We’re a long way from sunny southern California but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a taste of summer at the beach. The Summertime Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin is filled with dazzling pictures and easy, hip recipes. It’s divided by mood rather than by meal or main ingredient (chapters include “Sunny Days”, “Balmy Nights”, and “Misty Mornings”) so you will want to take advantage of the index. While the emphasis is on fresh seafood and vegetables, favorites like pasta and chicken also appear. Deserts are simple and tend toward portable – bars and cookies – to take along on your beach picnic. Sprinkled throughout the books are ideas for bringing some of the beach home with you – such as how to make your backyard pool more inviting and decorating with shells and sand. Try some of the recipes now, while it’s warm and sunny and then again this winter, when it’s cold and snowy, just when you some summer memories the most.

WARNING: Just looking at this book may cause you to gain weight. (But it’s worth it)

Cheesecake, that little slice of heaven on a plate, reaches new heights in Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook by Alan Rosen. Junior’s, located in Brooklyn, has been renowned for their dreamy cheesecakes since they opened in 1950. Now their secrets, including how to bake a cheesecake so that it doesn’t crack on the surface and the recipe for their signature sponge cake crust, are available to everyone.

Want some variety with your cheesecake? Look no further. Recipes range from Classic New York Style to Cappuccino to Pumpkin Swirl to White Chocolate Raspberry. There are sections for Celebration Cakes (Easter Egg to Christmas Tree), chocolate (Brownie Swirl to Heath Bar), and layered ( Strawberry Shortcake to Boston Cream Pie) Along with lots of tips for professional results, you’ll soon be an expert cheesecake baker. And very popular with your friends and family!

Looking for a fun summer read? Try The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell.

This hilarious tale takes place on the lovely Emerald Isle. The main character, creative writing teacher Aaron McCloud, travels to County Kerry, Ireland, to immerse himself in self-pity following an unrequited love. He stays with his Aunt Kitty who happens to be a very successful author herself. She specializes in re-writing or “correcting” old literary classics. (You really don’t want to know what she’s done with Oliver Twist).

On his first day there, Aaron’s bus encounters an overturned truck with pigs running amok. In an effort to impress the attractive swineherd, Lolly McKeever, Aaron attempts to catch one of them. Though unsuccessful, the pig decides he likes Aaron, and literally follows him home. Before they can return him to his rightful owner (even though Lolly won’t claim the animal belongs to her) the pig digs up Kitty’s garden, thereby revealing the skeleton of the missing Declan Tovey. Who killed him? Well, Aunt Kitty accuses Lolly of the crime, Lolly accuses Kieran Sweeney, and Aaron suspects his Aunt — thus beginning this comedy of errors. At times the main characters seem to be speaking in soliloquies, but I guess they’ve all just kissed the Blarney Stone a time or two. This is a quick read (less than 200 pages), an enjoyable romp, and the first part of a planned trilogy. Catch it while you can.

Summer means lots of opportunities for getting together with family – reunions, barbeques, vacations. Today’s small, simple-to-use cameras make it easy to capture the moments, big and small. Joel Sartore’s Photographing Your Family is a great place to find information not just on how to use your camera, but how to take great pictures.

One of the terrific things about this book is that Sartore has wonderful ideas for getting photos of the everyday events – a sleeping child, cookies being baked, time spent at the park or museum. Get in close, try different angles and work at capturing the personality of the person. Great photos are not stiff, formally posed portraits but the spontaneous snapshots of life in action.

Also included are tips that won’t overwhelm you on editing your images, pointers on composition, and ideas for storing and displaying your masterpieces. Because every day should be a day worth remembering.

Finally! Warmer weather! Time to fire up the grill and cook some meat! Omaha Steaks The Great American Grilling Book is just the book to get you started (and salivating!) The emphasis here is on – duh – beef, but there are also loads of recipes for pork, chicken, lamb, fish and seafood. A whole chapter is devoted to gourmet burgers and kabobs. Vegies also get their share of attention as well as starters, rubs, sauces and marinades; there’s even a section on desserts.

No more excuses for the same old burgers and chicken – try something new!

To many people, the last Monday in May signals the unofficial start of the summer season, but its origin is somewhat more serious. First observed to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, Memorial Day has evolved to honor all men and women who have died in military service. Its original name, Decoration Day, reflects the purpose of the day – to decorate, with flags and flowers, the graves of soldiers and family.

I still remember tagging along with my grandparents as they would load up the car with clippers, trowels, jugs of water and pots of geraniums and drive to two or three tiny rural cemeteries where various members of the family have been buried. Memorial Day was an ideal time to neaten up the gravesite, add some colorful flowers and take a few minutes to remember. Many of the graves in these old cemeteries were decorated with plantings of iris and peonies. In fact, peonies used to be called Decoration Day flowers, they are such reliable late May bloomers.

Peonies are easy to add to any garden, big or small. They’re beautiful, fragrant, easy to grow, virtually care free. And they have the added bonus of making excellent cut flowers. Find out more about the breathtaking variety available and get lots of ideas of how to add them to your landscape in Peonies by Pamela McGeorge which is loaded with beautiful photos and excellent advice. (And no, ants aren’t a problem with peonies. Don’t get me started!)

Now, let’s get on with summer!

Follow Dr Trout as he describes what might happen during one of his days, complied from 25 years of experience as a veternary surgeon, as he treats pets and their owners. Part social worker, part psychologist, part magician, Dr Trout treats his patients with humor, compassion and skill.

While these stories are a mix of funny and heartbreaking, Trout also touches on several of important issues facing the industry including the cost of pet care, what’s best for the animal and the inevitable decision of when to say good-bye. Pet owners everywhere will wish they could call Dr Trout for information, advice and a good story.

Don’t look now, folks but the Cubs are at the top of their division! There seems to be a good mix of hitting, fielding and pitching…..but can it last? Or is a June Swoon on the way?

Cub fans have been waiting 100 years for a World Series crown. What keeps them hanging on and coming back? It certainly can’t be the imaginative and forward-thinking ownership, or the flawless management (on field or corporate). And while we’ve seen some greats – Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg – we’ve also suffered through years of mediocrity. Your Brain on Cubs explains the role the brain plays, not just with the swing of emotions, but with many parts of watching and playing sports. And although these findings apply to fans and players of all teams not just Cubs fans, we do offer a unique look at loyalty and “just wait till next year” attitude.

One day our loyalty will be rewarded, might as well be this year!

National Safe Boating Week, May 17-23

Time to get that boat out of dry dock? When you do, take some time to make certain it’s safe to operate. Also, educate all potential pilots as to standard safety procedures. Sometimes, in all the excitement of getting into the water, these can easily be overlooked. Let’s make the Mississippi and other area waterways safer for all boaters. Then, have some fun out there!