October 2009 Host:  Emily

                                                                                                   

Little Heathens Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Summary

This is Mildred Kalish’s memoir of her childhood on an Iowan farm during the Great depression. Although her lifestyle was frugal and she and her family had to endure severe conditions (e.g. Iowan blizzards), the author doesn’t dwell on the negatives. She shares happy memories of her childhood such as making head cheese and the adventures she shared with her siblings. Her days as a preteen were filled with work made harder since they lacked electricity and running water. These chores included doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the farm animals, but she also regales us with stories of outhouse tipping and domesticating raccoons that she slept with (they did help to keep her feet warm). The thriftiness and independence the author learned as a child continued to be part of her adult life. Like a piece of good fiction, this book is rich in detail yet maintains historical truthfulness.

Discussion

-We all enjoyed the book - for some it brought back memories. The author’s simple and straightforward telling of her childhood in Iowa made for an easy and engaging read. She also drew us into her story with her frank sense of humor. This is probably one of the best and honest descriptions of 1930s farm life in Iowa.

-This book included a number of recipes from the era which some of us made - they were quite tasty - and made us feel an appreciation for their cooking skills when they had so little to work with. Some of us also brought dishes passed down within our own families - again very good food. This further underscored the importance of handing down recipes and memories to future generations as each generation changes in different ways.

Menu

Hot Apple Cider

Rolls

Porcupines

Green Bean Casserole

Scalloped Corn

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Hickory Nut Cake

Applesauce Cake

                                                                Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients

-2 quarts apple cider
-2 cinnamon sticks
-cloves
-spiced rum (how much is up to you)

Heat first 3 ingredients,  mix together and enjoy.

                                          Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter

Prep time 30 minutes, rise 1 1/2 hours, bake 15 minutes, 15 rolls

Ingredients

-3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cup bread flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup butter, softened
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
-1/2 cup very warm water (120 degrees to 130 degrees)
-1/2 cup very warm milk (120 degrees to 130 degrees)
-1 large egg
-Melted butter, optional

Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, 1/4 cup butter, salt and yeast in large bowl.  Add warm water, warm milk, and
egg.  Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Beat on low speed one minute, scraping frequently.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Place dough on lightly floured surface.  Knead about five minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.
Place dough in large bowl, greased with shortening, turning dough to grease all sides.  Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, about 1 hour or until doubled.  Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.   

Grease rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, with shortening.

Gently push fist into dough to deflate.  Divide dough into fifteen equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball; place into a pan.   Brush with butter if desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or cooled. 

Honey Butter

Prep time 5 minutes, chill one hour.  Great with dinnter rolls. 

Ingredients

-1/2 cup softened butter
-1/2 cup honey

Beat ingredients together and chill for about one hour to blend flavors.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

                                                                        Porcupines


(This thrifty recipe is taken directly from “Little Heathens” and are called porcupines since they resemble porcupines.)

Ingredients

-one pound of ground beef
-½ cup rice
-¼ cup milk
-1 ½ cup to 2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste

Mix together ground beef, rice, milk, salt, and pepper. Form mixture into oval-shaped balls about three inches long. Place in an oblong Pyrex baking dish and pour tomatoes over top. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. The cooked rice will poke out of the ovals like porcupine quills

Green Bean Casserole

                                                                      Scalloped Corn

                                                        Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
                               (this is a favorite dish handed down from Colleen’s grandma)


2 pounds potatoes (about 6 med. or 4 large potatoes)
3 tbsp butter or margarine
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
Pre-cooked ham cut into 1 inch squares

Peel potatoes. Cut enough thin slices to measure about 4 cups. Heat 3 tbsps butter in saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2-quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion and 1/3 of the white sauce. You can add pre-cooked pieces of ham on top of first two layers. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Dot with 1 tbsp butter. Cover and bake in 325 degree oven 40 min or 350 oven for 30 min. Uncover and bake until potatoes are tender, 60 to 70 minutes longer. Let stand 5 to 10 min. before serving. Makes 6 servings.

