All About Book Clubs (and Our Latest Picks)

All book clubs are different. Including whether you meet in someone's home or a public space, serve dinner, snacks or dessert and coffee or even if wine is part of the evening.  I have been in three different book clubs, in three different states (New Jersey, Michigan and now Florida) and none have been the same.  But, each has built wonderful friendships and connections based around my love of books.

Perhaps the biggest difference, is how books are chosen.  Some groups rely on best seller lists, some have the hostess pick and some pretty much wing it from month to month, with no set plan.  In my experience, it is better to have a plan in advance or the most well read of the group will end up having more of a say in the picks.  I prefer more diversity, because then I read books I either didn't know about, or more importantly, would have never given a try.

My current book club chooses our books ahead of time and our reading year begins when the snow birds return to Florida in October.  We all submit up to six choices, then vote for our top five on the list of submissions.  A lot of the members like this because they can read in advance, if they choose.  We also can volunteer to lead a discussion for a book that we are the most interested in. ( I'm leading for The Last Romantics)  We meet on the first Thursday of every month, in our clubhouse and bring wine and snacks to share.  In January, we go out to dinner as a group and do not hold a book discussion.

You can see our list for next season is quite eclectic and I am looking forward to reading every one of them.  I thought perhaps you might be interested in reading them as well.

Happy Reading! 

Out and About on Memorial Day

As we celebrate our two year anniversary of living in Florida, we have come to the realization that there is still so much more to see and do.  And the summer is the best time to explore, because the snow birds and tourists are gone.  It's pretty quiet and most of the time you can walk right in the restaurants and tiki bars that would be a 1-2 hour wait during season.  Of course it is hot, but we are used to it now and you would be surprised how comfortable it is in the shade, even on a 90 degree day, when you are near the water.

On Memorial Day, we took our pup to a waterfront park in Sarasota that we have driven by a million times.  It was a really nice walk along Sarasota Bay with lots of pretty boats to look at.  There is a tiki bar there, but it was too hot in the area you could sit with dogs, so we passed on that.  Maybe another cooler day.

We headed back to Venice to a downtown restaurant restaurant that I knew was a great spot to sit with a pet on a hot day and it was perfect.  We enjoyed Margaritas, a delicious, casual lunch and cool breezes from the ceiling fans.  After lunch, we walked across the street to take a selfie in front of the newly painted mural, designed just for Instragram pics and Venice hashtags.

Happy Tuesday!

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

When your husband tells you that you have made one of your best dinners yet, you know you have found a good recipe.  I can always count on Skinnytaste for healthy meals, but more importantly, I always find that the recipes have so much flavor.  We all want to eat as healthy as possible, but who wants to eat bland food that tastes like cardboard?

This sheet pan meal was so easy too!  Everything was basically mixed in a big bowl and then spread on a sheet pan for baking.  After it comes out of the oven, you squeeze on more lemon juice and sprinkle with feta cheese, for a finishing touch.  The oregano is really the star and while the recipe calls for fresh, I used dried and it was delicious.  The skinless chicken thighs (which I rarely use) were very juicy and perfect for the cooking time required with this dish.  Served with a side of sautéed aspargus, it made a light and flavorful Sunday night dinner, without a lot of fuss or cleanup.

One note: I only used one sheet pan, spreading everything out carefully, and it was fine.

Happy Tuesday!