It is so sad but true: Mother Nature is going to wreck
another Halloween for some. Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have been
affected by Hurricane/Tropical Cyclone Sandy.
I was thinking about how blessed we are here in middle
Tennessee, where the worst thing that will happen is that my daughters will
have to wear their winter coats to go trick or treating. Actually, we go trunk or treating at our church.
Courtesy: dreamstime.com |
If you have never tried trunk or treating, I highly
recommend it. Trunk or treating is a fun, safe alternative to walking or
driving in rural neighborhoods like ours.
We just bring our pumpkins, decorate our trunk, (but you don’t have too)
bring candy and walk around the parking lot. Our church sets up a big grill so
you can B.Y.O.M. (bring your own meat), so it’s a real family affair. One of the best things about this option for
me is it allows teens to stay with families and have fun too.
Speaking of teens, did you know that about 19% of
Americans surveyed by Nextdoor.com think
that 13 is the cut off age for trick or treating? I don’t agree because I know
how my 13 year old daughter would feel if she were told she was too old to participate. She is still having fun being a kid! Why rush her into
growing up?
What do you think is a good cut off age?
I’m thinking by the time my daughter turns 16; we will
have to brainstorm an alternative. Maybe she would rather host a pizza
party/candy exchange. Maybe she will volunteer to help out at the trunk or
treat event at church. We have time to sort it out.
I would love to hear what
you do with your older teen! For now, my family will go out and enjoy ourselves
for a few hours.
Does your family celebrate Halloween?
Whatever you and your family do this Halloween, please
stay safe, watch out for those fast moving kiddies and remember to smile and
have fun in the moment. Treasure the memories you are making!
Cherry Tomatoes Tasty Herb Roasted Bites
by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 26, 2012
All summer long my family and I have enjoyed the bounty
of 2 Cherry Tomato plants. One, a yellow cherry was so sweet it was like candy
and the other, a Christmas cherry bought for the girls was a tart, tangy bite
of summer heaven.
We spent many a happy afternoon harvesting. One for the basket, one for us. Is there
anything better than popping a fresh from the vine, warmed by the sun cherry
tomato right in your mouth? Nope, it is pure bliss I tell you!
But by the time the first part of October rolled around,
I was looking for a way to preserve some of that heaven without having to buy
or borrow a dehydrator. That’s when I came across a wonderful recipe posted on
thetanglednest.com. I took her idea and like most recipes, I modified it to
suit my needs. Here’s what I did:
Half
If desired you can scoop out the seeds with a small melon
baller. (I opted not to do this step because there was hardly anything left by
the time I got the seeds out.)
Spread them out cut side up on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper if you’ve got it on hand.
Spoon Olive Oil/Herb Mix over tomatoes. (Recipe below).
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and a dusting of fresh black
pepper.
Roast in a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until colored & dry just a bit, not dehydrated. I baked mine for the full 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 30 minutes. Don’t bake more than an hour.
If you are lucky and have enough tomatoes on hand you can
cool these and them pack them in freezer jars to save a bit of summer for
later. I didn’t get that chance, but these tomatoes have a long refrigerator
life, staying yummy for several days as we nibbled away on them. These Tasty Herb Roasted Bites are an easy way to preserve your bounty.
Enjoy!
Olive Oil/Herb Mix Recipe:
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. chopped Thyme or Oregano or Basil or a combo.
Fresh black pepper to taste
The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie- A modern-day fairy tale for grown-up girls.
Summary:
In this humorous and insightful tale, a modern day princess finds herself single and asking for magical intervention to change her sorry love life. Rather than casting a spell to bring Prince Charming to her rescue, a savvy fairy godmother gives the tenderhearted damsel an unexpected gift. By entrusting her true thoughts and desires to an unlikely confidant, the young royal soon discovers that the person who could make her life everything she dreamed it would be has been with her all along.
As author Kym Petrie herself realized, every woman needs a froggy friend and a secret journal—and enough adventures with the girls to keep her heart pounding and her mind racing. Life is meant to be about happy beginnings . . . you can never have enough of them.
As author Kym Petrie herself realized, every woman needs a froggy friend and a secret journal—and enough adventures with the girls to keep her heart pounding and her mind racing. Life is meant to be about happy beginnings . . . you can never have enough of them.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published September 18th 2012 by Greenleaf Book Group
Category, YA
Courtesy: Goodreads.com
My Review:
The Enchanted Truth is a simple, feel good gift book that would be a perfect gift for a teen or young person searching for that perfect boyfriend or Mr. Right. It’s got a young reader vibe to it which I attribute to the rather abundant use of descriptive character titles throughout.
It is a short story at only 40 pages, so it’s a quick read, taking me only 10 minutes to complete. It’s cute and funny, without being too over the top in the self-help department, which is why this book was written. To help a friend who was caught up in a disappointing search for Prince Charming.
Even though I found my own Prince Charming decades ago and having been living happily ever after, I put down The Enchanted Truth with a smile and took away this simple but powerful message from page 36:
“It’s the magic of inner spirit that makes ones dreams come true”.
Don’t we all need to remember that message? That we have the power to help ourselves?
That one message alone is important enough for me to happily recommend The Enchanted Truth to teens and up.
Win It:
Would you like to win a copy for yourself or to give as a gift? Then please enter my giveaway below.
My WAHM Plan Disclosure: I received a copy of The Enchanted Truth for my review and to host this giveaway. While I was compensated, all opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for shipment of prize.
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Almost Wordless Wednesday
by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, October 10, 2012