Mabon Feast Recipe Swap

 Mabon
The witch's thanksgiving.  The second harvest.  The celebration of the vine.  The time of balance.  The return of the Lord of Shadows.  The time of thanks.  The time of remembrance.

As witches, Mabon is the time of year when we gather to give thanks for what we have been blessed with during the harvest.  It is a time when we prepare for long winter ahead and for the final harvest at Samhain.  One of the many ways we celebrate and give thanks to our Gods is through the feast.  Mabon begins my favorite time in the Wheel of the Year as it is time for all my favorite harvest/fall foods.  And what is a fall feast without cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes!

Cranberry-Orange Sauce
2 cups fresh/frozen cranberries
1 Tbs grated orange zest
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute (add more if you'd like a sweeter sauce)

Place all cranberries, zest, cinnamon and water into a medium sized saucepan over medium heat; stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until berries have popped and sauce has thickened (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat and add sugar/sugar substitute.  Serve at room temperature.

Sauce can be made up to one week before Mabon and refrigerated (NOT FROZEN!) in a covered container.

Cider Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3lbs of Sweet Potatoes, sliced into wedges
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup apple cider

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss together potato slices, oil, cinnamon, salt/pepper in a large bowl.  Transfer to a baking dish and drizzle with cider.  Roast until browned and cooked through (30 min).


Once you're done cooking and the table is set, say some form of prayer/thanks (see below for my personal favorite) for the harvest and remember those who may have to go without.  I always make it a point to go through my closets, especially my winter items, and give them away to local charities as well as making my donation to Island Harvest (a Long Island version of City Harvest).  You can also donate your time to a local soup kitchen and help feed those less fortunate than ourselves.  I always try to get my students to remember that people are hungry all the time, not just during the holidays and making charitable contributions throughout the year is important. 

Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.

- from About.com/Paganism/Wicca

What are your favorite Mabon recipes?  What do you plan on cooking this year?  Share your recipes with the Linky tool below or in the comments section!

Elementals: Fire

Campfire from camping trip to the Catskills, NY

 Fire

Direction: South

Time of Day: Noon

Colors: Red/Orange

Represents: youth, energy, drive, passion, ambition, career, creativity, healing, protection, will, divine within, male fertility, the God
Sabbat: Litha

Herbal Correspondences: alder, basil, bay laurel, carnation, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, holly, hyssop, marigold, pepper, primrose, rosemary, rowan, rue, saffron, St. Johnswort

Zodiac Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Tarot Suit: Wands

Used for: to heal and/or harm, creation and/or destruction, purification, bring new life, end the life of the worn out and old

One of the many ways I love to work with fire is through cooking.  And what better place?  The kitchen holds the hearth of the home and, of course, plenty of fire energy.  There's something that comes alive within me while I'm cooking and the energy that builds in the house when my fellow witches cook together is amazing.  I cannot wait to make something for the Full Moon tomorrow.  This is a recipe I tried recently and loved.

Fire Spice Pork Chops

You will need:

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to mix herbs and garlic into a paste) - Approx. 2 Tbs.

4 center rib pork chops, about 1/2" thick

4 lemon wedges

1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine herbs, garlic and pepper.  Add olive oil and work into a paste.  Press spice mixture onto both sides of each pork chop.
2. Coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high.
3. Grill pork until there is no pink inside (6-8 minutes per side)
4. Divide and serve with lemon wedges.

Monday Recipe Swap: Summer Favorites

Everyone has their favorite summer recipes.  I thought I'd share one of mine with you.  Use the Linky at the bottom to post links to your own blog or post your recipe in the comments section.

Shrimp and Penne with Dill

1lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
8oz pasta (I use Barilla Plus)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plain yogurt (low fat or non fat if you'd like to be healthy)
3 scallions sliced fine
2Tbsp chopped fresh dill *see below for Book of Shadows notes
1Tbsp capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
2tsp finely grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil.  Add shrimp, return to a simmer, and cook until pink (1-2 min).  Transfer shrimp to a large bowl.  Keep the water boiling on high heat.

2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook to your liking.  I'm a fan of al dente.  Drain pasta (do not rinse) and add to bowl with shrimp.

3. Add tomatoes, yogurt, scallions, dill, capers, lemon zest, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss well.  Serve warm.

Dill in Ritual Use
Dill is often used for unity and fellowship.  It is perfect to use in recipes for family, especially if there have been some tensions or fighting between anyone.  If you want to use this recipe for such purposes, light a white candle next to your stove.  Mix the dill in last.  When mixing it in with the other ingredients, say the follow (or your own blessing):

Goddess make it your will
and work with this dill
to fight off any ill
So mote it be!

This is also a great article from The Examiner on Dill and its magical uses. 

