For the moment...

It's autumn, and I'm excited about it. And for as full as the summer season seemed, it passed so quickly. The month of August whipped by me; I attribute this, in part, to my preoccupation with new + interesting diversions. My sister would call these things the "bright and shiny pennies" of my current affairs, and maybe that explains why the last few weeks have been such a blur. Here's what's been keeping me busy (just in case you're in need of a few new pennies):

BOOKS

The Lonely Polygamist - Bizarre and intriguing story of a man with multiple wives. Think "Big Love" but even weirder.

Crazy for the Storm - Autobiographical tale of Norman Ollestad, who at 11 was the only survivor of a plane crash in the mountains.

MUSIC

Taylor Locke & The Roughs - I'm seeing these guys in Vegas in a few weeks; lead singer is the guitarist for Rooney. Loud, upbeat, classic rock n' roll.

Coconut Records - Jason Schwartzman's solo project. Funky, quirky, and creative sound.

BLOGS

The Noble Pig - This blog is filled with awesome + unique recipes. I was thrilled to see a post today for Poppyseed Roll, which is one of my Baba's Macedonian recipes. Lots of decadent recipes on this site. http://noblepig.com/

One Forty Plus - This is John Mayer's blog, which means that it's always funny and a bit random. He has such an interesting mind! http://jhnmyr.tumblr.com/

RECIPES

Chocolate Avocado Mousse - Creamy, simple, and mostly healthy. Delicious with raspberries. This recipe is really from my friend, Abby, but here's an identical online version of it: http://www.lasates.com/2010/02/10/practically-obsessed-chocolate-avocado-mousse

Lemony Chickpea Stir Fry - This is a great weeknight dish because it can be thrown together in about 10 minutes. Great flavor and reheats well, too. http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lemony-chickpea-stirfry-recipe.html