Big Little Lies

Our book club members are HUGE fans of Liane Moriarty.  She is the author of Husband's Secret and What Alice Forgot. Her newest book Big Little Lies did not disappoint. Now, we realize that these books are more of a fun read rather than intellectual giants but we believe you need balance in life and book club! These books also allow a temporary escape from day to day life and lend themselves to lively discussion.

The Appetizer 

To start Cindy served Pea Pesto Crostini with Prosciutto.  This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  We love the recipes from Cooking Light because they involve the use of real food rather than processed low-fat ingredients. However, we used whole milk ricotta.

The Cocktail

The book focused on events that occurred during a school function and the catalyst for these events was a “pink fizzy drink”. We recreated this cocktail by making a strawberry simple syrup, adding one ounce of vodka and topping with sparkling wine.  The amount of syrup you use per drink varies depending on how sweet you want it. As a caution: these are dangerous!

To make the strawberry syrup bring 1 cup water and one cup cane sugar to a boil, once the sugar is dissolved add one cup strawberries and simmer for about ten minutes.  Let the mixture cool and blend in your food processor.  Chill for at least an hour before serving.

The Meal

For the meal we served a sandwich that is always a surprisingly big hit: A Rueben.  The sandwich is comprised of sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on Rye bread.  We are big corned beef enthusiasts.  In March we stock up at Whole Foods and put the extras in the freezer.  If you cannot find corned beef you can use thick sliced deli pastrami. To make the sandwich:

·      Toast the bread in the oven for a few minutes
·      Flip the bread over and place a slice of  Swiss cheese on each piece
·      Top with the sliced corned beef that was cooked according to package directions
·      Toast for a few more minutes so the cheese melts

·       Remove from oven then top with sauerkraut and Thousand Island
·      Done!

We always choose Bubbies sauerkraut and Litehouse Thousand Island, which is from an Idaho company! We served the sandwiches with kettle chips. 

Look for our 90’s Rock album out next year.

Such a good time! Really! Read this book and try the Pink Fizzy. Next up The Three Weissmanns of Westport  by Cathleen Schine.

Book Club: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

“A few years back, when I finally got smart enough to go to a therapist, she asked me how I had held things together all these years.

It didn't take long to come up with an answer. 'That's easy. I belong to a book club” 

― Lorna Landvik, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

What's more fitting for our book club than a novel about a book club. Skylar's book selection was Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. The book couldn't have been more fitting because like the women in the book, our book club has become so much more than just a gathering to discuss whether we like a book or not. It is a night away to share our troubles, catch up with friends and just enjoy good company. 

The cocktail of the evening was a refreshing cucumber mint gimlet made with fresh mint and cucumbers from Skylar's garden. 

Cucumber Mint Gimlet *makes 4

1 cup of good gin or vodka

3/4- 1 Cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)

5 Tsp light agave nectar or simple syrup

1 medium sized, cucumber diced

Large handful of mint leaves

Muddle cucumber, mint and agave or simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker followed by lime juice and alcohol of choice. Shake ingredients and strain over iced. Garnish with mint and cucumbers. 

Katie knows how important book club is so she makes the long (5 hour drive) to be there. 

On the menu for the evening were pasta skewers with grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas and a dill-mustard sauce, mozzarella, cantaloupe, and jamon bites, a harvest salad with kale, apples and a apple cider vinaigrette and the main course was chicken pesto sandwiches.  

Can't forget about dessert- Vanilla ice cream with salted caramel sauce and a vanilla wafer. 

This book was liked by all of the members. A great story of strong friendship, love, and all the ups and downs of life. 

Eleanor & Park

Katie selected Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell based on a recommendation by our good friend Glen Tulloch. This was a story that we enjoyed and made us reflect on those we may have known through our lives that had to make the best with what they were given and our own teenage loves.

Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe 

Chips and Spinach Dip

Mint Margaritas were a big hit!

Spinach Sliders

Summer weather calls for a variety of lighter fare.  Skylar served the spinach sliders with a garlic aioli (You can find a similar recipe here . Just make the patties smaller and served them on slider buns) and Cindy made her wonderful spinach dip in honor of Katie.

Jamie and Cindy

Skylar, Always an Amazing Host

Poppy, The Youngest Book Club Member

Eleanor and Park was Katie's pick but summer time is so busy we could not find a time to all meet before Katie had to have her house all packed up. Katie hosted Skylar and Abbie and served an amazing ahi mango dish. Bonus points for the beautiful presentation.

We wish Katie all the luck in the world with her new adventure in Washington. We can do this because we know she will be a regular return visitor to Idaho! Up next, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons which is about a book club!

Book Club: Before I Go To Sleep

Cindy chose a real thriller for her book club pick. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Waston is full of just the right amount of suspense to keep you turning pages but not enough to give you nightmares. Everyone not only finished the book, everyone liked the book!

For her cocktail she selected a spiced carrot martini that came very darn close to the ones served at Boise’s Fork restaurant. They were made with Idaho vodka, fresh carrot juice (thanks for juicing all those carrots Josh), ginger liqueur, and homemade cinnamon simply syrup. 

Pastrami Roll-Ups for an appetizer.

I will say the cocktails were a huge hit and everyone had one or two too many!

Homemade artichoke dip with Big Wood Bakery baguette.

The evening started with Cindy’s hand-rolled pastrami roll-ups and organic Idaho sprouts followed by homemade spinach and artichoke dip and white bean turkey chili.(similar recipe here)

We added a whole chopped green pepper at the same time as the onion to sneak in more vegetables and started with dried beans cooked according to the package.

For dessert we popped open a bottle of champagne and served it with French Press Doma coffee and salted caramel toffee ice cream. 

Cheers to another wonderfully hosted book club by Cindy!














Next up is Abbie hosting  Room by Emma Donoghue!

The FCM Book Club: The Aviary

The October meeting of the FCM Book Club was hosted by Cindy.  She loves decorating for the month of October and plans way in advance.  Please see The Great Pumpkin Harvest.  Her chosen book was The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell.  She was in hopes that it would be as wonderful as the October pick of last year, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

The weather was so unseasonably warm we were able to gather outside.  Cindy’s yard is perfect for outdoor Fall parties. There was even a fresh carpeting of yellow leaves.

The evening started out with pumpkin martinis and appetizers that included festive deviled eggs and Cindy’s much loved spinach dip.

 

To keep dinner simple we dined on all beef hotdogs roasted over a crackling fire and a bean soup that was topped with freshly grated cheese and chopped onion. Pumpkin ale was served with dinner.

After dinner we discussed the book around our fire bowl.  Overall, we thought it was worth reading.

Desert was served inside when it started to get a little chilly. Champagne accompanied a Chocolate Espresso Soup topped with Marshmallows. Please see recipe here.

Skylar found the marshmallows at Whole Foods and we used a dash of Appleton Estates rum.

Up next is Abbie hosting The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.