Heart of the Matter - December 6, 2010

Our December meeting was small and intimate. We missed those who couldn't make it.
Well, we certainly got to the Heart of the Matter!  The common concensus was that Nick took advantage of Valerie. We discussed Adultery, and Tessa's  and Valerie's point of view.We all wished the author would have included Nick's point of view. We also discussed the difficulties Valerie and Tessa had fitting into there social circles. Everyone seemed to enjoy the book . We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday!!!!!!

Millie and Yvette

Some heartfelt discussions!

Talking about adultery!

Yeah - to those of us who made it!

America's Dream Meeting

"Aye Dios Mio", the meeting was so much fun and I truly enjoyed hosting and preparing Puerto Rican "Cuisine" for all of you. Hope you savored the meaning of the book with the real flavor of America's palate. We sorely missed Carmen, Irene, Maria P. and Tracy's contribution to our discussion. We're sorry a few of you were not able to attend the meeting and feast with us as well.

The discussion was LIVELY and "LOUD" according to my husband in another rooom behind closed doors. He didn't understand our excitement while discussing our book. Not to worry, he did not hear any of it. We focused on how melodrama exists in real life. A few of us shared stories of our own that were pure drama. Among the topics discussed were: women's relationships with daughters, mothers,men and employers, dual standards, machismo and adjusting to a new culture.

The book ends on a positive note for America: " she has a right to live that life as she chooses. It is, after all, her life, and she's the one in the middle of it." May we all empower our own daughters and sons to live the life they were meant to and see that there are always choices in life. "Que Dios Bendiga Su Vida". Diana

Monday Night at the Movies

We got together to see The Girl Who Played with Fire, thanks to Diana and her Netflix. And we found out many brains are better than one, as our collective memory was not that bad. And we are so grateful to Mary Velez - thank you Mary - who fed us incredibly well - you were the popcorn and candy fairy! The Swedes did a great job on the movie. I actually liked the dubbing. Gave us a chance to look more at the action, instead of the subtitles.

LOURDES & IRENE HOSTING!

It was such a pleasure to have you all in my house for our meeting! Irene and I hope you enjoyed the food and felt relaxed as we shared. The food included angel hair pasta, angel food cake, angel wing cookies, a heavenly red velvet cake, and more (plus wine).

Although there were varied opinions on the book, it led to a lively discussion where all had something to say. We shared personal experiences and quotes from Scripture. The basic message from the book is that there are angels all around us and we should ask them for help. We disagreed as to how believable Lorna Byrne's story is...about her seeing spirits and so many angels. The story did serve to inspire us to look further into our own faith, and thus served one of her purposes. You can go on youtube.com and hear Lorna Byrne speak on several video interviews.

I, personally, find hope in knowing that I do not walk alone, and that my loved ones have guardian angels around them. Thank you for recommending this book, Irene!! It helped me.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI

Heat up olive oil (EVOO)in pan.

Slice zucchini into thin slices and fry in hot oil until crispy (be sure to flip)

When you flip zucchini, at that point add

diced garlic, basil, oregano, salt & pepper.

You can just add this over cooked angel hair pasta, or add vegetables (i.e. broccoli, peas, carrots, sundried tomatoes, red pepper.

Add the veggies and oil to the angel hair and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Enjoy!!

(Serves 2)

Neary's Book Club is One Year Old!

September 13, 2010:

It is hard to believe that we are beginning the second year of our Book Club. We met once again at my house, and although it rained on my plans to meet outside, it didn't dampen our spirits. Diana, Miggy, Irene, Mary, Yvette, Millie, Maria P., Maria R., Nicole, Lourdes, and of course me - all met at my house for a great discussion about Bryce Courtenay's The Power of One.

We began by, of course, eating! Then we listened to Bryce Courtenay speak about himself, and his "doorstop book". We also read about him on his website, and learned the book is semi-autobiographical. Some of us loved the book cover to cover, while others felt bogged down in parts, or that it was long and sometimes dragged (NOT ME, though!). I am happy to say that I think at least we could all appreciate some of the important messages from the book.

