Book Club at Stephanie's

Mark your calendars ladies! It's just about time for the first book club of 2012:

Thursday, January 5th. 7 pm. At Stephanie's

The food will be yummy. And German.

(rsvp via comments or email so I know how many to plan for. thanks!)

A few recipes

Here are the recipes from November's book club.

Kale and White Bean Soup with Parmesan

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
6 c. chicken stock
3 c. water
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1 pound kale, chopped
1 pound canned white beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and rosemary until the onion becomes soft, about 5 minutes.
Add stock and water (and a parmesan rind if you have it) and bring to a boil.
Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
Add grated parmesan, kale,and beans and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Fudge
(click on the picture to go to the link)


Salted Pumpkin Caramels
(click on the photo for the link)


These are also on my "Sweets" board on Pinterest

It's time for the Holly Jolly Christmas Party!!

Thursday, December 1st 

7:00PM

Heidi's Home

Bring a dish to share and a white elephant gift

We will play some games, eat some food, and laugh a lot!

Hope to see you there!

Book Club at Britney's

We had a great time at book club! Britney must have slaved all day to make all this delicious food! Feast you eyes on all the goodness and see what we enjoyed.

Yummy salad and artichoke bites

The cutest salt and pepper shakers ever and a hearty white bean and kale soup 

Caramels and pumpkin seeds 

 Pumpkin fudge and a divine spice cake with buttermilk syrup and warm peaches.  And I have to point out that while enjoying the pumpkin fudge I didn't notice the face on the plate and was alarmed as I loaded these pictures to see an eye staring back at me! :)

Now for the highlight of the post.  But fist I must explain...

You see we only took two pictures of our lovely members.  One picture of half the group and another of the other half.  The problem is that one picture was super blurry and in the other one half of us didn't look so hot.

Plus there were cries for photoshop from some women if they didn't look great.

So the result is...

are you ready for it?

First let's start with our beauty queen of a hostess Britney

Isn't she radiant?

Now for the rest of "red hot readers"

And lastly the flappers...

You may be wondering where Shauna and Shannon were.

Well, they dogged us for bigger and better things.

See you next month at the Christmas Party!!

Oh and Christie we miss you!!

Book Club at Brenda's

Well since November book club it tonight i guess it's high time I posted the pictures from book club in October.  Brenda hosted and we enjoyed some great food and conversation!  We stayed pretty late and had book club hangovers in the morning.  Thanks Brenda!

Stephanie, Shannon, Heidi (back row)
Bethany, Brenda, Kristie, Britney & Bjorn - okay I just love his expression! (front row)

Book Club Next Week!

Book Club at my house (Britney's) next week!

We'll be reviewing "The History of Love"

Come ready to have some fun and have some food.

Please give me a heads up so I can plan for numbers.

Thanks!

Can't wait to see all of you! 

Hope you have a Happy Halloween!!!

Drum Roll Please...

We are reading...

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

 The list of who is hosting/reviewing is on the sidebar

It's that time of the Month! No, not "that" time...time for Book Club!

Hey Ladies....looking forward to our monthly meeting and the discussion of another great reading selection! For those of you who can't remember where I live, one word...DUH! For those that will claim they remember and just need a little reminder, firstly...shame on you for fibbing and secondly, I will send you and e-mail. As always, come hungry for yummy delights for the taste buds and even more yummy delights for your noggin as we discuss our read for the month. Can't wait to see everyone! Best...B

My Picks...

Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2011: Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: "Don't trust Ben." Suddenly everything her husband has told her falls under suspicion. What kind of accident caused her condition? Who can she trust? Why is Ben lying to her? And, for the reader: Can Christine’s story be trusted? At the heart of S. J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep is the petrifying question: How can anyone function when they can't even trust themselves? Suspenseful from start to finish, the strength of Watson's writing allows Before I Go to Sleep to transcend the basic premise and present profound questions about memory and identity. One of the best debut literary thrillers in recent years, Before I Go to Sleep deserves to be one of the major blockbusters of the summer. --Miriam Landis

Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010: From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know. --Juliet Disparte

Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2011: In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite. His frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd’s growing misgivings about Hitler’s ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers, who are content to “give Hitler everything he wants.” Martha, on the other hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation of Berlin’s salon society—and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs with the city’s elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy. Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler’s obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous night, later known as “the Night of Long Knives.” The rise of Nazi Germany is a well-chronicled time in history, which makes In the Garden of Beasts all the more remarkable. Erik Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply-intimate narrative with a climax that reads like the best political thriller, where we are stunned with each turn of the page, even though we already know the outcome. --Shane Hansanuwat

my book nominations

Here are my suggestions for this round of voting....

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

From Goodreads:
"The masterpiece of one of the greatest American writers of all time. East of Eden is an epic tale of good vs. evil with many biblical references and parallels. The story is ultimately that of good's triumph over evil and the human will's ability to make that happen."
I have heard from several people who have read it that they loved it. 


Re-nominating from last time.....

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

From Goodreads:


"When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." 

Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read. "

AND

My Antonia by Willa Cather

From Goodreads:

"First published in 1918, and set in Nebraska in the late 19th century, this tale of the spirited daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family planning to farm on the untamed land ("not a country at all but the material out of which countries are made") comes to us through the romantic eyes of Jim Burden. He is, at the time of their meeting, newly orphaned and arriving at his grandparents' neighboring farm on the same night her family strikes out to make good in their new country. "

It's Time to Vote Again!!

It's time to vote once again.

So break out your "to read" lists and make some suggestions.

I'll have the ballots ready to go so we can vote at Brenda's next month.

Oh, and there were a few requests to see Robyn's new tattoo up close so here it is...

September Book Club

Greeting from Shauna's!

Shauna, Heidi, Shannon, Kristie, Stephaine, Kara & Kara's Mama 

A good time was had by all at Book Club Wednesday night.  I was so distracted by the food and good conversation that I forgot to take pictures of all the beautiful women.  But I did get pictures of the food--I think I may have been hungry! :) And you will be too looking at the photos!

Once again I am requesting recipes!!  Shauna you have to help a girl out!

We discussed Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.  It got mixed reviews with some thinking it was a sweet book and other not liking it at all.

We missed those of you who weren't there and hope to see you all decked out next month...

at Brenda's house to review Room

See you there!!

August Book Club

In August Bethany hosted a great book club.  We had some amazing food as usual and had a really great discussion about The Forgotten Garden.  

We agreed that it was a perfect summer read and we were pretty keen on how the book covered three generations. Although the ending was a bit Hollywood we enjoyed it overall.

Stephanie & Bethany 

Britney (with sweet Bjorn) & Shauna 

Heidi & Shannon 

The food really was delish and I hope some recipes will be posted Bethany!!  Especially for that Russian Creme!

Enjoy the pictures and drool away...