Monday Recipe Swap: Zucchini

Mrs. B gave me a wonderful idea for a post today: Recipe Swap!  Zucchini is one of my favorite summer veggies.  It can be used for almost anything.  Plus, for those of us who are trying to lose weight, it is a very versatile vegetable.  


This is my favorite pasta recipe for zucchini and worked very well for friends who had kids that refused to eat any kind of vegetable.  I love being sneaky!  Please post your favorite zucchini recipes in the comments section!


Stuffed Shells
serves about 10


You Will Need
12 oz (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approx. 40 shells)


For Sauce:
1 (28oz) can peeled plum tomatoes
1 (14oz) can peeled plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin or pressed - I press my garlic
Salt and Pepper (to taste) - I never use salt
2 - 4 sprigs of fresh basil


For Stuffing:
1 lb bag of baby spinach
2 tspns olive oil
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin (use a mandolin if you have one)
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups (16 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 thin slice ham, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg
Salt and Pepper (to taste)


1. Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add shells and cook partially (they should still be firm) for 6 to 7 minutes.  Drain in colander and immediately transfer to baking sheet.  Spread out so they do not stick together.


2. Pour tomatoes into a bowl and mash with hands or in a food processor.  Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Cover, reduce heat to low.  Add tomatoes with juice and basil.  Bring to a simmer and cover for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, partially cover until thickened (about 20 minutes).  Remove from heat and set aside.


3.  Add spinach to a skillet.  Place over medium heat, cover and cook, tossing every now and then with tongs until wilted.  Drain and let cool.  Chop and transfer to a bowl.  Set aside.


4. Using the same skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add zucchini and cook until tender and lightly browned.  Add scallions and cook with zucchini for about a minute.  Add to the bowl of spinach.  Add the ricotta, the ham and 1/2 cup of mozzarella, the parsley and nutmeg.  Stir to combine.


5. Pre-heat oven to 350.


6. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a two 9 X13" baking dishes.  Fill cooked shells with the cheese mixture (about 1 Tbsp/shell) and arrange shells side-by-side in prepared dishes.  Spoon remaining sauce over the shells.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan.


7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until filing is heated through and cheese is melted (25-30 minutes). 


- from Cook Yourself Thin


*If you're making this a magical recipe, you can obviously add intentions or "extra ingredients" as needed.  Whenever I cook something I add intentions and love while mixing the ingredients together.  With this recipe you can add your specific intentions when mixing the cheeses together or when sprinkling them over the shells before baking.

Kitchen Witch Questionnaire

Witchin' in the Kitchen posted a questionnaire about kitchen witchery and since I've been so busy writing my twenty page Grad school paper, I thought it would be a good blog post.  My brain is still in education/literature review mode, so I've been a bit lacking in my ideas for posts the past few days, hence my four day absence (sorry!). 

1. Does your magical name have anything to do with the kitchen, foods or herbs?
No, but it is a tree.
2. What do you think are the three most important tools for a kitchen witch?
A good cast iron pot (dutch oven), a mortar and pestal, and most importantly, patience.  Without that, none of your spells will come out right.
3. What do you do to make the kitchen the center of the home? Is it decorated in any special way? Do you have a kitchen altar?
Growing up, the kitchen was always where our family met for meals, to do homework or to just talk.  My mother (a Catholic with witchy tendencies - she'll deny it though) always thought that the family should eat together at least once during the day, so the kitchen has always been the heart of our home.  I don't currently have a kitchen altar because my husband and I are living with my parents.  However, I do have a plan for one when we purchase our first home together, hopefully next summer.
4. Which kitchen deity/deities, if any, do you feel closest to? How do you honor him/her/them?
I've always felt very close to Brigid.  I will often think of her when I'm preparing a kitchen spell or just a family dish.
5. What is your signature dish? Does it have a magical purpose? You can share the recipe unless it’s a secret.
Our family pasta sauce.  When I'm making it, I put my love and intentions into it.  The smell is a reminder of family and warmth.  I'd share the recipe if I were allowed, but alas, family secrets must stay secret.
6. What are your favorite cookbooks? They can be magical or non-magical.
Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom, The Green Wiccan Herbal, Scott Cunningham's Magical Herbalism, Any South Beach Cookbook, and Witch in the Kitchen.
7. What is your favorite food?
I love too many types of foods to list them all here.  However, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Sushi.  I LOVE sushi.
8. What is your least favorite?
I'll try anything once, but no matter how many times I've tried mushrooms, I still don't like them. 
9. Do you like to listen to the television or listen to music while you are in the kitchen? If so, what?
I do a little of both, but it depends on the time of day or who is with me.  If I'm cooking alone I do tend to watch TV (especially if General Hospital is on!) but if my husband is helping me, we'll choose some mood music.  When we lived on our own, we listened to a lot of music when we cooked.  There was a lot of Tori Amos and Soundgarden (they're his favorite) if I do remember correctly.