                                     

                                                                    Hickory Nut Cake

                                                                 Applesauce Cake 
                                        (this recipe was taken directly from “Little Heathens”)

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter
1 egg
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups applesauce
2/3 cup raisins
¾ cup walnuts or pecans

Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and beat. Mix all remaining dry ingredients (saving raisins and nuts to stir in last) together in a separate bowl. Alternately add dry ingredients and applesauce to sugar and butter, beating after every addition. Finally, stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2 loaf pan and bake in 350 degree oven for forty-five minutes or until completely done in center.

August 2009 Host: Nancy


Roots by Alex Haley

Summary

This is a historical novel that spans seven generations of a family. The story begins with an African boy named Kunte Kinte who was kidnapped from his homeland in the late 1700s and brought to America to be sold into slavery on a Virginia plantation. More than half of this near 700 page book is devoted to Kunte’s life, from his horrific voyage to the United States to his repeated attempts at escaping slavery. He spent part of the voyage thinking that he was going to be eaten by the white men and ultimately had half his foot chopped off for his repeated attempts at escaping slavery. Kunta’s pride and dedication to his heritage is passed on to his daughter Kizzy and throughout subsequent generations. The novel ends with Alex Haley himself who claims that he is a direct descendant of Kunte. Although a portion of the book was plagiarized from “The African” and Haley’s claims of being a direct descendant of Kunte were never proven, this was a captivating and compelling read as told through the eyes of slaves themselves.

Discussion

-We all enjoyed the book although the length of it prevented some of us from getting it read within the time frame that we had. The historical nature of the book fulfilled the penchant we all have for the ease of learning about other cultures through a good fiction read.

-The characters in this novel are colorful and believable. It is partially due to these characters (e.g. Kunte Kinte, Chicken George) that you will never forget this book.

-Kunte’s daughter Kizzy was torn from her parents and moved to another plantation. The novel follows Kizzy and her story - but we are completely separated from Kunte’s story at this stage - it was a bit of a disappointment as he was such a compelling character.

-We couldn’t fathom how people were so readily willing to impose the cruelty of slavery on generations and generations of Africans. We discussed how if we were alive during the 1700s and 1800s, how different would we be and would we be so willing to do the same.

-Note: The 30th anniversary edition of “Roots” has numerous grammar and spelling errors so it might be worthwhile picking up an earlier edition of the book as these mistakes are distracting.

Menu

Prosciutto Wrapped Melon

Beer Butt Chicken

Pulled Pork

Smoked Baked Potatoes

Zucchini Squash Casserole

Sumi Salad

Rice/Tomato/Black Olive Dish

Chocolate Caramel Nut Cake

Grasshopper Pie

Orange Dessert

Prosciutto Wrapped Melon

Ingredients

Melon
Bacon size strips of prosciutto

Cube melon into approximately 1-2 inch squares. Wrap each piece in prosciutto. Serve with balsamic vinegar sauce.

                                                                Beer Butt Chicken

Ingredients

1 five pound or larger chicken
1 can of Guinness beer
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon paprika

Drink half the can of beer. Put spices and butter into can with remaining beer. Place chicken on top of beer can (beer can should be fit snugly inside cavity of chicken so that chicken balances completely on top of can). Cook in smoker at 250 degrees for four to five hours.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients
1 five pound or more pork roast.


Rub Ingredients:

(derived from a recipe in “The Barbecue Bible”)
¼ cup paprika
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder



Mix all rub ingredients together. Rub liberally all over pork roast. Cover with foil and leave in refrigerator overnight. The next morning, set out roast long enough to get to room temperature. Remove foil and cook in smoker at 250 degrees for five to six hours using your choice of wood (e.g. hickory, apple, oak, mesquite, etc.) When done, take out cover with foil, and let it rest 15 to 20 minutes. Pull pork apart. It may then be placed into a slow cooker set on low/warm to keep warm.

