For those of you who watched the Church Christmas broadcast/concert last night, and heard President Monson mention some great Christmas stories: I haven't read "The Mansion" by Henry Van Dyke (one of the stories summarized by Pres. Monson in his talk). I found it is available from Deseret Book for about $13, or you can read it for free online at pagebypagebooks.com. Here is the link:
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Henry_van_Dyke/The_Mansion/The_Mansion_p1.html
I'll be reading it soon!

A Must Read Blog

I have shared with some of you a new blog (to me) that I happened to come across one day as I visited another also very good blog.  I have over the last week or so perused the writings of some of these LDS sisters and have felt the messages are profound and enlightening.  They seem to speak to me as a sister in the Relief Society would.  The sisters have passion and talent for writing.  What is also really nice is that they have related articles at the end and so if you haven't gotten enough of the one you just read you can read a couple more within relation to it.  The blog is called 'Segullah' and the address is http://segullah.org/

Check it out you won't be sorry.

The blog I jumped from was 'Mormon Mommy Wars' http://mormonmommywars.com/ also a good blog with several featured LDS authors and options to be a guest author (I think both do that).  This is the one I like to read too.  Some of the material can be a little snarky, but funny and true.  Honest in perspective to themselves and the pet peeves, joys, frustrations, passions of motherhood, and all the other topics the we as LDS women and mothers have to encounter.  I hope I am not leading you astray, they are not official LDS sites.  So beware, however, I do know that 'Segullah' is censored to some degree to not be offensive.  The introduction made me comfortable of that.

At any rate the topics that come up are some that would make for good conversation and discussion.
Happy reading,
Sharon

NEXT SELECTION: The Complete Works of O. Henry

Our next selection will be "THE COMPLETE WORKS OF O. HENRY" (by O. Henry). This is a compilation of short stories that are fun & uplifting, usually with an ironic twist. You may have read his most famous story, "The Gift of the Magi".

The hardcover book is available on Amazon for about $4 used (published 1937; the De Luxe Edition). The Kindle version is available for $.99. You can also find all of the stories we will read in the Amazon paperback "100 SELECTED STORIES (Wordsworth Classics) (Wadsworth Collection) by O. HENRY (Sept. 1 1997)" available used for $.01. All of the stories are also available online at http://www.readbookonline.net/stories/Henry/108/

The Kindle edition has 2 "table of contents" - one at the start, another at the end, so you will find the links to some of the stories at the end of your Kindle edition. Some links take you to several more stories.

We probably can't read them all - I will choose 10 or 15 stories for us to read as a group and post them later, but if you want to get started now, I'm sure you will enjoy it. We will start with "The Gift of the Magi", "The Last Leaf", "The Ransom of Red Chief" (under The Boy Scout Book of Stories); "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen" (under The Trimmed Lamp & Other Stories). I'll post the rest of the stories later. Thanks! Peggy Ann

Friday, November 4th for "The Good Earth"

Let's plan for this Friday, November 4th at my (Kris's) home for our Book Club Discussion. Of course we will want to eat Chinese food! Let's start at 6:30pm. Let me know if this will be a problem. There is a movie for this made about 1939 I believe and I've ordered it from Netflix. I hope you all have enjoyed this wonderful book about prerevolutionary China as much as I have and what life was like for women in Asian cultures at that time. I hope to see you all Friday evening!

Next Book Pick Is

It looks like PeggyAnn has the next book pick. 

Book Discussion: The Good Earth

Hi Everyone!

Lest you think I have forgotten that this was my book pick (I didn't) or that I haven't read the book (I have) or that I don't want to get together (I do!) I'm finally getting around to suggesting a date for our book discussion of Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth". I hope you all have been enjoying it. This is the second time I've read it and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading this book! It's wonderful reading about a culture so different than ours, but yet we see the same family problems happening regardless of time and place.

I was thinking of having the discussion Nov 4 or 11th. I think either Friday will work for me. Please let me know if one of those days will work for you and I'll pick a day that seems to work for most of us. Happy reading!

Kris

Italian Neophyte

There is a new word for you.  Do you know what a neophyte is?  It is a beginner.  Now that you know that, I wanted to share with you my attempt at making gnocchi for Book Group.  It was actually my third time making them.  I have never eaten any authentic gnocchi before but I will show you the pictures I took while I made them.

