December Gift Books

Bonnie received La Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, given by Bonnie. :)
Penni received Big in Japan by Jennifer Stewart Griffith, given by Becky.
Angie received The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, given by Penni.
Jenny received The Kingdom by Clive Cussler, given by Angie.
Becky received The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen, given by Darla.
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, given by Becky.
Darla received The Maze Runner by James Dashner, given by ?.
Nicole received War Brides, given by Liz.
Liz received The Variant by Robison Wells, given by Jenny.
Kim received ________?, given by Nicole.
Marla received The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.
Jackie received The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht, given by Marla.
Kemra received __________?

December Book Club

Becky hosted this year's Christmas book club at Hires. We'd read the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. We dressed up either as one of the characters from the book or as we had dressed in high school. Penni won the costume contest with her costume as Angus, the wild cat that belongs to Georgia. Becky had created games. We were going to do the Bison Horn Dance, but we ran out of time. Here we are at the end wearing our bison horns.

We played pin the kiss on George Clooney.

There was a quiz game to see how much we knew about each other, the books, and the books we read over the past year. Becky took her role as game show host seriously. :)

And of course there was a book exchange, although this year we ran low on time and basically just grabbed a book.

Such a fun book club! Love you guys!

2013 Schedule

January: Marla...free choice

February: Bonnie: Middle East/Israel

March: Angie: North America

April: Nicole: pick a topic, everyone reads a book of their choice

May: Becky: Europe

June: Kim: pick a topic

July: Jenny: pick a topic

August: Jackie: Africa

September: Penni: South America

October: Kemra: A location other than Earth

November: Liz: Australia/New Zealand/island

December: Darla: free choice/Christmas

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes (served by Jenny, June 2012)

12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I actually just used regular vanilla yogurt)
2 large egg whites
1 tbsp all purpose flour
8 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
8 oz. blueberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature then chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Recipe comes from my favorite food website: skinny taste

December 2012 Book Club

Hello,
So, let's talk about December book club! December, you say? What?!?! Who talks about December book club on July 25?

Well, chumly wumlies, it is time, if you haven't already, to immerse yourself in the life of our favorite pal from Billy Shakespeare-land, Georgia Nicolson. There are 10 books and the more of them you read, the more you will enjoy our fantastic Crimbo celebration complete with boy entrancers, lippy and hopefully, nunga nunga holders. See? If you don't know what I am talking about, how will you win the fabulous prizes in December that will make your hols the bestiest ever???

So, get crackin'! Here's the list:

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
1.Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (1999)
2.On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (US title) (2001)
3.Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas (2002)
4.Dancing in My Nuddy Pants (2003)
5.Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (US title) (2004)
6....Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers (2005)
7.Startled by His Furry Shorts (2006)
8.Luuurve is a Many Trousered Thing (UK title) / Love is a Many Trousered Thing (US title) (2007)
9.Stop in the Name of Pants! (2008)
10.Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (2009)

Normally, I would feel bad making you read a whole series, but in this case, I would feel bad if you DIDN'T read all of them. For more fun, listen to them on CD!!



December book club will be on Thursday, December 13, 2012, so also consider this your "save the date"!! Let me know if you have any questions...



Lots of love,



Becky

2012 Schedule

January- Liz- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre
February - Nicole - read I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson
March - Kemra- read My Year with Eleanor
April- Marla--Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
May - Angie- Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler
June - Jenny- Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn
July - Darla- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
August - Kim --The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
September - Bonnie--
October - Penni-- by Lisa Scottoline
November - Jackie-- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
December - Becky--Georgia Nicholson books

October 2000-December 2001 Book List

*Note: Some months were skipped when the book club was just starting out.

The Hiding Place by Cory Ten Boom
A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark
There are No Children Here by Alex Kolowitz
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I'll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
Still Me by Christopher Reeve
Gifts from the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindberg
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson

2002 Book List

Left Behind by Tim F. LaHaye
Follow the River by James Patterson
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Testament by John Grisham
Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Alliance by Gerald Lund
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

2003 Book List

The Color of Water by James McBride
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Covenant by Beverly Lewis
It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong
Catch Me if you Can by Frank W. Abagnale
Expecting Adam by Martha Beck
Granny Dan by Danielle Steele
Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy Emmuska
When the Wind Blows by James Patterson
Riding the Bus with my Sister by Rachel Simon
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews

2004 Book Lists

Wings of Morning by Thomas Childers
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Letters for Emily by Camron Wright
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Arctic Homestead by Norman Cobb and Charles W. Sasser
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi
Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer
Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

2005 Book Lists

The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
The Inextinguishable Symphony by Marin Goldsmith
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Good Grief by Lolly Winston
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Lewis
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
*Note: titles may not be in order...and one month is missing or was skipped.