Smoked Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
5-6 (depending on number of servings required) large russet potatoes
Salt
Butter

Tear off five or six squares of aluminum foil. Wash potatoes, dry them and place one on each square of foil. Rub each potato generously with butter. Sprinkle each potato with one or two shakes of salt. Wrap them each in foil and poke about five or six holes through foil and potato skin. Cook in smoker at 250 degrees for four to five hours.

Zucchini and Squash Casserole


Ingredients

1 large zucchini, sliced about ¼ in
1 medium yellow squash sliced about ¼ in
1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup grated Italian, or romano, or mozzarella cheese
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly grease a 9 x 12 baking dish.  Layer ½ each of the squash, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes into the baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese and add pats of butter.  Season layer with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Make second layer same as first.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or more until vegetables are to desired tenderness.

                                                                         Sumi Salad

Ingredients
1 shredded cabbage
3 scallions (can add other veggies: carrots, cucumbers, peppers, etc.)

Dressing

6-8 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Packets of Ramen noodles

Toast in oven until light brown:
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles (crumbled)
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Handful sunflower seeds

Toss everything together before serving.

                                                      Chocolate Caramel Nut Cake




Ingredients

1box of devil's food cake mix
1 bag Kraft caramels
1/2 stick of butter or margarine
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. chopped nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap caramels (this takes the longest). Add butter and condensed milk. Melt over low heat or use defrost cycle on microwave, stirring occasionally. Follow directions on cake mix. Pour two cups of cake mixture into 9 by 13 pan that's been greased and flour dusted. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove cake from oven and spread caramel mixture over top. Cover with remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle nuts on top and continue baking for 30 minutes.

                                                                      Grasshopper Pie

Prep time 30 minutes, chill 4 1/2 hours, serves 8

Ingredients

Crust

-1 1/2 cups finely crushed oreo cookies
-1/4 cup butter, melted

Pie filling

-1/2 cup milk
-32 large marshmallows
-1/4 cup creme de menth
-3 tablespoons creme de cacao
-1 tub cool whip
-few drops of green food coloring (optional)
-grated semisweet baking chocolate (optional)

Crust

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine crumbs and butter.  Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of pie plate.

Heat milk and marshmallows in 3 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows are melted.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.  (If mixture becomes too thick, place saucepan in a bowl of warm water, stir mixture until a proper consistency is obtained.)

Gradually stir in creme de menth, creme de cacao, and food coloring.

Fold marshmallow mixture into cool whip.  Spread in crust.  Sprinkle with grated chocolate if desired.  Refrigerate about 4 hours or until set. Store covered in refrigerator.   
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                                                                    Orange Dessert

June 2009 Host: Sara at La Sandia Restaurant

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, An International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

Summary

This is the factual story of a friendship that develops between a homeless black man who makes the decision to leave his life as a sharecropper in Louisiana and a Texan who turns himself into a wealthy art dealer. The story is told in each of their voices. They meet at a homeless shelter where Ron (at the insistence of his wife) is an initially reluctant volunteer and Denver is an equally reluctant recipient of charitable meals. Their initial encounter and subsequent hard won friendship came about through Ron’s wife, Deborah who was passionate about helping the underprivileged in Fort Worth Texas. This is an inspirational story and one about many types of loves - friendship, marriage, for all of God’s people, and for God himself. The book brings up many controversial issues such as homelessness, spirituality, modern day slavery, stereotyping of the rich or homeless, and racial profiling,

Discussion

-Homelessness will probably never be completely eradicated and it can be important to a homeless person to simply validate them as a human being by simply nodding or waving at them. They certainly don’t want to be in the position that they are in.

-When Ron and Denver first met, they each had a stereotype of each other which was eventually broken down. Due to Denver’s insistence, his friendship with Ron was not a ‘catch and release’ friendship. It was all or nothing for Denver. We rarely see this in our own lives.

-Even though we all enjoyed the book - some of us did feel at times as if we were being ‘preached’ to.

-Debbie and Denver have a very strong spiritual connection - Denver knows about things as they are happening to Debbie. It is interesting in that that majority of us are not privy to such connections.

