That’s a Wrap!

For the most part, the temperature has significantly cooled. Last weekend, however, was so warm that it warranted indulging in a strawberry sorbet popsicle from Popbar. I am eager for the holidays, which in my mind officially begins on Halloween. From then on it’s a whirlwind of excitement, holiday lights, hot chocolate, and festive activities. Oh, and there’s also this. It’s not a truly fulfilled holiday season unless Bill Murray’s in it. Until then, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

RUN THE SHOW: Hollywood’s top showrunners.

MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING: Is being turned into a TV comedy series.

CAT CORA: And how she overcame sexism in the kitchen.

LOBSTER LOVE: Behind Maine’s mysterious lobster bonanza.

MAKEOVER: Written recipes get a new look.

SELF-PUBLISHING: Why Hollywood keeps turning to it.

SMARTIES: The retro candy is thriving.

POTAYTO, POTAHTO: How to make potatoes.

SUCCESS: How to succeed in Shondaland.

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Image by Lauren Jessen

Advertisement

That’s a Wrap!

This was a great food week, to say the least. From apple picking in the Hudson Valley to German Bratwursts at a street fair to a late night Italian street festival, there certainly hasn’t been a shortage of delicious food in the past seven days. The Emmy Awards are this weekend, so that’ll be the major event for Sunday (and of course, the Seahawks game!). We’re slowly making our way toward Awards Season.  Until then, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

MOVIE THEATER PRETZELS: These beloved theater snacks might become a thing of the past.

WHAT DO YOU HEAR?: The art of sound in movies. The sound of rain is actually bacon frying.

BIO-PICS: The difficulty of making movies about geniuses.

READ OR WATCH: 10 books that are nothing like their film adaptations.

OH! THE HORROR: Horror films are the best deal in Hollywood.

FALL BUCKET LIST: Recipes to make this season.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Jamaica Jerk Chicken.

Have a lovely weekend!

Image by Lauren Jessen

That’s a Wrap!

Happy September! The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. On a totally unrelated food and film note, my sister and I released our first book, Youth’s Highest Honor. Getting it out into the world and promoting it has taken up a lot of time and energy, but it’s all worth it and I’m excited to finally share it with you. I’ll be taking the weekend to rest and catch up on movies. For now, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

FOOD STYLING: An interview with a seriously talented food stylist and photographer.

HISTORY LESSON: The secret history of women in television.

SOCIALLY GOOD: How the social mission of Ben & Jerry’s survived being gobbled up.

BREAKING OLD-SCHOOL RULES: These female showrunners are changing the game.

COMING THIS FALL: Mindy Kaling shares what’s headed to the small screen this season.

STUNNING: 129 of the most beautiful movie shots in history.

TO BINGE OR NOT TO BINGE?: How do you consume television shows these days?

COOK SHORTAGE: Good cooks are getting harder to come by.

YIKES: What happens in your body one hour after drinking Coke.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

This week was all about homemade meals. From clam linguine to an improvised Farmers Market meal to a heart pizza, there was no shortage of trying new recipes and experimenting with fresh ingredients. On my radar movie theater-wise: Trainwreck and Irrational Man. After being on the verge of a cold for more than half the week, I’m looking forward to getting some extra sleep this weekend. For now, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

GET INVITED BACK: A variety of gifts to bring every type of host/hostess.

CROSSING AMERICA: Routes from some of the greatest literary road trips.

PART II: Oh, the good ol’ Hollywood sequel.

DON’T WASTE: Use this handy chart to avoid food waste.

PARTY TIME: Throw an oyster bash.

THIRD PLACE: Jurassic World is now the third highest-grossing film in history, behind Titanic and Avatar. 

TERMS TO KNOW: A useful glossary of wine-tasting terms.

PRO TIPS: Baking tips from pastry chefs around the country.

Have a great weekend!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

It’s always nice to have productive weeks – this was one of them. It was also filled with lots of good food, mainly ice cream (and banana splits from Oddfellows). Maybe it was the long holiday weekend that kick-started a week of focus and inspiration. If only every other work week could be four days long. I’m looking forward to an eventful weekend, starting with the Taylor Swift concert. Until then, though, lets wrap up the week with a recap…

BEHIND THE SCENES: I love glimpses into people’s days, and Gayle King’s hustle is inspiring.

GIADA: Giada de Laurentiis has a restaurant in Vegas with the best chocolate lava cake I’ve ever had. This is a great inside look at the restaurant.

FOOD PROPS: The food stylist from The Astronaut Wives Club tells all.

STEP ASIDE, WAFFLE CONES: There’s a new cone in town.

FEMALE FILMMAKERS: And how Hollywood discriminates against them.

FAST FOOD: How McDonalds started in China.

ASIAN IMMIGRANTS: Starting to (very slowly) get some respect on TV?

MARIE CURIE: Production has started on a movie about this two-time Nobel prize winning scientist. Can’t wait to see the final feature!

MOVIES TO ADD TO YOUR LIST: The best films of 2015 so far.

DRINK UP: Tea may be strengthening your bones. Cheers to that!

VERY CREATIVE: A cake with wallpaper print. How cool.

LOCATION SCOUT: Secret filming locations in Paris.

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

It’s a short week for many, and it’s likely that your holiday weekend is packed with BBQs, sunshine, and time spent with family and friends. June was a good month – new movies, new adventures, new experiences (including seeing Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett live at Radio City Hall – pictured above).