This is the ball of gnocchi dough.  To the right is an example of the shredded boiled potato, the recipe says to use a potato ricer but I didn't have one so I shredded the potato while hot and left it to cool.

Here is a picture of my gnocchi after boiling in salt water.

The cooled gnocchi is on the left.  Caprese salad is in the center and butter wheat spaghetti is on the right.

Gnocchi with pesto. Yummy!

This is a photo I borrowed from the internet of someone's yummy gnocchi, do they look anything like mine?  Check out how to make these versatile little potato dumplings.  Your family might actually like them.

Sharon S.

PDF file of bookmark for "The Good Earth"

Here is a link to a bookmark for "The Good Earth" that you can print out. It has a short description of each of the characters & a map of China.
http://images.oprah.com/images/obc_classic/book/2004/good/good_read_bookmark.pdf
Copy & paste the link into your browser, or go to oprah.com & look up "The Good Earth", & click on the link for a bookmark.

Next Book Pick!

Hi Everyone!

Thanks to Sharon for hosting the wonderful Italian Feast at her home last night as we discussed "The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James! The gnocchi were fantastic! (I'm still dreaming about them. I wish I had a bowlful right now!!)

After some deliberation and discussion I've picked a book that I'm guessing most of you have not read - "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck, a novel about China around 1900. We have read a lot of western novels focused in the 16th-20th centuries and are not well-acquainted with eastern cultures. Even though this book is written by an American woman we will learn what China was like before the revolution. Here is some information about the novel:

This 1932 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is still a standout today. Deceptive in its simplicity, it is a story built around a flawed human being and a teetering socio-economic system, as well as one that is layered with profound themes. The cadence of the author's writing is also of note, as it rhythmically lends itself to the telling of the story, giving it a very distinct voice. No doubt the author's writing style was influenced by her own immersion in Chinese culture, as she grew up and lived in China, the daughter of missionaries.

This is a potent story, brimming with irony, yet simply told against a framework of mounting social change. It is a story that stands as a parable in many ways and is one that certainly should be read. It illustrates the timeless dichotomy between the young and the old, the old and the new, and the rich and the poor. It is no wonder that this beautifully written book won a Pulitzer Prize and is considered a classic masterpiece. Bravo!

And a little more information about the author:

When her second novel, The Good Earth, was published in 1931, Pearl Buck became famous throughout the world for her moving story of the joys and tragedies of the Chinese peasant farmer Wang Lung and his family. The novel was a best seller in the United States, and it was soon translated into more than thirty foreign languages; it has appeared in Chinese alone in at least seven different translations. The Good Earth was made into a Broadway play and a motion picture. For this book, Pearl Buck received the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and the William Dean Howells Medal for Distinguished Fiction in 1935. Her international reputation was established when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938, primarily in recognition of her masterpiece novel, The Good Earth, and two biographies of her parents, The Exile and Fighting Angel, both published in 1936.

As far as obtaining a copy of the book I checked the Library website and there is one hardcopy available and no digital copies. I can't find a kindle edition to download, but maybe I missed it. Amazon has used copies available for 1cent. You will pay more for shipping. They have audio books available also, but those were a lot more.

Hope this inspires you to get a copy and start reading!

Last Discussion for 'The Portrait of a Lady'

Tomorrow night will be the last discussion of 'The Portrait of a Lady'.  Please try to come, we will be doing Italian food and watching the movie.  Sharon's house, call me if you need more information.  And if you can manage to get your assignment done you will get a special something.

Postponement of our Reading Discussion

Hey Gals, 
We have to postpone our reading discussion for Friday August 12th, some of us will be going to Minot to help with the clean up there.  We will probably not be able to do it the following Friday so the Friday after school starts might be an option please give me your input.  Kris G. has the next book pick and I would like to keep things moving along.  Unless most of us who have read would like to do the discussion in Minot Friday night.  It sounds like I will be there for most of Friday and maybe some of you won't be there until Friday night, you will then be busy setting up your own camping situation.  So, maybe August 26 with the same instructions for the discussion and dining.

