"Little Miss Magic" is a popular children's book written by Roger Hargreaves. The book tells the story of a young girl named Little Miss Magic who has the ability to perform magical acts. Little Miss Magic is characterized as a kind and helpful character who uses her magic powers to bring happiness and solve problems for others. Throughout the book, she encounters various individuals and situations where her magic comes in handy. From turning a frown into a smile to making wishes come true, Little Miss Magic is always ready to lend a hand. The story also focuses on the idea that even though she has the power to perform magic, Little Miss Magic still faces challenges and learns about responsibility.
The story also focuses on the idea that even though she has the power to perform magic, Little Miss Magic still faces challenges and learns about responsibility. She uses her magic in a responsible manner and understands that there are limits to what she can do. The illustrations in the book are colorful and engaging, which captivate the attention of young readers.
Wiccan recipes for summer solstice
Summer Solstice Fantasy Feast
It’s here!! Nearly in the final hour!! Have been wicked busy but still dedicated to fulfilling my self imposed duty this year to upgrade all of my 2016 fantasy feasts. It brings me joy each year seeing people reblog my old feasts especially as those posts did help me to visualize and manifest incredible magical celebrations with friends. However as time goes on my standards unfortunately get higher and my tastes more elaborate so I felt it was time to redo my Summer Solstice vision. I hope this post with included recipes below get you in a hot summery mood!
In the read more there are the recipe links and additional explanations on personal symbolism and of course the image credits! I also always plan my feasts to be vegan inclusive for those with dietary restrictions but also aim for all the food to be somewhat local which matters in these seasonal feasts since it’s celebrating local nature. Anyway there is something for everyone here.
1: Starters
The ideal Summer Solstice feast to me is a mad fiery pagan bonfire bbq. If we are talking about a celebration honoring the fiery sun, summertime and food, my mind goes to a grill. However most BBQs can end up getting heavy quickly. Therefore the starters are a bit light. There will be charred vegetable skewers, steamed seafood, shrimp cocktail and jalapeno poppers. Honorable mention would be blistered padron peppers.
Garlic Herb roasted Shrimp with homemade Cocktail sauce recipe
Balsamic Grilled Veggie Skewers Recipe
Seafood image Source
(I would ideally want to serve just steamed seafood. The image is from a Paella recipe which is very summery but Paella is definitely a main dish and not a starter).
2: Sides
The bread choice for this feast will be focaccia with sundried tomatoes and garden herbs. Other dishes will be charred bell peppers, and a refreshing cucumber tomato salad.
3: Mains
The grill would provide a selection of food, but the main feature would be marinated barbeque ribs. The plant based option would be stuffed grilled bell peppers with smoked paprika.
Stuffed Bell Peppers image source (there’s no vegan recipes online that I find satisfying so I would prepare this with sautéed pinto beans with red onions in tomato sauce, smoked paprika, coriander and topped with a dash of chili flakes and oat crème fraiche).
Marinated Ribs Source (Beer-b-q ribs recipe)
4: Desserts
Summer is the fruity season!! We start to see more fruits in season towards the Summer crossquarter harvest, yet Summer Solstice sees strawberries and in some regions melons start to ripen. Other fruits I associate with this sabbat are light citrus flavors from Lemon, Grapefruit and Lime. Also since I was raised in NJ a regional summery treat we have are orange creamsicles. It’s a dreamy creamy citrus delight and has a special place in my heart so I feel like since it evokes summer so well for me it deserves a spot here.
For each sabbat dessert I have a tart of choice, a cake of choice and a special dish. The tart for Summer Solstice is torn between a fresh strawberry tart and a lemon meringue, but I would ultimately choose a lemon meringue tart with flamed mallow topping. The cake would be strawberry shortcake, and the special dessert would be an icecream cake (could change flavors per year but would mostly be orange creamsicle). Alternatives provided would be ice cream cookies as they are easy to make with vegan options/dietary restrictions and in different variety of flavors to suit peoples pallets. Also if you are in a region where it’s available, definitely a watermelon fruit salad. Watermelon was such a big part of summer in NJ but in England its like out of region so it’s mostly strawberries over here.
5: Drinks
Fruits really make their way into everything during summertime and the drink selection would reflect this. Only thing not pictured here would be an elderflower fresh mint iced tea which will be cooling and refreshing to counter act all the hot and spicy foods. Other than that of course the main non-alcoholic drink will be lemonade!
For the alcoholic selection I would love Strawberry wine, boozy melon bowls and grapefruit shandies (shoffenhofer tastes like summer on tap it will change your life). The spirit of choice will be tequila. Something about tequila is so fiery, summery and solar. I would make spicy mezcal sunset margaritas and flamed tequila shots.
6: Treats
Final part!! You can tell I am a very sensory person and one thing that made celebrations and holidays memorable as a kid were always the treats you walked away with. The little candies, snacks and tokens. If I were to have a celebration with a whole community including kids I would include some of these. Summery sweets for me were salt water taffy, fruity gummies (especially shark gummies), sticky sun drops on paper and fruity candies with melon, strawberry and citrus flavors. For savory options I would love spicy and smoky treats from fiery chili chips to smoked paprika crisps.
If you made it this far thank you so much for reading it all!! Hope I put you on a visual sensory experience for the summer. I would love to hear what dishes and foods you associate with the summer solstice or summer time in general.
You can check my litha tag for more ideas or my correspondence list for why I associate certain things with this time of year.
The name Litha is believed to derive from an ancient Germanic term which corresponds to the Summer months on the Germanic calendar. But nearly every ancient culture honored the Summer Solstice or Summer season in one way or another. One tradition is fairly consistent across cultural borders – the Summer Solstice was both a fire and water festival. Our ancestors enjoyed taking ritual baths and lighting large, raging-for-days bonfires. The fire and water elements in this sabbat demonstrate the clear importance of purification. Now…onto the food!
The narrative is written in a simple and easy-to-understand language, making it accessible for children of all ages. "Little Miss Magic" is not only an enjoyable story for children, but it also teaches important lessons about kindness, empathy, and the importance of using one's abilities for the greater good. It encourages children to be helpful and considerate towards others, showcasing the positive impact that acts of kindness can have on those around them. Overall, "Little Miss Magic" is a delightful children's book that combines fantasy and valuable life lessons. It is a must-read for parents and educators who want to instill positive values in young children while entertaining them with a delightful story..
Reviews for "Little Miss Magic and the Wonders of Imagination"
1. Emily - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Little Miss Magic". The plot was thin and predictable, and the characters felt flat and lacking in depth. I found it hard to connect with any of them or feel invested in their journey. The writing style was also quite basic, lacking creativity and originality. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book as it failed to engage me or leave any lasting impact.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - "Little Miss Magic" is a book that I struggled to finish. The story felt cliché and uninspired, with generic tropes and a lack of originality. The dialogue was forced and unrealistic, making it difficult to believe in the characters or the situations they found themselves in. Additionally, the pacing was extremely slow, dragging on without offering any real excitement or intrigue. I was really disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and captivating read.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Little Miss Magic" but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The narrative lacked depth and complexity, making it feel more like a children's book than a novel for adults. The characters were underdeveloped and their actions often didn't make sense, making it hard for me to relate to or care about their journey. The writing style was also quite simplistic, lacking the lyrical prose or vibrant descriptions that I usually enjoy in a book. Overall, I found "Little Miss Magic" to be underwhelming and wouldn't recommend it to avid readers who appreciate a well-crafted story.