July holds even more great adventures and experiences, and I’m making it a point to attempt more challenging recipes and see movies I might not normally watch on a Friday night. It’s always fun that July starts off with a (firework) bang – it really sets the tempo for the rest of the month. For now, though, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

40TH ANNIVERSARY: Last week marked the 40th anniversary for the summer classic, Jaws.

SEINFELD: You can now watch all 180 episodes of Seinfeld on Hulu. If you don’t want to start watching from the beginning, watch in this ranked order.

MAKE: Fresh pasta. This recipe looks like a winner.

TO READ: Judd Apatow’s new book.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN: Though this food is way too much.

ICE CREAM: 15 great ice cream-making tips from cookbooks.

MILKSHAKES: Roasted fruit in a milkshake? Yes, please.

THINK BIG: The secret to Walt Disney’s corporate strategy.

ASTROWIVES: I loved reading The Astronaut Wives Club, and I can’t wait to watch the series on ABC.

Have a wonderful July 4th!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

The temperature has started getting into the 90s, and I’m more inclined to hide away in a dark cool theater. Jurassic World is finally out – can’t wait to see that one. In exciting television news, Netflix released Orange is the New Black early, so there’s an early summer present for you. Since that’s what everyone will be doing for the next 14 hours, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

KING OF COMEDY: Louis C.K., obviously.

RIDICULOUS CASTING: Emma Stone as an Asian.

CHIMPS: While chimps can’t make meals, they can understand the basics of heating food and appreciating it.

CANNES: 15 winners and losers from the glam film festival.

COOKBOOK: This old-school Jewish vegetarian cookbook looks so good.

BAR LUCE: Wes Anderson designed a cafe in Milan, and it looks like it could be straight out of a movie.

BOOK TO TV: On location in Scotland where Outlander is filmed.

SEX AN THE CITY: Knows best. Summer in New York is this.

FOOD TRUCK: The legal side of owning a food truck.

SHOW DEBUT: Julie Rottenberg has worked in TV a long time, and now she’s finally a Show Runner.

Have a great weekend!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

It was a shorter week, and yet so much still happened. Next week we’ll be in June! Summer is rapidly approaching. I don’t know how we zipped through spring, but I’m not ready for the heat (or humidity). I’m already dreaming of the recipes to make this summer, many of which involve pies and fruity frozen treats.

This weekend I’ll be surrounded by books and book lovers at BookCon – I can’t wait! Until then, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

WILL TRAVEL FOR: Ice cream.

HEALTH MATTERS: Great health tips and a personal background from an Instagram food superstar.

FOOD TRUCKS: That are picture-perfect. Why are these food trucks not in my life?

CLASS ACT: All hail Audrey Hepburn.

NEW ON NETFLIX: All of the movies that you can look forward to in June.

SLEEP IN & EAT WELL: 35 make-ahead breakfasts – I can’t wait to try these.

FAMILY DINNERS: They are a treat – make time for them.

MORE IN ICE CREAM NEWS: The recent listeria outbreak has had a profound effect on Blue Bell ice cream and the Texas town of Brenham.

SUPERHEROES: The secret history of Ultimate Marvel.

DESSERT FOR THE WIN: A family of refugees turned a bakery into a major business.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

This past weekend and week flew by! Graduation festivities will do that to you. To unwind a bit after the back-to-back events, I went to see The Met’s China: Through the Looking Glass, and it was a stunning exhibition (photo above). If you’re in NYC this summer it’s worth visiting. Monday is Memorial Day – remember to honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. And now, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

SAYING GOODBYE: To David Letterman. Letterman’s final Late Show aired on Wednesday, and it was celeb-filled.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Nora Ephron. The beloved writer and director would have been 74 on May 19th. To remember her, 12 ways she taught us to be better women.

READ: I finished Luckiest Girl Alive late last week (it took me two days – I couldn’t put it down). Reese Witherspoon will be turning it into a movie.

WATCH: This movie looks so good.

WES ANDERSON: How well do you know his style? I got 65% – I clearly have some more Wes Anderson movies to watch.

HELPFUL: How to read a recipe.

Have a nice weekend!

Image by Lauren

That’s a Wrap!

Just call me Lorn!

This week was a busy one so I didn’t watch too many shows, but I carved out time for the second to last episode of Revenge, which was insane. The finale airs this Sunday and I can’t wait. If you watch Revenge, please tell me you’re also freaking out about what’s going to happen! I’ve been on a frozen yogurt kick lately and have to exercise some serious self-control from having it every day. But that’s just one of the perks of warmer weather, right? Now, let’s wrap up the week with a recap…

BIRTHDAYS: Audrey Hepburn’s birthday was this week. In honor of what would have been her 86th birthday, here are 10 things you may not have known about Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

GLUTEN-FREE: May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and I had the chance to interview the founder of Tu-Lu’s Gluten-Free Bakery for Carpe Juvenis. Check it out (especially if you want to have your own bakery one day)!

GO SOLO: Why you should go to the movies alone (it’s actually pretty nice).

QUIZ: How many of these teen bedrooms from film do you recognize? I got 93%.

SUMMER MOVIES: Looks like there will be a lot of great performances to look forward to this summer.

DR. SEUSS: Green Eggs and Ham is coming to Netflix, partly in thanks to Ellen Degeneres who is one of the show’s executive producers.

FRIENDSHIP: 25 famous women discuss the realities and complexities of female friendship.

TRAVEL: There is an apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower that you can now see.

MARVEL KNOWS WOMEN: Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow spoof on SNL is spot-on. So good.

HOT PURSUIT: Anne Fletcher, the director of Hot Pursuit starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara discusses her latest female-centric comedy.

Have a great weekend and a happy Mother’s Day!

Image by Lauren