Book Club's 2023 Book Selections -- Updated

January 11 (Moved to 2^nd week of January due to the holidays.) – Hostess Vicky Hughes – Book: The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

February 1 – Hostess Maggie McDonnell – Book: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

March 1 – Hostess Beth Herbert – Book: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidis. (Note: Book selection updated December 8th.)

April 5 – Annette Oakley – Book: The Measure by Nikki Erlick

May 3 – Hostess To Be Determined (TBD) – Book: TBD

June 7 – Hostess Tanya Lynn – Book: TBD

July – No book club gathering due to vacations.

August 2 – Hostess Linda Petroff -- Book: TBD

Questions, comments about our Just Incredible book club may be directed to Vicky Hughes, our book club orchestrator extraordinaire!

Holiday Social

(Photo Taken by BIL Randy Weber)

Front Row (L-R): Mary Jean Cardinale, Honored Guests: Deborah Raessler, Sarah Raessler

Second Row (L-R): Marguerite Lipton, Beth Herbert

Third Row (L-R): 

Tanya Lynn, Karen Lockwood, Annette Oakley, Roberta Meyer, Maggie McDonnell, Jan Smith (Our Host), Linda Petroff, Annie Gaddy, Kathie Burson, Joyce Kozeliski, Jill Hyde, Cindy Weber, Belinda Alkula, Geneva Fisher

 

(Photo Taken by BIL Randy Weber)

L-R: Tanya Lynn, Annette Oakley, Jill Hyde, Maggie McDonnell, Kathie Burson, Joyce Kozeliski, Deborah Raessler (Honored Guest), Sarah Raessler (Honored Guest), Annie Gaddy, Belinda Alkula. Roberta Meyer, Marguerite Lipton, Karen Lockwood, Cindy Weber, Geneva Fisher, Beth Herbert, Linda Petroff, Mary Jean Cardinale

 

(Photo Taken by Jill Hyde)

Feminine Hygiene Products Collected for Boulder County's Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) -- BIL Charles Alkula drove them in his pickup truck to EFAA ... a 90.4-pound donation!

Jan Smith graciously invited us into her lovely home for today's holiday social. The sisters really appreciated BIL Randy Weber taking our photographs! The chapter's Communications Committee orchestrated a wonderful gathering for our sisters and our honored guests, Deborah and Sarah Raessler.

We enjoyed good food, good conversation, a spirited "gift-exchange" game (involving each sister choosing whether to keep or steal someone else's $20 gift), and a raffle (with the funds raised supporting our chapter's philanthropic endeavors). Additionally, our appeal to sisters to donate feminine hygiene products for our county's food bank's clients netted a 90.4-pound donation of supplies. We appreciated BIL Charles Alkula delivering the supplies after the social.

Indeed, blessings abound! 🧡

Holiday Social Menu (with correct versions of the recipes)

 Menu

*Homemade Vegetarian Lasagna (made by Joyce Kozeliski)

*Ciabatta Olive Loaf with Castelvetrano Olives & Olive Oil Dipping Sauce 

(provided by Cindy Weber)

*Cranberry Fruit Salad (made by Cindy Schreiber Huxley)

*Greek Salad (made by Maggie McDonnell)

Assorted Christmas Cookies

(made by Jan Smith, Geneva Fisher, Maggie McDonnell, Cindy Weber)

Italian Panettone: One with Fruit, One with Chocolate (provided by Belinda Alkula)

*Mock Cocktails (made by Maggie McDonnell)

Coffee, Tea, Water (provided by Jan Smith)

Joyce Kozeliski's Most Amazing Lasagna 
1 pound lasagna noodles
30 ounces ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 pound thinly sliced mozzarella cheese (about 24 slices)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Grated mozzarella
 
Instructions:
You can use sauce in a jar or your own recipe. 

I make my own sauce. (Recipe is provided below.)

1.  Place lasagna noodles into the bottom of a pan. Pour hot tap water directly over the noodles, making sure the pasta is completely immersed in water. Let them soak for 30 minutes; then drain and discard water. (You can also use “Oven-Ready Lasagna” which requires no preparation or boiling).
2.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, 2 tablespoons parsley, salt, and nutmeg. 

3.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble lasagna.
4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5.  Lightly grease a deep 9 x 13 pan.
6.  To begin assembly, spread about 1 cup red sauce in the bottom of the pan.
7.   Assemble the following (in this order) to create the first layer.
         First Layer
          Place noodles to cover expanse of the pan.
          Spread 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture on top of noodles.
          Top with Mozzarella cheese slices.
          Spoon 1 1/2 cups red sauce over cheese slices.
          Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
8.   Repeat layers two more times to create 3 complete layers.
9.   Top with the grated mozzarella.
10.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
11.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
12.  Remove foil and bake an additional 25 minutes and allow cheese to brown.
13.  Let sit on counter for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Notes: After preparing and assembling your lasagna, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours before baking. You can also freeze it, but do not bake first. 

Spaghetti Sauce 

– Joyce Kozeliski’s Aunt Ann’s Recipe (aka Annie Annie), Chisholm, Minnesota 

1.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter in large saucepan. 

2.  Add 1/3 cup dried parsley and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.

3.  Mix together, and let cook a few minutes (not too long).

4.  Add one 8 ounce can tomato paste and 2-3 minced garlic.

5.  Stir together until well blended, and cook a few minutes.

6.  Take 2 cans of stewed tomatoes and blend until smooth in the blender or use an immersion blender. 

7.  Add to saucepan and blend with tomato mixture.

8.  Add 2 1/2 cans of water and mix until well blended.

9.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 2 hours or until the thickness you like. (If it's too watery, I cover only partially, and let it simmer.)

Note: If you want to all add meat, do it at the end after the sauce is done. 

Ciabatta Olive Loaf with Castelvetrano Olives 

Notes from Cindy Weber: 

The bread was bought at Moxie Bread in Louisville. (They have the ciabatta bread with no olives, too.) I ordered online earlier in the morning. The olive oil dipping sauce was from Stonewall Kitchen; it was purchased at The Peppercorn on Pearl Street, in their olive oil section.

Cranberry Fruit Salad (provided by Cindy Schreiber Huxley)

Mix these ingredients in a bowl.
8 cups of whole cranberries -- Chopped up into colorful pieces in a food processor.
4 cups of Granny Smith apples (about 4 small ones) -- Cut up into bite-sized pieces.
4 small oranges -- Cut up into bite-sized pieces.
2 cups of sugar -- Added into the mixture.
2 cups of chopped walnuts -- Added into the mixture.
1/3 cup lemon juice -- Added into the mixture.

Greek Salad

Maggie McDonnell said she used the “copycat" recipe of Olive Garden’s “ never ending” Italian salad.

Mock Cocktails -- "Cranberry Spritzers"

Fill a glass partway with ice cubes and cranberry juice, & top with sparkling lime flavored water.

Quarterly Connection Coffee Gathering -- Petroff Group

 

The Petroff Group gathered at the Starbucks on Sheridan Parkway in Broomfield this afternoon. Linda Petroff, Belinda Alkula, Geneva Fisher, and Tanya Lynn had a great visit on their patio. (We missed Joyce Kozeliski, but understood she couldn't come because she was busy getting ready for the chapter's holiday social this coming Wednesday.)

Sisters shared "blessings" with one another, and money was raised for the chapter's "Bright Futures Scholarships" (available to young women in their senior year of high school).