Nothing says Summer like...

Summer is in full swing again and I was able to actually pick some of my early cherry tomatoes this morning. I grew an heirloom tomato mixture this year, which gives a beautiful mix of flavors, colors, and sizes.  You can buy heirloom cherry tomatoes pre-packaged now in most grocery stores very inexpensively and at this time of year there's a plethora of delicious veggies and fruits in season.

This is hearty enough to serve as a main course, yet sliced smaller it makes a simple, elegant and delicious appetizer as well.

Tarte Rustica con Tomates es Fromage

• 7 sheets phyllo dough (14 inches x 9 inches)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 7 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded gruyere cheese
• 2 pints heirloom cherry or 4 pints grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon goat cheese. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Repeat layers, brushing oil all the way to edges.
• Sprinkle onion over top to within 1 in. of edges; sprinkle with fontina cheese. Arrange tomato slices in a slightly overlapping pattern over fontina cheese. Sprinkle with chives, basil, salt and pepper. Bring up edges of tart over filling.
• Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

Who wants FREE Eyeglasses?

I received my eyeglasses free in exchange for this review post. The opinions shared are 100% my own and did NOT have to be positive. 

Okay everyone so here's the links I mentioned in the video:

The Firmoo First Pair Free Program

WHY choose Firmoo, you ask? Besides the reasons I mentioned in my video, here's a few others:

1) Firmoo's Interactive Digital Try On Tool. Upload a face shot and see what your new glasses will look like on YOU, not on a random generic model!

2) First Pair Free Program: HELLOOOOO What about the word FREE didn't grab you already?

3) Cute, cute, CUTE frames and styles! Adorable, trendy, funky, fun, flirty, ultra stylish...if you want a type, these guys have them!

4) Great support!! Any questions you have, they get back to you super fast! Most questions can be answered by visiting this link

5) Bonus gifts! I talked about these in the video but here are some pics of what you will receive from Firmoo in addition to your glasses: 

 Now here are some pics of me wearing my new Firmoo's glasses,

 Follow this link here to get the exact style I chose and have showcased in this entry. They are style SD 2303 in the Black/Blue option. They also have Black/Clear and Black/Burgundy in this style.  

  

AND FINALLY THE LINK TO COUNTRY SISTERS MUSIC VIDEO, THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY GIRL

Arms of Love -- A BookSneeze Reviews

Arms of Love is a tender, touching, soulful novel in my favorite genre: Amish Fiction. I love the thought of Amish love and indeed some days wish I were Amish (okay, every day I wish I were Amish). Until the day I save enough to chuck it all, buy a farm in Bird in Hand or somewhere in Pennsylvania, I will content myself with reading terrific Amish fiction.

Arms of Love was new and familiar to me in many ways. I liked reading about a time period in American Amish life I had not read of before, the late 18th century. Set in 1777, the American Revolution is raging and American Separtists and British soldiers are both troubling Amish people to join their ranks and declare themselves. Their lives were fraught with peril because many refused to fight, to house soldiers OR 'Englischers' meaning anyone not Amish. Young Amishmen were leaving home and taking up arms to fight for freedom although it was staunchly against their religion to do so. Amid this troublesome time Lena Yoder and Adam Wyse are a young couple deeply in love. However Adam is torn between the fighting and between his religious beliefs and the Amish community. Does Adam ignore his personal beliefs and stay in the Amish community with Lena, the only woman he's ever loved? Does he turn his back on home, family, and love and go fight? What does Lena do?  Those are answers that can only be found out by reading Arms of Love which I highly recommend you do!

**I received a digital copy of this title in order to provide this review. My review is my own personal opinion and reflects no one else's input or thoughts. My review had to be at least 100 words and did NOT have to be positive.**

Do you LOVE reading? Are you a fellow blogger? Join BookSneeze and you too can get free books to review! Follow the banner in my sidebar for great reads!

~~Cleaning House~~ A Blogging For Books Review

This was the BEST book I have read in a very, very long time!! I love non-fiction and parenting books and this book was written with insight, humor, and you can feel Kay's sheer joy come through her words.

Cleaning House is the story of Kay Wills Wyma's year long experiment to change the status quo in her household. Her kids were not always tidy yet felt entitled to certain things and a way of life. Kay became frustrated and decided that the family needed a real shake up to make things happen. She chose twelve things for the family to work on and assigned one area each month for a year.

My favorite part of the book was how she engaged the children in helping with meal duties. They took turns making a decision on each meal, one kid did the shopping (with mom's help, of course) cooked as much of it as they could alone but mom was there to supervise and served dinner then cleaned up afterwards. Her oldest son was early disillusioned when he decided to buy take out for the family on his nights to cook and found that everyone was not as appreciative of his effort as he thought they should be. His final weekly turn came around and mom put her foot down and told him he needed to go the whole distance and plan a meal, shop, prep, cook and clean up. Everyone was more appreciative of his home made effort and he felt he had made a major accomplishment.

