December ~ A Slightly Homemade Book Club Christmas

Month: December

Hostess: Mary

Book: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Food: A gigantic party pizza, gooey chocolate cake, and lots of red wine

December book club is tricky. It is always hosted at the begining of January, since December is such a crazy month for all of us - it kind of signifies the final coming down from the holidays, spending some much needed relax time chatting and hanging out with friends.The hostess always suggests the book, but knows that probably none of us will get to it, no matter how much we want to. It is more of a party than a meeting. 

This December, Mary chose Kristan Higgins' book If You Only Knew. I didn't get to it, but I do have it requested from the library and plan to get to it ASAP. A little late but that's ok. Mary is a huge Higgins fan, and through her I have read quite a few good romances. My favorite to date is from the Blue Heron series, In Your Dreams. Plus that cover is adorable.

We also have our gift exchange! Gifts are either homemade or not, and it is always exciting to open the decorated presents and see what our friends have put together and found.

This year I made cinnamon muffin bread.

Mary made a wreath ornament out of wine corks, while Jill bought us texting gloves.Chrissy made us granola and Kelly bought us cute zipper bags with book titles on it. I love it all! 

We had a blast, being goofy together, catching up, and just letting ourselves be ourselves. We didn't have to be mom, a nurse, an office manager, a salesperson - we were able to let go and have fun.

January is my month! I picked The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard.

October Book Club

Month: October

Hostess: Chrissy

Book: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Food: Margherita pizza, Spinach and feta pizza, and delicious brownies

Book Club has been crazy lately - three babies have been born since March! Usually conversation begins heavy on the baby talk, but then as the night goes on the talk tapers off to talk about the book, as well as our random chatter about what is going on in our worlds.

We all love book club. It is a time not only to discuss books and reading, which we all are fans of, but it is a dedicated time for us to get together with our friends once a month, guaranteed. It is the night we stop the rest of our lives for, to set that two and half hours to catch up and relax and laugh and have fun. I know we all look forward to these hours every month, and now, I find I love them even more. I miss the Boy when I am gone, but it is nice to come home feeling refreshed and recharged. 

This book was an amazing book. Our hearts went out to Victoria, whose life was so hard. Jill was reminded of Gillian Flynn's work while reading this book- it was dark, gritty in places, with a topic that was hard to bear at times, especially for those who are overly empathetic to characters, as most people who read are. Personally, I also have always enjoyed reading about the Victorian meanings of flowers - what a cool way to have a conversation with someone, without words but with posies or roses or carnations or forget-me-nots. I love flowers and gardening, and although I never have quite enough time or the budget to do everything I want, I always try to buy at least one new plant for our yard every year.

Speaking of, does anyone know what kind of flower this is? I love its old world feel. 

November is Alyssa's month, and we are reading The Execution of Noa P. Singleton. 

October Book Club

Month: October
Hostess: Alyssa
Book: Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Food: Squash soup, Avocado Pasta, Three cheese pasta with olives, Pumpkin Cheesecake

It was a blustery evening for book club, with winds and rain and a definite chill in the air. I feel that snow is just around the corner now, whether we are ready or not. We all arrived one after another, bundled in our sweaters and warm clothes, and promptly parked ourselves at the kitchen table. For some reason at Alyssa's this is our space; we gather around the table, sharing and laughing and eating. Those who could drink poured themselves glasses of red and bubbly, while I poured myself countless glasses of Perrier. It didn't take long before the food was ready, and food was on the table.


I actually managed to grab a few shots of the food before I started eating!

As we all ate and rhapsodized over the pasta, especially the avocado, we chatted and caught up on each other's lives. Conversations were flying all over the place, and it was that good kind of chaos of conversation, like you find on a holiday with family. That is what it felt like too; warm, cozy, surrounded by friends who are like family, talking about everything and anything. Alyssa always has some new animal or another at her house, as she works in an animal shelter and brings them home a lot to care for until they find homes. Last night her new additions included a pen of the tiniest new little kittens, and a crazy dilute calico named Squee, whom Alyssa is adopting. This cat was a nutter - just spayed that day, Squee did not show any signs of slowing down as she jumped on our laps, played with our hair, tried to lap whipped cream off my plate. She was tiny too, 5 months old but the size of 3 month old cat. I can see why Alyssa fell in love with her. 