Book Reading Reminder

Hey Gals, 

I hope you haven't forgotten to finish the second volume of 'The Portrait of a Lady'.  We will be meeting on Friday August 12th at 6:30 pm and we will be eating Italian food to finish our discussion over.  We will watch the movie afterwards.  I know it is a bit wordy but please try to finish it and remember the challenge to write a different ending or epilogue.  Don't tell anyone how you will change the ending or what happens after the book ends.  I would be fun to post those endings or epilogues.  Maybe there will be a prize or two for those who go the extra mile.

P.S. Check out our hit counter and page views.

"Shakespeare in the Park" is at Veteran's Park in Sidney tomorrow, Friday, July 1st, at 6:30 PM. It is free and open to the public. The play is performed on the outdoor stage at the park; you can sit on the benches there or bring your own chairs or blankets; you can bring food & water, too. A traveling acting troupe performs a different Shakespeare play here every year. This one is "Much Ado About Nothing", a comedy.
I'm going, and I'd love to have company! Anyone want to meet me there? Bring bug spray & a blanket or cushion! It usually lasts about 2 hours. Call me!
Peggy Ann Strupp (406) 480-4643

Reading Challenge

Thank you all for coming to the first of two book discussions of Henry James "The Portrait of a Lady".  We had some very good things to eat there so if you really like cheesecake, brownies and spice cake with orange cream cheese frosting you really missed out on something  goooooood.  We had a great discussion on the first volume of the book.  But don't be discouraged that you completely missed out because we do have another discussion to finish up the book August 12th.  The Challenge that I mentioned in the title is for those of you who did not come and as a reminder for those who did.  When you finish the book you may (optional) come up with a different ending or an extension of the book 'epilogue' of what you think happened or wanted to occur after the book.  Please do not share what you have written until the discussion, we will see what great minds think a like.  One page minimum please.  You don't have to write grammatically if you are handicap in that area, but make a page of notes that you can share from how your ending would be different or what the future may hold for Isabel and the other cast of characters.  Maybe there will be a prize given out.
Much of the book takes place in Italy, so lets do Italian as our theme for our dining pleasure.  You will all be rewarded with a viewing of the movie following the discussion. 
Sharon

Friday Night's book Discussion

We had a fun time Friday night at our book discussion of 'Pudd'nhead Wilson' and 'Those Extraordinary Twins' by Mark Twain.  Thank you to all who came to enjoy the food, catch up with each other and talk about and read from Pudd'nhead Wilson.  What a fun time we had talking about conjoined twins, here is a video clip that I tried to share with you so you can see for yourself.  It is the one with the unfortunate guy with a zit.  Still informative and funny.   http://nerdfighteria.info/index.php?title=Top_Six_Conjoined_Twin_Pairs_in_History

My favorite part in the book was Pudd'nhead's calendar and the very end when he teaches the court about fingerprints and amazes everyone.  We also, enjoyed watching a portion of a documentary of Mark Twain later at Kris' house.  Mark Twain is quite an artist with the English language  and it is surprising how cute he was as a young man.  Please share your favorite parts here in the comments.

The Portrait of a Lady
Our next book selection will be 'The Portrait of a Lady' by Henry James.  This is a larger book and will require diligence to get it read.  It is in two volumes, so I suggest us having a discussion on the first volume (347pages) on June 17th (that is 5 weeks) and one final discussion August 12th (8 weeks).  How does that sound with you all?

Pudd'nhead Wilson Book Discussion

Hello BGC Reading Society,
Bobbi has decided to have our book discussion at her home on May 13th at 6:00 pm for the discussion of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins if you read that too.  The evenings meal can be what ever you like, if you remember something from the book (New Orleans or the South in general) you are welcome, be creative and do something exciting with maybe PUDDING?  Call me if you need a ride or don't know where she lives.
Sharon

Mark Twain 'Pudd'nhead Wilson'

     Bobbi has chosen a work by Mark Twain entitled 'Pudd'nhead Wilson'.  She will set the date of our discussion of this book.  It shouldn't be hard or very long.   As a side note it is recommended that you also read 'Those Extraordinary Twins', which was the original premise of our book.  Because there were two stories evolving Mark Twain separated the twins in 'Pudd'nhead Wilson' and then conjoined them in 'Those Extraordinary Twins'.  While the characters are still familiar to you from the first book the second could be an extension to your reading pleasure roughly 68 pages in length.  Mark Twain has written many books, essays and travel logs, I would encourage you to check them out and indulge in his humor and wisdom.

making the "magic" happen

Great discussion last night, girlfriends!
In honor of the book we just read, I've decided to "make the magic" happen here at my house. Instead of whining about the river that pretends to be my driveway, I've decided to think of it as a "moat" protecting my "castle". I will put on my "magic slippers" (mud boots) to ford the moat to feed the beautiful dragons (horses) that guard the castle.

