Party!

RSVP for book club and let us know what you are bringing below... see you Thursday!
Brenda will be e-mailing her address & directions soon.

Menu details...

After much discussion and deliberation, I've decided that our evening will be utterly fabulous if we attend to some minor menu details first!

Our own Mrs. Watson has delighted us once with her Pear Crostini and has decided to bring that for us once again. I, your happy hostess, have chosen to go with more of a main dish/appetizer goodie that I know you will all love. P. F. Chang's uses my recipe for these scrumptious little darlings I like to call Lettuce Wraps!

So, that brings us to the rest of you ladies and what you may decide to bring...


I think we should try to bring 4 sweet treats and 4 or so savory treats to compliment our night. In the comments please reveal to us your plans for your unique addition to our menu. Keep an eye on what others are planning so we have a good variety...thanks ladies! See you all Thursday night!

Christmas Party...

Since Christie has displayed just how on-the-ball she is with the post below, I decided to provide a heads-up to let all you gals know that we plan to post a sign-up sheet by weekend so that we have an idea of what everyone plans to bring! (How was that for a run-on sentence?) Christie is bringing the yumdiddlyicious pear delight she served when she hosted last. Looking forward to lots of good eats and conversation! Plus some even better laughs when we open our "white elephant" gifts! Love to you ladies...can't wait to see you all!

Christmas Par-tay Food

Just to help coordinate with the food menu, I was thinking about making the pears hors d'oevres with the blue cheese and walnuts that I made last time I hosted.

Myles Meyer

It looks like we have a new author to invite to our next discussion, ladies. In honor of New Moon coming out this weekend, BYU sponsored a "try to write as cheesy as Stephanie Meyers" contest. With over 150 entries, there were 3 winners, 1 honorable mention and 3 fav. lines.

For date night, Myles and I came up with a submission. His last line was one of the 3 favorites!

The moment our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat like a drunk drummer. I relished the shivers sent down my spine, like atoms of mercury racing for the thermometer’s bulb. His chilling rendition of “Ice, Ice, baby” had pierced me with its frigid beauty. His song froze on his lips; silence reigned. My mind was spinning like Disney on Ice. How would he react to my daring intrusion into his hidden world? But when, at last, I heard him whisper my name, his effervescent charm melted my trepidation like the spring thaw after a cruel winter.

Recipes a comin...

Ok ladies... I know I am slow... but persistent ;)

So here are the recipes from our Nov. Bookclub:

Hot Dip (This was the mushroom dip... maybe it should be called Hot Mushroom Dip)

3 slices bacon 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.	Place bacon slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
2.	Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to the bacon drippings, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
3.	Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the top, and stir to blend. Mix in cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low, and stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the sour cream and bacon. Serve warm.

Personally, this was my favorite new recipe. I am thinking of taking it to Thanksgiving Dinner...


Penne with Chicken and Pesto

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup pesto 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.	Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken and garlic until chicken is almost cooked. Reduce heat and stir in salt, pepper, cream, pesto and Parmesan cheese. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Stir in cooked pasta.

I think this was good, but it's subtle flavors seemed overwhelmed by the strong flavors in the other dishes.

White Chocolate Fruit Tart

3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour FILLING: 1 (10 ounce) package vanilla or white chips, melted and cooled 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced GLAZE: 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1.	In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour; mix well. Press into an ungreased 11-in. tart pan with removable bottom or 12-in. pizza pan with sides. Bake at 300 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
2.	For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat melted chips and cream. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set juice aside. Arrange the pineapple, strawberries, oranges and kiwi over filling.
3.	For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon juice and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool; brush over fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

I did not do the glaze on the fruit tart as many of the reviews suggested not using it. As a side note, I found all three of these recipes from AllRecipes.com.

You girls are the best! Enjoy!

November Book Club

Last night was another great book club. This time hosted by Bethany. We had delicious food and great conversation. From what I could tell everyone really liked the book -- so we recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Here are a few photos from the night...

Bethany, Shannon & Krsitie

Just look at how beautiful this salad is!

Hopefully Bethany will post the recipe for this spread before the holiday party season begins, it was sooo good!

Bethany also made this delicious pasta for us. We ate and ate & talked and talked -- in other words a perfect night.


Mariana & Shauna
(wait is that a woman in white behind them?)