Talk eventually turned to the book. This book was crazy! I had to admit some of the time I was confused, but by the end it all made sense. The general consensus was that this was a strange story, saved by the fact that it was short. What was interesting was that some of us liked different parts more than others - for instance, Jennifer liked the parts where the characters were talking about their actual lives, but I liked where the character Molina was relating to Valentin the story of the panther woman. I don't think it was a terrible story, it just wasn't necessarily a book I loved.

It was a fun night, and while it was blustery when we arrived, when we left it was even crazier! The wind had picked up considerably and the temperature had fallen even further. I couldn't wait to get home and put my pajamas on. Perhaps I was distracted by that, but I almost hit a deer! I was driving through Alyssa's sub when a huge deer raced out in front of me! I was shocked, I didn't even know deer were in her subdivision! But then there one was, large as day, running through the cold and windy night. It felt like something out of a movie! I am not sure I have ever been so close to a deer before, except in Shenandoah National Park. 

I finally made it home safe and sound, and snuggled down under a quilt on the couch, in my pajamas, content after a wonderful, fun night with my friends. 

Next month is my month! I picked Little Women. 

(August) September Book Clubs

September was a double month of book club! Two times the fun!

Month: August 
Hostess: Chrissy
Book: The Weirdness by Jeremy Bushnell
Food: Greek Pizza, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, fancy cupcakes
Wine of the Night: A luscious merlot


It was a hot fall day the day we met for Chrissy's book club, which seemed appropriate due to the fact that Chrissy had August, although we had to meet in September. The end of August was just so crazy for everyone - vacations, and in the case of Mary, her little baby boy's surgery. Little Will had had surgery just a week before, and was in attendance so we could all coo over him. Chrissy's cats have never seen a baby, and they were very curious about him! He took it all in stride, as he has cats at home himself. 

Speaking of cats, this book. I wish we could say we liked it, but we just didn't. It was not what we expected, which was a Neil Gaiman/Christopher Moore blend. For us, this book just didn't work. I am going to say it was just too weird, even for me. 

We caught up on each other's lives, as it had over a month since we had all been in a room together, hanging out.  All in all, it was a fun, low-key, mellow kind of evening, the kind you would expect from an early September evening, that was warm and humid, even better to have been spent with your close friends.

Month: September
Hostess: Mary
Book: The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs
Food: Homemade veggie lasagna, butternut squash soup, chips and salsa, chocolate cake
Wine of the night: A Trempranillo

What a perfect month for a book about honey! Bees are out in full force here in September, as they make their final hurrahs before winter hits. I can't imagine a fall without bees buzzing around the apple cider and donuts! 

It had been another warm fall day, too warm in my opinion, but the evening was cool. We all one by one filed into Mary's house, which was warm and bubbly from the sounds of the soup on the stove.


When the author Susan Wiggs found out that our book club was reading this book, she awesomely sent us a little care package! Inside were coasters, sticks of honey, tea, and bookplates. We loved the coasters, that say "My wine club has a reading problem," especially since we like to call ourselves the Bottle of Wine Book Club.

We all settled down with our soup, eating and talking about this and that. It was fun because we had just gathered together two weeks ago, for Chrissy's book club. It was a double book club month! 

I had fun discussing this book, talking about the flashbacks and how they made me cry. Mary and I disagreed and debated on which book was better, The Beekeeper's Ball, or the first in the series, The Apple Orchard. I firmly believe that Beekeeper's was better, although I did enjoy them both. I feel this one had more feeling, and I liked the main character better as well. I had been curious about her in The Apple Orchard, and was happy when she got her own book. If you want to check out my reviews, you can find them here and here. 

Have any of you read either of these books, or The Apple Orchard? What are your thoughts? 

June Book Club

Hostess: Jennifer
Book:Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Food:  Hand-size spinach pies, greek pasta salad, brie with thyme and rosemary from the garden and good crusty bread, a homemade strawberry cake 
Month: June
Wine of the Night: Espuela Del Gaucho Malbec

Jennifer lives the farthest from the rest of us - not far, but going there is always an event of getting together who is driving with whom in what car. This time, we all met at my house, divided into two cars, and left the city field trip style, bound for Jennifer's house.

I can imagine the sight we presented to Jennifer when we pulled up within seconds of each other, all piling out of the car like a book club circus. We filed into the house, plopped onto the couches, and immediately the wine became open and flowing. We checked out Jennifer's new bathroom remodel, which is gorgeous and such a soothing and comfy color. I loved it!

We chatted, there was a lot to catch up on! Mary's home invasion, Jennifer's new bathroom,  Ladies of London, Pretty Little Liars, Jill's trip to Cleveland, my Italian class, among other topics.