-It is also ironic that Ron and Debbie set out to save souls, yet a homeless man ultimately helped them.

The new kids on the block........

May 2009 Host: Jaci

Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks

Summary

This is a biographical account of two brothers, Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah. Even though they both have very busy lives with a lot of responsibilities, they make the difficult decision to suspend their regular lives for three weeks and take a trip around the world together. As they visited exotic places such as Easter Island, the Killing fields in Cambodia, Peru, and the Ethiopian rock cathedrals, they reminisced about their unique childhoods which were spent in poverty and the tragedies they subsquently endured and how family helped them to get through those low points in their lives. The importance of family is stressed throughout. Humor is injected throughout the book, e.g. the author relays the tedium of the lengthy lectures on jars and bowls indigenous the the culture they are exploring at the time or how one of them as a child was given a carpenter's hammer by their parents for Christmas. The trip served as the background and inspiration for Nicholas Sparks to share his life story.

Discussion

-This was an easy and emotional read, there were many sad parts, expecially with unexpected loss of loved ones. This nonfiction book does read like fiction, it is well written, and we would recommend it to others.

-One particularly sad part was that Nicholas, as the middle child, often felt left out - he felt that his parents gave more attention to his older brother and younger sister. An example was that one Christmas, they all came downstairs to find brand new bicycles under the tree. Upon closer inspection, Nicholas discovers that his was his old bicycle with a new coat of paint, yet his brother and sister received brand new bicycles. We had a hard time understanding how a parent could do that to a child - or if maybe this was an exaggeration by the author.

-It was also obvious that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Nicholas and Micah's father was a workaholic. He held a regular job while attending graduate school and he rarely spent time with his family while the boys were growing up. Nicholas Sparks also described himself as a workaholic who spends about two months per year away from home.
　
　
Marley and Me by John Grogan

Summary

This is a story of a dog and his family. A young married couple (thinking that it would be great training for when they have children) decide to adopt a Labrador retriever, which is generally considered a calm breed. Unbeknownst to them, the puppy they adopt inherits some of his father's genes and we are regaled with tales of his incorrigibility. He eats everything and anything, including jewelry and clothing. He has a pathoogical fear of thunder storms which leads to even more of the seeming never ending damage to the couple's home and property. Marley (named after Bob Marley) grows up to be a hyper, yet loveable dog. This is an engaging memoir of a dog - it is funny, exasperating, and heartwarming.

Discussion

-The author is a good writer, he could make you laugh out loud or alternatively cry. The book was very well written and thoroughly enjoyable. We all agreed that it was an easy and entertaining read and so straight forward that we spent very little time discussing it.

Menu

Pot Roast with Vegetables

Smoked Pork Loin

Nutted Wild Rice

Potato Salad

Cream Puff Dessert and Cookies

Pot Roast with Vegetables

Smoked Pork Loin and Potato Salad

Nutted Wild Rice

1 cup (1/2 lb.) raw wild rice (I used a wild rice blend, that had brown rice in it)
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or water

1 cup shelled pecan halves

1 cup yellow raisins

grated rind of 1 large orange

1/4 cup chopped fresh min

t4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Put rice in a strainer and run under cold water.

2. Place rice in a medium-size heavy sauce pan. Add stock or water and bring to a rapid boil. Adjust heat to a gentle simmer and cook UNCOVERED for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes check for doneness, rice should not be too soft. Place a thin towel inside a colander and turn rice into the colander and drain. Transfer drained rice to a bowl.

3. Add remaining ingredients to rice and toss gently. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let mixture stand for 2 hours to allow flavors to develop. Serve at room temperature.

Cream Puff Dessert

1 stick butter or margarine

1 C water (+ 1/4 C high altitude)

1 C flour (+ 3 tsp high altitude)

4 eggs

Boil together 1 stick butter and 1 cup water. Add 1 cupflour. Mix well. Pull off the heat and cool slightly. Stir in 4 eggs, one at a time. Mix well and spread into 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 or 30 minutes. (Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes high altitude). Cool completely. Makes a pretty crust.