Bloody April Give-a-Way and Natural Cleaning Products

If you haven't checked out Bloody April at the Wizardess Epi's page Go Out Beneath the Naked Night, you should.  Her give-a-way this month are re-usable menstrual pads.  As a Green Witch, I'm always looking for things to help lower my carbon footprint.  Honestly, I had no idea that re-usable pad existed.  I'm really excited about the Wizardess's give-a-way and I plan on making a purchase from Crea8tive Mama's Etsy Shop.

The Domestic Witch's Spring Cleaning continues this week with kitchen cleaning tips.  Her kitchen blessing is excellent and is worth bookmarking for your own use.  I've also spoken about doing away with harsh, unatural cleaners from my house, well, my mother's house.  Mainstream cleaning products are full of chemicals that are dangerous to you, your pets, your family and even more importantly, the Earth.  However, many alternative, plant based cleaners (which are great) are very expensive and for many people, money is something that is hard to come by right now.  Making your own green cleaning products is cheap, sometimes cheaper than those chemically products, and a great way to bring yourself in balance with Nature.  What could be more pagan?!

Here's a few easy cleaning recipies:

Surface Cleaner - counter tops, tile, ranges, etc.

You Will Need:

• a spray bottle
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water

1. Combine vinegar and water into the spray bottle.
2. Use on any surface in your home.  The vinegar smell will dissipate when the vinegar drys. 
3. For really stained/dirty surfaces, heat up the solution in the microwave or on the stove. 

Toilet Cleaner, Shower Head Cleaner or Laundry Rinse 

You Will Need:

• undiluted white vinegar.  

1. For the toilet bowl: dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.
2. For Shower Heads:  Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag, and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish.    
3. For Laundry: Add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener. White vinegar softens clothes and cuts detergent residue.

Bathtub Scrub

You Will Need:

• Baking Soda
• Sponge

1.  Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to scrub away rings in your bathtub, shower or sink.
2. For bad stains, make a paste with the baking soda and water, apply and let stand for 20 minutes.  Then, rinse with hot water.

Smelly Garbage Disposals 

You Will Need:

• Baking Soda
• Lemon, Orange or Lime peels (optional)
• White Vinegar

1. Pour about 1 cup of baking soda down your garbage disposal.  
2. Then, pour about a cup of vinegar down the disposal for the chemical reaction.
3. Put the citrus peels in the disposal and operate the disposal.  This will leave a nice odor in your drain.

Homemade Glass Cleaner

You Will Need: 

• A spray bottle
• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Mix all of the above together and clean away!

Furniture Polish

You Will Need:

• A spray bottle
• 1 cup olive oil 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice 

Mix together and shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Spring Cleaning: Phase One

Spring Cleaning with The Domestic Witch starts this Sunday.  I'm actually starting a little bit early, but I am following her schedule:

Week ~ Area of the Home ~ Area of Life
Week 1 ~ Home Exterior and Repairs ~ Health and Fitness
Week 2 ~ Front Porch/Entryway ~ Personality and Self-image
Week 3 ~ Kitchen and Dining Room ~ The Heart of Your Life
Week 4 ~ Living Areas ~ Entertainment and Social Life
Week 5 ~ Your Bedroom ~ Love Life and Relaxation
Week 6 ~ Kids' Bedrooms ~ Fertility and Parenting
Week 7 ~ Bathroom ~ Beauty and Hygiene
Week 8 ~ Home Office/Den ~ Career and Finances
Week 9 ~ Back Yard ~ Connecting with Nature
Week 10 ~ Front Yard ~ Living Green
Week 11 ~ Garage/Attic/Basement ~ Emotional and Mental Clutter
Week 12 ~ Laundry Area and Closets ~Your Shadow Self

I don't own my own home yet, but I will be helping my mother clean hers.  Since The Domestic Witch's first Week is focused on personal health and fitness, I started by eliminating all harmful cleaners and beauty products.  I've been replacing them with plant based, green products and  I wanted to recommend one of them to all of you out there in blog land.  The company is called Onesta and they make all natural hair products.  The best part is that they are vegan (no animal products used) and cruelty free (no animal testing).  Everything in them is plant based.   It's not available for purchase except in salons, so I'm not sure how easily any of you can get it where you live, but their line of hair products, especially the shampoo and conditioner, are wonderful.  Check out their website and see if a salon near you sells their line of product.  Any pagan would appreciate their pledge for green living as well as their contributions towards cancer research.