After we had eaten and chatted, we started talking about the book. This discussion was perhaps our most spirited! Everyone had strong opinions on this book and its characters. There was anger, frustration, bewilderment - how could any adult who knew that situation let it continue? Why didn't the mother leave? We talked about abusive relationships, in all its various horrific states.We talked about Eleanor, and Park, and Park's mom and dad. We talked about what those three words were on the postcard from Eleanor (which is obvious but we had fun coming up with alternatives). We disagreed on things, and emphatically stated our reasons why.

This was an excellent book. Two of us cried at the end. Your truly, included.

We hope there is a sequel. Will there be a sequel? Please tell us there is one coming.

I know there is a debate about adults reading young adult books. Personally, I feel that YA can teach adults valuable lessons too, and make us look inside and see how as adults we react to these situations, to the kids in these books. We think, what would we do? As an adult? How could we help. if we were to encounter these things in real life. I don't see anything wrong with it either, if they are purely for entertainment. A book is written to be enjoyed, to be loved, to enlighten, to challenge your opinions and create some new view points. I don't believe in age limits.

All in all, the night was filled with conversation, food, and friendship.

Next month is Kelly!

Book Club: The April/May Edition

My schedule has precluded me from completing posts in a timely fashion! Therefore I will be posting about two months of book clubs in one single post. This time of the year we are also struggling with finding a day we can all meet - with spring/summer classes, work schedules, and children's various practices, it is hard to pin down a day! It seems to be evening out a bit, thank goodness!

April Book Club

Hostess: Alyssa
Book: Still Missing
Food: a Middle Eastern smorgasbord, and beautiful petit fours
Wine of the Night: A sweet moscato

Alyssa's heart has an infinite capacity for injured or homeless animals. The fact that she works in a animal shelter means that at any time you may never know what menagerie she will be fostering. At book club when I pulled out my chair to sit down at the kitchen table, where we all linger for a bit before flopping over into the living room, Kelly told me to watch for the kitten. I found the cutest little tuxedo kitten hanging out on the chair seat. He had a little cold, and the cutest French name that I can't remember. Pretty soon out toddled his litter mate, as well as a puppy! We all had a good time playing with Alyssa's fosters, catching up on everyone's lives. After eating our fill of the delicious middle eastern food she had, we commenced to the living room, where we discussed this book! What a crazy scary book! It is the type of scary that you know happens, which makes it even worse! We all enjoyed the book although it gave us the major heebie-jeebies!

May Book Club

Hostess: Jill
Book: Still Life with Woodpecker
Food: Pasta Santorini, hummous and pita, fresh veggies, and homemade German chocolate cake
Wine of the Night: Sangria

Our schedules got the best of us with this book club -3 of our members were not able to make it, which is huge when there are only 7 of us total. There was just not one single evening that all of us could make, so Jill went with the one day someone suggested as being the better one. It was a tough call. And on top of it, the rest of us had hammered schedules as well, and were not able to read the book. Even me! So May's book club was more of a get together with friends than a book club.

We discussed our lives - Jill's new job, Baby Will, my midterm and classes, Kelly's vacation..we may not have been literary but we did make the most of the evening, squeezing in some stolen moments to hang out for a few hours.


Next book club is Jennifer's and we are reading Eleanor and Park. It looks like it should be a good night!

March Book Club

Hostess: Erin (me)
Book:Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Food:  Moosewood Kitchen's French Vegetable Bean Stew, Roasted Beets with Feta, Cheese and crackers, Bread, and a homemade Raspberry Linzer Torte
Month: March 
Wine of the Night: Chapelle St. Arnoux Cotes du Rhone

One thing that I really enjoy about book club is planning the menu and preparing the food. I love feeding people. This time, I had March, which I always find a slightly difficult time to plan food for. Is it going to be cold?Warm? I don't want to make stew if it is hot, or something springy if it is cold. It ended up being a chilly day, so I was able to make stew. I love the Moosewood books, and this recipe I got from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook. The stew was thick and hearty, and everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I hope it warmed everyone's bones. 

I also attempted a linzer torte. I am not the most fabulous baker in the world, so I enlisted the help of my mother, who is. Together, we spent three hours baking it! We had a great time baking and dancing around my tiny kitchen to Stevie Nicks and Van Morrison. (two of my favorites!) I think it turned out delicious!! I wish I could have served it warm but I forgot to heat it up when everyone came over. It was awesome, but would have been perfect a little warmed up. 