Kara, Heidi & Shannon

I was too busy eating my dessert to take a picture of it. But here is a picture of the tart Mariana made with the last bit of ingredients. Don't you love the happy face! This is another recipe I am anxiously awaiting.

Britney, Robyn & Shauny

Mariana was feeling left out of the pink scarf club.
Mariana, Brenda & Kristie

Christy & Bethany

We had a great time and are looking forward to the Christmas Party. I for one can't wait to see just what white elephant gift Christy has been holding on to for 6 months!

Merry Christmas !
Yes, it's that much anticipated time of year when we get a break from all our great reading to concentrate on all our great eating!!!

Book Club Christmas Party
December 10, 2009
Brenda's house
(I'll email my address & phone number)

Bring your tummy's growlin and your eye's twinklin and we'll share in some festive holiday goodies and good company!
Don't forget your "white elephant" gift.)

The Woman in White

Don't forget book club tomorrow night!!

the promised recipes

Well, at long last I decided I should post those recipes. If I forget something you wanted, let me know.

The satay and peanut sauce is in the B1 ward cookbook, if you have it. Although, there is a typo. It says to add cloves instead of garlic cloves--that would change the flavor somewhat. The marinade and sauce make enough for about twice the amount of meat it calls for. I usually marinate more meat and leave half in the refrigerator for the next day. If I am going to make this for dinner, I usually am too lazy to make it on skewers. So, in case you don't have it in the ward cookbook, here it is:

Chicken and Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce Makes 40 to 50 pieces To make satays, you’ll need bamboo skewers; soak them in water for two to three hours so they don’t burn on the grill.
1 1/2 pounds fillet of beef or 4 whole chicken breasts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 onion, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sambal (Indonesian chile paste) or 1 hot red chile
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Peanut Sauce

1. Trim fat from beef or chicken. Cut into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in blender, and purée until smooth. Pour over meat, and mix to coat evenly. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat grill or grill pan until hot. Thread a piece of meat lengthwise on each skewer, and grill until done, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Baste occasionally with marinade during cooking. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce

Makes 1 1/2 cups
Peanut sauces are common accompaniments to Thai and Indonesian dishes. Use this as a dipping sauce for Chicken and Beef Satay. Sambal is available at Asian markets.

1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon sambal (Indonesian chile paste)
1 tablespoon sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Coconut milk to thin
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. In a blender or food processor, combine peanut butter, oil, soy sauce, garlic, sambal, and sugar until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste.

2. With machine running, add coconut milk or water until sauce reaches desired consistency. Garnish with scallion slices. Serve.

Oven Brown Rice
(this is from allrecipes, with a few modifications)
1 c. brown rice
1 c. beef broth
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1/4 c. butter, melted
scant teaspoon garlic powder
scant teaspoon seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix together all the ingredients. Bake covered for 60-75 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rive is tender.

I have used any combination of broths for the rice (all chicken bouillon, all beef bouillon, whatever I have on hand) and it doesn't alter the recipe at all. And, you can half the butter and it still tastes good. Also, I have cooked it as long as 90 minutes, because I forgot, and it still is great. It's pretty hard to mess this one up.

Bell Pepper Salad
(This one is pathetically easy)
3 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced and cut in half
Cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Cucumbers, quartered and sliced
Red onion, not very much and very thinly sliced
Almond Accents (Roasted Garlic Caesar)
Feta cheese, crumbled
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette

Just mix the vegetables together and then add almonds, feta, and dressing to taste.

I think that's it. If there's anything I forgot, let me know.

Happy eating! And Stephanie, recipes please!

Just Planning Ahead

Macy: When I growed up to be a mom, I'm going to marry a guy who will watch my kids when I go to book club.

Book Club in Arizona?

LADIES! I MISS YOU!
WHY DON'T YOU READ A BOOK BASED ON SOME WILD ADVENTURE IN AZ,
AND THEN YOU ALL CAN TAKE A FIELD
TRIP DOWN HERE FOR SOME PRICKLY PEAR
CACTUS JAM ON YUMMY ROLLS AND A SPLASH
IN SOME DELICIOUS POOL WHILE WATCHING THE AMAZING SUNSETS & SIPPING PINA COLAAAAAADAAAAS!
I love to see the photos of your smiling faces
at book club every month... you each are amazing women!
Miss that sista' hoooood!
Hope all is well with each of you...
Love and warm breezes from AZ,
Catherine

Book Club!!

