May R.E.P.O.R.T.
reading, eating, playing, obsessing, recommending, treating in May
We’re a date late getting this out because I had a jam-packed weekend! We went to the pool for the first time this year, and we plan to try to go almost every weekend, at least for a couple of hours. Here’s what I got up to in May:
Reading:
My reading slump from April has since followed me into May. I only read one book in the first half of the month, though it was a very long one, so I feel it should count for two.
The Survivor Wants to Die in the End by Adam Silvera: I was quite disappointed with this one. I think I’d put They Both Die in the End in my top 20 books. It was, at least, in my top 10 when I first read it in 2022, and I re-read it last year. I also enjoyed The First One to Die at the End in 2023, so I was looking forward to the third book in the installment.
Know my Name by Chanel Miller: this was absolutely incredible and a very powerful read. This is the memoir of Brock Turner’s victim. I wish there was a better way to tell you who wrote this memoir because she’s so much more than that, but sadly we know his name and not hers, but this memoir is Chanel’s chance to take back her narrative. I highly recommend the audiobook because she self-narrates, but it’s understandably raw and emotional. Please check in with yourself to make sure you’re in the right headspace to read this book.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary: an account I follow on Instagram: mamadaughterbookclub is hosting a re-read your childhood challenge, and it’s been so fun! When I fell into my slump last month, I didn’t do a re-read of a childhood book. The challenge is to read 12 in a year, which evens out to one per month, so I’ll just have to double up, but this challenge has been so fun to connect with some of my childhood favorites (which is so American Girl Magazine Summer coded, obviously). I didn’t originally have this one on my plan to re-read for the challenge, but we talked about it during book club this month, so it just felt right!
A Reason to See You Again by Jami Attenberg: I really wanted to like this one. It spans the course of 40 years and really rushed through the plot, so for most of it, I didn’t know what was going on. It was honestly pretty boring, and it seems like other reviews felt the same way, unfortunately.
Eating:
I started cooking for media on the menu, which will officially kick off on June 9th! I can’t wait to share my first dishes with you. A few eating highlights from this month:
The best cookbook club to date! We cooked from an Italian cookbook, and it was incredible. I say every month that it’s the best one yet, but this one was the best by a long shot. Here’s what we made: beef braised in red wine, gnocchi with walnut pesto, pasta arrabiata with homemade noodles, sage and goat cheese risotto, bruschetta with tomatoes, polenta with cheese and thyme, and I made the dessert which was baked stuffed peaches with amaretto and cream. I also made a cocktail for the occasion: gin, rose lillet blanc, fresh grapefruit juice, an egg white foam, and a mint garnish.
Hailee Catalano dishes: We decided to make her cookbook, By Heart, our pick for June, and it inspired me to make a few of her dishes this month. My favorite was her asparagus and ditalini, but surprisingly, her snap pea salad was also incredible. I’m not huge on snap peas, but I really enjoyed this dish.
Cooking class in the botanical gardens: My friend, Bradley, who inspired my entire Eating Gilmore project, came for a visit. I found a cooking class was being offered at the Dallas Arboretum, and it felt like the perfect event for us since I first found Bradley through his live cooking class on YouTube. I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t a hands-on cooking class, so we didn’t actually get to cook together. However, I did learn a lot from Chef Nikky and had the best mango sticky rice, I’ve ever eaten. I can’t wait to cook from her book: Thai Food and Travel.
I ended this month with a nostalgic eating experience. My friends and I went to Rainforest Cafe! I can’t remember the last time I ate there, and I didn’t even know there was one still near me. We had so much fun, and I will definitely be writing up more about the blast from the past soon.
us at the Rainforest Cafe!
Playing:
When I shared my monthly report, I picked something a little different for the playing category. After our cooking class, Brad and I went to grab some drinks at a little cocktail bar in Dallas. I told him about how the Dallas Museum of Art hosts a murder mystery every year, but that I hadn’t been in probably a decade. He said we should manifest the event happening, and when I checked the dates, lo and behold it was for that very night and there were still tickets on sale! What were the odds? We got tickets, and my sister drove out to meet us, and we had so much fun!
It’s a game of Clue come to life. They designate 6 artworks from the museum and actors dress up as the art and participants interview the art to determine who was the murderer. You also have to explore the different galleries to find the body outline and figure out which museum artifact was the weapon. It took us a few guesses, but we did get the answer right in the end!
Obsessing:
Daisy Jones and the Six: I mean, I always am, but I did a rewatch this month
white wine: we have so many bottles saved up that we’ve cracked open a few, and they’re just so perfect for summer
my new produce dress: I got it the day we had our May cookbook club and it felt so perfect to wear, and it has pockets!
Aldi Clancy pretzels: They aren’t Dots, but they’re a good second in terms of seasoned pretzels.
Collaging: I will cut-up a magazine any chance I get if I can turn it into a collage. I’ve really been in a mood board mood this year, and had a little gathering with some friends to make summer mood boards this month.
Our summer movie list: We are already working through our summer movie list and enjoying some nostalgic faves like She’s the Man and Holiday in the Sun.
Fictional kitchens: as I start working on media on the menu, I’ve been obsessing over different kitchens in movies and TV shows (Nancy Meyers ones being at the top of the list, obviously).
will forever be obsessed with them
Recommending:
Joining a book club: I know all book clubs are not created equally. The first public one I attended was actually so horrible and the people were kind of mean. However, don’t let this discourage you. I eventually found one I love, and they just celebrated 7 years as a book club this month! (The story of how I found this book club is actually my favorite. They were hosting a book swap at one of my favorite cocktail bars. My sister and I went only to check out the free books and have a drink or two. But one of the club members and I both had on Daisy Jones and the Six t-shirts on and we totally bonded and as the saying goes, the rest was history! Erin and I are actually good friends now, and I love the book club!).
Le Petit 3: I tried this subscription after I saw Yasmine Reads post about it a few times. It’s essentially a newspaper version of someone’s substack. The May theme was Scents and Sensibility, and the articles were about perfume and florals. It was beautiful and artfully curated.
Aldi: Okay, their produce isn’t the best, but you can find some really great groceries (and other fun items) here, and their prices are usually lower than other large grocery stores. The Clancy pretzels (see above) are seasoned so well. I love perusing their Aldi “extras” aisle for any good finds. I found a cute word search puzzle book for less than $5 this month.
Frozen treats: This is the only way to make it through a Texas summer. Any chance I can get a cold little treat, I’m going to enjoy it! This is your sign to get that frozen treat that’s been on your mind!
Getting magazines at your local library for collages. A lot of libraries will have old issues of magazines that you can get for free. I have a pretty hefty stack that I love to cut up for collaging (see above).
Treating:
I already recommended frozen treats, which has definitely been my go-to treat this month and will be all summer. My favorite this month, however, was our authentic Italian gelato shop. I love doing a split flavor order there and one of my all-time fave combos is amaretto and pistachio!
More cheers, less fears,
Larisa