Sharing the books I read in July and if I’d recommend adding them to your collection. 

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a great one! We’re back in town after an amazing trip to Hawaii to finish out the summer. I’m splitting my recap into two posts: our favorite places to eat and a review of Aulani, the Disney resort in Oahu. If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in the recaps, please lmk!

One of the benefits of a couple of long flights and some time lounging on the beach: I had lots of time to read!

In today’s post, I wanted to share the goods with you and also hear what you’re reading right now!

July 2024 Book Recap

Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy novel that follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a notorious assassin who has been imprisoned in the salt mines of Endovier. When Crown Prince Dorian offers her a chance at freedom, Celaena must compete in a deadly tournament to become the King’s Champion. Her path is fraught with danger as she faces ruthless opponents, navigates court politics, and uncovers dark secrets lurking within the glass castle.

As Celaena trains for the competition, she forms unexpected alliances with Prince Dorian and the stern Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall. Amidst the grueling trials, she discovers a hidden power within herself and a mysterious, ancient evil threatening the kingdom. Celaena must rely on her wits and skills to survive, all while confronting her own haunted past and the looming danger that could destroy everything she holds dear.

This book was HIGHLY recommended online, and I’ve read another one of Sarah J Maas’ books (A Court of Thorns and Roses), and this one wasn’t it for me.(Maybe a 4/10) It started off quickly, but dragged in the middle. I had to force myself to finish it, and while I liked the ending, it just wasn’t as vivid of captivating as I expected. From what I’ve heard, this was the first book she ever wrote (so major props for that), but I’ve realized this isn’t my fave genre. Give me my sweeping historical dramas with deep character development and gorgeous writing, which brings me to the next book….

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Easy Traeger Smoked Chicken Breast

Looking for a simple and delicious way to cook chicken breast on your Traeger? Look no further! This easy Traeger smoked chicken breast recipe will have your taste buds singing and your dinner guests asking for seconds.

Smoked chicken breast doesn’t get any better or easier than this! We are obsessed with smoking on our Traeger smoker, and with a few tricks these smoked chicken breasts turn out perfectly tender and moist every time.

Looking for more? Try our recipe for how to smoke a whole chicken in the Traeger, smoked chicken thighs, or our smoked chicken wings.

Unlike other chicken breast recipes, these are totally flavorful chicken breasts that never come out dry! We are letting you in on all our smoking tips as well as our smoked chicken dry rub recipe. Don’t miss it!

Traeger Smoker

Ok, have you used a Traeger grill yet? Or seen it be used? They always have Traeger demos going on here at our Costco, so go check it out at your local Costco or wherever you can find Traegers. And the next time you find a deal on a Traeger, get on board the Traeger train with us! These beauties are life-changing!

We’ve already shared our Brazilian Smoked Tri Tip, Smoked Pulled Pork, and Apple Pecan Smoked Turkey, so we were definitely due for a smoked chicken recipe!

Let’s skip all the small talk and get right to the details of smoking the best chicken breasts of your life!

Smoked Chicken Rub

This dish starts with our smoked chicken rub recipe that adds loads of smoky flavor to these boneless skinless chicken breasts. There is a little sweet, a little salt, a little heat, and every flavor you are looking for in the perfect Traeger smoked chicken breast. Here are the rub ingredients you’ll need:

• Brown Sugar
• Turbinado Sugar (if you can’t find turbinado sugar, just use more brown sugar)
• Celery Seed
• Paprika
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and then smother the top of them w

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’ve gifted myself the last two weeks of our summer work-free – and I’m pretty excited about it. We have a fun trip planned with friends and then a whole week of hanging out with my youngest before he starts high school. (I can hardly believe that I just wrote that sentence – my baby is starting high school this year!)

I’ll be back with new recipes to share in a couple of weeks and in the meantime, I’ve already shared thousands of recipes here, and here, and here – check them out and find something new to try!

