woof woof

Broadway Barks was founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore out of their love and passion for animals.  The foundation promotes the adoption of shelter animals with a focus on education in regards to responsible pet ownership, spaying & neutering as well as the importance of pet identification.  Bernadette Peters recently promoted the 13th Annual Broadway Barks event, held this weekend in NYC, on Live with Regis & Kelly. She is the author of two children's books.  Her most recent book, Stella is a Star, as well as New York Times bestseller Broadway Barks.
Both are available for purchase on Amazon.com

Bernadette Peters signing a copy of Broadway Barks for Kate

bernadette peters with kramer

Happens Every Day

I sometimes long for enough time to really settle in to a good book but being a full time mom with a full time job doesn't always allow this little luxury.  That being said...there haven't been too many books in my life that have really taken hold of me and had a lasting impression.  Isabel Gillies, Happens Every Day, is one of those books.  My sister, an avid reader, told me about the author & book.  She had actually had the pleasure of meeting Isabel on several occasions.  I remember not wanting the book to end and after finishing; searching and hoping to see if the author had written any other books.  Happens Every Day is Gillies debut memoir (March 2009) and I am so excited to learn that her second book A Year and Six Seconds will be available August 2, 2011.  All I will say is: READ IT!!!  I will not pretend to play book critic so below are some reviews from those in the industry.


"A memoir so raw you feel like it's your best friend telling you her story." Glamour ("Must Read" pick)


"This is another favorite of mine. I started this book on a plane last week and did not stop until I'd finished. What I really admired about this book is the way Gillies is brutally honest, even when it comes to certain moments that are less than flattering for her. Fans of "Eat, Pray, Love" will devour this book."
-John Searles, book editor, Cosmopolitan magazine


"I couldn't put the book down. Gillies' memoir is so disarming, especially given that she's not a writer. But therein lies her charm... you're on her side. Gillies comes off as a genuinely peppy, uncomplicated woman. For those readers who've endured similar seismic shifts of the heart, Happens Every Day will offer the comfort of solidarity. For the rest of us who've been, so far, spared, it makes for compulsive and, frankly, chilling late night reading."
– Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR


"It's a surgical reconstruction of her marriage's sudden collapse, and it's utterly honest and painful. It's a tart book, a universal book, which is to say completely human, and eminently worth reading for both men and women."
-Palm Beach Post


"As intimate as if it came from your best friend." 
—Parenting magazine


"Happens is an emotional train wreck you gobble up, rooting for the engaging Gillies."
-USA Today


"[Gillies] brings to life the town of Oberlin, Ohio, complete with organic market, eccentric academics and insanely quaint coffee shops."
—Kirkus


"Emotionally involving...There's a redemptive grace in her struggle."
—Entertainment Weekly


"This is a memoir that reads like a gripping mystery and a moving coming-of-age tale."
-David Auburn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Proof


"A smart, rueful memoir of love, betrayal, and survival."
-O, The Oprah Magazine

Summer's Bounty

Last weekend my husband and I took our daughter to Foster's Market in Durham for lunch - Sara Foster has created the ultimate oasis for food lovers like ourselves.  The place was packed both inside and out with friends and family enjoying each others company and conversation.  You can find it all here.  I saw delicious sampler plates from the cold case, casseroles, homemade soups, cookies, homemade, fresh fruit Popsicles, etc.  I, myself, had the Cobb Sandwich which was simply amazing, my husband enjoyed the Cuban sandwich and Kate quite liked the squash bisque.  Our visit reminded me of a favorite, Sara Foster, cookbook, FRESH EVERY DAY, a wonderful resource for the summer months (all year long, really!)  Our visit to Foster's Market has inspired me to make weekly trips to our state farmers market to take advantage of all of the wonderful, local, fresh fruits & vegetables (as well as fresh pastries & fresh bouquets of flowers) that the summer months produce.  I have also included a few additional cookbooks that are on my shelf and one by Gwyneth Paltrow that I will soon be adding to my collection.  While My Father's Daughter is Gwyneth's first cookbook she certainly is not a newbie in the kitchen.  One of my favorite picture cookbooks, Spain, by Mario Batali features Gwyneth Paltrow - the two take you on a culinary road trip, meeting old and new acquaintances along the way.  The book is a true feast for the eyes.  And last but, certainly, not least...what screams summer more than fresh blueberry pie & lobster rolls - YUM!  Lobster Rolls, Blueberry Pie is a gem of a cookbook offering three generations of recipes + stories from summers on the coast of Maine.  I cannot wait to plan my menu for July 4th.  The coast is calling my name!  Happy Wednesday!
Best,
Helen

