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Category: book club

  1. Wednesday, September 5

    Book Club: Gotta Love Italy

    It’s been a while since I’ve done a book club post, so thought it would be fun – you know, back to school, time to hit the books!


    The last two books we’ve read have been pretty good, but I must say that the food has been divine, which is I why I’m posting! Both books lent themselves to an Italian food-inspired dinner – we have definitely been eating well at our meetings this summer. Can’t wait to share the food with you!

    For July we read Eat, Pray, Loveby Elizabeth Gilbert. This is a non-fiction account of Elizabeth Gilbert’s ventures through eating in Rome, meditating in India, and finding love in Bali. She’s a good writer and the book was fun…wasn’t my favorite and there was something about Ms. Gilbert that bugged me, but at the same time I found myself quoting the book all the time while I was reading it!

    What was truly great about this Book Club meeting was the food…Karen (far right in picture) cooked up a feast for us that was to die for. Seriously, everything she made was awesome, but I’ll just highlight 3 of the things, with links to the recipes (click the name of the food)! My most favorite was the Tuscan Bread Salad with Olives. This was SO GOOD. The main dish was Artichoke & Spinach Manicotti, which was also very tasty. For dessert she served Fresh Berries with Ricotta Cream (she used other berries in addition to strawberries – get creative!). I loved it, and let me tell you, for me to love a non-chocolate dessert is really saying something! Thank you Karen for your hard work and introducing us to some awesome recipes!!!

    While discussing Eat, Pray, Love in July, Loretta (2nd from left) mentioned that she felt Under the Tuscan Sunby Frances Mayes did a much better job capturing the feeling of Italy…so she picked it for August for us to compare! This book was nice & relaxing…poetic descriptions of Tuscany, the house they rennovate and the food. Not much personal story, but if you’re interested in travel or Tuscany, it’s an interesting book. Ms. Mayes is an excellent writer, so the language is lovely. There’s not really a story and Harry Potter was much more tempting for me to read that month, but I’m still glad I read the book. (Side note: I have NOT read the 7th HP book yet, so if you have, NOT A WORD or I may be forced to use an Unforgiveable Curse!) The book (Tuscan Sun, not HP) is really nothing like the movie, by the way, which may or may not be a selling point for you (it was for me!).

    Loretta hosted dinner at a beautiful local restaurant in La Jolla Shores called Barbarella. Awesome Italian food, great atmosphere – little twinkle lights everywhere. They don’t have a website, but if you live in San Diego, definitely take a visit! She said Halloween is especially fun, for your kids too! Barbara the owner stopped by our table and had read both of these books, so shared her own opinion. It was fun. Pretty much everything we ate was AWESOME. Loretta’s favorite is the thin crust pizza, but I think mine was the Lemon Cream Ravioli. It really was perfect for me that night.

    Why is Italian food so dang good? What a fun Italian-themed summer for a Book Club! I’m in charge next month…how will I ever top this!?!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:55 am   2 Comments
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  2. Wednesday, July 18

    Featured Recipe: Cookies Galore

    We had a book club picnic last Friday, which was great fun. I was in charge of dessert, so I made two of my all time favorite cookies. Thought I’d share the recipes with you! (click on the name of the cookie to link to the recipe).


    First, Chocolate Swirls. These are ADDICITVE and full of all kinds of fat (butter, cream cheese, chocolate, bring it on!). Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ve NEVER met a person who doesn’t like these. I got the recipe at a cookie exchange – no idea what person or what cookbook it came from, but so happy I have the recipe!!!

    Second, Mexican Wedding Cookies. These are basically butter balls rolled in powdered sugar. Really, how can they NOT be good? These are pretty common, but I got the recipe from my sister-in-law Cora’s mother, Nicki.

    Enjoy!!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:01 pm   1 Comment
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  3. Monday, April 9

    Book Club: The History of Love & Homemade Pizza

    Now that Easter and Passover are behind us, all the food has been cooked and the dishes are done (maybe), it’s time to take a little break and curl up with a good book…

    “The History of Love: A Novel”by Nicole Krauss is one of my favorites. This book is beautifully written and has a creative and touching story. And I sobbed at the end. And then I sobbed just telling Nate about the book. I was a mess, but in a good way – trust me, you WANT to read it!

    Jen was the hostess that month and served up make-your-own pizzas. It was loads of fun and delicious! This is a great idea and a definite crowd pleaser, for kids and adults alike!

    Pizza was on last week’s menu, but Trader Joe’s was out of crust, so I had to break down and make it from scratch. If you haven’t before, it’s not hard. Visit Recipes-Main Dishes for a recipe from my friend’s Italian uncle.

    Please check out Maren’s comment on yesterday’s Easter post and share your hammy ideas! And please post your menus on the weekly menu posts…any menu welcome any day of the week!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:41 am   3 Comments
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  4. Saturday, March 24

    Book Club: ‘Precious Bane’ & Butternut Squash Soup

    In addition to music, I love reading. One thing that keeps me reading is my monthly Book Club, made up with 5 of my dearest friends. Each month we take turns hosting at our home, choosing the book and serving up delicious food. It is a feast every time. Since the books and food are always amazing, I think I need to share! We’ve been meeting for a long time now, so I have plenty of goodness to pick from. Hopefully Book Club doesn’t mind! :)

    First, let me introduce you to Book Club! Top, l to r: Loretta, Barbara, Karen. Bottom, l to r: Jen, Me, Sarah. Aren’t we cute?

    The first book and recipe I would like to share is from a night Sarah hosted. She chose Precious Baneby Mary Webb. Hands down everyone LOVED this book. The dialect is tricky, but you do get the hang of it and it is so worth it. This is a BEAUTIFUL story, a must read. Sarah served up the most amazing Butternut Squash Soup for us that evening. We’ve all made it since – it is soooo good.

    Happy Reading & Eating!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:57 am   No Comments
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  5. Book Club: ‘Precious Bane’ & Butternut Squash Soup

    In addition to music, I love reading. One thing that keeps me reading is my monthly Book Club, made up with 5 of my dearest friends. Each month we take turns hosting at our home, choosing the book and serving up delicious food. It is a feast every time. Since the books and food are always amazing, I think I need to share! We’ve been meeting for a long time now, so I have plenty of goodness to pick from. Hopefully Book Club doesn’t mind! :)

    First, let me introduce you to Book Club! Top, l to r: Loretta, Barbara, Karen. Bottom, l to r: Jen, Me, Sarah. Aren’t we cute?

    The first book and recipe I would like to share is from a night Sarah hosted. She chose Precious Baneby Mary Webb. Hands down everyone LOVED this book. The dialect is tricky, but you do get the hang of it and it is so worth it. This is a BEAUTIFUL story, a must read. Sarah served up the most amazing Butternut Squash Soup for us that evening. We’ve all made it since – it is soooo good.

    Happy Reading & Eating!

    Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:57 am   1 Comment
    Categories:

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