Anyone else have any "magic" they want to share? :)

Fabulous Discussion Last Night

   Thank you Lorraine for hosting a great book discussion of or 16th book, A Little Princess.  We enjoyed the food:  Curry Chicken, rice, quiche Lorraine, curry lentils, Indian butter chichen with rice, two kinds of naan and great desserts: fruit tray, coconut barf,i kolaches, rootbeer cookies, brownies and strawberry cheese cake.  Everything was sooo good.  Thank you all for reading and keeping this group going.  Can you believe we have been going for two years!  

Book Discussion for "A Little Princess"

Our discussion for "A Little Princess" will be held on April 8th at 6:00pm at Lorraine Allen's. Her address is 1800 Golden Rod Lane. She is suggesting we bring French or Indian food which should be a fun change!. We will watch a movie after our discussion. Hope to see you there!

New Links

Gals, I have found a couple of interesting blogs that I placed on the link below and to the right.  One is called Squeaky Books and the other is To Read or Not to Read.  Check them out.  Take the Jane Austin quiz to see which Jane Austin character you are.  I was able to correspond with the author of Squeaky Books, she prefers to read books that don't have offensive language and content (and won't read them).  I feel the same and like the honest reviews I have seen on her blog so far.  She was helpful in making suggestions for the boys, though her style of books are geared to the girls.  These books are not suggestions for our book group but possibly for your own reading outside the book group.
Sharon

Book Club Date

I can meet either date, so whichever works best for everyone else is fine with me. The first weekend is General Conference. The 9th is Stake Temple Day. Don't know if that changes anyone's weekend plans, just thought I'd throw those dates out there.
Kris

Lorraine's Discussion of 'A Little Princess'

Hey girls,
I hope you are enjoying this book.  I love it.  I wish I could
remember to act as if I were a princess.  When would you like to have
the discussion?  Friday April 1st or April 8th works for me.  But
April 1st probably works better if that is not too soon.

A Little Princess

This book review paragraph I borrowed from Sonal Panse at Buzzle.com.  It is a good discription of the opening scene in this book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I hope that everyone has a chance to read it before the discussion.  It is a page turner and now one of my favorite books.

Sara Crewe, the heroine, is seven at the start of the story and has just arrived in England, after a long voyage from India, to be admitted into a boarding school or, rather, 'Seminary for Young Ladies', run by a certain Miss Minchin. Sara is an imaginative, clever child, much wiser and self-reliant than her years, and is the only, much-indulged daughter of the widowed Ralph Crewe. He is an Army Captain, stationed in India, and is young, merry-spirited, and exceedingly rich. He and Sara have a very close relationship and are really not looking forward to be parted. But, as everyone knows, 'the climate of India was very bad for children' and it is customary 'as soon as possible' to bundle them off to the cold and damp of England. No matter how heart-breaking, it is just a thing done - as Sara tells her father, "Well, papa, if we're here, I suppose we must be resigned."
Sharon
Happy Reading!

BYU Honors Reading List

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the very fun time last night at Kayleen's! Great discussion and great food! I love our Book Club! Thanks to Sharon for starting us up and keeping us going!

I thought I would put a link up for the BYU Honors program reading List. It has 7 pages of books, some of which are not English or American, and some of which are considered Social Science and are non-fiction, but it does give us a good idea of what we might consider "Classics" from the periods which we are looking for. Here's the link:

http://honors.byu.edu/files/GreatWorksList.pdf

I know Lorraine is looking for a book for us to read. "The Portrait of a Lady " by Henry James would be a good pick, as would "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. Some of you might not have read "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte; I have and don't care to read it again. I find it really depressing as there are not many redeeming characters in the book and it does not have a happy ending. "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain is on the list also, but probably a lot of us have read it, but wouldn't mind reading it again. Pearl Bucks "The Good Earth" is a great book about China. I've read it but wouldn't mind reading it again. It's not a huge read and not difficult to read either.

