July 2012 Host:  Jaci

 

Lucky by Alice Sebold

 

Summary

 

Alice Sebold (author of The Lovely Bones) tells the story of her brutal rape that happened when she was a college freshman, and the subsequent trial and her attempt at recovery.  The rape occurred in a tunnel among dead leaves and broken beer bottles and she was told by a policeman that a woman had been murdered there, and by comparison, she should consider herself ‘lucky’.  We become privy to Alice’s insecurities, continual pain, and the mental and physical horrors she endured.  She does learn eventually, even after becoming addicted to drugs and falling into a promiscuous lifestyle, how to cope with her experience.  The book also details the various procedures she had to go through in identifying the victim, police lineups, affidavits, meetings with attorneys, court hearings, and the actual trial.  She examines her family dynamics; her mother’s anxiety, her father’s isolation, and her sister’s being perfect, and how that impacted her during this time and how it further isolated her. This memoir was not always easy to read due to the detailed description of the crime.  This is a very engaging and straightforward memoir which describes one woman’s very long road to recovery after such a traumatic event.

 

Menu

 

Hummus

 

 

Creamy Asian Coleslaw

(from allrecipes.com)

 

Ingredients

-1 (ten ounce tub Philadelphia cooking cream

-1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

-2 12 ounce packages of broccoli slaw (or equivalent coleslaw mix plus chopped broccoli)

-1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

-1/2 cup slivered almonds

 

Directions

 

-Combine cooking cream and dressing in large bowl.

-Add remaining ingredients, toss to coat

-Refrigerate one hour, stir before stirring.

 

Bowtie Pasta Salad

 

 

Smoked Pork

 

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Fresh Flavor Fast Cookbook

 

Ingredients

 

30 chocolate wafer cookies
4 tbsp butter
1/4 c cold water
1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
3/4 c packed light-brown sugar
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground (to yield 1 3/4 c). Add butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened.
2. Transfer crumb mixture to 9 inch tart (I used a spring form pan) pan with a removable bottom. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Place pan on a baking sheet, bake crust until set, 15-20 min. Let cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, place the water in a small sauce pan (off heat). Sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand alone until softened, 5-10 min.
4. In a food processor, combine brown sugar and peanut butter, process until smooth. Add cream, process until mixture is light and holds soft peaks, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
5. Place softened gelatin over very low heat, stirring, until just dissolved. Add to peanut-butter mixture in food processor, blend to combine. Transfer filling to cooled crust, and smooth top with a flexible or offset spatula. Sprinkel with chopped peanuts. Chill until set, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Jennie and Evan

 

Colleen and Evan