My “book club” (better known as the “reason for friends who live far apart to get together and cluck like hens and occasionally chat about books” club) actually all finished the same book and managed to get our schedules together. Its no surprise that the book was The Hunger Games, the book of all books that no one can rightfully put down until the last page has been turned. Even Jonathan and his friend Donald joined in the chat this time!
We are so blessed to have so many talents in our little group, and its undeniable that one of us is a seriously accomplished chef. Lydia went all-in with her menu and brought Prim’s goat cheese with basil leaves topped with blackberries (not nightlock berries, of course!) on crustinis for our first dish. You MUST make this, friends! Hands down my new favorite appetizer and oh so easy to put together. Notice how little of the cheese remains on the serving plate. This was after about 10 minutes 
She was hesitant to suggest the main course, but how can one have a Hunger Games party and not serve Katniss’ lamb stew for the big moment? Honestly, we were all skeptical as were our tummies. Thankfully, we know how Lydia can work magic with any dish and were sure our bellies were in good, pot-holder-covered hands. It may not look pretty:
But if I could have bottled up the scent in my kitchen and posted it to this blog you would be sold instantly. And the reactions to everyone’s first bites? Speechless, in fact, because none of us could put down our spoons. It was AMAZING. I forced her to leave a serving with me so I could take it to my mom the next day. For the love of Peeta…it was unforgettable!
We also had a Hunger Games game, of course. Any party at the Adamos is a party with prizes!!! We drew tribute names from the hopper (all were equal as our home is a tessare-free zone) and each got the honor of answering trivia questions. The odds were in Lydia’s favor because she was our victor! She took home the District 12 backpack complete with a travel Apples to Apples game (were are all devoted fans of this party pleaser).
Everyone got to walk out with a parachute containing something we all desperately need – chocolate
Don’t judge us by our laid-back looks and make-up-less faces. Just goes to show the comfort level at our gatherings, right?
We’re all pumped to gather in a few weeks to discuss the rest of the trilogy. In fact, I finished Mockingjay this morning. Now I’m officially bummed like everyone said I would be. Sigh.
All of us giggled at Julie’s suggestion for our summer read. 50 Shades of Grey – look out! Though we all recognize its raciness, none of us could deny our curiosity. If you’ve read it, let me know what you think! I’ll also be reading Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman. Non-fiction and I always get along famously. I can’t wait to soak both of these gems up during a relaxing trip to Colorado in a few weeks.
Who knew school-free life could be so amazing? And its only been one week!
Happy reading. Book suggestions are always encouraged and appreciated!
How fun...you thought of every detail, and my mouth is watering at the deliciousness!
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