Good morning friends! I hope you had a splendiferous weekend and are happy with the outcome of the Super Bowl. Frankly, I’m just impressed with myself for actually watching most of the game. See? Miracles can happen, folks. 😉 Before I jump into the weekend update (and my very first book club experience!), I need to first and foremost wish a big happy birthday to my Mama!
Thanks for being born so that you could subsequently give birth to me. Also, you know, ’cause you’re awesome.
So! Where to begin with this weekend. It was a-hustlin’ and a-bustlin’ with activity, that’s for sure! Friday night things got kicked off with the first ever DC Blogger Book Club. Claire had the marvelous idea to start up a book club so that we ladies could be fancy and intellectual and have yet another excuse to eat food, and I hosted the first one!
Claire & moi
The book that was chosen for our first sesh was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It was a very touching story given from the perspective of a dog, so naturally I was all about it.
Sarah, Ericka, and Jess in the book club circle.
I thought it was a great conversation book since there were several polarizing characters, and I just loved the opportunity to think critically about something for once!
Ericka & my roommate Erin
Jess and Carly
Rachel and Amy
And can we talk about the food for a second? I mean, it was bound to be awesome — we are primarily food bloggers, after all. But Cheezy Pete’s, I’m not sure I was quite prepared:
There was cake balls and s’mores cupcakes and cookies and chips and dips and… oy. It was awesome, needless to say.
Nom. Oh yeah, and there was wine too.
I think next time I will focus more on providing more wine since clearly we’ve got the food part in the bag, hehe. We already have our book for next month picked out: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. We’re still ironing out the details, but if you’re in the area and would like to join us for next time, let me know!
The rest of the weekend was, naturally, pretty much centered around last night’s Big Game. As if I hadn’t already eaten enough Friday night, there was a smorgasbord to dive into at the Super Bowl party I was at Sunday! Our contributions ended up being my mango guacamole (natch), and Cassie’s buffalo chicken bites (which were divine, even though I did a step wrong, haha).
Hoooooeeeee! Wednesday’s Weigh-in should be… interesting, given the extreme amounts of snackage that occurred, but maybe by then things will have evened out a little. And if not, oh well. It’s the Super Bowl, son!
Guff, what a post. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a doozy like this to put up! I hope that your weekends were as food- and fun-filled as my own. Are you celebrating a Giants win today, or mourning a Patriot loss?
Oh that looks so fun! I’ve been wanting to join a book club for awhile now!
I’m definitely celebrating the Giants win! Hooray! I hear you on the Superbowl Snackage – it was disastrous (but so good…). I made the buffalo bites that you posted last week and got rave reviews so major thank you for sharing those! They were SO good. Also, I’d love to come to the next book club meeting! Keep me posted!
I had such a blast at book club on Friday night! Thank you again for hosting!!
Also what am I looking at in that first picture….it looks like I’m talking to the ceiling lol.
Looks like so much fun! I have been really wanting to start a book club in here in NY. Miss you DC girls! I hope I make it back down soon.
So fun!! It’s great seeing other DC bloggers.
How fun! I’ve read both The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Forgotten Garden- loved them both! Happy bday to your mom- she looks so cute in that picture lol
Oh my gosh, I read The Art of Racing in the Rain based on a recommendation from a friend because she knew I was an avid dog lover and let me just say, I sobbed UNCONTROLLABLY throughout it. The ending? Even though it was a happy, beautiful ending, I lost my stuff, man! I was gushing tears and snot and had to wander out of my bedroom and crawl into my husband’s lap on the couch and cry for a solid ten minutes. I don’t know why it touched me so much, but it did. I think it’s because I’m still not over losing any of my pets and, I don’t want to give away any of the book, but you know what I mean! I kept gasping, “IT WAS THE DOG!” in between sniffles.
We started a book club in my town too, but we made it through 2 meetings before the holidays hit and we kind of stopped.
oo ooo oo I would like to join your book club!!! 🙂 I have been wanting to start one/be in one 🙂
I also made those buffalo chicken bites 🙂 I gave you a shout out on my blog about it 🙂
I’m not a blogger, but I am a regular reader in the DC area and would definitely be interested in book club! Please let me know if you’re still open to new members!
Same!!
I love how Daxie always looks kind of skeptical in photos. He’s so cute!!
AWWWWW WYAYAYAYAYYAYA. How fun, cute and awesome are we? Can’t wait for the next one! And woof, I look gross.
See you ladies next month!
Aww looks like so much fun! So excited to be a part of the next one and can’t wait to meet everyone! xoxo
That was such a fun time! I can’t wait for the next one 🙂 And for serious, it’s time for our dogs to be BFFs. Dog park soon please!
YES. Fin (sp?) & Daxter = BFFFFFFs.
LOVED the Art of Racing in the Rain. Mostly because (a) I love puppies and (b) I love dogs. Right up my alley.
Plus, being from Indiana the actual racing stuff must have been somewhat more relateable for you, eh?
HAHAHAHA. That was supposed to say “(a) I love puppies and (b) I love racing” but I suppose what I originally wrote was also accurate.
So YES. Very relatable.
Thanks for being the photographer and hosting an awesome night! So glad you guys thought of this idea!
You ladies look wonderful! In my head I attend book clubs all of the time. lol
I’m just glad you’ve experienced it in reality. Looked like a fabulous time!
I loved that book!
Oh my goodness I cried so much during “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” I wish I lived close to you (fingers crossed that something works out soon) because I love reading, I love food, and I love hanging out!
I’ll have to check out the next book you all are reading!
Looks like a fantastic weekend! I love the book club idea, and that food looks amazing.
I have been visiting your blog for a while now and I thought I would tell you, that it’s seriously entertaining and fun! I also love the honesty and sincerity of your blog!
Also, I am starting a book club! Mine will most likely be less classy then yours and I only have four people that want to join….so far, but I can’t wait for our first meeting! I promised everyone that we would have fun food and lots of adult beverages! Our first book is “The Help”. I wish I was closer to ya’ll, I would join yours too, it looked very fun!
Anyway, just thought I would say hi!
OMG the photo of your parents is SO CUTE!!! Happy bday to your mom. 🙂
The blogger book club is such a great idea. Maybe if I joined a book club I’d actually read more…and the food- WHOA.
I was going to make your mango guac for Superbowl Sunday but just really, really wanted to add tomatoes. So, I made my typical tomato-avocado dip and then my husband and I tried a bite with a piece of mango. Yeah- tomato and mango and NOT meant for each other. So I just ate some mango by itself, which is not bad either. 🙂
I cannot wait to join the next gathering! Wahooo to DC bloggers 😀
Can I come to your next book club? Haha – I sound like such a loser, but I’ve always wanted to join a book club and it looks like you girls sure know how to do it!
Psh, of course!! I’ll add you to the mailing list girrrrl! 😀
Yaaaay! Can’t wait.