Cleaning House is a terrific book for moms who are tired of being Supermom with a household who expects everything done for them instead of helping to do things around the house.

**I received a copy of Cleaning House through Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in consideration for my review. The above account is my personal opinion of the title and does not reflect any one else's opinion either the author nor publisher. The review did NOT have to be positive.**

♥♥ Thursday Thankfulness♥♥ †2.28.13†

I have thought about starting my own "meme" for quite a while now and this morning, my Inspired email from Waterbrook Multnomah came and I wanted to share it with everyone. Then the Thursday Thankfulness idea came back to life. So what if I can't afford a Mr. Linky right now? Hopefully other Christian bloggers, Mom bloggers, and definitely Christian Mom Bloggers will want to take part! This meme is the place to grab some inspiration and then go to your own blog and post a verse from your quiet time reading your Bible, reading your devotional, one that came via email maybe such as my Inspired uplift or my KLOVE Encouraging Word does. Maybe a verse that God has put on your heart as meaningful, that is pulling you through something, giving encouragement, solace, peace, comfort, and reassurance. Share it! We could all use a daily Faith Lift and this is my way of sharing and caring.


There's the daily dose of inspiration. NOW for the Thankfulness part of the post: Choose THREE things, large or small, that you are thankful for in your life to share.

1. God showing me each morning that my life is great in little ways: a kitty waking me up to cuddle, my dog needing to be walked, friends and family to connect with. 
2. Kaplan University! This is a new one for me. Kaplan has a similar-yet-different approach to online education. Yes, there are still discussion posts but they are more engaging. There is also a live seminar component one day a week in each class that helps me firm up my schedule and keep in my routines. 
3. My career with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

Do you want to share some inspiration and thankfulness? COMMENT! Share your link to your blog in your comment. Within a week I should be able to get a Mr. Linky up and running to make this easier but for now if you comment and leave a link we'll visit you, I promise!

God Bless & Happy Thursday Everyone!

†Saving Grace† *A Review for ~~Blogging♥For♥Books~~

Somehow I managed to NEVER get this wonderful book reviewed and for that I can only apologize to Waterbrook Multnomah's amazing Blogging For Books crew and the remarkably talented Annie Jones, one of my all time favorite authors.

I received this book quite some time ago to review and fell in love practically from page one. The ladies from Prayer Tree, a previous Jones title, are back and as engaging as ever. Most every woman can find a character to relate to in these two titles, either in Rosemary, Naomi, Gayle, or Lucy who were introduced in Prayer Tree or perhaps in the elderly character of Grace Grayson who relives a tragic disappointment every year on the night of New Bethany's Splendor Belle Gala. 

This year, on the night of the gala, Mrs. Grayson is seen once again in her ball gown of fifty years earlier but this may well be the last year she puts it on.  The prayer circle ladies, who've grown a bit apart since the last time we joined them, have decided to take Grace on as a project of sorts hopefully to strengthen their bonds again and make Miss Grace less lonely, too.  Each woman undergoes different trials and troubles through the story but each one brings the woman closer to her family, her friends, and ultimately to God. 

As I've said previously, Annie Jones is one of my favorite authors and Saving Grace definitely did not disappoint. Even though it is a sort of sequel you do not have to have read Prayer Tree to understand Saving Grace and enjoy it as well. 

I received a copy of this title in exchange for my review through the Waterbrook Multnomah "Blogging for Books" program. The review did not have to be positive and is my own opinion.

MUST SEE for ALL country fans and/or Lady GaGa fans

Yeah, I, um...well, I never and I do mean NEVER post stuff like this...because most people who know I was raised country and will live and die country would be appalled to know I also like Lady GaGa...okay, there, my big deep dark secret is out...and yeah, I sing along with Hannah Montana songs AND Jonas Brothers Year 3000 still, too...

But, I was cruising YouTube looking for some new karaoke videos...and I totally found something I NEVER expected...one of my fave country groups covering Lady GaGa...and covering my fave GaGa song, at that! I *love* born this way. I was bullied horribly as a kid for being a little overweight, having reddish hair, and loving country music and wearing boots and jeans in Orange County...California, of course. Probably folks from Orange County in NY wouldn't have thought twice...after all, they've got OCC and that totally rocks!

But, here it is the video I've been raving about...if it speaks to you or you just really love it, think about reposting it or sharing it with someone else!

I hope you guys really loved like I did. Have a great night!