes, as well. I just felt like I really knew her while reading this memoir. She talks so lovingly about her husband, family, and friends. I can tell that she had an amazing support system as she was finding her way back to herself. Jessica really drew me into her world, inviting me into her home in that sense.

My only "complaint" (very minor) is with the recipes in that there's a lot of time involvement for most of them. They're not all just simple "throw ingredients together and put it in the oven" recipes. Some involve a day or two in the refrigerator and extra attention in the meantime. If you're an expert in the kitchen, you'll appreciate these recipes. For someone who doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen or likes to keep things simple, they feel a bit overwhelming. However, I keep thinking that if Jessica could master these recipes with vision in only one eye and depleted energy, then I should at least give some of them a whirl. Especially since they sound really good! (Side note: Do not read this book on an empty stomach.)

Overall, I loved Stir and I've been recommending it to everyone I know, whether or not they are Jewish and/or a foodie. I think everyone can take away some message from the book and apply it to their own life.

Thanks to Avery for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Revisiting my bucket list

I occasionally am inspired to share my bucket list on my blog. The first time I posted my bucket list was in early 2011. Since that time, I have taken my kids to Disney World and I've lost interest in meeting Adam Lambert. (He's cute and a good singer, but I'm well over my crush.) The one thing I do want to keep from that list is my first item, "write a novel." I sometimes write about vacations I want to take, what I'd do with a lot of money or if I thought I wouldn't fail, risks I want to take now that 40 is around the corner, etc.

Today's inspiration comes from author Karma Brown, in the form of a contest!

Some of these items might be from previous lists, but it obviously means that I still want to do these things.

1. Go to Hawaii. I think it would be something really cool to do for my 40th birthday, but I'd probably need a miracle to pull off that kind of trip.
2. Write a novel. I need to get myself back into creative writing in general first. I'm still full of ideas I can't seem to get down on "screen."
3. Take my kids to NYC. The last time they were there, my oldest child was younger than my youngest child is now. That was six years ago. I've been there by myself a couple of times since then, but it would be fun to give them a real New York experience, which would obviously include a Broadway show.
4. Learn how to drive the van. Yes, it has been four and a half years and yes, I'm still afraid.
5. Change my hair color. I'm still leaning toward blonde, like I was when I was a kid, but not sure how it would look on me now. Maybe I'll start with highlights?
6. Put my photos into an album (or two...or three). I have so many on Facebook or on my hard drive and I want my kids to be able to have printed photos to look back upon.
7. See Billy Joel in concert. My friend manages to go to every concert he's done on the east coast and I have yet to see him once.
8. Learn how to decorate a cake. I can bake it just fine, but I can't make it look as pretty as my friend's cakes do. I was telling her recently that my decorations are stick figures made with those icing tubes from the grocery store.
9. Stay in a luxurious hotel. I love the experience of staying at a hotel, but would really enjoy having all the perks that go with it.
10. Have a better organization system. I've lamented many times on how disorganized I am.

This blog post is a contest entry for Harlequin’s Come Away with Me Bucket List Contest located at http://bit.ly/1fhFAhz.

S'mores, anyone?

Paul Rudd. Amy Poehler. Chris Pine. Elizabeth Banks. Bradley Cooper. Michael Cera. John Slattery. Molly Shannon. Jon Hamm. Jason Schwartzman. Kristen Wiig. Josh Charles. David Hyde Pierce. Janeane Garofalo. Christopher Meloni. Weird Al.

What do all these celebrities have in common? They were all part of one entertaining miniseries called Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. This series was developed 14 years after the movie came out, which actually took place on the last day of camp. It became a cult classic after a while, which is why Michael Showalter and David Wain decided to write this miniseries. Even though the original movie came out in 2001, the same actors returned in their same roles in 2015. I had to keep checking to make sure it was actually filmed this year because everyone managed to look the same as they did back then. Not sure how that was possible, but I'm guessing good make-up helped.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, watch it first and then come back for this series. Both are really funny, but you have to be a fan of satire with a side of raunchiness. (Think Airplane! here.)

