It’s the last day of June, and we thought we’d sneak some last-minute book picks from this month. We’d love to hear what you’ve been reading, as of late!

Clara // VB6: I can’t help but snatch up anything by Mark Bittman. I really respect his philosophy on food, so when a friend alerted me of VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00, I immediately downloaded it on my Kindle. As much as I love dairy and meat from time to time, I wholly support many of the tenets of a vegan diet. Though you might not know it from the recipes I post, I make a point of not eating too much meat, stay conscious of the way heavy amounts of dairy make me feel, and try to make vegetables present at every meal (still working on breakfast). If you’re aiming to have a more plant based diet, but don’t want to give up meat and dairy entirely (like me!), this book is a great tool for making simple but significant changes in the way you eat.

Sarah // Lean In: Apparently I couldn’t help but to jump on the Lean In bandwagon. You’ve likely all heard of it, but have you had a chance to pick it up yet? While it’s not the sort of book I would normally gravitate towards, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I loved getting glimpses of Sheryl’s life and hearing about her mistakes and successes along the way to becoming Facebook’s COO. Plus, it’s incredibly well-written, and might just be the perfect balance to all those beach novels you’ll likely read this summer!

 

Lauren // Gilded Age: My current read, a modern-day spin on the Edith Wharton novel “The House of Mirth,” was kindly sent to me by author Claire McMillan herself. Though a huge classics reader, I never read Wharton’s original story so I can’t directly compare the two. If you haven’t either, it might even be interesting to read them together. Set in contemporary Cleveland, Gilded Age follows Ellie Hart, a socialite who returns to her hometown after a scandalous divorce and period in rehab, and her misguided attempts to remake herself. It’s an engaging tale that keeps you turning page after page to find out what happens next-perfect for an easy, summertime beach read.

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Add: some sparkle to your hair (This would be such a pretty look if you have a summer wedding to attend.)

Make: Strawberry Basil Margaritas (No reasons needed.)

Take: An afternoon nap (Yes, it is morning, and I’m already dreaming of taking a nap. This week wore me out!)

Have a happy weekend!

 

Backyard summer bbqs tend to be few and far between when it comes to summer in NYC, but the rooftop dinner party? Oh they are a plenty! And they most definitely make up for the lack of lawns. Last week Victoria, Becca, Lisa, and I gathered at Hitha’s show stopping rooftop for a summer themed blogger potluck (in honor of Lisa’s visit to NYC). In typical girl fashion, we ended up with three veggie dishes. The food was so incredibly good, we had to share the recipes! I brought a watermelon, feta and mint salad, Becca made an insanely delicious panzanella, and V made the ultimate veggie comfort food- ratatouille. Washed all down with Hitha’s addictive sangria and some chilled white thanks to Lisa, this meal was truly summer at its best. You can get the recipe for my salad below, and then hop over to the other girl’s sites for the rest of the recipes and recaps!

What’s your go to summer pot luck and cookout dish?

Watermelon Salad with Feta & Mint adapted from the Kitchn
Serves about 6

• 10 chilled cups watermelon cubes, from about 1/2 of a small seedless watermelon
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 8 oz feta cheese drained and crumbled
• 1 cup packed minted leaves, roughly chopped
• freshly ground black pepper and flaked sea salt

Place the watermelon in a large bowl. Toss gently with the rice wine vinegar. Add in cheese and mint and toss gently to combine. Top with a general pinch of flaked sea salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper. If the watermelon is not cold, chill in fridge for at least one hour before serving.

All photographs courtesy of vmac & cheese.