This is the Smitten Kitchen version; our's wasn't quite as pretty. But it was delicious!

After stuffing our faces full of food, we got down to the book discussion. We didn't really want to talk about exploding buboes while eating for some reason.

Everyone was shocked by the big secret reveal in the book, except me, because I am jaded or something. I just felt something was wrong in their marriage for some reason. For Jennifer, it just about ruined the book. She was very upset at this secret, and I have found in reading other reviews, that other people felt this way too. I can see understand there position.  

We talked about what we would do in that position. Would we stay, or go? 

For practical Chrissy, her answer depended on a few things - if she had children, what is her financial status, if she had family that would take her in..all of these are factors that Chrissy would need to consider in making this decision. But she thinks she would stay since the chances of getting it elsewhere also exists. 

Mary said she would stay, especially if everyone she loved had succumbed. Jennifer said "I doubt I would've left the village.  Mr. Mompellion's argument was a strong one (even if he turned out to be a butthole) and I think at that time people were more apt to help others out in their own villages, even if they were risking the plague.  Also at that time, you would have no idea if other villages were safe, it's not like they had Channel 7 action news so taking the chances of leaving home to just become ill somewhere else doesn't sound so hot to me."  As for me... I would have stayed too. 

We all ate and drank and talked and talked, as always. I love our book club nights, and this time with my friends. It is a dedicated night every month, that we all stop our lives for a few hours and catch up. 

April is Alyssa, and our book is Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. 

January Book Club

Hostess: Kelly
Book: Easy by Tammara Webber
Food: Salad, Flat bread pizza with white sauce, green olives and black olives, chocolate-cream cheese cupcakes
Month: January
Wine of the Night: Apothic Red

The weather this winter has been crazy, but it seemed to have let up just enough to allow us to have book club. The temperature was cold but not in the negatives, and the snow had momentarily taken a break.

We trickled in, one by one, leaving our shoes by the door, grabbing a glass of wine, and choosing a seat in Kelly's living room. The living room at her house gives a feeling of a warm cave, with its thick walls and drawn curtains. It is cozy and safe feeling, and I curled into my spot on the couch immediately.

Mary was not in attendance, due to the miracle of birth! Our pregnant friend had her baby a week before, so of course could not make it to book club. I got to visit the munchkin, and he is super adorable!

Meet Baby Will!

Mary did call in, and talked to everyone for a minute via speakerphone about her thoughts on the book. 

After stuffing our faces, we got down to business. This book was New Adult, so it was on the young side for us, but we still enjoyed it. It definitely has a message, and I feel part of its mission is to educate and inform. Right away, in the first few pages of the book, the main character is nearly raped by someone she knows. The rest of the book is how she deals with it. She also has a love interest, who at first is everywhere and is creepy, but he really is a good guy. Anyway, the book is a quick and easy read, and could be used as a discussion opener regarding rape. 

While we sat in our little cave, the snow had started to fall again. We didn't know it, sitting in the closed up room, drinking wine and talking. When Kelly's husband came home with their five-year old daughter, he let us know that the roads were getting bad. Jennifer lives a bit further away, so she took off because of the weather. The rest of us hung out a bit longer, reluctant for the night to end. It has been hard to be cooped up, it was nice to get out and relax. Kelly's daughter wanted to join out book club, and brought out her Sammy the Seal book. I ended up reading it to her, because I love Syd Hoff and I actually wanted to read it again. Lol. After that, we wrapped up for the night, and all headed home, safe and sound. 

Next month is Mary's month. 

November Book Club

Hostess: Jennifer
Book: The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
Food: Broccoli Cheese Soup in bread bowls, salad, and spiced pumpkin bread with ice cream
Month: November
Wine of the Night: 

It had been a stressful week for most of us, with the holiday season beginning and our various work and home demands, so by the time book club rolled around, we were ready to have a good time. Most of us were driven by Mary, who is pregnant, which was nice because then we didn't have to worry about having more than a glass of wine (or two).

We all rolled up at once to Jennifer's house, and plopped on the couches and chairs and poured glasses of wine all around, minus Mary of course. While we sipped at our glasses, we chatted a bit and then Jennifer told us we could eat. In a herd, we trooped into the kitchen to prepare our plates. I swear, that soup was so good, that I ate two bowls of it, and then couldn't eat any of the bread! I actually enjoyed it so much, that I recreated the meal, down to the bread bowls for dinner last night with my husband, where once again I ate two whole bowls! If you are looking for a warming comforting soup, try it out. It is definitely not low fat though!

