Tuesday, March 9, 2010

February

Cari hosted our February book club in her home. It was a great night and another "packed" house. Cari served beef...which was a very prominent food in the book (Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls). That wasn't all, there was also delicious cheesy potatoes, fresh fruit with dipping chocolate and sugar cookies in the shape of cacti and boots.

Conversation often went back to Jeannette's first novel, The Glass Castle (one of our book club favorites). We also got to hear about the author's recent visit to California from Kristen and Chari, who were able to go hear her speak.

The consensus on this book was positive.

March's book is The Help by Kathryn Stockett and will be hosted by Kristen on the 31st at 7 pm.

April's book will be The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and will be hosted by Mandy.

Our January Trip

I was happy to host the book club for the month of January. The book was Nicolas Sparks memoir, Three Weeks With My Brother.

It was wonderful to have 14 or so women attending and noshing on foods from 11 different countries (places that Nicolas and his brother visited in the book). Since it has been a while, I will do my best to remember all that I made....here goes: corn chips and guacamole from Peru, alfajores de dulce de leche (shortbread cookies filled with caramel) from Argentina, empanadas from Chile, fresh fruit from the Polynesian Islands, Lamingtons (chocolate and coconut covered pound cake squares) from Australia, Kolo Dobo (small round bread crackers) from Ethiopia, gummy buys from Cambodia and hot dogs wrapped in fresh bread from Norway. Of course the water was labeled in red with "don't drink the water."

We had a great discussion about the book, about how we seemed to associate well with Nicolas and even like him a little more after reading about his childhood and history. We talked until about 10 p.m., which may be a new "late night" record.

All in all, it was a great evening due to all you lovely women who continue to come devotedly.