Fairy Queen Quiches

Pin It Now!

I made these along with Frosty Fairy Mints for a sweet, little fairy party for 2. I found the recipe in Barbara Beery's Fairies cookbook.

Fairy Queen Quiches (Makes 10-12)

• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (or I am sure you could make your own)


• 1/2 cup grated swiss cheese


• 2 eggs


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/8 tsp. pepper


• 2 TBS cream


• 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Generously spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. (I just used olive oil) Cut out piecrusts with a 2-3 in. circle or flower-shaped cookie cutter. Place each cutout inside muffin cup.

Place approximately 1 tsp. grated Swiss cheese into bottom of each pastry shell.

In a med. sized bowl, combine eggs, salt, pepper, and cream. Pour into pastry shells, filling each almost to the top.

Sprinkle with 1 tsp. grated Swiss cheese, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and slightly puffed. Remove from oven and cool 5 min. before removing each quiche from pan. Garnish with a cherry tomato slice.

You can embellish with green bell peppers cut into stem and leaf shapes.

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

Tuesdays at the Table

Tip Me Tuesday

Worth the Read

Pin It Now! Color Me Toxic Why it's not a bad idea to limit artificial colors in your diet.

Interview with Ken from Toy Story Too funny! And I love Vicky's message following.

Georgia Man Loses Face Wow, amazing story of a man who was diagnosed with cancer.

SAHM Wise: Pacifiers

Pin It Now! I don't think I made it out of the hospital without plopping the "plug!" I just think these things are genius.

I already felt like a human pacifier nursing every couple of hours, so I was all for anything to help soothe my babies in between those feeding times!

I didn't notice them ever interfering with nursing or anything like that, but when it came time to take them away, well, sometimes that was no fun at all!!

When my kids were babies, I pretty much let them have "pappies" whenever. As toddlers, I slowly weaned them off of using them during wake time, and only let them have pacifiers for nap time and nighttime.

It's funny because with each kid, I let "pappy" stick around a little longer. I believe I took the passy away by the time my first born was 2 1/2. I made kid #2 give it up on his 3rd birthday. And, I think I'd rather not say how long I let my daughter keep it. Yes, I know, I am a terrible mother, but I was exhausted. I think I was the one who wanted her to have it!!! Okay, she was 3 1/2, probably closer to 4. ( I just told myself, "At least she doesn't suck her thumb! A passy can be taken away.)

Once the pacifier was gone, naps were, too. My kids couldn't sleep without their passies. I think this was a huge factor in letting my daughter have it for so long. I dreaded giving up her 3 hour naps. Oh, she was my best napper!!!!

Anyway, all of my kids have turned out completely normal. I can't really say I regret using pacifiers. Yes, when the time came to take them away, that was always an ordeal, but overall, their benefit outweighed the few days of take-away-torture. And to me, they were better alternatives to thumbs or fingers!! I'd use them again in a heartbeat-- not that I will ever need to.


So are you a passy lover or passy hater? Why?

Do Hard Things Date

Pin It Now! We had to take our picture in the car b/c my son was not about to embarrass himself in the restaurant.

I told my oldest, who is on the verge of turning 11, that when he finished reading Do Hard Things, I'd take him on a date. So, we went to Chili's (his choice) and had a swell time.

I have already raved about this book in another post, so I won't gush again here. I did want to point out, though, that when I handed Do Hard Things to my son, he kinda gave me that "I-have-to-read-this?" look. My look back to him meant, "Yes, you have to read this."

He liked it. And I can tell he is pumped about it. He probably didn't get teary-eyed (like I did) over it, but I am so glad that he really did like it. I think it will be one of those books that he will go back to over and over again--at least in his mind--when making life choices, especially the hard ones.

Some topics of our discussion:

• Myth of Adolescence and current teen expectations



• Goals for my son's teenage experience



• Five Kinds of Hard-- Things outside comfort zone, Things that go beyond what's expected or required, Things that are too big to accomplish alone, Things that don't earn an immediate payoff, and Things that challenge the cultural norm.