TOPPING

3 oz. box vanilla pudding

3 oz. box banana pudding

3 C milk

8 oz. pkg cream cheese

drizzle Hersheys syrup
(can use lite or sugar free of any ingredients) puddings can be changed

Take 2 boxes instant pudding. Add 3 cups milk and one 8 ounce package softened cream cheese. Mix together with a wire whip so lumps disappear. Pour onto cream puff crust. Spread 8 ounces Cool Whip on top of pudding and drizzle Hershey's syrup on top. Refrigerate. Keeps very well for days. The cream cheese gives the pudding a different, good taste.

March 2009 Host: Karen

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Summary

Amazon.com Review

Owen Meany is a dwarfish boy with a strange voice who accidentally kills his best friend's mom with a baseball and believes--accurately--that he is an instrument of God, to be redeemed by martyrdom. John Irving's novel, which inspired the 1998 Jim Carrey movie Simon Birch, is his most popular book in Britain, and perhaps the oddest Christian mystic novel since Flannery O'Connor's work. Irving fans will find much that is familiar: the New England prep-school-town setting, symbolic amputations of man and beast, the Garp-like unknown father of the narrator (Owen's orphaned best friend), the rough comedy. The scene of the doltish headmaster driving a trashed VW down the school's marble staircase is a marvelous set piece. So are the Christmas pageants Owen stars in. But it's all, as Highlights magazine used to put it, "fun with a purpose." When Owen plays baby Jesus in the pageants, and glimpses a tombstone with his death date while enacting A Christmas Carol, the slapstick doesn't cancel the fact that he was born to be martyred. The book's countless subplots add up to a moral argument, specifically an indictment of American foreign policy--from Vietnam to the Contras.
The book's mystic religiosity is steeped in Robertson Davies's Deptford trilogy, and the fatal baseball relates to the fatefully misdirected snowball in the first Deptford novel, Fifth Business. Tiny, symbolic Owen echoes the hero of Irving's teacher Günter Grass's The Tin Drum--the two characters share the same initials. A rollicking entertainment, Owen Meany is also a meditation on literature, history, and God. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Discussion

-Not everyone finished the book, including myself (ergo borrowed review). We all agreed that this was an excellent piece of fiction, even if this book is unique and a bit off the beaten path.

-The author is very good at weaving satire through what are normally serious subjects such as religion, politics and death.

-Owen Meany believes that he is God's instrument. He freely tells this to people, all the time. Even though many in our group weren't able to finish this book in time for our discussion, we were able to discuss a couple of different themes that occur throughout the book: Owen's voice, the Armadillo, the dressmaker's dummy, and the baseball.

-Irving's style is engaging. His use of CAPITAL LETTERS for OWEN'S VOICE was distracting to some in our group, however it was effective in getting the point across that Owen's voice was, well different. His voice becomes an instrument and important piece of the ending where everything comes together.

-Along the way you get to know the characters and start to feel as if you are part of their odd yet intriguing family. Irving has a unique style, and you feel like you are in Owen and John's world. We get a glimpse of John as an older man and it makes you wonder what Owen would have been like in his 30s, 40s etc.

-In the end, you finally see why Irving has put together all of these miscellaneous pieces of a puzzle--the significance of the Armadillo is revealed, the dressmaker's dummy brings the Rev. back to God, the baseball and the death of Owen's mother eventually reveals to us who John's father is, and you finally understand why on earth Owen and John have to get their basketball shot down under 4 seconds.

-It's a compelling book that is sure to leave an imprint on you for a long time after you've finished reading the book.

Menu

Spring Vegetable Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Perogies

Cabbage Rolls

Pork and Saurkraut

Pie, cake and ice cream

Spring Vegetable Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients

1 ½ cups asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
10 medium baby carrots, halved lengthwise if thick
1 cup sugar snap peas, stem ends snipped
1 medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp reduced calorie mayonnaise
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp table salt
¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp chives, fresh sliced
T tbsp dill, fresh, chopped
6 cups mixed baby greens
4 oz semi soft goat cheese, crumbled

Bring a large skillet half full of water to a boil. Add asparagus and carrots; cook 1 minute. Add sugar snap peas; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain, rinse under cold water until cool and drain again. Put vegetables in a medium bowl and add cucumbers; toss to mix.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth; stir in chives and dill.

