Well, it's my bookclub night and Octoberfest theme. best laid plans and all. . .

angak

Well-known member
since I have to work today, I made it easy and mostly do-ahead with grilled sausages and onions/peppers(instead of the rouladen), warm German Potato Salad(which is probably not German at all in origin but it was my Mom's potluck specialty), sweet-sour red cabbage, an assortment of mustards and home made pickles. I have cucumbers for a cuke salad---but looking at my menu, everything but the sausages has vinegar in it. Maybe I'll just slice them up with some tomatoes and leave them plain. for dessert, I made an easy apple strudel(instead of the bienenstich) using filo dough. Since when did they make the filo sheets so small? It's kind of a disaster, so my backup is the Pumpkin fluff with Anna's ginger crisp cookies, and then I had baked Ina's Zabar's Pecan shortbread cookies in pumpkin and leaf shapes a few weeks ago, and also some Lebkuchen(which got rock hard, but the apple slices placed in a plastic bag with them actually worked to soften them up, and they are quite delish). I'm looking forward to the wine and appetizers---Union Square nuts/herbed oyster crackers/horseradish cheese spread with crackers and mini rye(those in the midwest will know Win Schuler's spread---I made a copycat using Kaukauna cheddar spread and about 4oz cream cheese and a heaping T of horseradish---just don't call me Sandra Lee)and more wine. I am cursed with the overplanning disease. We will have a fun evening anyway---even if I made mac and cheese from the box. I will sleep all day tomorrow, only getting up to let out the dog. and eat leftovers. best part of the whole shindig.

 
Your 'easy' level is at my 'advanced' level! *LOL*. Your menu looks wonderful, AngAk.

 
"Book Lust" by Nancy Pearl. We all made lists of our alltime favorite 10 books. should be fun.

 
it was truly EASY! all I have to do is some warming up today. funny thing about the potato salad

My mom made this for most potlucks for years and years, and everyone always wanted the secret family recipe----it's right out of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. We always use more potatoes and double the dressing, and my variation is to use part brown sugar for the sugar. otherwise, basically as written. I'm sitting here at work counting down the hours till I can uncork the wine(or St Paulie Girl)----why do I fret so about gatherings, even if I simplify?

 
Oh, I read that. Just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Must admit that I had avoided it thinking the title was "too cutesy."

Also listened to the multi-actor audio recording. Job well done.

 
one of the gals is actually compiling this. Over at Pioneerwoman homeschooling, her guest blogger

MrsG had a very timely post about kids literature yesterday. She teaches and put together lists for 3 different age groups. The list for High School contains many books that we have selected to read as a group. classics and favorites. You would most likely enjoy her post/editorial.

 
does your library have the audio library available for download? I finally figured that out, and

love downloading books to my ipod, for FREE. I'll watch for this one.

 
Wow & list

Can I invite you to join my book club? (and cook)? Here is a list of the top selections from the last couple of years.

The Pillars of the Earth & World Without End by Ken Follett
The Road by Cormas McCarthy
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirosky
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Pier Petterson
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan

 
Our groups have very similar lists!

We too read the following:
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Pier Petterson
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows(coming up)

 
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