• Small Hard Things



• Being known for what you DO and not just what you don't do



• Focusing on doing what God is doing in YOUR life and not comparing yourself to others



• Doing what's hard for YOU



• Pursuing excellence and not excuses

I enjoyed my time with my son. I am still having a difficult time grasping the fact that this young man isn't crying over cracked breakfast bars, lighting up every time he sees a train, and cuddling and twirling my hair in his ear at bedtime. *sigh*

He's growing up, and I hope he knows that while I am so NOT perfect and overreact and fail at times, I do love him with all my heart. :)

A Very Overdue Book Review

Pin It Now!

Last summer I read The Shack.

I read it for the very same reason I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I just had to know for myself what all the hype was about--what it was that had Christians so tangled and at odds with each other. ( Ahem, I must unashamedly admit, the Harry Potter books have become one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE fiction series. Ever.)

Anyway, back to The Shack. I had planned on writing a thorough review last summer right after finishing the book. I took notes and everything. Summer got busy, and I never got around to it.

So, here it is a year later, and before I give the book back to my mom, I thought I'd share a few thoughts. This surely won't be the review I had planned--just some thoughts. There is probably a lot I have forgotten. . .

Okay, so to be honest, overall, I liked the book. I mean, I don't really like lady bugs anymore and I never want my daughter to go camping, but the book--it was good. That's not to say I agreed with every little detail, but I am definitely not on the extreme "this-book-is-from-the-pit" side or anything.

I think I "get" the book as a whole. I think I "get" what the author was trying to convey--that Jesus is about "relationships not religion", about "love not law." I truly was touched in parts and got teary-eyed every now and then.

For me, the book was a beautiful word picture of how Jesus really is alive and truly is Emmanuel, and that the Bible is so much more than a book of rules and regulations.

"Mackenzie!" she chided, her words flowing with affection. "The Bible doesn't teach you to follow rules. It is a picture of Jesus. While words may tell you what God is like and even what he may want from you, you cannot do any of it on your own. Life and living is in him and in no other. My goodness, you didn't think you could live the righteousness of God on your own, did you?" (p. 197-198)

I found myself being able to relate to The Shack's main character, Mack, as he struggled to make sense of trial and tribulation, of deep, intense suffering, of his anger and frustration toward God. How could he have a relationship with someone who allowed such horrible things to happen? I am human, and I have thought these things before. Suffering, though, as I have seen in my own life can bring me closer to God and help me realize just how frail and fragile I am. (Hopefully none of us will ever live through what Mack lived through!) Suffering reminds me that I need Him.

I remember hearing that a lot of people had issues with how the Trinity was represented by the author, WM. Paul Young. Personally, I thought it was a rather unique perspective. It is fiction, and in fiction, I believe using imagery and symbolism are effective and acceptable ways to drive home a point. I wasn't offended or completely turned off by it. I think the author made it clear that God is a Spirit and neither male nor female. Do I really think God is going to show up at my doorstep as some Della Reese-like woman presenting me with a freshly baked apple pie? Um, no. Just like I know Jesus isn't really a lion named Aslan, and the Devil isn't an evil, white witch who tempts people with Turkish Delight.

Of course, this is just my opinion, and it comes from a die-hard fiction lover. I have always loved literature and the pursuit of digging for symbols and meanings and nuggets of truth etc. At the very end of The Shack--this is a SPOILER ALERT: Do not read on if you still haven't read the book and want to . . .



 . . . you realize it was all just a dream anyway. For me, this is definitely a huge "Hello, this is just symbolic!" It's an invitation to find the meanings behind the symbols. I naturally do this with any fiction book. And I really enjoy it. :)

I always find that going to the source is a great way to find out about someone. I surely haven't read everything on the author's blog, but what I have doesn't convince me that the guy is completely wacko or anything.

What were your thoughts?