To serve, place 1 1/2 cups of salad greens on each of 4 salad plates. Place about 1 cup of vegetable mixture in center of each; drizzle each with about 3 tablespoons of dressing and 1 ounce of goat cheese.

Perogies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup cold water
1 pound bacon
5 pounds baking potatoes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound bacon
1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut - drained, rinsed and minced
3 tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

To Make Dough: In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, egg and water. Mix all together to form dough; cover bowl and set aside.

To Make Potato Filling: Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 25 to 35 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes from water and mash. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and stir into mashed potatoes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper.

To Make Sauerkraut Filling: Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and place in a medium bowl. Stir in sauerkraut, then sour cream. Mix well.

Roll reserved dough out on a floured surface. Cut circles out of dough, using a small round container. Place a spoonful of potato or sauerkraut filling in the center of each circle and fold over, pinching edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; drop perogies in boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they float.

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

12 leaves cabbage
1 cup cooked white rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced onion
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain.
In large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls.
Cover, and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours.

Pork and Saurkraut

Ingredients

3-4 pound pork loin
1 28 ounce can saurkraut
1 tbsp garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour some of juice from can of saurkraut into slow cooker. Place pork roast in slow cooker. Place garlic cloves on top of roast and salt and pepper to taste. Pour can of saurkraut over roast and cook on low 8-9 hours. So easy!

February 2009 Host: Colleen

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Summary

This is the story of Antonia, a Bohemian immigrant, as told by Jim Burden. Jim and Antonia meet by chance on a train when Jim is ten years old and Antonia is fourteen. Having been recently orphaned, Jim is moving to Nebraska to be with his grandparents while Antonia and her family are emigrating to the Great Plains from Bohemia. Woven throughout this tale of their friendship and love is the harshness and occasional beauty of living on the prairie. The story follows Jim and Antonia through their hard yet happy childhoods through their teen years. Jim eventually leaves for the big city and Antonia marries. They meet again twenty years later. This story combines history and American tradition and the pioneers’ need to both live in harmony with the plains and at times, conquering the land. My Antonia is a reflection on the author’s past experiences, the American pioneer spirit, and the immigrant experience.

Discussion

-This was a true piece of literature and we all enjoyed it. There seemed to be no end to the points that could (and did!) be brought up for discussion.

-The author’s description of life on the prairie was rich and descriptive enough so that you felt that you were on the prairie-the imagery the author was able to invoke was impressive. She took it one step further in that the prairie was almost treated as a main character with many parallels to Antonia.

-The story was told by one of the main characters in the story and it was noted that the author could have used this method of telling the story to selectively choose what parts of the story to focus on - it does add an element of realism.

-The women in the novel are all strong and complex - Antonia can work the land as hard as any man. The background information given on the author includes a bit about her own personal life such as her having never been married and having close relationships with other women. We felt the strength she had to have had to live her life so unconventionally in the early 1900s was poured into Antonia’s character.

-Although the prairie, Jim, and Antonia are constants in the novel, the author incorporates darker parts of life such as death, suicide, salaciousness, and mental illness into the story.

Menu

Bread and Spinach Dip Appetizer

Green Beans and Broccoli

Potato Pie

Roast Chicken

Cheesecake and Cookies

Bread and Spinach Dip Appetizer

Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1 3-5 pound chicken
Fresh herbs to include rosemary, sage, and thyme
Salt
2 lemons

Wash chicken, take out gizzards and pat dry. Salt the outside of the chicken. Put freshly chopped herbs underneath skin on the breast, thighs, and any other desired areas. Squeeze juice from the lemons all over chicken and then insert lemons into cavity. Cook chicken at 350 degrees F until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees inserted into meat (be sure not to touch bone) or about 2 hours.

