Every time I make this yummy peanut butter soup for neighbors, friends, or book club members, people want the recipe. Soups are easy to make in advance and serve with French bread and a salad for an easy book club meal. Peanut Butter Soup 2 medium onions, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon vegetable [...]

When I was growing up in southern  Louisiana, we ate red beans and rice once or twice a month. For many in New Orleans, the tradition is to serve this easy dish every Monday to start the week out right. A pot of red beans simmering on the stove will certainly feed a crowd, which [...]

I first made this recipe for Sausage Pie when I was short on time and ingredients, so I was looking for a way to make a meal with something I already had in the fridge. I liked the results so much, I’ve planned ahead to make it several times since. It’s a good dish to [...]

When we read Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce in my mother-daughter book club, my daughter and I served lasagna for dinner, because it matched a special dinner mentioned in the book. Lasagna is such a great comfort food to serve to a crowd on a cold night. It’s also easy to prepare ahead so it’s [...]

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love to eat muffins, scones, breakfast breads, biscuits and almost anything else that can come out an oven. The trouble is that I don’t move very fast when I drag myself out of bed every morning. So it can be difficult to satisfy my craving for [...]

When the weather allows, everyone in your book club may appreciate the chance to get outside when you gather to have a meal and talk about your book. Especially is the characters in the book go on picnics, as they do in Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. And if the weather’s not great? You may [...]

Reading The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer put everyone in our mother-daughter book club in the mood for good Mexican food. Here’s a recipe for chicken enchiladas that you can serve when you’re considering a Mexican-themed dinner for your book club discussion. Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Prep and bake time: 1 hour 1/2  pound [...]

When our mother-daughter book club got together to read Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang, Show-Ling—who is from Taiwan—made Chinese dumplings for our dinner. They were so great everyone asked for the recipe and Show-Ling was willing to share. You can use this recipe to serve at any book club meeting where you discuss a [...]