Susan chose the book, The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier, for March 2004.
The compelling story of two women, born four centuries apart, and the ancestral legacy that binds them. Ella Turner does her best to fit in to the small, close-knit community of Lisle-sur-Tarn. She even changes her name back to Tournier, and learns French. In vain. Isolated and lonely, she is drawn to investigate her Tournier ancestry, which leads to her encounter with the town's wolfish librarian. Isabelle du Moulin, known as Le Rousse due to her fiery red hair, is tormented and shunned in the village -- suspected of witchcraft and reviled for her association with the Virgin Mary. Falling pregnant, she is forced to marry into the ruling family: the Tourniers. Tormentor becomes husband, and a shocking fate awaits her. Plagued by the color blue, Ella is haunted by parallels with the past, and by her recurring dream. Then one morning she wakes up to discover that her hair is turning inexplicably red...( Barnes and Noble)
We already read The Girl with the Pearl Earring by the same author and loved her works of historical fiction. This one did not quite measure up as I remember, but still a good read for a rainy day.
Susan and Lisa did a beautiful fondue party for us, including an appetizer of cheese fondue (my favorite) plus lots of shrimp, beef, and chicken to cook in the fondue pot. The only problem we had is the meat falling off our forks (we were obviously not fondue professionals) and burning up in the oil before we could dig it out...and of course the tables were decorated in everything blue, from the tablecloths to the candles to the flowers.
My Favorite Cheese Fondue
1-1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound Swiss (emmenthal) cheese, shredded
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, shredded
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp dry mustard
Freshly ground nutmeg and pepper to taste
1 baguette, cut into bite- sized cubes
In a heavy saucepan, warm 1 cup wine until bubbles form and slowly rise to surface, about 6 minutes. In a bowl, mix 2 cheeses, cornstarch, and mustard. Add cheese mixture, a handful at a time, to hot wine, stirring until it is smoothly melted and beginning to bubble. Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper.
Pour into your fondue pan (I like the electric kind) and adjust heat so fondue bubbles very slowly.
Spear bread cubes and swirl in fondue. If fondue gets too thick, add more heated wine. YUMMY!
You would think, knowing our book club, that we would have invited some virgins to attend- but
the only special activity I remember from that book club is that Debbie H had purchased some lifesize rubber rats and hidden them in Susan's cabinets- scary moments for all!! There must have been something about rats in the book, but I read it so long ago I don't remember...let me know if you read it and can figure out why we had hidden rubber rats in the kitchen...yuk!!!!
Look for the next book, Angry Housewives Eating BonBons, and I will try to post pictures of us in one of our fights eating bonbons...not that we fight among ourselves very often...well, we are kind of like sisters...
Synopsis
The compelling story of two women, born four centuries apart, and the ancestral legacy that binds them. Ella Turner does her best to fit in to the small, close-knit community of Lisle-sur-Tarn. She even changes her name back to Tournier, and learns French. In vain. Isolated and lonely, she is drawn to investigate her Tournier ancestry, which leads to her encounter with the town's wolfish librarian. Isabelle du Moulin, known as Le Rousse due to her fiery red hair, is tormented and shunned in the village -- suspected of witchcraft and reviled for her association with the Virgin Mary. Falling pregnant, she is forced to marry into the ruling family: the Tourniers. Tormentor becomes husband, and a shocking fate awaits her. Plagued by the color blue, Ella is haunted by parallels with the past, and by her recurring dream. Then one morning she wakes up to discover that her hair is turning inexplicably red...( Barnes and Noble)
We already read The Girl with the Pearl Earring by the same author and loved her works of historical fiction. This one did not quite measure up as I remember, but still a good read for a rainy day.
Susan and Lisa did a beautiful fondue party for us, including an appetizer of cheese fondue (my favorite) plus lots of shrimp, beef, and chicken to cook in the fondue pot. The only problem we had is the meat falling off our forks (we were obviously not fondue professionals) and burning up in the oil before we could dig it out...and of course the tables were decorated in everything blue, from the tablecloths to the candles to the flowers.
My Favorite Cheese Fondue
1-1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound Swiss (emmenthal) cheese, shredded
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, shredded
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp dry mustard
Freshly ground nutmeg and pepper to taste
1 baguette, cut into bite- sized cubes
In a heavy saucepan, warm 1 cup wine until bubbles form and slowly rise to surface, about 6 minutes. In a bowl, mix 2 cheeses, cornstarch, and mustard. Add cheese mixture, a handful at a time, to hot wine, stirring until it is smoothly melted and beginning to bubble. Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper.
Pour into your fondue pan (I like the electric kind) and adjust heat so fondue bubbles very slowly.
Spear bread cubes and swirl in fondue. If fondue gets too thick, add more heated wine. YUMMY!
You would think, knowing our book club, that we would have invited some virgins to attend- but
the only special activity I remember from that book club is that Debbie H had purchased some lifesize rubber rats and hidden them in Susan's cabinets- scary moments for all!! There must have been something about rats in the book, but I read it so long ago I don't remember...let me know if you read it and can figure out why we had hidden rubber rats in the kitchen...yuk!!!!
Look for the next book, Angry Housewives Eating BonBons, and I will try to post pictures of us in one of our fights eating bonbons...not that we fight among ourselves very often...well, we are kind of like sisters...
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