Movie trailer:


Miniseries trailer:




My thoughts--including SPOILERS:

*Is Abby a counselor or a camper? She was a camper in the miniseries, but the movie shows her as a counselor. It was funny how she was this immature kid who hated boys and then after she got her first period, she became a boy-crazy teenager.

*I HATE Drew. Hate, hate, hate, HATE him! I'm a grown woman and am somehow letting a 12 year old bully get under my skin. That's how awful he is. I feel so bad for Kevin for having to deal with him, and it's just the first day. If my kids ever have to deal with a little sh-t like Drew, I will not be held responsible for my own actions. Even though he was being a bit nicer the next day, I still don't trust him.

*Kevin is adorable with the curls and I hope Amy changes her mind about him throughout the summer. They'd be so cute together.

*Apparently, Coop lost a lot of weight over one summer. I also wonder when he developed an interest in Katie. (Although he was glancing at her at the end of the final episode.) I generally find Coop annoying, even with the nice guy act going on, but I did appreciate that he stood up for himself when Donna was pushing things too far. However, I was shipping Donna and Yaron and wondering when Coop would take the hint.

*Speaking of Donna, Lake Bell did an awesome job in this role. She just owned the part. I love when Donna gives shofars to everyone at camp and tells them all the same thing about the shofar's meaning.

(Side note: Three actors from this miniseries, including Lake Bell, were in this movie called In A World, which is about a voice-over competition.)

*I loved the chemistry between McKinley and Ben.

*It's funny how we learn where the talking can of vegetables came from.

*I love the whole story line about Jonas being Gene and then Jeff interrupting Gene and Gail's wedding.

*It was funny how no one seemed to notice that Arty was in the radio cabin all day and night. Not sure why someone else needed to be his voice though. Why didn't they just give Samm Levine the part all the way? If 40 year-olds can play 16 year-olds, then someone in their 30s could play a 13 year-old.

*The scene where Victor is buying protection and then is embarrassed over a price check on a key chain was hilarious. It was a fun twist that Victor was a virgin when he was trying to be such a ladies' man. I also love when Victor is outsmarting Gene.

*Josh Charles did not age well. He was so cute in the 90s (like in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead).

*It was nice to see Janeane Garofalo again. I haven't seen her in anything in a long time. She's been in a lot of TV shows and movies, just nothing I've watched. She's aged nicely though.

*I love how Electro City turned into this big Broadway production in just a few hours. Even so, it made me think of something Christopher Guest would put together in a mockumentary.

*The scene with Neil putting aftershave on his nether region was super uncomfortable to watch. I also did not need to see the diaphragm exchange between Lindsay and the nurse.

*I loved the fight scene between Gene and the Falcon. Also funny that they ended up actually being friends to begin with and that the Falcon couldn't explain why he was a bad guy.

*Elizabeth Banks was great as Lindsay. It was funny that she was trying to make herself look 16 when everyone else was pretty much adults trying to look like teenagers again.

*The finale was hilarious. However, since it's obviously the first day or so of camp and the movie takes place on the last day, it would be fun to see what happens during the time between.

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp was an addictive show and I hope there will be another miniseries as a follow up in the near future. And now I want to see the movie again.

If you've watched this show (if you got to this point, you probably have, unless you like spoilers), please comment with your thoughts....favorite characters, scenes, what was funniest to you, what didn't work so well, etc.

Joining the "Odd" Squad

My summer guilty pleasure TV show has been Odd Mom Out. Unfortunately, there are only 10 episodes. There needs to be more! I just finished the season finale and really hope it will be back next year. It gave me something fun to look forward to every week, after I tucked the kids in bed. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here is a trailer:



You can catch the episodes on Bravo's website for a short time if you have a cable provider, but I hope they'll all be on DVD soon so that you can start from the beginning. Full episodes are also on YouTube, but who knows how long that will last? (The screen resolution on YouTube is weird, but it's doable.)