While we ate, we discussed the book. We agreed that we loved the Jess and George parts, but didn't necessarily enjoy the Emily and Jonathan parts of the book. And the end! So stupid! I wasn't expecting it, and I didn't enjoy it. However, the Jess and George parts redeemed the entire story. The way the food was talked about, as sensual and slightly erotic - and books were described in the same way, not really erotic, but as these rare treasures, which they of course were. The cookbook collector to whom the title refers was this eccentric old guy, who collected all these rare and old cookbooks, as well as not so rare. But strangely, they were the only things in his kitchen - they were in the drawers, the cupboards and even the oven, while there was not a single utensil or plate or such. Inside the books were notes, imaginary menus, bits of romantic poetry, drawings of the same  woman, over and over. This cookbook collector seemed to be a sensual dreamer, with his head full of romance, yet who had never maybe enjoyed what he so desired - these exotic foods, a happy love life.

We also talked about our lives - one of the reasons we love book club is that we are all friends first. It is our time to stop our daily schedules, and make time for each other and our stories and our trials and our victories. We left feeling sated, emotionally and physically, full from the good food and conversation between friends. 

Next book club is Chrissy's, and we are reading Rant. It is also our homemade gift exchange! 

September Book Club

Hostess: Erin
Book: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Food: Cheesy Corn Chowder, Baguette, Cheese and Crackers, Veggie Tray, Apple Pie
Month: September
Wine of the Night: Bogle Cabernet


When I planned the menu, I was expecting a cool and crisp fall day, but instead we had a sticky hot humid day. Maybe the weather wanted to match that of Savannah’s.  It was the wrong weather for soup, but it was what I had planned, so I stuck with it. I turned the air conditioner up to compensate, and I am happy to say that everything turned out perfectly, in regards to the soup. The pie however, was not so good. I was short on time, so I tried to cheat and bought a frozen Marie Callender pie, their Lattice Apple. The taste was good, but it had to be served in a bowl. Next time I will just take the time and make my own.

I love this book, and so, I want my friends to love it too. It seems weird to say that I love a murder mystery, especially one that is true, but the characters, which also are based on real people, are so eccentric and charismatic that you can’t help but fall for their southern charm, despite any imperfections they may have. Savannah itself large over the story, beguiling the reader and becoming a main character.  

These characters (people) took over our discussion as well. The Lady Chablis, Luther Driggins, Serena Dawes, to name just a few that we talked about, over drinks, which I am sure many of them would appreciate.  I love reading about the Married Women’s Card Club, and of course Joe Odom. We all thought it would be awesome to meet Chablis, or to attend one of her shows. When Jennifer and I visited Savannah a few years ago, we saw a poster outside a building advertising one of her performances, but it was the wrong dates for us to attend. We also visited the house itself, which was just as gorgeous as I had imagined.

Finally, we discussed the main prevailing storyline, that of Jim Williams and his involvement in the murder of Danny Hansford. Trial after trial found him guilty, until eventually, at a trial in another city, Jim was found not guilty, although he died of a heart attack not long after. Was it premeditated, cold blooded murder? Or was it self-defense? We all cast our votes, and have our own ideas about what happened that night.

What do you think?

July Book Club

Hostess: Mary
Book: The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Food: Veggie burgers, Green Salad, Hummus and pita chips,  Lemon Cake 
Month: July
Wine of the Night:  Island Red

Mary's house buzzes with activity, like a vibrant bee hive. Her oldest boy is in and out of the house, playing in the summer evening, while her youngest burbles from his chair, wanting to be picked up. Her husband is outside grilling, and Mary herself is putting the food together. The house itself feels alive, and the evening air blows through the windows, cooling the rooms.

We all gather in the living room, wine in hand, with the sounds of people enjoying the park across the street providing background music. Mary's newest baby kitten Starfish joins us, acting a bit crazy like only kittens can get away with.  Anthony brings in the burgers, and we all eat, talking about our day and our month.  Chrissy was preparing for her honeymoon on St. John, Jill was getting ready to invade London. The rest of us were just enjoying summer and our loved ones.

After our bellies were full and we were feeling sated, we discussed the book. I was very happy that the ending worked out for every character. I really liked Wanda and was glad she got to stay. I found it so interesting that Meyer's reason for an alien takeover was because of how violent humans are. This was a big discussion question for us, about the violence of humans vs. the good; the good always outweighs the bad, which Wanda learned. We were divided between Team Jared and Team Ian, and I am Team Ian. Lol. We all agreed that this book is better than the Twilight series though.

