December 2012 Book Club Christmas Party at the Hartwood Restaurant in Glenshaw

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Merry Christmas Book Club,

Yes! I love executive decisions; they save me from unnecessary stress! Woo-hoo! The Language of Flowers is one of the books I wrote down that Janet Black recommended. The other 2 books are The Housekeeper and the Professor and My Life in France: Julia Child. Hysteria was not on my list of notes. January’s book then is The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I would like to change the meeting to my house on January 29, 2013 at 6:30 PM instead of Natilie’s Pizzeria.

We had a wonderful turnout for our 8th Annual Christmas Party. Yes, ladies, the Butler Women of Wisdom Book Club has been reading books together for over 8 years. (Historical fact: Our club held its first meeting at my house in October of 2004. Trivia question: What was our first book?) At this year’s party held at the Hartwood Restaurant in Glenshaw, those who attended including myself and Tim were Becky and Jim, Cheryl and Greg, Christine G., Ginnie and Lee, Lori and Doug, Barb and Jim D., and Barb and Mike K.

I reveled in the food and the atmosphere to say the least. We started our evening with drinks at the Hardwood Café on Route 8 where I ordered a “strawberry basil martini.”  It was a delectable sweet and sour mix of holiday and spice, so nice! But mindful of our dinner reservations set for 6:30 PM at Hartwood, we designated drivers and carpooled to Glenshaw.

At the Hartwood Restaurant, we were all very pleased with our private seating arrangements. We were served in what I call the “confessional” room. The façade of a Catholic confessional on one wall forged our conversation for the evening. Greg Ramsey revived his memories of his holiday at St. Fidelis Seminary, Tim and I recalled our own Lady of Guadalupe anecdotes, while Jim Direnzo advised Tim on the certification requirements of becoming a deacon.

Despite the daunting holy thresholds, a few of us preferred to postpone our penance until later and quickly began our celebration at Hartwood with their special “Poinsettia” drink. Served in a snow globe stemmed glass, I soon had visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.

As for our feast, Cheryl and Greg, friends of our waitress, may have been partly responsible for our superb dining experience. My whole meal was indescribable, but I’ll try. It started with a small slice of sweet nut bread. Just the yummy filler I needed to soften the effects of my “Poinsettia.” I was then served a spring salad with fresh basil and vinaigrette dressing. Nothing could have prepared me for the burst of flavor that transpired; the fusion of greens with the freshly chopped herbs was a much appreciated winter surprise. My main course, Caribbean seared salmon topped with caramelized pineapple salsa cooked to juicy fork flake flawlessness was, as the Italian’s say, fantastico! A side of Jasmine rice and a carrot pineapple mix complimented the ambiance of tropical flavors. Dessert was no less an adventure of the palette. In the clutches of celebration, I ordered myself a piece of pecan bourbon pie. Served with a topping of French vanilla ice cream and accompanied with a hot cup of coffee, my evening couldn’t have been sweeter…set the mood with good friends and add a feast of fine food, always a perfect combination!
For January’s book club, I would like to attempt to serve our book character Victoria Jones’s favorite foods she would want to eat for the rest of her life http://butterybooks.com/bookclubpartyideas/the-language-of-flowers-by-vanessa-diffenbaugh/ : 
1.      Donuts, assorted, with an emphasis on maple
  1. Roasted chicken
  2. Cheesecake
  3. Butternut squash soup
  4. Grapes
If any of you can assist me in this feat of culinary creativity, let me know what you can contribute. Read The Language of Flowers and learn about their romantic potential. As a book club assignment, bring a picture, an artificially designed, or a fresh pick of your favorite flower. Be prepared to explain its romantic qualities. Hope to see you all at next month’s book club at my house and any of our book club events throughout the year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Your friend in reading,
Tammy





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