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. 

Witchcraft Wednesday

Lughnassad (also known as Lammas) is fast approaching and for those of you who are celebrating, now is a good time to start preparing, even if it's just in small ways.

Lughnassad marks the beginning of the fall harvest or the day when the first grain is cut.  This Sabbat gets is name from the Celtic God Lugh, who is both king of the Gods and is associated with the Sun, magick, art, strength, courage and music.

As fall approaches, the God begins to lose his strength.  However, the Goddess is already carrying the God and he will be born again at Yule.  Even though the sun is dwindling, we celebrate the plentiful harvest that arrives with this time of year.  Lughnassad is the bread festival.  Decorate your altar with grains and fruits and vegetables of the harvest.  Bake homemade bread with your seeds you planted at Ostara.  Your intentions grew within those seeds and now you can put them within you and make them possible.  Now those intentions can grow within you.

Lammas Bread Recipe
This is a link to a wonderful Lammas bread recipe.  Some of the others that I've tried are too doughy and don't taste as good.  However, it does take four days to make.  So, if you want a project, this is the recipe for you.

If not, try this one.  It's much easier and uses pre-made ingredients.  I don't like to use it because I like using things I've grown.  I might have to use it this year because I have no grains in my garden. 

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.