Once again we were able to discuss racism - though this time on a different continent. We could even compare and contrast a bit with last year's first book, The Help. Each book had a very important child caretaker who was black, and both were full of examples of racism throughout. We talked about stereotypes - both Born Again Christian, and Jewish, stereotypes. Did we speak from "the head or the heart"? Perhaps sometimes a bit of both. Maria R. felt that when one is young, s/he needs to speak first from the head, but later in life, more from the heart!

Maria P. shared some of her favorite descriptions comparing God to a cactus. As a hiker, I particularly loved some of Courtenay's description of Peekay in the mountains with Doc. I hope to inspire some of YOU - my book buddies - to join me on some upcoming Neary hikes.

From the bottom of my heart (a case of first the heart, then the head!) to all of you, thank you for continuing to make the book club so much fun, and for taking time out of your busy lives to treasure the time we share together once a month!

L'chaim (to life)!

XXOO

Robin

P.S. Check out the 1 minute video below, and the recipe for Apple Walnut Cake and Israeli Couscous.

Teddie's NY Times Apple Cake
(with adaptations by Robin)
INGREDIENTS

Butter for greasing pan
1 1/2 C unbleached flour
1 1/2 C stone ground whole wheat flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup baby food (sweet potato or butternut squash)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 + teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cored and thickly sliced tart apples, like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith (DON'T PEEL - the skin is healthy!)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan. Beat the oil, baby food, and sugars together in a mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) while assembling the remaining ingredients. After about 5 minutes, add the eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy.

2. Sift together 3 cups of flour (unbleached white and whole wheat), the salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir into the batter. Add the vanilla, apples, walnuts and raisins and stir until combined.

3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
YIELD Serves 8

Israeli Cous Cous

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided

2/3 C pine nuts (about 3 1/2 ounces)

2/3 C finely chopped shallots

2 C (16 oz.) Israeli toasted couscous

1 large cinnamon stick

2 fresh, or dried, bay leaves

3 3/4 C low salt vegetable broth

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C minced fresh Italian parsley

PREPARATION

Melt 1 tbsp butter or olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium low heat. Add pine nuts and stir until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Melt remaining 4 tbsp of butter or olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute until golden, about 10 mins. Add couscous, cinnamon, stick, and 2 bay leaves, and stir until couscous browns slightly, stirring often, about 5 mins. Add broth and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and pine nuts. Season with black pepper. Transfer to serving dish.

ENJOY!

Maria Pages and Lourdes host

It was so nice to have you all at my house to discuss The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! Lourdes and I had a lot fun preparing for our meeting and tried to give it a Swedish flavor by serving sandwiches (as eaten in the story), Swedish meatballs (as per the name), and listening to ABBA music (a Swedish group, did you know that?) As always, our discussion was interesting, stimulating, and thought-provoking. I'm glad that most of us enjoyed the book. Reflecting on all our past meetings, I realized that what makes our meetings so special and exciting is not the food we serve, where we meet, or what book we read. What makes our club reunions so fantastic is the combination of our colorful personalities, our appreciation for literature, and the simple enjoyment of spending time with people that enrich our lives by just being themselves.

Thank you Diana for raffling the two sequels and giving us a heads up on their content.

Thank you Lourdes for being my co-hostess and for doing all the research. You're the best!

Thank you all for a wonderful year!

I wish you all a restful and blessed summer filled with adventure and many great books!

Love, Maria Pages

About the Author: Steig Larsson, a financial crime investigator and journalist, wrote this first of three manuscripts while on an island holiday with Eva, his longtime companion of 32 years. Did you know? He died of a heart attack 6 months after handing in the manuscripts to the publisher? Did you know? Eva is not able to inherit the royalties from his three international bestsellers?

About the Book: If child abuse, financial crime, modern European history, whodunit mysteries, romance, computer hacking, violence against women, and investigative reporting are areas of interest to you, then this is the book for you! It's a slow first 100 pages, but after that...you can't put the book down!! This was our club members' experience. We are all looking forward to reading the next 2 books--now all referred to as "The Millennium Trilogy".