In any case, Odd Mom Out is a fun and entertaining series, with a lot of hilarity throughout. Jill Kargman moves seamlessly from women's fiction author to comedic actress. She's so full of life and energy. Her character on the show reminds me of a female version of Larry David's character on Curb Your Enthusiasm. She manages to put her foot in her mouth or do some things that everyone else considers rude or inappropriate. And I just love her for it! I can definitely relate to that "odd mom out" feeling sometimes and Jill makes me feel better about it. Jill's friend Vanessa (K.K. Glick) is enjoyable to watch as she's so down-to-earth and different from everyone else on the show. I also love that she gets her own story line. Jill's friendship with Vanessa reminds me of my friendship with my BFF in some ways.

Favorite episodes:
"Omakase" (episode 4): Friend date gone horribly wrong! I just love what they consider to be food at this restaurant.
"Brooklandia" (episode 5): I love how Jill thinks she'll fit in so much better in Brooklyn and then realizes what she'd be getting herself into. The level of sanctimony between all the moms would drive me to react the way Jill did.
"Midwife Crisis" (episode 6): Everything about this episode was hilarious.
"Staffing Up" (episode 8): I love the older housekeeper who swears about everything. Plus there were some great lines, like the one about not attending two Bar Mitzvah parties with one tuchus. (Oh...did I mention how much I love all the Jewish references on the show. Well, except for the Orthodox lady who specialized in helping women tighten up "down there." That just seemed like a weird role for that woman.)
"Wheels Down" (episode 10): A satisfying season finale. And it pays homage to the 80s. I even heard strains of "If You Leave" by OMD at one point.

Character I love to hate: Candace (Joanna Cassidy) and Lex (Sean Kleier). It's a tie between mother and son. I don't envy Jill and Brooke for having such a pretentious and difficult mother-in-law. And Lex is just a "female hygiene product" to put it nicely.
Character I hate to love: Brooke! Abby Elliot is so perfect as this perfectionist mom snob and makes her comical and endearing, but still someone you wouldn't want to look at the wrong way, lest she turn all her friends against you.

Fun fact: Aside from Jill Kargman being sister-in-laws with Drew Barrymore...Jill appeared at Chick Lit Central a few years ago when promoting one of her books. She's really nice and as funny in real life as she is on the show. Visit Jill at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

I hope you'll give Odd Mom Out a chance, There's more substance to the show than just sex and money. It's a hidden gem and I am just starting to find more people who will also admit to it being their guilty pleasure. If you already watch and enjoy it as much as I do, don't be shy!

8 Photos of Happiness Tag

I recently became acquainted with Military Wife and Pug Life. I enjoy reading the posts over there and started e-mailing with the woman behind this blog who is funny, down-to-earth, and has a few things in common with me. However, she's a complete mystery. I don't know her name or where she lives. Since I value and respect her privacy, it's going to stay that way. I still enjoy connecting with her though. Just recently, she tagged me in a post challenging me to share eight photos that make me happy or evoke happy memories. So many to choose from, right?!? Here goes...

The Rent cake my friend made me for my birthday last year.
So thoughtful, and it was delicious too! We eventually got to see Rent together, as well. :)

Speaking of Rent...getting to meet Adam Pascal (Roger from the Original Broadway Cast) when I went to NYC
with my mom and sister in 2001. We practically ran over to the stage door for Aida (the show he was in at the time).
After that, we were on Cloud 9 the rest of the day!

When my BFF came to visit last fall. We had a great time hanging out and capped off the
weekend with our soda (even though she calls it "pop") can photo. :)

This speaks for itself. Eleven years ago this past March!

Getting to meet a new friend with whom I connected over books.
She's so kind and genuine! I wish we lived closer so we could hang out more often.

My first Disney World trip with my husband and kids. Hope it won't be the last!
I'm still going through withdrawal and it's been over two years!

This past spring at Book Expo America. This pic represents all the fun I had connecting with authors and bloggers.
When else can you have an indoor picnic with Pam Jenoff and two lovely book bloggers, right?
Legen...wait for it...dary!
(Side note: Pam's latest novel, The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach, came out yesterday!)

Getting to see "Will" after SIX long years. Such fun memories from that evening from
getting delicious ice cream to singing show tunes all night long at Marie's Crisis Café! 

