April Book Club

 

 

 

 

Welcome

 

March was a very busy month for all of us!  I am so sorry that we were unable to meet and discuss The Talent Code, but I hope that everyone still enjoyed the read.  Maybe we can talk about it a little in the next meeting.  April showers bring May flowers, and I know how much we are all looking forward to that.  While on a walk with Hilde a couple days ago I saw these beautiful flowers fighting their way through the dirt.

 

 

 

 

April's Book

 

Orlando is generally considered Woolf's most accessible and influential novels. Concerning the 300 year life of a man born during the reign of Elizabeth I and his quest to write a great poem, having love affairs as both man and women against the backdrop of some of the most important moments in European history. This novel has been hugely influential stylistically and is still an important moment

in literary history and particularly in women's writing and gender studies.

 

 

 

 

A fictional biography--spanning three centuries in the life of an Elizabethan nobleman who becomes a woman.



April's Movie?

Perhaps we can watch the movie individually and do a comparison of the book and movie at the meeting, or we can have a movie night sometime following book club.  Let me know what you think!

 

 

A film adaptation was released in 1992, starring Tilda Swinton as Orlando and Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth I.

 

 

 

Date and Time

 

As you all know, finding a date has been a challenge.  I even had to make a spreadsheet!  Looks like the winning date is May 19th at 7:30. 



Hostess and Location

 

This month's hostess will be Yours Truly (Rebecca Zimmerman).  Since it was originally supposed to be on Cinco de Mayo, let's do Mexican food.  You can post what you would like to bring in the comments on the blog or via email.  Of course, you can always just bring yourself.  I live close to the Ridgeland green line stop and the Harlem blue line stop, but a little too far to walk.  I would be happy to pick anyone up at the stops, though, so just let me know.  Street parking is also available.

 

504 S. Cuyler Ave.  Apt. 1

Oak Park, IL 60304

 

 

 

 

Contact Information

 

Rebecca Zimmerman

Cell: 312-718-5611

E-mail: violoncellogirl@hotmail.com



March Book Club

Literary Ladies Letter

 

Spring is Coming?

       We got through the most difficult month of the year, and now it is March. Snow is still on the ground, but while I was walking my pup yesterday I saw several plants desperately forcing their way through the frozen dirt. This gives me hope and reminds me to "hang in there" because warm weather and better times are just around the corner.  Each time March rolls around I find myself in need of rejuvenation.  I am starting a raw food/juicing diet, signing up for a marathon, and cleaning out my closet.  I think this is a perfect time to read a "self-help" book, and thanks to February's generous hostess, Karen Schulz-Harmon, we have a great one to read this month.

How it Works

        Each month a different member will choose a book and will then host the next meeting at her place.  Hosting includes providing space for the meeting, leading/directing the discussion, and providing light snacks (unless you would like to ask members to bring something).  This club does not have a theme.  We encourage all genres of books, and are open to suggestions.  All meetings will be held on Sunday evenings at 7:30 pm.  Our next meeting will take place on March 31st.

March

 

  What is the secret of getting really good at something? How do we unlock it?
Journalist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle visited nine of the world’s greatest talent hotbeds — tiny places that produce huge amounts of talent, from a small music camp in upstate New York to an elementary school in California to the baseball fields of the Caribbean.
He found that there’s a pattern common to all of them — certain methods of training, motivation, and coaching. This pattern, which has to do with the fundamental mechanisms through which the brain acquires skill, gives us a new way to think about talent — as well as new tools with which we can unlock our own talents and those of our kids. 
      
 

http://thetalentcode.com/

Hostess

Our generous hostess for this month is Chelsea Morris.  She lives in Rogers Park on the north side of Chicago.

 

1112 W Glenlake Ave Apt #1

Chicago, IL 60660.

"I live between the Thorndale & Granville stops on the Red Line. Street parking is a bit competitive, but I usually have good luck if I go west of Broadway. As far as food, it'd be great if some other people brought some stuff, too. I don't usually cook vegetarian/vegan, but I'll try to find something that everyone can eat."