2006 Book Lists

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian
Into the Blue by Susan Edsall
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere

2007 Book List

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The Road by McCathy Cormick
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Women in White by Wilkie Collins
These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Dark Angel by Robert Kirby
The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney

2008 Book list

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Sarah's Key by Tatiana da Rosnay
The Posionwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
Infidel by Ayann Hirsi Ali
Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema
German Boy by Wolfgang W.E. Samuel
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry

2009 Reading List

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Ice bound by Jerri Nielsen
The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Marvis
Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Everlost by Neal Shusterman
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley
Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman
Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan
Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber

2010 Reading List

Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Michal by Jill Eileen Smith
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Searching for David's Heart by Cheri Bennett

December 2011 Gift Books

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson---was given to Jackie
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand---was given to Darla
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick ---was given to Penni
The Devil in White City by Erik Larson---was given to Angie
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah---was given to Becky
The Future of Us by Jay Asher--was given to Bonnie
The Shack by William P. Young--was given to Jenny

Christmas Recipes

FUDGE from Penni

Combine in large bowl:

15 oz Hershey Bars

1 12 oz pkg chocolate chips

1 pt marshmallow cream

2 cups nuts (optional)

In saucepan, combine:

4 cups sugar
4 Tbs. butter
1 14 oz can evaporated milk

Bring to a boil and boil exactly 5 minutes. Pour over ingredients in bowl and mix well. Pour into 13 X 9 inch buttered pan. Allow to set.




Suckers-from Angie

1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup water - mix and heat those 3 items to 300 degrees (hard crack stage) remove from heat and add 1/2 teaspoon flavoring (lorann flavoring) and food coloring. Pour into molds that have been greased let cool and remove molds.





Variety flavored chex mix. Becky brought Ranch, Taco, and Italian.


Basic mix:

5 cups crunchy treat (pretzels for the Ranch mix, fritos for the Taco mix, and cheez-its for the Italian treat)

4 cups Cheerios

3 cups nuts

2.5 cups Corn Chex

2.5 cups Wheat Chex

3 cups Rice Chex



Mix together dry ingredients in a large roasting pan.

In a saucepan, combine:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce

for Ranch mix, 1 oz envelope dry Ranch dressing

for Taco, 1 envelope dry Taco seasoning + 1 tsp cumin

for Italian, eliminate Worchestershire sauce and add 1/4 c. Italian salad dressing and 1 tsp, Italian seasoning

Stir until butter is melted. Pour over dry ingredients and mix to coat. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on foil covered surface to cool for 30 minutes. Store in air-tight container for 1-2 weeks, or can be frozen for longer storage. Makes about 21 cups for one recipe.

Salted Peanut Ice Cream Squares from Liz (Nov. 2011)

1/2 c light corn syrup

1/2 c chunky peanut butter

Stir together in a large bowl

add:

3 c Rice Krispees

and stir together. Press on bottom of buttered 13x9 pan; freeze until firm (10 min or so)

spread:

1/2 gallon icecream

on top of crust

sprinkle with:

1 c chopped peanuts
Pat in to ice cream. Cover; freeze until firm (2 hours minimum).

Serve with:

caramel ice cream topping (we like to add chocolate too...just in case you don't get enough sugar with just the caramel)


the pretzel-rolo thingys from Liz

line cookie sheet with foil/waxed paper.

fill with single layer of pretzls topped with 1 rolo each

bake 350 for 5-10 min (or when chocolate gets shiny)

remove top with MnMs, pecans, walnuts, whatever creative thing you desire.

pipe with melted white chocolate/almond bark.

tres easy

2011 Reading List

The Magic Life: A Novel Philosophy by Ace Starry
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Wishin and Hopin by Wally Lamb