Book Club with Pinterest Recipes

It's so fun when it's my turn to host book club. When choosing what to serve, I decided to try a few of those Pinterest recipes that have been piling up!

We usually serve hors d'oeurves while everyone arrives, talk about life, talk about the book, then serve dessert. Then talk some more.

I've been dying to try Jen's Bacon Pops {click here for the recipe}. I think I put too much pepper in mine. When they say, "a couple twists of pepper" - they mean it. Also, even though I love goat cheese, maybe I would cut it in half next time. Because these bacon pops are RICH! I served them in little paper muffin cups & my guests ended up liking them on crackers - to tone done the strong taste a bit.

Another experiment was Spinach Artichoke Bites {click here}. They were easy to make. The girls liked them & my son finished off all the leftovers of them that night! I liked them ok. 

While perusing People Magazine one time, I stumbled upon Avril Lavigne's Quick Bites {which are like a bruschetta}. I really like them. Here's my version of that recipe:

Bruschetta Quick Bites

• 1 long baguette, sliced
• butter, softened
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes {I also used my regular garden tomatoes}, cut up small
• minced garlic from the jar
• 6 large basil leaves, minced
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter one side of each slice of bread. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste. Top each piece of bread with mixture. Serve.

Dirty Diet Cokes were served in my new vintage blue mason jars. A dirty diet coke has some coconut syrup & fresh lime mixed in. It is yum-my! {Since it was night time, I served the caffeine-free Diet Coke.}

For dessert: it's been a hot summer, so I wanted something refreshing. A Watermelon Lime Sorbet {again from Pinterest!} fit the bill. When I make it again, I would use fresh lime juice, because the lime flavor wasn't really apparent. Also, the recipe says, "1/2 to 1 cup of sugar".  I used 1 cup & Hunny said, "Does this have any sugar in it?". So I'm glad I used a cup & next time I might even bump it up just a bit. 

An old standby recipe went really well with the watermelon sorbet:

Doctored-Up Sherbet

• Soften some pineapple sherbet. 
• Add frozen sweetened raspberries  or strawberries or both! {They don't have to be sweetened, but I like it better. I forgot & used unsweetened raspberries for book club.}
• Add whatever other fruit you'd like. Banana bits are divine. 
• Refreeze & soften a little before serving. 

These little cookies taste so good & they are pretty for a garnishment: 

So, of course it always best to practice new recipes first, but there wasn't time & my girlfriends are the perfect, gracious guests! 

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BTW, the book we read was A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer. It was very interesting, but it had a bit of language & sexual content - things I try to avoid with my picks. 

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