Free Spirits

I love my book club. It was my turn last night to have everyone over to eat and discuss my choice, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I was just happy to find that they didn't want to kick me out since I've chosen two classics in a row now. I really wasn't expecting to have much of a discussion about the book since I even had trouble finishing it. But the exceptional members of our club surprised me, and we had a great discussion about all kinds of things relating to the story. We discussed how everyone wants to be in the "in" crowd, no matter what age or class you find yourself in. We talked about how difficult it would have been to have the mindset of your whole existance being dependent on catching a rich husband. And we compared notes on why we thought Lily Bart, the main character, made the choices she made in her life - even though those choices led to a tragic ending. (I was so sad at the end of the book that I couldn't even cry. I was just numb all over).

I was much happier, however, with how all the food turned out. I start thinking about food around the same time I choose my book. Since this was the early 1900's in New York, Christi jokingly asked at our last meeting if I was going to do a New England boiled dinner. When I researched the popular recipes at the time, however, that's exactly what I found - boiled meats, vegetables, everything. So I decided to do an updated (and slightly healthier) version of this. I served a rice and fruit salad, cranberry slow-cooker roast, mashed sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts with bacon and caraway seed. My Mom had the great idea of a bread pudding for dessert, so I found this really simple recipe for Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce. The meal was a ton of work, but it's always so worth it when everything turns out well. I've decided that along with having experience in the kitchen, the two things you really need to be a good cook is 1) a sense of what will go together to make a great meal, and 2) knowing how to get everything ready and hot at the same time.

We are about to start our 5th year as a book club (WOW!), despite warnings from a previous member that it would be too hard for everyone to continue with the busy lives we all lead. But I've learned to make time to read and to make time for my book club meetings. They are so much fun and so important to keeping me sane in these days of singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and cracking up watching Mr. Noodle on Elmo's World every day. I can't wait until April's meeting, especially since I can kick back and just worry about eating and talking this time!