entertaining

peek inside: my father's daughter

peek inside: my father's daughter, gwyneth cooking with moses and apple

peek inside: my father's daughter cookbook: sweet potato ravioli

from gwyneth's, my father's daughter cookbook: duck ragu

Children's Book for Grown-ups

Go the F*ck to Sleep (released today) is a children's book for grown-ups and already an Amazon.com bestseller through pre-order sales.  Click the link below to place your order on Amazon.com.  Recommended for those with a sense of humor :)  A funny & thoughtful gift for any mom and/or dad in your life who is going through the often frustrating rituals of bedtime.  I know someone I will be ordering this book for right away! 

cover

a peek inside: go the f*ck to sleep

Book Description from Amazon.com:


Go the Fuck to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach's verses perfectly capture the familiar--and unspoken--tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, they open up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations, and laugh at their absurdity.
With illustrations by Ricardo Cortes, Go the Fuck to Sleep is beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny--a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.

Editorial Reviews from Amazon.com:

"Total genius."
--Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn, father of two

"A children's book for grown-ups! I really did laugh out loud--hilarious!"
--David Byrne, musician, father of one

"I wish this book had been around during my daughter's overly protracted sleep rituals! Finally, someone tells it like it really is. This is no-guilt funny and a godsend!"
--Cristina Garcia, author of The Lady Matador's Hotel, mother of one

"This is the most honest children's book ever written. And it's f*cking hilarious."
--A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically, father of three

"Go the Fuck to Sleep is the secret anthem of tired parents everywhere. Adam Mansbach's homage to the tropes of bedtime stories is pitch perfect, and Ricardo Cortes's stunning illustrations will keep grown-ups and kids alike returning to these pages again and again!"
--Bliss Broyard, author of One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life

Bedside Table

On my bedside table.

Cannot wait to dive into:

A much needed long, holiday weekend is upon us.  Pick up a copy of Jackie as Editor or Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother for your Memorial Day weekend.  Both - perfect beach reads.

Buy Local: Quail Ridge Books & Music 919.828.1588 and online www.quailridgebooks.com

or Amazon www.amazon.com

undecorate

The term sounds so fresh to me.  In Christiane Lemieux's new book, "Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design," Lemieux, founder of DwellStudio, documents this widespread interior design trend.  "The idea is based on cleverness over money, taste over expense, personality over hired expertise and idiosyncrasy over polish."  WSJ writer Katie Roiphe writes; "it's a welcome development, reflective of a recession-fueled revelation that money is not the same as beauty."  "It is the idea of energy, of chaos, of motion, of mess" (think unmade beds, children's books and toys scattered about, dogs lounging without a care in the world)  It's the rise of the personal or do-it-yourself style, of beloved things that you pull together for personal reasons.  Lived-in, unfussy, creative imperfection.  "Perfection is overrated" writes Lemieux.  I heart the sound of that!

photo courtesy of Melanie Acevedo

Christiane Lemieux

Perfect!

On my wild hunt for the perfect book display for my daughter I found this gem.  Best of all it's made right here in Durham, North Carolina. 



       Inai Inai Ba! Hana Bookcase & Book Display

 

Be sure to check out all of Mas's beautiful pieces on etsy!  AMAZING!!!!!! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/inaiinaiba?ref=pr_shop

Easy Breezy Weeknight Cooking

I must have fifty cookbooks in my kitchen but Helen Chen's Easy Chinese Stir-Fries has to be one of my top tried and true favorites.  One might not think that a restaurant quality Chinese dish would be the quickest and easiest weeknight meal.  Think again!  If you love Chinese food like my family does be sure to add this wonderful book to your collection and keep it at the top of your stack as I know you'll be resourcing it time and time again.  Easy Chinese Stir-Fries is a fantastic collection of traditional favorites as well as non-traditional.  Chen offers substitutions for making healthier ingredient choices in many of her family favorite recipes too.  I was amazed when my husband and I prepared our first meal from Chen's cookbook.  It was so easy and actually looked like the dish pictured in the book or a dish that would be served at your favorite Chinese dive.  Minus all of the bad stuff.  YUM!!! 

I recommend a trip to your local Asian market to stock up on some basic ingredients like dark soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, oyster sauce, fermented black beans, bamboo shoots, etc.  These ingredients are all very easy to find at your local Asian market, you will not have to spend a fortune on any of them and most can be stored in your pantry or fridge for your next recipe.  Have fun cooking & enjoy!

easy chinese stir-fries cover - photo by jason wyche