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Blueberry Pancake Syrup is a quick and easy way to make your pancake or waffle breakfast deliciously special. You won’t believe how simple it is to turn 4 basic ingredients into a showstopping, vibrant purple feast for the eyes and mouth!

Watermelon Arugula Salad starts with icy cold watermelon cubes in balsamic dressing with red onions, peppery arugula, fresh basil, and feta or goat cheese crumbles. Sweet, savory, super fresh, and incredibly satisfying, this salad should be a standard at your summer table.

Old Fashioned Coleslaw with vinegar is a tangy, sweet, crunchy slaw that will keep you coming back for more. With a dressing made from vinegar and oil, it is better suited to picnics and parties in the hot summer months than the perhaps better-known mayonnaise-based versions.

Chunks of potato and hard-boiled egg mingle with salty bacon, tangy dill pickles and onions in this creamy potato salad. Bacon Potato Salad is a terrific side dish for any barbecue and will pretty much guarantee happy smiles around the table.

Gloriously tart but sweet and endlessly refreshing, this cheery, ruby-hued Cherry Lemonade is what summer memories are made of. Whip up a batch of this refresher, sit outside with your feet up, and relax!

This cheery Cherry Milkshake is so full of cherries it is sure to make you smile. With nearly equal parts frozen cherries, ice cream, and milk, this is a sweet treat that brings some goodness to the party as well!

Chips Ahoy Ice Cream is a buttery brown sugar ice cream generously filled with cookie pieces and mini chocolate chips.

Chips Ahoy ice cream is a buttery brown sugar ice cream generously filled with cookie pieces and mini chocolate chips. It’s a whole new cookies and cream ice cream and I’m loving it.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

I have a very well-established fondness for cookies and cream ice cream and there appears to be no end to the ways we can incorporate cookies into ice cream around here. This Chips Ahoy ice cream is the newest favorite in my home.

Sweet strawberries mingle with crunchy golden Oreos whispering of summer in this lusciously smooth Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream.

Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream is a creamy vanilla ice cream with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon is generously filled with pieces of oatmeal cream pie cookies. The satisfying crunch of Nutter Butter cookies in creamy homemade ice cream makes this Nutter Butter Ice Cream positively irresistible.

Creamy Cookie Monster Ice Cream filled with chunks of Oreo and chocolate chip cookies is a hit with all cookie-loving kids and adults! And the Peanut Butter Cookie Milkshake is a thick vanilla milkshake featuring all the peanut buttery goodness of classic peanut butter cookies. You’re going to love it.

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Hi friends! I’m so excited to be chatting about saunas with Wes McMahon on the podcast today.

Here’s what we talk about:

– The benefits of sauna

– How to choose one and keep it clean

– Different types of heat

and so.much.more

168: The benefits of sauna with Wes McMahon

Here’s more about Wes and his background:

Wes McMahon is the Founder and CEO of Sun Valley Saunas – the ultimate at-home sauna brand. With the many physical and mental health benefits of saunas/cold plunges, including stress management, detoxification, increased metabolism, weight loss, improved sleep, and more, Wes is on a mission with Sun Valley Saunas to bring these very benefits right to your doorstep by offering competitive prices on the highest quality, hand-built traditional saunas, infrared saunas, and ice barrels. With a variety of saunas including 1-6 person indoor, outdoor, and barrel saunas, as well as sauna essentials like heaters, stoves, and even ice barrel cold plunge tubs, Sun Valley Saunas makes it easier than ever to channel a luxury wellness spa retreat right from the comfort of your home.

Check out their website and their Instagram here.

Partners:

Get a month of free Sculpt Society workouts here! My current favorite at-home workout and I love all of the instructors.

I’ve been using Nutrisense on and off for a couple of years now. I love being able to see how my blood sugar responds to my diet and habits, and run experiments. You can try out Nutrisense here and use GINA50 for $50 off.

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