January Book Club

I had a wonderful time at Book Club last night, and I am so much the better for knowing you wonderful women. I had some recipe requests, and I am glad to comply:

BLUE RIBBON SUGAR COOKIES

1 C. butter
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
2-1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. baking soda

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine butter, powdered sugar, and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Beat until dough forms a ball.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to about 1-1/2 inches with bottom of glass dipped in sugar; sprinkle with decorator sugars, if desired. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

GINGERSNAPS

1 C. packed brown sugar

3/4 C. shortening

1/4 C. molasses

1 egg

2-1/4 C. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

granulated sugar

Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 375°. Grease cookie sheet lightly. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until set. Remove from cookie sheet. Cook on wire rack.

"Wuthering Heights"

What can I say about Wuthering Heights other than it is a horrible book! I've heard Wuthering Heights called a great romance, but found nothing romantic about this book. Instead it is a book of obsession, of revenge, of abuse, and of selfishness--everything that love should not be. The relationship between Cathy & Heathcliff is supposed to be one of the greatest love stories ever, but their relationship is one of the most dysfunctional I have ever seen. I love the quote from critic George Barnett Smith who said Wuthering Heights is "perhaps one of the most unpleasant books ever written".

However, Smith continues to say, "but we stand in amaze at the almost incredible fact that it was written by a slim country girl who would have passed in a crowd as in insignificant person, and who had had little or no experience of the ways of the world". I must agree that this is a very powerful book, and it is amazing to think of a young, reclusive girl being its author. I found the subject matter somewhat depressing, but the writing itself quite strong.

I'm shallow enough to be glad that I can chalk up reading another classic book, so I can converse about it intelligently, but I would not willingly choose to read this book again.