Did you know? The book's original title was, and still, is in Swedish--Men Who Hate Women?

Did you know? There's a rumor that Eva is holding onto a 4th manuscript, hidden in Steig's computer????

Happy reading to all! Happy summer! --Lourdes

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

By Lourdes

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups evaporated milk 2 tsp. butter

2/3 cup chopped onion 2 beef bouillon cubes

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1 cup boiling water

1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup cold water

1/2 tsp. allspice 2 tbs. all-purpose flour

Dash pepper 1 cup evaporated milk

1 pound ground round 1 tbs. lemon juice

Directions: Combine 2/3 cup evaporated milk, onion, crumbs, salt, allspice and pepper. Add meat; mix well, chill. (Be sure to chill in freezer for about 10 minutes before attempting to form balls. I covered with plastic wrap and placed in freezer. Makes it easier to shape balls) Shape meat mixture into 1-in. balls. In large skillet, brown meatballs in butter. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; pour over meatballs and bring to boil over medium heat. Cover; simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, blend together cold water and flour. Remove meatballs from skillet, skim fat from pan juices and reserve juices. Stir 1 cup evaporated milk and flour/water mixture into pan juices in skillet; cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring until sauce thickens. Return meatballs to skillet. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with cooked noodles that have been tossed with poppy seeds and butter.

Note from Lourdes: This recipe for "kottbullar" came from a "Svenskaflicka" (Swedish girl). I was told by a chef that I should add dill to both the meatballs and the gravy. I think I added too much dill to mine. Also, I added a little wine and a tablespoon of sour cream to the gravy instead of lemon juice. Enjoy!

The Red Tent - April 19, 2010

Wow! What a great experience. Picture this, a school library transformed into a haven where all of us could come eat, drink and just relax for 2 hours as we discussed The Red Tent in it's totality. In this tent, we discussed the joy, love, laughter and sometimes pain Dinah and her "mothers" experienced when they spent time learning, living and enjoying one another. Although "Red tents" don't exist today, it is comforting to know that women make their own spaces and places to share and bond. Womanhood is an unique glue that bonds all of us together. No matter what walk of life we come from, we connect with one another because we know that we have more in common than we have differences. The Red Tent allowed us once again to solidify this basic core belief.

Recipe for Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs of leeks

1 lb potatoes

1/2 cup butter

1 large spring of fresh thyme

1 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons heavy cream, to serve

STEPS:
1. top & tail the leeks. Rinse thoroughly under cold water
2. cut the potatoes into rough dice, about 1 in., dry on paper towels
3. melt the butter in large saucepan. Add the leeks & sprig thyme, cover & cook about 4-5 mins. add potatoes slices. add just enough cold water to cover the veggies. re-cover cook for about 30 mins (low heat)
4. pour in milk & season with salt & pepper. Cover & simmer for 30 mins (potatoes will break up, leaving a semi-pureed & lumpy soup)
5. Remove the sprig of thyme. Leaves will have fallen into soup. Serve, adding 1 TBSP cream & a garnish of thyme with each portion.

MARCH 26, 2010 5:45 PM

The Piano Teacher - March 22, 2010

I'm so glad we were able to find some conversations out of our book. I think we were all disappointed at first because the book was not what we expected. Once we were able to discuss different points of view we found that there was more to the characters than what we initially thought. We mentioned that the author was probably vague about a lot of things in her story because she did want to evoke discussion about the characters and the circumstances surrounding the events in their lives. One of the most thought provoking questions we discussed was: How do you feel about Angeline and her giving up her friendship with Trudy because she didn't approve of Trudy's behavior? This prompted discussion about our own friendships and what secrets we might be inclined to divulge to others. It made us think about what we might be inclined to discuss with a friend or family member not knowing what the outcome might be.

You are all a wonderful group of ladies who have so much to offer in many ways. We missed you Trace and Miggy and look forward to seeing you at the next book club meeting. I know you all loved the leek soup so I will include a copy of the recipe. I hope you also enjoy the grape sauce to pour over your ice cream and that it will spark your memory of this day.