Garlic Grilled Lobster

   

• 1 pound uncooked lobster meat, start with two 1 1/4 pound whole lobster (This is for serving 2-3 people)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3-4 medium garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

1. Preheat grill. To prepare lobsters, cut off heads, split tails and crack claws; set aside. (I usually have the lobsters killed for me at the Seafood Market - I can't kill them myself - If you can do it, more power to you!)
2. Stir together olive oil, garlic and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss tails and claws with half the olive oil mixture.
3. Grill lobster pieces, turning and moving them as they cook until shells are charred and meat is firm and opaque (8 minutes).
4. Crack lobsters and dip meat in remaining olive oil mixture.

This is a great summer recipe and is a great, healthy way to have lobster (notice there is no butter).  I've taken my mother's version of this and essentially "South Beached" it with the Olive Oil instead of the pounds of melted butter my Mom uses.  It's also great because the lobster is already shelled and doesn't involve all the digging/cracking.

Retro Cooking Month - My favorite Recipe - Crockpot Chili

This is another cold weather favorite.  I found this one online originally, but I've tweaked it with my own additions.

You Will Need:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• garlic powder to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
•  1 Tbs Hot Sauce (you can leave this out if too much spice bothers you)
• 2 cans (approx. 16 oz each) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (16 oz) tomato puree
• 1 can (16 oz) kidney beans
• 1 can (16 oz) black beans

To Make:

1.Brown ground beef in a large skillet.  Drain and place beef into crockpot.
2. In skillet, saute chopped onion and green pepper in olive oil (or the grease from the beef - I don't use it to make the recipe a little healthier).
3. Mix beef, onion and green pepper into the crockpot and add spices; let stand 1 hour on low heat.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, beans.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.  

Retro Cooking Month - (Easy!) Beef Pot Roast

It seems that I never put any healthy recipies up for Retro Cooking Month.  I guess this recipe will be the closest to "healthy" as I get for family recipes.  I do a lot of cooking out of South Beach© for my diet, but because of that little ©, I'd rather not risk posting their recipes here.

This is my mother's recipe for Beef Pot Roast.

You Will Need:

3lbs Beef Cubed
1/4 Cup Butter
3 Carrots Chopped 
4 Stalks Celery Chopped
1 Medium Onion Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Chopped
1 10 1/2oz can Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Black Pepper (or more for personal taste)
5-5 Red Potatoes cut into 4's

This is a very easy recipe to cook. 

1. Brown beef on all sides in heated butter skillet.  Make sure the skillet has a tight fitting cover. 
2. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until the onion is golden.  Stir occasionally.
3. Blend thoroughly.  Add beef broth* and remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer 2 -3 hours or till beef is tender.  Serve plain or over egg noodles.
           *If you would like a thicker broth, you can add some flour and stir to combine.

Retro Cooking Month - Pantry Essentials

I will break this down similar to Mrs. B's post: Pantry, Freezer, Fridge

The Pantry

• Multi-Grain Pastas
• Brown Rice and Wild Rices (try to have both instant and regular rice)
• Egg Noodles
• Multi-Grain Bread
• Bread Crumbs (I try to make my own, but I keep a box of pre-made multi-grain bread crumbs around)
• Canned Tuna - I <3 Tuna.  I lived on it in college and I could live on it again!
• Low Sodium and Low-Fat Soups and Broths
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
• Good Cooking Wine
• Wesson Oil
• Bisquick
• Dried Herbs - Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary are the staples in many of my recipies
• Mrs. Dash
• Garlic Powder
• Honey
• Variety of Mustards - Can be used as dressings/marinades/etc.
• Smart Balance Peanut Butter - Of all the low-fat. organic peanut butters, this is the one that tastes "normal" for me
• Nutella
• Fresh Garlic and Onions

The Fridge

• Eggs
• Skim Milk
• Parmigiano-Reggiano (Fresh Block)
• Deli Meats - Turkey, Ham and American Cheese are always in the Deli Meat drawer
• Plain Low-Fat Yogurt (I'm not a fan of Greek Yogurt)
• Romaine Lettuce Heads
• Hummas
• Carrots
• Red Bell Peppers
• Bags of Spinach

The Freezer

• Frozen Homemade Pasta Sauce -  I always make more than I need when I make sauce, so I freeze the extra
• Chicken Cutlets, Steaks, Salmon, Pork Cutlets (I have a vacuum sealer - Best Purchase ever!)
• Frozen Berries
• Frozen Veggies (Stir Fry Veggies, Broccoli, Mixed Veggies, Artichoke Hearts)

I know there are some that are missing, but since my husband and I moved in with my parents, I can't seem to remember what I kept in my kitchen!  Oh, well!

Retro Cooking Month Contest

I'm so excited about Mrs. B's most recent give-a-way post: a copy of Liz Clement's book Inside Glass Jar Goodies.  I used to make glass jar chocolate chip cookies with Girl Scouts and I had no idea that you could do this for things outside of cookies/brownies.  I'm excited to try the Sun Dried Tomato Herb Dip Mix and to maybe give a few of these as gifts during the holidays.