The Book Club Update

We met last night to discuss Northanger Abbey. Everyone that read it liked it. Not only did we discuss the book but also Jane Austen's family life. There were a couple of quotes that really seemed to be popular: "A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." and "You think me foolish to call instruction a torment, but if you had been as much used as myself to hear poor little children first learning their letters and then learning to spell, if you had ever seen how stupid they can be for a whole morning together, and how tired my poor mother is at the end of it, as I am in the habit of seeing almost every day of my life at home, you would allow that to torment and to instruct might sometime be used as synonimous words."

Amanda did a lovely job of being our host, she kept with the English theme and served authentic shortbread, PG Tips tea & coffee. Most everyone chose the streusel coffee, but when the shortbread was served I just had to have the hot tea. The delicious recipe was from one of our authentic English faithful book clubbers, Shona, who also introduced us to PG Tips from her home town in England. If you've never tried it you must.

There was also a lot of conversation about movies and music too. So you see, book club is about a lot more than the book itself, it's about laughter, food & fun times.

Shona's Shortbread

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup custard powder
1 cup butter
1 cup caster sugar (sift granulated)

Combine ingredients and press into a 9x13 jelly pan. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes or until pale golden brown. If you would like to put cherries in press into shortbread before cooking. You can substitute custard pudding for the powder.