Last night Stephanie hosted and treated us to the most delicious dinner. The butternut squash soup was so good! I hope the recipe appears here soon! (hint, hint). Stephanie also served a wonderful Caesar salad, bead, and brie with crackers.

We had a great discussion about the Gilead and then drank hot caramel apple cider (topped with whipping cream and more caramel) to keep the chill away. Thanks so much Stephanie!





We missed those of you who weren't there and hope we see you next month!!!

You should be reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Colins
Bethany promises to be dressed appropriately for the night!

New hostess

Stephanie will be hosting for us this TH @ 7 PM. Thanks, Steph!

Book Club!!

Sorry I have been a bit of a slacker. Ruth, I know you have been waiting to see if I really would post "that" picture of you so I wont keep you waiting any more.

As usual we had a glorious time at book club. Kara had her backyard lit beautifully and the food was sooo good. We are hoping for recipes! (hint, hint)

Bethany, Ruth & Ruth's sister who is visiting from France

Ruth... we all love Ruth!

Kara at the grill. We wont talk about her not turning off the grill & cooking a bit of chicken a bit too much. No, we wont talk about that.

Christie & Amber

Heidi & Shannon

The beautiful table

Mariana & Britney

The superb red pepper salad

Fruit salad -- complete with a cantaloupe grown in Ruth's garden

Just for fun lets look at this one again!

We had a great time and had a really good discusion. I think almost everyone read the book and liked it.

Thanks Kara!

Change of Venue

I'll be hosting book club this Thursday at 7:00. If you could let me know if you're planning on coming, that would help with food preparation. Thanks!

Kara

Question about our upcoming Chekhov book club

Christie and I have a friend named Anne Purves whom we wanted to invite to book club. She was the one who told me how much she loved the Chekhov short stories and inspired me to read them. Her husband is a professor of Russian Literature at BYU. So, we thought it would be fun if she came to book club this month. I talked to her yesterday, and she said she could for sure come. She also said that her husband would probably be willing to come and talk to us about it if we want. He did his dissertation on Chekhov short stories. So, what do you guys think? Do we want him to come? What would we want him to do? Just provide an intro? Answer questions? Lead the discussion? Or, would you rather just have our normal discussion without professional guidance and masculine involvement? She said he could come for just 20 minutes, or longer, or not at all. He has done this sort of thing for a couple of other book clubs already.

So . . . what do you guys think?

Retraction

OK, so the journalist in me should've known to check my sources (such as Snopes or Myles) before posting that last one. Sorry, guys. I just don't get people who have the time and think it's fun to make up things and spread them around.

Myles said if any planet were as bright as the moon, we'd be pulled out of orbit. I guess it's a good thing it was a hoax! Oh, well. At least I caught it before anyone commented. That makes me feel better.

Galileo

I thought Google's Homepage today was pretty fun, and it reminded me of Galileo's Daughter. Also, I hear that the earth is going to be closer to Mars than it ever has been this TH night, and should be as bright as the moon. Sounded like a cool thing to check out.

Truly Essential Tales of Chekhov

It's really hard to narrow these down. They are all so unusual that it's hard to pick favorites. But, here are the ones that are most talked about, along with a couple that I really liked but aren't frequently mentioned.

A Trifle from Life
Hush!
Champagne
The Kiss
The Grasshopper
Ward No. 6
Gooseberries
The Darling
The Lady with the Dog

After having written that list, I really do recommend reading all of them. The whole book is only 337 pages, and every story seemed to give me some new insight. Ward No. 6 was the only story on my list that was a little hard for me to get through, but it was worth it. I don't know if you need to read the introduction first, it's probably better to read it after the stories. But I liked these quotes from the introduction:

"If anything can be termed 'typical (Chekhov)' it is that he insists we keep our notice close to life's nuance, it's intimate gestures and small moral annotations."

"As readers of imaginative literature, we are always seeking clues, warnings: where in life to search more assiduously; what not to overlook; what's the origin of this sort of human calamity, that sort of joy and pleasure; how can we live nearer to the latter, further off from the former? And to such seekers as we are, Chekhov is guide, perhaps the guide."

I don't know that I'd call him the guide, but he is pretty remarkable. Read away and enjoy!

Date Change?

I left a message for Shauna letting her know that I've noticed our next Enrichment mtg. being advertised for Sept. 3rd. We might need to meet the 2nd TH in Sept. instead of the 1st if this is the case. Just thought I'd give a heads up.

