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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough

By Bob on March 24, 2011 5:50 AM

I don't usually review "chick lit" but since Charlotte's knee-deep in tax returns I decided to take one for the team. Confession: I'm glad I did. Because that meant I got to read Ruth Pennebaker's wonderful new novel, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.

Ruth's an Austinite (for those of you living outside of the great state of Texas that means she lives in Austin, Texas) and I've been reading her work for years. Her prose is sharp, witty and she can throw a punch with the best of 'em. Women...doesn't disappoint.

 

Pennebaker's plot centers around Joanie Pilcher, a divorced 50-something Baby Boomer living in a house with her 77-year-old mother, Ivy and her 15-year-old daughter, Caroline. The lingering recession has brought these three women together and they make the best (often worst) of it. Joanie's experience as a mom and a daughter provide plenty of room for humor and some cringe-worthy moments that are all too real.

 

It's a story that any Boomer with children and aging parents can appreciate. Pennebaker really understands these characters and she paints them with the fine strokes of an Andrew Wyeth canvas. You know these people - hell, you may even live with some of them - and it's refreshing to see other people take on real problems and handle them in a real way.

 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough is a page-turning delight for any Baby Boomer - woman or man. Pennebaker pulls back the layers of the sandwich generation to reveal some real heroes. You may even recognize yourself.  

 

Author: Ruth Pennebaker

Publisher: Berkley Trade  

Penned: January 2011

Time Out: Pennebaker uses her 320 pages to tell a gripping and funny story of three women you'll recognize from your own life.   

Beach Worthy: Yes, indeed. Pick up a copy and put it in your beach bag right now.

 

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Guest Room

Diabetes-Friendly Chicken Burrito Bowl

ChickenBurritoBowlEverydayDiabetes 600.jpg

By Laura Cipullo and Lisa Mikus, authors of Everyday Diabetes Meals
Image credit: Colin Erricson

Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.

Tips:

If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.

If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.

Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.

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Windy City

It's been almost 18 years since Alison Krauss gave us a solo album, but the wait is over with Windy City. The release (her fifth solo studio album) features ten covers of classic songs (and some bonus tracks) she picked with producer Buddy Cannon.

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