This was a fun night, with a fun book. I enjoyed the barbecue style food, it worked perfectly with the warm summer night. 

Next book club is Alyssa's. We are reading Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls.

May Book Club

Hostess: Chrissy
Book: Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Hayes
Food:  Lemon Pasta Salad, Veggies and dip, cucumber and feta salad, cheese and crackers, crescent rolls- and homemade ice cream, chocolate and strawberry.
Month: May
Wine of the Night:

Chrissy’s house is a burst of color in summery colors, yellow and grass green.  Cheery and bright, perfect for a spring book club meeting. She had her Fiestaware bowls lined up on the counter, all ready to be filled with her homemade ice cream, and it was so visually appealing, with the colors and the line, I had to take a picture.  I wish I would have remembered to get one of the ice cream!

I arrived first to see if Chrissy needed any help (because I am such a good sister-in-law lol) but she had everything under control. As everyone trickled in and relaxed, we started with the food.

I think I ate my weight at book club that night. That lemon pasta salad was amazing, and I could have eaten it all day.  I am a fan of anything lemon flavored, and lemon pasta in the spring can’t be beat. And the ice cream – so rich and creamy. My favorite was the chocolate, but the strawberry had chunks of real strawberries in it. Jill made the set up her own little TCBY, and added every topping to her ice cream. 

Click on pic for recipe and original post

Chrissy and I were the only ones who had finished the book this month, and we had loved it.  Mary is right in the middle of it, and is loving it as well. If you are interested, here is my review. 

Conversation eventually turned into the normal conversations that happen at our book clubs. Alyssa brought up a few funny anecdotes from my past as well.  We talked about other books we were reading, about what was happening in our lives, and I mentioned how I have certain book types for all my friends. Some overlap, but I have certain kinds that I recommend to them all.  With Alyssa, if a book is crazy or twisted, I tell her about it. With Chrissy, I can go that way too, and I also tell her about thrillers that she might like. Jill, if I read anything that is literary or British, that is what I tell her. Mary and Kelly, romance novels and contemporary writers. Jennifer, memoirs, books about farming, and the outdoors is what we have in reading common. I am sure I drive them crazy, but at the same time, I love when they tell me about a book that I would love. Because I normally do love it.  I feel like if you know someone well enough to recommend a book to them and have them like it, then you really know that person. I feel like we all know each other that well, and I feel like this a testimony to our friendship.

June is Kelly’s month, I am looking forward to reading what she picks!

April Book Club

Hostess: Jennifer
Book: Defending Jacob by William Landay
Food:  Chickpea and Kale Stew, Cheese/Beer Dip, Homemade Bread, Fruit Salad with a Citrus Glaze, and adorable desserts
Month: April
Wine of the Night: Smoking Loon Pinot Noir


This was a rough week for a lot of us.  I had book fair, Jill and Chrissy had finals, Mary and Alyssa had been volunteering at the book fair, Jennifer had to get ready for us to descend upon her like locusts, and Kelly had wedding duties and couldn't attend. However, the day was beautiful and everyone was looking very forward to book club at Jennifer's house, to kick back, relax, imbibe, and eat.


This was the line up when we walked in:

We waited about five minutes to see how far away Mary and Alyssa were, and when we realized they were still twenty minutes away, decided it was time to eat. The stew was filling and yummy, and I am going to make it myself some time in the future.  But then, I can eat soup and stew everyday, its my favorite. The beer cheese dip is from Founders, and I seriously ate the hell out of it. I liked it more than the dessert, which I am sure seems crazy. And dessert was fantastic by the way, so that tells you something about the dip. Jennifer got the dessert from Shatila's, and they were almost too pretty to eat!

But we did eat them. I actually only ate half of mine, and Jill ate the other half, since I had pigged out on the dip. Lol.

Jennifer and I talked about the book, which I had devoured almost as quickly as the cheese dip.  I read it in just a few hours, and it kept me on the edge of my seat!! It led to a general discussion about nature vs. nurture, and whether there is a "murder gene".  Fascinating stuff, in my opinion.  I am thinking about reading Landay's other books since I loved this one so much.

As always, we had a great time getting together, chatting, and chilling.  Next month is Chrissy's month, and she has picked Into the Darkest Corner for everyone to read.