Broccoli

Potato Pie

Ingredients

3-4 pounds russet potatoes
½ to 1 cup milk
½ stick of butter plus additional 2 tablespoons
¼ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices chopped salami (¼ lb prosciutto may be substituted)
2 ½ oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

Peel potatoes, wash and cut into chunks. Put into saucepan, cover with water, add ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Pour potatoes into a colander. Slice ½ stick butter and put into saucepan to melt. Add ½ cup milk. Add pepper and nutmeg. Return potatoes back into saucepan and mash them until everything is well combined and almost smooth. More salt and milk may be added to taste and desired consistency. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2 to 21/2 quart shallow baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Stir in egg, mozzarella, salami, and 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Spread potato mixture evenly in baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano and dot with remaining tablespoons of butter. Bake until top is browned, about 35-45 minutes.

Let potato pie stand 5 minutes before serving.

January 2009 Host: Jennie

Beside A Burning Sea by John Shors

Summary

This story of romance, passion, and adventure takes place on an island in the South Pacific in 1942. A United States hospital ship is sunk by a Japanese torpedo with nine survivors able to swim to a deserted island. The survivors include the captain of the ship, his wife and her sister who are both nurses, an officer, a Japanese prisoner who cannot help but recall the horrors of fighting for the Japanese, Jake a black farmer who befriends Ratu, a young Fijian stowaway boy, another nurse, and Roger - the villain. The author did an excellent job of developing the majority of the characters’ complex and differing personalities and each of their introspections of the horrors of World War II. During the eighteen days they spend on the island, we are privy to the forming of romantic as well as platonic relationships among the nine survivors. Roger, the novel’s antagonist, is evil through and through and somewhat predictably, his inherent malevolence is explained by a few childhood incidents. He is the one who betrays all of the other survivors. This is a very entertaining novel and the author even incorporates his own haikus at the beginning of each chapter.

Discussion

-Everyone enjoyed this novel although we did agree that a lot of it was…well…a bit sappy, e.g. the love story between Annie and Akira - only the Lifetime channel would be interested in a movie based on this book.

-The author painted a vivid picture of both the island and the hospital ship which pulls the reader in and makes them feel as if they were there.

-Two of the characters, Scarlet and Nate, were never really developed and operated at the periphery of the novel.

-None of us really connected with any of the women portrayed in the novel - the two nurses that were sisters were fairly opposite - one was strong and had a stoic personality while the other was fearful of everything. The third female nurse developed an unusual affinity with the birds on the island - which was just plain weird.

-Roger was a very effective villain. He spent most of the time imagining how he would unmercilessly kill everyone on the island.

-We thought the author was trying to set something up when he didn’t immediately reveal that Jake was African-American - but nothing ever came of it. We enjoyed Jake and Ratu’s father-son relationship more than any other relationship that developed in the story.

Menu

Margaritas

Mexican Layered Dip

Mexican Stack

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Margaritas

1 can frozen limeade concentrate
(fill the frozen limeade can with 1 can of water then 1 can of tequila)
1 12 oz. Bud light or light beer of your preference
1/3 cup of seven-up or sprite
1 6 ounce can of pineapple juice

Mix all ingredients, makes ½ pitcher.

Mexican Stack

A buffet of Mexican favorites such as taco fillings, rice, etc. Yum!

Mexican Layered Dip

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 (1.25 ounce) packages taco seasoning mix
2 (14.5 ounce) cans drained diced tomatoes
2 cups guacamole
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp shredded cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped black olives
Optional- 2 cups shredded lettuce

Line bottom of a 2 quart shallow serving dish with lettuce if you are including it in the recipe. Mix refried beans with 1 package taco seasoning mix. Spread beans over lettuce. Spread guacamole over beans. Mix 1 package taco seasoning mix with sour cream and layer over the guacamole. Spread cheese over guacamole. Spread tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle with green onion and finally top with black olives. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Makes approximately 20 servings.