Contact Information

Rebecca Zimmerman
E-mail:  violoncellogirl@hotmail.com
Cell:  312-718-5611

Chelsea Morris
E-mail: chelsea.m.morris@gmail.com
Cell: 269-655-5795

 

 

 

 

     

Book Club Resources

 

 

 

  I am so glad that we have a different member host each month of our book club.  Sometimes it can be difficult to prepare the discussions and come up with relevant and creative questions.  Here are a few resources that I have found helpful.  Feel free to post other sites in the comments, or email me, and I can insert them into this post.





www.litlovers.com/







www.sparknotes.com/







http://www.book-clubs-resource.com/







www.readinggroupguides.com/

More Recipes from February 24th

 

Sweet Red Pepper-Beet Soup

 

 

 

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/317588/sweet-red-pepper-beet-soup

 

 

Baked Vegetable Tagine with Preserved Lemon

 

 

I got the recipe from this amazing book. I couldn't find it online, so here is the recipe:

 

 

2-3 T olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

a thumb size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1-2 red chiles chopped (I actually used dried chiles and removed after cooking)

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. turmeric (I added this)

3-4 potatoes, chopped (I used red and left the skins on)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

8-10 broccoli florets

2 1/2 c. vegetable broth

2 c. fresh or frozen peas

1 preserved lemon, sliced (I used 2)

leaves from a bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 large tomatoes, sliced

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy based casserole dish.  Add the onions and saute until they begin to change color.  Add the garlic, ginger, and chiles and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the cumin seeds and spices then toss in the potatoes, carrots, and broccoli.  Pour in the stock, cover, and either cook over the stove, or place in oven for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced.  Season.  Toss in the peas, preserved lemon, and half the cilantro. Arrange the tomato slices, overlapping each other and top with little dots of butter (I used olive oil).  Pop back into oven, uncovered to brown the tomatoes. 

 

Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve with couscous, pita, or crackers.

 

Preserved Lemons

 

 

 



http://nourishedkitchen.com/morrocan-preserved-lemons/

 

 

 

This is not the exact recipe I used, but it is the most simple, and you can play with it a bit.  I did not get enough juice out of my lemons to cover them,  so I read that adding vodka can help to preserve and add extra liquid.  You can also add spices such as cardamom, start anise, and cinnamon.  Some recipes also call for sugar, so Anna Steinhoff, you were right to ask!

Peggy Guggenheim and Beyond

What an incredible meeting we had this past Sunday, February 24th! It was our biggest meeting ever with 8 members in attendance, and included a full-on, gourmet meal by the lovely Karen Schulz-Harmon.  Thanks, Karen, for hosting - you prepared above and beyond on both culinary and literary levels. 
 
We are a group of women who love to read, and who also love many other things.  Our conversations often drift off into realms beyond the book we are discussing on hand. I love to see how elements from each book spark interesting discussions on other topics. 
 
I thought it might be time to put to rest the monthly "newsletter" and move towards a more interactive and modern form of communication.  I hope that all of you will fell free to post and comment regarding books we have already read, are reading, or may read in the future. Bear with me as I learn how to make the blog interactive and useful for all members.
 
Below are a few links that Karen wanted to share from our last meeting.  I'll be posting my recipes as well in coming days...
 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/graimemorris?ref=si_shop

Peggy Guggenheim Doc:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPWTKK2atGk

 

 

Cheesecake recipe:

 

 

 

http://keshmoments.blogspot.com/2013/02/strawberry-cheescake.html

 

 

Who's a Mother Blog Post:

 

 

http://keshmoments.blogspot.com/2013/02/who-is-mother.html

 

 

The Moroccan Couscous Recipe:

 

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/israeli-couscous-with-butternut/

 

 

The Tandoori Cauliflower Recipe:

 

 

http://mynewroots.org/site/2012/09/whole-roasted-tandoori-cauliflower-with-mint-chutney/

 

 

Chicago Cello Society Blog:

 

 

http://chicagocellosociety.blogspot.com/

Where I get my water:

 

 

http://www.findaspring.com/fountain-of-youth-shiller-park-il/

Probiotics I use:

 

http://vitamin.mx/hmfintensive30cf.aspx

The Wellness Warrior on Women's Hormones:

 

 

 

 

http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2012/07/wellness-warrior-tv-interview-with-dr-sherrill-sellman/?doing_wp_cron=1361824914.8388769626617431640625

http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2012/10/how-to-stop-taking-the-pill-without-getting-acne-or-going-crazy/?doing_wp_cron=1361824954.5243968963623046875000