The Lit Wits Meet Again

This can't be a "food only" blog for me anymore... it just can't be. It will "mostly" be a food blog, but I have too many other things going on in my life that I want to talk about. (I say that and then this ends up being a post ends up being about food after all )

I used to have a book blog along with this food blog, but I gave that up months ago. I didn't think I could keep up with both. But last Thursday, when I hosted the book club meeting (we are the Lit Wits) , here, at my house, one of my friends said, I can't wait to see what she blogs about us.
YIKES.
She wondered about what I would write, because we were talking about---wearing panties at night. YES...it was a hot topic of conversation. Some women have been taught/told to not wear panties at night (I guess to air out...LOL....because of infection), and others have never heard that in their entire lives.
It's like a line drawn in the sand. Panty wears and non-panty wearers.
Yes, our intellectual, rational, cerebral conversation had been reduced to underpants.

Underpants and shoes. The shoes tho, did have something to do with the book we read: "Very Valentine" by Adriana Triglianni. The book was about Valentine Roncalli, an apprentice to her grandmother in the shoe-making business (it's a cute book, the first in a 3 part series. And I understand that its going to be made into a Lifetime Movie), and in keeping with the theme, we all wore shoes that held a story for us.

The evening was full of fun, food, and laughter...and a little bit of book talk.

We do cook dinner for this book club, so it should rightly be called a the "cook and book" club. The only trouble is that I didn't have time to get pics of my clam sauce.

I had an Italian theme going on, because the family in the book was a big Italian-American family, and I thought it only fitting. I pulled out 5 CD's that represented the Italian boys in my music collection..... the Best of Dean Martin, Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons, Andrea Bocelli, Chris Botti, and.....Bon Jovi. (I was running out of Italians and who doesn't like Bon Jovi?) the music was on in the background, but I don't think anyone appreciated my biting wit as much as I did. The Handyman just shook his head at me, as he headed out to Dollar Taco Night at Las Margaritas.

My clam sauce...(actually it's my friend's...a Friday Friend's recipe: Barbara Brown of Buckeye, AZ ) rocked. Truthfully. That is the message I got on face book the next day.... Nicole said "Debbie the food rocked!" I guess I can say this is so... Hey, I only cooked it, it's Barb's recipe, so it's okay. I LOVE that clam sauce. Too bad the one quick picture I took is slightly out of focus and is next to the spaghetti with red sauce and Italian sausages...it's not pretty.  ( I thought  that I could be brave enough to put the photo here, but I don't think so...there are weeners --Italian sausages-- sticking out all over in the red sauce.  Ha....no panties, weeners and oh the conversations we have...)


The Rockin Clam Sauce  (I can't let that adjective go...rockin)

3 cans clams--drained and liquid saved and added to chicken broth to make 2 cups.


1/2 cup butter
3 T. green onions--sliced
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. parsley flakes ( I used fresh parsley)
Sauté the above 4 items, stir in 2 T flour and cook for one minute.
Gradually stir in the clam juice, 1/4 cup white win, 1/8 t. thyme.
Cook until thickened.
Stir in clams and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over 8oz cooked spaghetti that has been tossed with 1/4 cup of butter and 3T Parmesan cheese.

My favorite way to make garlic bread is to just whip some room temperature butter with some fresh minced garlic, so that people can spread what they want on some warm bread. Not everyone loves garlic, altho I can't imagine why.
I don't have a picture of my bread.... just my table with book club friends eating.

I also made a dessert of Nigella Lawson's..... I called it Italian Cream in honor of the night. I'm not sure what she calls it.
Whipped Cream. Fold in slices strawberries and raspberries with sugar. Add crushed meringues. Serve in a champagne glass.

Everyone loved it. (I couldn't find meringues, and I didn't want to make them, so I substituted coconut macaroons and Milano cookies)

And let me introduce you to  my book club friends...

here is Renee.....the one who told us not to wear panties to bed. She wore these shoes that she thought were "flashy" for her.   No panties but these shoes too flashy?  We love Renee.

And Wendy....she wore her wedding shoes...  (this wedding has been long over, but she still has the shoes)

Theresa... a dancer.  Owner and instructer of her own studio.  Got her shoes for $1.50 at our local WONDERFUL hospital auxilary thrift store.  Says she doesn't care about shoes, after being on her "toes" for classes all week.

Massey.... an attorney (young enough to be my daughter) who wears shoes like these EVERY DAY.  They are pointy and have bling!

Eva..... who  is wearing her fancy Mexican wedding shoes.  I don't know how she danced the night away with such a skinny heel.

Heather, Nicole, Robin, April, me....... shoes, shoes and more shoes!

It was a fun evening.... but, I got in trouble from my "other" book club....Totally Lit (erature), because I forgot  my camera when we met on Wednesday.
They say I'm playing favorites.

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