A few other ideas:

Little Women -Louisa May Alcott

The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Anna Karenina-Leo Tolstoy (massive read)

The Way We Live Now -Anthony Trollope

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson

Vanity Fair-William Makepeace Thackery

There are obviously a lot more and if someone else posted their ideas we would get a different list!

Thanks to everyone again and can't wait to get started on our next book!

Kris

Pennies For Peace; Three Cups of Tea

Remember our book, "Three Cups of Tea"? As most of you know, there is a "Pennies for Peace" project that schools can do to help support the building of schools in Pakistan as described in the book. Here's a link to some GREAT videos that explain the project, the book, the geography of the area, everything you might want to know!
http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/penniesforpeacetoolkit/videos.html#

So if you want to learn more about what we read, you can go to the website & watch some of the videos!

Uncle Tom's Cabin book discussion

Don't forget to finish your book.  We will meet at the church between 5:30 and 5:45pm Friday Feb 25th, to carpool to Kayleen's for our discussion.  Make sure you don't forget a yummy Southern style dish, of course we have to eat!  Happy Reading!

translating "Southern"

For those of you who don't speak "Southern", here are some translations of the text!

an’t much count: are not of much account
bile her taters: boil her potatoes
dar now: there, now
dat ar: that there
like dem ar: like them there (like those)
far: fair
but then they’s far: but then, they are fair (not too bad)
gi’n: given
go ‘long: go along (an excalmation)
gwine: going to
jist: just
kinder: kind of
in a kinder plain way: in a kind of plain way
La bless you: Lord bless you
Lor!: Lord!
to have a notion on ‘t: to have an idea about it
oughter: ought to
yer oughter: you ought to (should)
ye oughterner feel ‘bove nobody: you ought not to (shouldn’t) feel above someone
on ‘count: on account of (because of)
sarcy: sassy or saucy (talking back)
sartin: certain or certainly
yes – sartin: yes, certainly
‘spectable folks: respectable folks (people)
spile: spoil
they’s: they is (are)

Book Discussion Date Changed

The date of the discussion of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' will be postponed one week to allow more time for readers to finish the book.  It is always better to come having read the book so our discussion can be the best.  So, the new date is Friday February 25, at 6:30 pm.  Everything else is the same.  Thank you. Sharon S.

Uncle Tom's Cabin book discussion

Hey Gals,
At this point in time February 18th 6:30pm, is our book discussion.  It will be in Culbertson so if anyone wants to carpool let me know.  Southern food was discussed as the theme for the night.  I'll have more info as soon as I hear from Kayleen.

Hairspray & Temple Day!

For members of the Busy Gals book club & anyone else who would like to go:
We are leaving Sidney at 1 PM on Friday Feb. 11 for Billings for a show & the temple. Monette will drive her van, & I will drive our bigger car (big trunk!). We will go out to dinner when we arrive in Billings. We will be joined by Kris's sister, Christine Alexander, Katie Berry, & maybe Mary Karren! Please let me know where you would like to go out to eat!

After dinner we have 9 tickets for rows 1 & 2 for Friday, Feb. 11, 7:30 PM at the Billings Studio Theater to see "Hairspray", the musical story of plus-sized Tracy Turnblad who wants to be a dancer on the teen dance TV show. The musical is a comedy, set during the 1960's against the backdrop of segregation & civil rights. I have purchased a ticket for the following ladies: Lorraine, Kaylene, Monette, Kris, Kris's Sister, Christine Alexander, Vena, & Shana K. You may pay me (Peggy Ann) $20 for your ticket, please. Tickets are non-cash-refundable. If we are unable to attend due to weather, they would issue a credit for a future show.

I have reservations for 3 rooms at the Super 8 @ $44 each. That would be 3 or 4 people per room (2 queen sized beds non-smoking) for about $15 per person. Free "continental" breakfast includes ceral, oatmeal, boiled eggs, yogurt, & toast (I've seen it - it's not much, but it's quick & free). This reservation is not paid for yet, so we could still change it. If everyone would rather, we could stay at the Hampton Inn for about $80 per night ($20 - $27 per person); that would include a hot breakfast. Let me know your opinions.

