Reading List: The Goldfinch

What are you guys reading lately?

I've gone through a bunch of books this summer, including Tell the Wolves I'm Home, Bittersweet, The Vacationers, The Fixed Trilogy (bad romance a la 50 Shades of Grey), This is Where I Leave You, and currently The Goldfinch.

I feel like The Goldfinch is one of the 'novels of the summer'. Everyone I speak to is reading it. Clocking in at over 700 pages, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't daunted by it, especially since it centers around a piece of art, something that I'm not really so into. Lots of you chimed in on Instagram that I should just go for it. Once I started the book and got through the first few pages, I was hooked. A Pulitzer Prize-winner, The Goldfinch is a bit overly descriptive (which is the only time the story lulls), but I adore the way that the author portrays the acuteness of Theo's loss as he tries to rebuild his life following his mother's death. I also adore that the story is set in New York City.

I'm still early on, but am already trying to sneak in time to read a few pages here and there. If you're interested in reading, here's a synopsis:

Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

I think that following this, I may start The Outlander...have any of you guys read that one? I know it's a long series and a new TV drama on Starz, so I find it appealing, yet also daunting.

What are you reading lately?

Dukan Meal Plan: Attack Phase or PP Days

Though I know I've been frustrated with the Dukan Diet lately, I'm certainly not giving it up. I might be so over eating meat all.the.time., but at the end of the day (or I should say in the early morning when I weigh myself), I continue to lose when I stick with it...and noticeably gain when I don't. And since I like fitting into my clothes more than not, I'm sticking with it as best I can.

One of the key things I've learned about this diet and lifestyle change is that I need to meal plan. When I leave it up to spur of the moment decisions, well, I often don't make the best decisions. Like an Eagle Scout, it's best to always be prepared. The next key learning on the list is to be creative! That is also the only way it doesn't feel like deprivation or straight boredom.

So for myself and for you other Dukaners out there, I'm going to do a series of meal plan ideas. And even if you aren't on Dukan, well hopefully you will find some other foodspiration from it.

I think the hardest days on Dukan are the Attack Phase days, or Pure Protein (PP). Below I've created a 3 day Attack Phase plan, which can also be used for any PP days! Most of these are staples in our house and we eat some variation of these plans at least once a week. The best part about Dukan is that you can eat as much as you want of the approved foods, so if the below isn't enough, then go ahead and add some more! I hope you find this helpful!

The Day 1 plan is really the most typical day for Shaun and me. I almost always eat string cheese and cottage cheese as my snacks, and most often, grilled chicken and/or chicken sausages grace my lunch plate!

Shaun absolutely loves this mustard roasted fish (and please forgive my badly lit photos...). It's so easy too! Perfect for quick weeknight dinners. And once you're in the PV (Protein/Vegetable) phase, a side of veggies makes it even better.

 

I typically save my pancake for dessert at night. It's like the final, sweet food that my body needs to go to bed satisfied. Shaun, however, doesn't care for the sweet version and prefers a more savory style.

I created this one for him to bring to work for lunchtime, and I think it keeps him more satisfied than solely protein. The savory pancake is also a great vehicle for smoke salmon and fat free cream cheese...like a healthy blini!

 

Steak is definitely a 'treat' for us, but makes the whole meal feel so special. I certainly never feel deprived when I have steak for dinner! Diet, who?

So that's my 3 day Attack Phase/PP Day plan. What do you think? Could you live on that? What additions or edits would you make to these meal ideas?

Oh Hi! And Butter.

Sorry I dropped off the grid over the last week, but we took a nice trip to Siesta Key, Florida with Shaun's family for the last 5 days! It was our first time there and it was beautiful. Incredibly hot, but the beach was gorgeous and the water was perfect for my rambunctious little nugget to run back and forth from our chairs to the water's edge. Perhaps I'll do a full update later this week. Not today, though, because today is Secret Recipe Club reveal day!

Though I haven't done a whole lot of recipe sharing over the last bunch of months, I do love participating in the Secret Recipe Club because it forces me to get in the kitchen and make something! This month, I was assigned Brooklyn Locavore. I was pretty psyched since BK has a special place in my heart, as both of my sisters now live there! I spent some time searching around this blog and love Melissa's mission to cook and eat local! Such a hot topic right now and something that I love doing with my family as well. Though there were so many recipes that look enticing, I decided to go with her fresh butter recipe. 

I actually never considered making fresh butter. Ever.

But when I saw how simple this was, I started dreaming of fluffy, salty, spreadable fresh butter. And then I really, really wanted to make it. It's not Dukan approved. And it's a bit of work for smallish yield. But I agree with Melissa's assessment that this would be a fantastic dish for company. I also can't wait to try it garnished with some chives from our urban garden and perhaps with a little fig jam spread on top. Ugh I'm craving a hearty baguette with this amazing butter right now!

With only 2 ingredients, you really can't go wrong. This recipe does call for a stand mixer, which I highly recommend. Aside from that special tool, this recipe couldn't be simpler. I hope you give it a try!

Fresh Butter

*Adapted from Brooklyn Locavore

2 C heavy cream

2 tsp kosher salt

Pour heavy cream and salt into bowl of stand mixer and fasten the whisk attachment. Turn mixer onto medium speed. Gradually whip the cream until it becomes whipped cream (and resist the urge to eat it like this. Remind yourself that it will be like salty whipped cream...not sweet. I didn't heed this advice...). Continue to whip and increase the speed to high, occasionally scraping the bowl down with a rubber spatula.

You may want to use the splatter guard on your mixer and also drape with a tea towel. Once the curds and whey begin to separate, it splatters a lot, and these 2 tools help mitigate that!

Once the whey begins to separate, turn the mixer off. The curds should stick to the wire whisk and the remaining curds in the bowl can be easily picked up. Pour the entire thing onto a cheese cloth or thin tea towel.

Working quickly, squeeze out as much moisture as possible through the tea towel. Turn butter out into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Enjoy on toast, bread, baguette, or by the spoonful...wait, did I just say that out loud?

This recipe yields about 6 ounces.

I hope you enjoy this decadent, yet fresh, melty deliciously awesome recipe on a Monday morning! I'm ready to tackle the next few weeks of summer...bring it on! Have a great week everyone!

Have you ever made your own butter?

Do you try to eat local? What are some of your tips?

An InLinkz Link-up