Also, my book is being recalled by the BYU library (perhaps by Britney or Stephanie's husbands?!), so I better get reading before I have to give it back! Kara said we should read the intro. Have you chosen your favorites we should all try to read, too, Kara?

We had so much fun at book club last night! I love it when I laugh so hard I cry -- and I did that a few times last night. Thanks Robyn for hosting such a great night!

Kara, Stephanie, Heidi, Robyn
Ruth, Britney, Shannon & Rebecca

As you can see Robyn made the most delicious Indian food for us! In fact i wish she lived closer so I could pop on over for leftovers.

Here is the Royal Book Club portrait taken in Robyn's "heritage room chair" -- the colors looked really weird in this one so I made it black & white & now they look very regal don't you think? ( I had to laugh because in all three pictures I look of them Ruth's eyes were closed.)

Stephanie & Shannon win for most photogenic. They looked great in every picture -- I hate them.

And finally we have the "You smell of poo...and a bit of wee." photograph. Make sure that you say that in your best British accent. Now try it in Russian, now try it in...

Oh & we had a great discussion about 500,000+ word book A Suitable Boy!

A Suitable Boy: Game ON

THURSDAY AUGUST 6TH
7 PM
ROBYN'S HOUSE

SEE YOU THERE!

Red, White, and Bleu

Here's a yummy salad Myles came up with for the 4th.

spinach
candied pecans
bleu cheese
poppyseed dressing

Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

If you're lucky enough to have tomatillos growin' in your garden like Heidi or just love Cafe Rio like the rest of us, then here's a yummy recipe for you!

3 tomatillos
1 1/3 c. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (You can make your own from a packet or just buy it).
1 c. cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
dash of tabasco

Blend, refrigerate, and enjoy!

Free Books

Kids in 1st grade and up can record books they've read and then get a free one at Barnes and Noble. (I'm not sure who was more excited about this, me or Robyn)! You can pick up a sheet at the store or maybe print one from online. Every kid can earn up to 2 books this summer!

I'm Winning! I'm Winning!

I know we haven't read this yet, but we all have to enter this contest to win a 4 day/3night trip to the island!! One entry allowed per email per day until July 31st!

Here's the link to the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society book club sweepstakes ~I am sure we will win... and then we will bully them into letting all of us go, since it's supposed to be just five.

Some Light Reading, Heavy Boots

One Suitable Boy is one suitable workout. (If you've checked it out, you'll know what I mean). I no longer have to feel bad about not exercising, if I just take it with me where ever I go. Whenever people come over and see it on the coffee table, Robyn has them estimate the # of pages. (Maybe we should start offering a prize for the closest guess).

Don't worry; it's worth the lugging. Just thought I'd give you heads up, so you could start reading! (Although, if too many of you request it from the library, I won't be able to renew it when my 3 wks. runs out!)

Also, the other day, I got an unusual phone call.
Caller: I know this is a long shot, but I'm looking for a Lonnie Watson. Do you happen to know him?
I immediately thought of Oskar, was sad I couldn't help him, and wished him good luck.

And the Winners Are....

AUGUST -- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Hosted by Robyn
Reviewed by Heidi

SEPTEMBER -- The Essential Tales of Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
Hosted by Shauna
Review by Kara

OCTOBER -- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Hosted by Christie
Review by Bethany

NOVEMBER -- The Woman in White by Wilkie Colins
Hosted by Bethany
Reviewed by Rebecca


DECEMBER -- Christmas Party
Hosted by Brenda

JANUARY -- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill
Hosted by Kara
Reviewed by Britney

FEBRUARY -- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Hosted by Shannon
Reviewed by Brenda

So get your books ordered!

Other nominated books

Here are the rest of the nominated books -- for reference.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

A few more books to think about

This is a love story. It seeped into my soul with it's intensity. It's not a light book.

Here's a line or two from the book:

At last he was rid of his crime. He had killed Camille. It was a matter that was settled, and would be spoken of no more. He was now going to lead a tranquil existence, until he could take possession of Therese. The thought of the murder had at times half choked him, but now that it was accomplished, he felt a weight removed from his chest, and breathed at ease, cured of the suffering that hesitation and fear had given him.

I have wanted to read 'The Essential Tales of Chekhov' as well. These short stories are supposed to be beautiful and writen by arguably the best short story writer who ever lived.