Thank you for your participation and enthusiasm at this event. It seems that we are just getting better and better at sharing and discussing important topics. Love to all, Maria

SARAH'S KEY February 22, 2010

WOW! What a meeting we had today. A profoundly provocative book, and a riveting discussion. I feel so honored and privileged to be part of a group of women who have such warm and caring hearts and invoke invigorating conversation. It is so exciting.

All the book club members attended this month's pick, "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. We learned a little about the author by watching a short interview where she shares her inspiration for the book. This was her ninth book, but the first to be written in English. She was moved to write about this horrific time in France's history, where French police under the Nazi rule were ordered to round up Jewish men, women, and children and place them in the Vel d"Hiv (a cycling arena at one time.) It was called "Operation Spring Breeze" The author writes this fictional story around true events of a little girl who locks her younger brother in a cupboard believing she will be back in a couple of hours. It is a story of two families from the past and present and how they were connected and affected by the tragic event of July 16th, 1942. There were many other themes in the book that were discussed with respectful passion.

I appreciate all you lovely ladies and value the time we spend together, getting to know eachother while discussing books. I hope everyone enjoyed and were moved by "Sarah's Key" Thank You so much for your sharing!!!!

Next months book is "The Piano Teacher" by Janice Y.K. Lee

----Mary Velez

Miggy's Salad Dressing

Voraciously Consumed and Enjoyed at
 The Notebook Meeting

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 squirts of spicy Golden brown mustard
1 tsp. Italian seasoning(rub between hands before sprinkling on salad)
2 cloves of garlic crushed in garlic press
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lime to whole lime- your preference
1/4 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
2 tbsp. of honey

Mix all ingredients and pour over salad.

The Notebook / Jan. 25, 2010

 

I was delighted to greet all of our book club members to discuss The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. We were only missing Diana! And I finally made it-- thanks to Amaris who held down the fort. Before discussing the book, we had an opportunity to enjoy each other's company as we ate pasta, a mock chicken concoction and an organic green salad. After the dinner, we (along with the cookies, fruit salad, etc.) made our way to the family room to discuss the book :-)!

We selected this book for discussion in January (close to Valentine's Day!!!) because it seemed fitting as it features the lives of two people who loved each other very much. We started the discussion by sharing what impacted us most about the story. Many shared that they were moved by Noah's tenderness and dedication to his wife. Others commented that they enjoyed the inclusion of poetry, descriptions of nature, etc. It was great to hear the different perspectives and to learn from each other!

We spoke about some of the things we liked in the book versus what was included in the movie and vice-versa. Some felt that the plot was better in one than in the other. In the end most really enjoyed the story, though some felt that some aspects of the story seemed unrealistic. We were able to see past the sappiness or unrealistic feel of some parts to appreciate a deeper message.

Thank you for sharing such a special time from your busy schedule with all of us!
Now I want to leave you with a line from the story that I really loved.

"There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."

— Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)
 

See you all in February to discuss Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay!

Have a Little Faith / December 15, 2009

Gerald Neary Library

Hosted by Carmen Cruz

Nine of us made time during the busy month of December to meet in the Neary Library to discuss the inspirational, Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom.

Have a Little Faith, the title itself caught my attention because I have been going through a life transition with my older daughter graduating high school this year (my younger one, next year), my very ill grandmother (she passed away), etc.  You begin to see and feel the diffferent stages of life, family, your mortality.... so, what holds you together? What keeps you going and gives you hope? I have always had immense faith, but, wow! This book touched me so personally, especially the rabbi, probably because the most important mentors in my life were older people with with great wisdom, my two grandmothers.  Their lives and character inspire me in so many ways.  The stories, values, traditions, faith and unconditional love they gave and taught me, I have tried to pass it on to my two daughters...I hope they do the same with their own children and future generations....

I admire the two men from the story, coming from such different backgrounds but so similar in their hearts...
showing us all a lesson;

In the end, what matters is what you do for others....
with no intention of self-serving,
because that's what enriches your soul.