We plan to leave the hotel about 7:20 AM for a 7:40 arrival at the temple; the session starts at 8:10 AM. Those who are not attending the temple can go shopping. After the temple, we will go to Costco & wherever anyone else wants to go. Or breakfast/brunch. Or lunch after shopping. Suggestions welcome.

A few of us may need to be back to Sidney by 6 PM. If that is the case, my car will leave Billings about 2 PM. The other vehicle could come at their leisure.

Additional tickets to the play could still be purchased if others are interested (Mary Karren will already be in Billings if the roads are good; she may wish to go to the play with us & plans on buying a ticket closer to the date). Currently we have 8 people riding in the vehicles from Sidney. We have 9 people attending the play (not everyone coming is attending the play), and 9 or 10 people for the hotels rooms, with 8 to 11 people attending the temple! WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BLAST!! Call if you need more info! 488-1666; 480-4643

temple day & a show - Feb. 11 & 12?

So far, one person (besides me) could make it on Feb. 18 (temple trip & to see "Hairspary" in Billings), & two (maybe 3) could make it the weekend of Feb. 11 & 12. Let me know if anyone else would prefer Feb. 11 & 12.

temple day & a show in Feb.?

Would anyone be "up" for going to a live theater performance in Billings in February or March, & then spending the night & going to the temple on Saturday?

"Hairspray" is a Broadway musical that is playing at Billings Studio Theater on Th, Fr, & Saturdays Feb. 4 - Feb. 20. Tickets are $20. I'd be interested in going to the show on Feb. 18, spending the night in a hotel, & going to the temple Feb. 19. I've seen the movie, & it's great - lots of singing & dancing; I'd love to see it live!

In March, the Billings Studio Theater is showing the play "The Diary of Anne Frank" on weekends March 4 - 19. I'd love to make a temple trip out of that one if anyone would be more interested in those dates or that play. Tickets for "Anne Frank" are $16. This one sounds really good, too.

Ward temple days are Feb.26 & March 26, but the musical & the play aren't available on those weekends.

Let me know if anyone wants to consider this, and we'll see if we can make it work!

Next Book Selection

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe will be our next book selection.  Kayleen will be hosting.

Book Group Slumber Party a Success!

A big THANK YOU to Bonnie for such a fun time.  We had a very good discussion of the book 'My Antonia' with everyone participating.  A range of points were discussed, from her writing using a male figure as narrator, the vivid stories, the changes in Antonia in appearance and how her style of motherhood differed from that of her own mother to name a few.
We really enjoyed the culinary delights which included:  Baked Potatoes (Bonnie), Fried Chicken (Bobbi and Jennifer), Spinach Ravioli (Lorraine), Beef Stroganoff (Sharon), Hickory Nut Cake yum (Kris), Palacinky yum (PeggyAnn), Cinnamon rolls (Bonnie), brownies (Lorriane).  All the food was delicious, thank you Gals for bringing such good food you are all fabulous cooks!
After our conversation of Willa Cather's book 'My Antonia' we enjoyed a video production of her book 'O Pioneers'.  Another thought provoking exchange occurred focusing on parts of the production that allowed for comparisons and contrasts in our current times and past.
Of course since it was a sleep-over we played a fun game and then went to bed, which there were plenty of for each of us.  The country is so quiet and Bonnie's place is so remenisent of the past, being a home built in 1907,  it was easy to feel carried away in the past.  Jim Burden's grandparents home might have had the same feeling.

Jennifer and Bobbi get started with breakfast.

Around the table left to right, Jennifer, PeggyAnn, Kris, Lorraine,Bonnie and Stefanie.  Bobbi in the kitchen and Sharon behind the camera always.

Cinnamon rolls with hot chocolate and hot russian orange drink, mm good.

Cool camera feature, Smile Detector, it really works.  After Bonnie frowned the camera would only take a picture on it's own if she smiled.  I always say you always look good without makeup if you have a smile.  It is sooo true! You look wonderful, always.

Smile detector again, as soon as Bobbi smiled, CLICK!

PeggyAnn and Kris warm up with some hot beverages and conversation.

Our next book selection will be hosted by Kayleen and she has chosen 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe. 