Now I have to nominate some people to do this tag. Here are the rules:
1) Thank the person that nominated you: Thanks for the challenge, Military Wife!
2) Link the original creator: Ariel's Little Corner of the Internet  (just copy this name and link)
3) Post 8 Photographs of YOUR Happiness: the photos can be anything from a memory, object, place, loved one, friends, pet - anything that makes you happy.
4) Put a brief description of why the photo makes you happy.
5) Spread the happiness and tag up to 10 other bloggers.

I would like to see 8 Photographs of Happiness from:
*Airing My Dirty Laundry
*Heck of a Bunch
*Says Me, Says Mom
*Not in Jersey 
*Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews
*Re*Solve
*Steph the Bookworm
*Luha Thoughts

Parenthood Season One--SPOILERS included

I recently started getting into Parenthood, after many recommendations from friends, and also after reading Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave. I don't know why I waited so long. It's so addictive! I want to share my thoughts here, season by season, so that everyone who has seen it can enjoy it again vicariously. If you haven't seen it yet, please don't read any further than the trailer, as this post contains spoilers. All I will tell you is that you definitely should get on board. It's such a great show. Even if you don't have kids, there's still a lot to like. I know people who are not parents who have told me they love it too. (However, if I started watching this series before I had kids, I probably would have held off a lot longer. And that's just after watching the first season!)

Check out the season one trailer:


My thoughts...with SPOILERS

*Why do all the adult children have common names except for Crosby? I've been told that the reason behind his name never gets revealed.

*Speaking of Crosby, this is my first time seeing Dax Shepard in a serious role. He's grown on me a lot this season. He also has a great smile. Crosby's story line seems like the only thing similar to the movie Parenthood. (Remember Tom Hulce's character and his son named Cool?) I'm also really liking Crosby and Jasmine together. I'm glad she finally told her family the truth about him and that she's letting him into Jabbar's world some more. I also appreciate that Crosby is making it clear that he's not cool with her not telling him in the first place. Especially because of all he's missed so far.

*I could relate to Kristina's "excitement" over Sydney possibly having Asperger's because I've felt that way whenever someone told me they thought their kid might have hearing loss. Not out of schadenfraude, but mainly because we'd have a mutual understanding of what it's like. In general, I like Kristina a lot and feel like we're similar in some other ways. I felt bad for her when she had this chance to start up her career again and Adam was pulling this guilt trip on her.

*I feel like I am similar to Julia in some ways, as well. I can relate to her working mother guilt and trying to compensate when I am with my kids. We're similar on the "bad cop" scale. (Same reason I'm most like Claire on Modern Family.) Anyway, Erika Christensen reminds me of Julia Stiles, so it's funny that her name is Julia on this show. I don't like Raquel at all and can relate to Julia's annoyance with her. I'm glad that Julia was able to keep that separate of letting their kids be friends. I worry about Julia's relationship with Joel. It seems like they're always finding something to fight about, even though when they do get along they seem like the perfect couple.

*I'm not sure what to think of Sarah yet. She seems like this adult child at times, but I also enjoy watching her. I am sad that she ended things too soon with Mark (Amber's teacher). I really liked them together. I never watched Gilmore Girls, but I feel like Lauren Graham is taking on a similar role to Lorelai. I could be wrong though.

*Then there's Adam. Peter Krause still looks as great as he did on Six Feet Under. Maybe even better. What I love about Adam is that he's not perfect, even though he tries to be like the model older son. He's a good support system for his siblings. He's a great father and uncle, as well. Or at least he tries to be. I loved his "no time for myself" meltdown. It goes to show that finding balance isn't just for women. However, he needs to take dance lessons from Danny Castellano (from The Mindy Project). Anyway, I have to wonder if my husband will be like him when our daughter becomes a teenager. I could see that happening... The one thing that puzzles me is that he seems like a successful businessman, so why can't he help his parents out at all? Maybe I'm missing something here? Or would Zeek not accept money from him anyway (even though he wanted him to take the property off his hands)?

