Book Club

I love my book club. Ok, so it's more of just a girls' night out (don't tell our husbands!) but it's such a great time to get together with other women who are very similar to me, and talk about anything -- everything is fair game for conversation at book club!

It was my turn to host, but I didn't have a lot of time to prepare. So I found a great idea for a Southwest Cobb Salad that was a big hit. I just lined up all the toppings on a large platter and let the girls create their own combinations.

The spread: tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, multi-colored bell peppers, grilled chicken (rubbed with a bit of salt & pepper before grilling), black beans (making it "southwest"), avacados, and Parmesan cheese.

Then for the best part: dessert. I had the trimmings from the baby shower cake left over - I had the trimmed cake in the freezer, knowing I would find a use for it later. So I thawed the cake in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then cut it up into cubes.

Next I made a filling - I mixed together an 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip, 1 cup milk, 1 package of cheesecake instant pudding, and 1 cup sour cream.

Then I got out my trifle bowl and started layering: cake, pudding, and cherry pie filling, repeat.

The great thing about this recipe is that it's super easy but always turns out looking fantastic. And there are so many different combinations you can make - the possibilities are endless!