BBAW: Community, Part 1

by Carol13 Comments
Today kicks off Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW for short), a week devoted to celebrating the book blogging community. I like how the event’s website puts it. BBAW was created “to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.” Today we are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for us. I have a couple of wonderful ladies to mention. Tif, from Tif Talks Books, first got me interested in fairy tales and other folk stories through her Fairy Tale Friday posts in 2010. I've fallen in love with them, leading to my own weekly posts, and I really have her to thank. The second is Blodeuedd from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell. I enjoy the conversational tone of her reviews, they make me smile. Also, she first introduced me to the Monday Morning...
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Monday Morning

by Carol16 Comments
We had a great time this weekend. Saturday we had a community carnival at our church and went to the races at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Maybe I'll post pictures somewhere later this week. Sunday my mom and I went to see The Help at the theater, which was really good. I got a few books this week. Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of  A Girl and Her Books and is being hosted by Leah of Amused by Books this month. India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr (Thanks to the author and her publicist) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (from Crown) Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett (from Smith Publicity via NetGalley) Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen (purchased. currently free for Kindle) I didn't have a very good reading week this past week.  The only books I finished was Witch Bell by Joan Lennon. Here's my list of posts...
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Review: Witch Bell by Joan Lennon

by Carol3 Comments
I love kids books that are fun, but sneak in some education at the same time. Witch Bell is a great example. The plot is full of adventure and great characters, but we also learn a little about medieval life. Pip is an orphan who has been taken in by the brothers at the Wickit Monastery in the fens of England. He has a companion that he met in the tower, a living, breathing small dragon gargoyle named Perfect. How many kids dream of having a pet like that? It's been raining for ages and many of the area residents have arrived at Wickit to escape flooding, including two strangers, the Traveler and the infamous Holy Hunter, an emissary of the Church. Through a series of events, Pip ends of being accused by the Holy Hunter of being in league with the devil. Of course Perfect and their new friend come to his rescue, but the whole adventure is fun and entertaining....
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Recipe: Spinach-Mushroom Quiche

by Carol13 Comments
I am not a cook, not really, although I am trying. I have never made a quiche before. I always had the suspicion that it would be hard, but I came across this recipe in one of my old Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines and thought it sounded like something David and I would. It actually turned out really yummy and wasn't difficult. Well, except shredding the cheese- I'm always afraid the grater is going to get my fingertips. Spinach-Mushroom Quiche Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as yukon gold (about 12 ounces) 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon cornstarch Salt and pepper Two 5-ounce containers baby spinach 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 3 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites 2/3 cup milk Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment, shred the potatoes; transfer to a large bowl and stir...
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“In the Clearing”

by Carol10 Comments
"In the Clearing" 381 words Jack felt as if he was being watched. Of course, here in the woods, all manners of creatures were watching him, the deer and birds, mice and squirrels, fairies and perhaps the witch whose cottage was nearby. But this different, it was as if the watcher was always with him, following him for weeks from village to village, delighting with him when he had tricked the giant into leaving the valley, mourned with him when his dog died. Friend or foe, Jack wasn't sure. At times Jack sensed the watcher wanted him to get into trouble, was not content with the days he was in peace in his own home, happy and content. Jack came up with a plan. He needed to know who was watching over him, a guardian angel or someone more sinister. He would retrieve his grandfather's harp, the one who could play by itself. It was against the rules of course, the harp kept...
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