After work today, Ryan went out golfing with some coworkers, so I enjoyed a quiet night with Sadie!
First, I spent a good hour outside in the cool evening air with October’s book club selection.
Have any of you guys started or finished the book yet? I’m about 200 pages in and think it’s okay so far. I’m entertained but not enthralled.
Also, it’s quite the sexy book, no? Apparently some of you are sassy little minxes out there who recommended this book to me! 
Once my stomach started grumbling, I put the book aside and made myself a delicious dinner.
I made another batch of butternut squash wheatberry mock risotto.
I am seriously loving this recipe and am tempted to try other variations – like sweet potato mock risotto. Yum!
For those of you who asked about wheatberries when I initially posted the recipe, they’re deliciously chewy and are a great source of fiber and protein, among other nutrients.
After dinner, I played with Sadie in the backyard while catching up with my friend Michaela on the phone. Why is it that talking to good friends who live hundreds of miles away makes me both happy and sad? I miss my girlfriends so much!
And now Ryan just walked through the door. Off to hang with my little family before bed!
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yayyy I have butternut squash in the fridge, so I can’t wait to give this a try!! 🙂
I clicked the link up to Michaela, HOW FUN! Ah, 2009 the good ole days…I agree about talking to old friends it’s bittersweet!
I recently made spiced butternut squash soup (recipe on my blog), and can’t get enough. This sounds like another great fall recipe I need to try! =)
I hear you about talking to old friends who live far away. Over the last couple of years, a lot of my close friends have moved all over the country. It’s definitely tough, but I think it’s a testament to the friendship when you’re able to stay close even with the distance.
I tried out your recipe using sweet potatoes this past weekend, and it is delicious! You should definitely give it a try! Sweet potatoes are probably way easier to work with than butternut squash, too 🙂
That risotto looks fantastic. I love butternut squash adn would probably sub out barley because I can’t find the wheatberries.
Have you ever tried to play golf? I started about 2 years ago and find it’s a great hobby to share with my husband.
i haven’t actually. i wouldn’t mind trying but i’m not a huge fan of mini golf, so i’m not sure how i’d like it…
That looks amaaazingg! I totally need to try it!
That meal STILL looks great! 🙂 I need to get some wheatberries! Where do you find them?
Any risotto sounds fab right now! Looks fab 🙂
That does look amazing!
So I do love a good read–I might have to pick that one up!
Love that dinner of yours! Always makes my mouth water. I looove wheatberries too! They are so nutritious and filling.
A BBQ place near my house makes a killer side dish of wheatberries with their house-made BBQ sauce. DROOL CITY.
I had this kind of night last night when my husband had to go out of town for work. I like a quiet evening once in awhile, but not for TOO long. 😉 He came home this afternoon though, so that’s nice!
I’m not in your book group, but I read that book several months ago and really enjoyed it. I think I mostly liked it because it’s actually based on a First Lady, and to think of what some of them deal with (or have dealt with) on a day-to-day basis is pretty incredible.
Have a great night, Julie!
I read that book. It is a very slow start and I wasn’t really into it until the last 100 pages. But it does get really interesting towards the end (I won’t spoil it for you!).
that’s great to hear. i think it’s okay right now – a little slow – so i’m glad to hear it picks up a bit!
oh wow that dinner looks amazing and so perfect for fall!
I love having a quiet night to myself every now & then, but it’s always nice when the husband finally comes home!
I read that book about a year ago (?) and never finished it. Just couldn’t get into her story really…good luck!
I love quiet nights like those. We split up tonight. Me to do my volunteer duty at the PetsMart adoption center and he to visit his parents. We will regroup here in a few and finish off the hockey game!
The Kidless Kronicles
that looks so good- what section of the grocery store should I look for wheatberries?
i bought them from the organic section at publix.
American Wife started out great and got worse and worse and worse…
Wow…..that looks…..filling…
That’s exactly how I feel about talking to friends on the phone! All my best friends are all over the country right now and while I am so happy to be catching up I’m so sad remembering how very far away they are!
that recipe looks as delicious as it did the first time around! need to try this one asap 🙂
hope you’re enjoying the book!
I recently started reading this book, after I saw that you were doing another book club. I’m just getting into the second “chapter”, and I definitely agree that the start was kind of slow. Towards the end of the first chapter, though, I found myself really intrigued to learn more about her life leading up to current day! I also found myself a little taken by surprise with the more graphic scenes…I wasn’t expecting it!
ha! me neither! so saucy. 🙂
Ahh! That book shocked me too. I actually didn’t end up finishing it. I read maybe 150 pages, and it just wasn’t keeping my attention. But a lot of people love it! That dinner looks so delicious.
American Wife gets so much better towards the end.
I don’t know if you’ve read anything else by Curtis Sittenfeld, but she’s also written Prep and The Man of My Dreams. Prep is my favorite book of all time (and is a lot faster paced than American Wife). The Man of My Dreams is also a good girly book and moves a lot more quickly.
I absolutely loved Prep. I read it so many years ago I didn’t put two and two together that it was the same author!
Prep is almost my favorite book of all time! read it my senior year of high school (4 years ago). it’s amazing! American Wife & Man of My Dreams are good by Prep is definitely the best IMHO. 🙂
also** but ** haha 😛
I also LOOOVED Prep. I haven’t read either of her newer ones though.
That risotto looks amazing!
love you!
love you back, kay!!
Well now I’m even more intrigued to read that book….haha..what does that say about me??
I love my hubby, but I enjoy surprise alone time like you had. No chores, just relaxing!
I loved the book!
That mock risotto looks delicious!
Sometimes it’s so nice to have the house to yourself and do your own thing- that risotto looks as delicious as the last time!
Aw that looks amazing! I missed dinner last night and by the time I got up this morning, I was starving! Not impressed at all – however am feeling much better now 🙂 I have to try your recipe. It looks amazing!
I’m surprised you’re not hooked by the beginning b/c I loved the first 200 pages or so and then it faded out for me…
It took me a really long time to get into it also, but I have heard people say what the previous commenter said also. I would stick with it 🙂
That mock risotto looks so good! I don’t think I’ve ever even attempted a risottos that didn’t have the word “mock” in front of it.
Haha I was totally thrown off by the sex scenes in that book! Came out of nowhere! (TWSS? Yikes).
I love butternut squash! That mock risotto looks delicious. I love making risotto. It’s very time consuming but it’s completely worth it in the end. 🙂
I’m really surprised there wasn’t a joke about the pumpkin being enjoyed on the side!
I’m not technically doing the book club but I did read this one a couple years ago and LOVED it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m really interested in Laura Bush or what but the writing just really spoke to me — the kind that has put my own feelings into words for me! Also, did you read Prep? That was her first one, which I also really liked. Because of that, I ordered her third one (the title is escaping me now) and liked it most of all even though it was the shortest. Anyway…keep plugging away with it, hopefully you will like it in the end! You should read Prep if you haven’t!
American Wife is DEF on the list of top 3 books I’ve read this year. Wisconsin small town + Madison College Life + Presidential = ummmmmm WRITTEN FOR ME, much!?!? 😉
Glad you are enjoying it!