January Book Club

Book Club was at my house this month.  Thanks ladies for braving the cold temperatures and making it a great night.

Unfortunately not everyone read the book -- OK, only Kara read the book -- but there were several of us that came super close to finishing.  This seems to happen with the book we read over the holidays.  We usually pick a longer book because we think we will have more time to read -- but really I think we have less.

Kara brought up some great points and told us about the metaphors though out the book.  She also brought a copy of a painting discussed in the book.  Thanks Kara for all you work.

We had homemade tomato soup and tea sandwiches...

and chocolate cheesecake...

Just for fun we took a quiz about some of the past books we have read.  Kara was the big winner -- remembering the most!  I am pretty sure Brenda was the "idiot" ha ha!

Britney & Robyn

Kristie & Christie

The always photographed together Shannon & Bethany

 

Brenda, Heidi, Kara & our current mascot Iris

We'll see you all next month at Shannon house to review Major Pettegrew's Last Stand

Another list...

Here is the list the editors at Amazon picked for the best Fiction in 2010:

   

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
by Karl Marlantes

Freedom: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club) 
by Jonathan Franzen

To the End of the Land 
by David Grossman

The Imperfectionists: A Novel
by Tom Rachman

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel
by Helen Simonson

One Day (Vintage Contemporaries Original)
by David Nicholls

The Hand That First Held Mine
by Maggie O'Farrell

Skippy Dies: A Novel
by Paul Murray

The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel 
by Brady Udall

Memory Wall: Stories
by Anthony Doerr

Book Club Thursday!

Could there be a better way to start the new year?  I don't think so!

Book club is Thursday night @ 7:00 -- my house.

I can't wait to see all of you and and enjoy some good food and discuss The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Please let me know if you are coming so I can plan the menu - thanks & see you Thursday.

Favorites...

Here is a list from Reading Group Guides of their favorites for 2010.  

Best of List: New Favorites

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Oxygen by Carol Cassella
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Perfection by Julie Metz
The Photographer by Didier Lefèvre and Emmanuel Guibert
Rainwater by Sandra Brown
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Testimony by Anita Shreve
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf


Maybe we should should vote on some of these next time?

The Best White Elephant Ever!

"Mom, can you tell the lady who gave you this thank you?!"

When Myles got it out and saw that it was brand new, he asked me if we should give it to my grandma for Christmas. I considered, but the girls seriously objected.

I thought it was especially fun to post on our blog since we all happened to be reading at the time.

We can't wait to try out the hand waxing station it came with, as well.

So, thanks, Shannon. Great choice!

Christmas Par-tay

The Christmas party was a hit again this year. Thanks so much Shauna for hosting!  We loved the "bow game" where we had to watch Shauna like a hawk to see where she put her bow (on her body) -- we had to follow her lead or we were out.  Kristie was the big winner & Shannon was the big looser.

First the food... and this isn't even all of it!

And now for the lovely ladies...

( I do have to apologize for the blurry photos - I blame Shauna and her near dark conditions) ha!

Kristie & Brenda

Christie & Kara

Bethany & Shannon

Robyn & Britney

Shauna & Heidi (wow is my head so much bigger than Shauna's)

And now for the white elephant exchange.

It was a blast!  One of the best for sure!

Brenda with her ear plugs, sleeping mask and some sort of foot spray(?)

Britney will be whipping up some new maternity clothes with her handy dandy Sew Quick hand-held sewing machine!!

Shannon got the coveted (by Kara) K-Mart watch

Here is Shauna with her soon to be stolen earrings.

Christie was just in love with her monkey socks -- can't you tell?

Not to be left out of the monkey mayhem Kristie got some hot pajamas.  So hot in fact that I took them home!

Ooohhh what is it?

One hot photo of Britney's husband!!

The secret was that under that picture was really this print...

If you would like to print one out for yourself just go here.

Now back to the white elephants...

Robyn received an onion, some garlic and...

Hannah Montana Crest -- who wouldn't want that I ask!?

And finally Shannon got to shakin' her gourd -- if you know what I mean.

Thanks everyone for such a fun night!  And thanks again to Shauna for hosting.  These little treats were our parting favor. They were filled with goodies. Now Don't forget to read The Idiot for next month or Shauna will expect her favor back.

 

See you next year!!

(January 7th to be exact)

Yep!!

We will be having our traditional white elephant gift exchange!

Can't wait to see you all on Thursday!

Our Christmas party will be held on December 2nd @7:00

Shauna would like everyone RSVP and post what they are bringing -- or at least to say whether your dish is sweet or savory so she knows what to plan for.

Oh & she wants you to read The Idiot for some holiday cheer! :)

See you in a few weeks!

Book Club at Brenda's

Wow!  Book club was so much fun!  Great food, good discussion, and some serious laughing. Thanks Brenda for hosting!

Here are some photos of the delish cuisine...

Dessert was so yummy we had to have a slice of each choice!  I have to say the Key Lime pie was my favorite!! Soooooo good!

I really wish that Britney was leaning forward but she remains as prim and proper as always.

Britney & Kristie

Bethany, Heidi & Shannon

 

Brenda & Robyn

Book Club Tonight!!

Book Club is tonight! 

Brenda's house @7:00pm

See you there!!

(Brenda will be e-mailing directions in case you need a refresher)

October Recipes

Before we meet again, I figured I better post these!

Southwest Chili

I made it up, so no real recipe here.
Pretty much ground beef cooked with onions and chili powder, added to black beans I cooked, green peppers, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder and salt to taste.
Simmer for a long time.
Add some frozen corn.
People seemed to like trying the cottage cheese on top for variety. We also had cheese and/or cilantro.

Thanks to Ann for sharing her

Perfectly Sweet and Moist Corn Muffins

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

2-3 Tbl. honey for extra sweetness, if desired (optional)

1 can creamed corn

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. In another bowl mix well eggs, oil, sugar and corn. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared 9x11 pan or 18 lined cupcake cups. Bake for about 22 minutes.

Broiled Zucchini

Thinly slice zucchini and coat with olive oil. Broil one side, flip, sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese. Broil 'til golden brown.

Lemon Tea

Sorry, no recipe here, either. Just water, honey, lemon, and lemon zest.

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c Karo syrup

1 1/2 cubes butter

1 1/2 c cream

2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar and syrup and bring to boil. Gradually add butter and cream three times alternated. Stir to a softball stage (cook longer if you want caramels to wrap and eat as candy instead of caramel sauce). Add vanilla. Enjoy!

Ginger Snaps

1 c sugar

3/4 c shortening

1/4 c molasses

1 egg

2 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Sift dry ingredients and add. Roll balls into fresh ginger mixed with sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet @ 375 for 8-15 min., depending on desired snappiness.

We served them warm with pumpkin ice cream sandwiched between two of them.

We like to freeze cookie dough logs wrapped in waxed paper and then sealed in a plastic bag for fresh cookies whenever needed :)