*The mother (Camille), played by Bonnie Bedelia, is gorgeous. I can only wish to look that great when I'm her age. However, I did not like her hairstyle on the night she went to the art gallery. Just leave it all curly!

*I'm still getting used to the dad (Zeek). He seems a bit too over-involved in everyone's life when he can't even seem to get his own life together. However, I'm glad he's starting to stand up for himself more and I have to admit that I love how he serenaded Camille.

*As for the younger generation of Bravermans....
--I really like Amber and Drew a lot. I thought Amber was going to be all rebellious, but she really has a good heart. I hope she dedicates herself more to school, especially since Sarah defended her to the principal about which grade she should be in. I felt bad for her when Haddie's friends were bullying her after she confessed to Haddie about Steve. Drew just seems like a typical teenage boy. I like that he is nice to Max and that he looks out for his sister, even though she's older than him. It was also cute how he was all self-conscious about going to the school dance. I also like the connection he has with Adam since his dad is not much of a father figure.

--Sydney reminds me of my own daughter in some ways. She's more intense than my daughter though.

--Max is a cute kid and it's interesting to see how the actor who plays him works with being a character who has Asperger's. He is very convincing though.

--Jabbar is really cute too. I like how he and Crosby are bonding.

--Haddie is the most complex. I just hope my daughter isn't like her when she gets older. I'd just be scared. I did like that she told her friends to back off of Amber and that she finally forgave Amber, as well. I don't know if her new hair color works for her though.

*The season finale felt anti-climactic to me. There was no cliffhanger. Some of the stories just tied up into a neat little bow. However, I do plan to keep watching, as I've been told the best is yet to come...

Stay tuned for my thoughts on season two. Season one was short, so it might be a while, unless I post on each half of the season. 

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

One of my favorite blogs, Airing My Laundry, does a post every week that was inspired by a section of Glamour magazine. She invites her followers to do their own posts like this, so I'm giving it a whirl. Since I don't do this weekly, my list will be long.

It's Okay...

*To be happy about my birthday (even though it means getting older) and to count down to it each year. My birthday just happened and now I'm gearing up for a special milestone birthday in 366 days (thanks to the upcoming leap year).

*To not think of the gray in my hair as strands of glitter. I don't have to like everything about getting older.

*To be excited that Chick Lit Central has 3500 likes on Facebook (!!!) and to have a giveaway to celebrate.

*To not want to read Go Set a Watchman.

*To have never read a Jane Austen novel, much to my friend Jamie's chagrin.

*To want to marry the latest novel by Marian Keyes.

*To have a massive girl crush on Ruby Rose.

*To use my bakery gift certificate for a cake because I didn't feel like baking for Shabbat. (It was well worth it too!)

*To indulge my daughter's Super Why obsession. If she learns to read, it will be worth it!

*To not want to see The Minions in the theater. I know they're cute and my kids want to see them, but unless they can convince someone else we're close with to take them, it's not happening on my watch.

*To be addicted to Parenthood after seeing only a few episodes (and to have taken this long to finally start watching it).

*To be very happy over Tatiana Maslany's Emmy nomination and very annoyed over a certain Emmy nomination in the comedy leading actress category...especially since Ellie Kemper and/or Mindy Kaling should have gotten that nomination instead.

*To play Broadway music in the car for my kids on the way to camp (even though I'm not playing any music this week out of respect for the nine days before Tisha B'Av).

*To have worn a "Christmas" dress when I was a kid.

*To not want to spend $100-200 for cute pictures of my daughter. The school hired the photographer anyway and he was egotistical. The pics were really good, but no. I just can't. I told her she could dress up at home and we'd do "glamour shots."

*To not be happy about the choice for Rosie in the movie version of The Rosie Project. I never liked Jennifer Lawrence to begin with and I was really hoping for Emily Blunt in that role.

*To have not purchased anything on Amazon Prime day. Heard it was all a disappointment anyway.

*To not be in a blogging mood, even though I have tons of ideas floating around in my head.

*To eat the chocolate at my desk. Life's too short and the lifeline of chocolate is apparently even shorter. (Hoping there will be a solution for that problem though.)