Our walking group flexes to ensure all can participate at their own pace, so some walk for an hour and some walk for 90 minutes, some walk on an indoor track, and some walk outdoors, some come for coffee after and some do not. Today, a critical mass of us met up on the trail! HA!
The Creative Cooking Group enjoyed a four course dinner this week but the highlight was the maple parsnip soup – great nurture food for these cold winter days.
MAPLE PARSNIP SOUP WITH MUSTARD AND PINE-NUTS
(Makes 8 servings.)
Ingredients
1/3 c. butter
1 lb. parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch rounds 2 med. onions, 1/2 inch diced
2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbs. dijon mustard
1/3 c. maple syrup
3/4 c. toasted pine-nuts
salt to tasteInstructions
Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy pan. When it starts to brown, add parsnips, onion and garlic. Cook til onions are translucent but not browned. Add nutmeg and stock. Bring to simmer and cook 40 minutes or until parsnips are soft. Add cream. Take off heat and puree til smooth. Add dijon, syrup, and salt to taste. Sprinkle each serving with toasted pine-nuts
Interest groups are the key to our club’s longevity. It’s not just about the exercise and fresh air and it’s not just about the conversation with old friends and new. It’s about the synergy. Supporting, caring, being there — together. On this cold day in January, every topic imaginable was discussed, including ukuleles.
During this afternoon’s super-interesting meeting, Marion Weir brought a photo from our same book group from May 2007! Two of the members are still in the group, Marion herself and Jean Farquharson.
Marsha presented Scarcity Brain, and highly recommends it.
Marsha S gives this new approach to the history of Ukraine a resounding 5/5.
Hrytsak takes a holistic approach to history, covering large subjects with a storytelling technique rather than relying on dry chronology. It starts with the day Russia attacked Ukraine in the current war and describes the innovative and communal way individual Ukrainians successfully fought back the surprise attack from a massive force that should have been more organized. Individual Ukrainians took responsibility for the defense of their country and fought back with whatever weapons they had. Their creativity and dedication set them apart from the monolithic army of the Russians, whose every movement came from above, often from Putin himself, meaning individual soldiers and their commanders were frozen, waiting for orders. This vignette sets the tone for the rest of the book: how is it that neighbouring nations can have such starkly different citizens in outlook, response and resourcefulness? Hrytsak’s book answers that question by delving back into the history of Ukraine and it’s record of protest against unjust rule vs Russia and its history of the populace being held down by despots. Anyone wanting to understand the current war should read this book.
Like all of us book club members, Marion W is a smart and avid reader but she’s noticed that the selection of library books available in large print may be good for some avid readers, but not so great for discerning readers. She held up this book and said with frustration, “I don’t recommend this one. Too Harlequinesque.” Are large print readers doomed to read mediocre fiction? One hopes not.