Palacincy recipe

Here is the recipe for the Bohemian Strawberry Supreme Palacinky that I made. It made 8 crepes (I only had enough strawberries & room in the pan for 7). I did not make it in advance, as suggested. (I used it as soon as I made it.) I used about 4 cups of frozen strawberries; thawed & spooned into the crepes. (My strawberries were from a friend's garden, so they were very small). I put 1 teaspoon of sugar in each crepe (over the strawberries), & did NOT put any cinnamon on them. I used additional butter & milk when melting chocolate chips for the drizzled chocolate.

I hope to bring some tomorrow to potluck. I may hold them back to put out AFTER the kids have gone through!

Strawberry Supreme ~ Palačinky s jahodami
(6 servings)
2/3 c [150 ml] flour
2 eggs
1 c [250 ml] milk
pinch salt
4 t sugar
1 c [250 ml] strawberries, sliced
3 T "cinnamon sugar" or (3 T sugar + 1 t cinnamon) mixed
¼ c [60 ml] powdered sugar (approx.)
2 oz [60 g] or [2 bars] semi-sweet chocolate
1 T butter
1 t water
1 c [250 ml] whipped cream
Cream together sugar, salt, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Alternately add small amounts of flour and milk until all are mixed and a batter has been achieved. Set aside at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat oil in a fry pan. Pour small amount of batter into hot pan while constantly rotating pan to spread batter into "crêpe." Cook until set. Turn once and cook another minute until golden. Remove from pan to cool. Continue cooking remaining pancakes (sic).
Down the center of a Palaèinky lay a line of sliced strawberries full length, but only about 1/3 of its width. Sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar over berries. Fold the uncovered portions like flaps over the filling to create a flattened tube. Melt chocolate with butter & water in microwave. Drizzle over top of each berry-filled roll and then decorate the length of the dessert with a squiggle of whipped cream using a pastry bag and large diameter die or with caned whipped cream. Place more chopped strawberries across dessert to add a splash of color.

Lightly dust some powdered sugar across the top of each dessert.

Book Discussion & Overnight at Bonnie's Bed & Breakfast

Hi All!

Just a note about our plans for Friday evening and Saturday morning. Please plan on meeting at 5:15 at the Church. We will leave PROMPTLY at 5:30pm. Sharon is willing to drive her van out to Bonnie's and can fit 7 (counting her). Right now Sharon, Kris, Bobbie, Peggy Ann, & Jennifer are planning on staying overnight FOR SURE. Because Bonnie and a couple of the rest of us have a busy schedule on Saturday our plan is to be ready to leave about 9:00 am after eating Bonnie's delicious breakfast! Please contact either Sharon or Kris to let us know if you are coming with us or if you need to leave after the book discussion and are bringing your car so you can return home. Right now we can all fit in Sharon's van. Can't wait till tomorrow! Should be a lot of fun! Girls Night Out! WooHoo!!!

Discussion for My Antonia

The date for our discussion of the book 'My Antonia' by Willa Cather will be Friday January 14, 2011 at 6pm at Bonnie's house.  You can bring whatever you want, since she thought there wasn't much reference to (appetizing) food in the book.  We will also be watching a movie after our discussion.  'O Pioneers' another work by Willa Cather.  A carpool will be arranged if rides are needed.  See you there!
 

My Antonia

I haven't gotten to the wolves yet, but now I'm looking forward to it!

I'm wondering if we have a date to plan for for our next book club meeting? I need a goal to work for! Plus my month is filling up and I want to get this VERY IMPORTANT DATE on my calendar! I think (?), though I'm not 100% sure, that this was Bonnie's book choice so when you get this Bon, perhaps you can start thinking about when you will return from your wanderings and plan a date for our get-together! Can't wait to see you all!

Kris

WOLVES!

HAS ANYONE GOTTEN TO THE PART ABOUT THE WOLVES YET???? YIKES!
For those of you who haven't read it, I won't give a spoiler. But I visited the Saskatchewan museum during Christmas break, and they had a diorama display of wolves. The information presented in the diorama included the notation that, in the winter, different wolf packs that would normally keep away from each other sometimes band together in huge packs as large as 40 for hunting.
INTERESTING!
I haven't found anything else online to verify or disprove the possibile truthfulness of Pavel & Peter's story!