Magickal Harvest

KiOS: Spices and Herbs

2013-04-02T08:39:00.003-07:00

Imagine if you will: It is 1903. Henry Ford just founded The Ford Motor Co. Orville and Wilbur Wright take the first test flight in their plane at Kitty Hawk, NC. The very first World Series is held, Boston vs. Pittsburgh. If you lived in a urban setting you are starting to see that homes are now being outfitted with electricity and telephones. Life is exciting.

Think about this: In 1903, Stoves in the American home became common place just before the turn of the century. There were no "supermarkets". Today's supermarket food selection would have been considered luxurious even for rich families. If I look at the world from my great grandmothers eyes. I would believe that today'people lived like royalty. Even if we do not see it this way. In all respects we do. Information is at our finger tips. We eat out more than we eat at home. We can run to the store any time day or night. We have freezers and microwaves and phones that travel with us.

One of the things I love to do is looking over old ads and price lists: Join me as I meander to the butchers and see what they had for us.

Meat Prices	1900
Spring Chicken	7¢ lb.
Beef	10¢ lb.
Sausage	12.5¢ lb.
Hens	7¢ lb.
Pork	10¢ lb.
Turkey	10¢ lb.
Veal	10¢ lb.
Bacon	12.5¢ lb.

WOW a 20 lb turkey for $2.00. Sounds good to me. Yeah but here is the Kicker. Average annual salary for a Schoolteacher was only $358.

Lets talk about spices

Now in 1903 the average class citizens viewed the ability to purchase spices a luxury. Most grew their own in the garden. Some spices where available at the drug stores and small markets.

From peppers to Flowers they were dried, infused, tinctured (made into essences) or candied. Remember no one had a throw out what spoiled attitude. The following recipes are samples on how to make your own herb blends.

Dried

To Dry Herbs For Winter Use

Instructions

On a very dry day, gather the herbs, just before they begin to flower. If this is done when the weather is damp, the herbs will not be so good a colour. (It is very necessary to be particular in little matters like this, for trifles constitute perfection, and herbs nicely dried will be found very acceptable when frost and snow are on the ground. It is hardly necessary, however, to state that the flavour and fragrance of fresh herbs are incomparably finer.) They should be perfectly freed from dirt and dust, and be divided into small bunches, with their roots cut off. Dry them quickly in a very hot oven, or before the fire, as by this means most of their flavour will be preserved, and be careful not to burn them; tie them up in paper bags, and keep in a dry place. This is a very general way of preserving dried herbs; but we would recommend the plan described in a former recipe.

Seasonable: From the month of July to the end of September is the proper time for storing herbs for winter use.

Source: The Book of Household Management (1861).

Herb Powder for Flavouring, When Fresh Herbs are Not Obtainable

Ingredients

1 ounce of dried lemon-thyme

1 ounce of dried winter savory

1 ounce of dried sweet marjoram and basil

2 ounces of dried parsley

1 ounce of dried lemon-peel

Instructions

Prepare and dry the herbs; pick the leaves from the stalks, pound them, and sift them through a hair-sieve; mix in the above proportions, and keep in glass bottles, carefully excluding the air. This, we think, a far better method of keeping herbs, as the flavour and fragrance do not evaporate so much as when they are merely put in paper bags. Preparing them in this way, you have them ready for use at a moment's notice.

Mint, sage, parsley, etc., dried, pounded, and each put into separate bottles, will be found very useful in winter.

Source The Book of Household Management (1861).

Kitchen Pepper (This Sounds Awesome to keep at the Table)

Ingredients

1 ounce of ground ginger

1/2 ounce of black pepper

1/2 ounce of ground cinnamon

1/2 ounce of nutmeg

1/2 ounce of allspice

1 teaspoonful of ground cloves

6 ounces of salt

Instructions

Mix. Keep in a tightly corked bottle.

(Out of multiple recipes the spices should be ground into a powder.-Jen)

Source The White House Cookbook (1887)

Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

Take ripe chillies and dry them a whole day before the fire, turning them frequently. When quite dry, trim off the stalks and pound the pods in a mortar till they become a fine powder, mixing in about one sixth of their weight in salt. Or you may grind them in a very fine mill. While pounding the chillies, wear glasses to save your eyes from being incommoded by them. Put the powder into small bottles, and secure the corks closely.

Source: Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches (1840)

Dried Celery and Parsley

Instructions

If you ever use celery, wash the leaves, stalks, roots and trimmings, and put them in a cool oven to dry thoroughly; then grate the root, and rub the leaves and stalks through a sieve, and put all into a tightly corked bottle, or tin can with close cover; this makes a most delicious seasoning for soups, stews, and stuffing. When you use parsley, save every bit of leaf, stalk or root you do not need, and treat them in the same way as the celery. Remember in using parsley that the root has even a stronger flavor than the leaves, and do not waste a bit.

Source: Twenty-Five Cent Dinners for Families of Six (1879).

Essences and Extracts

Lemon and Orange Tincture

Instructions

Never throw away lemon or orange peel; cut the yellow outside off carefully, and put it into a tightly corked bottle with enough alcohol to cover it. Let it stand until the alcohol is a bright yellow, then pour it off, bottle it tight, and use it for flavoring when you make rice pudding. Add lemon and alcohol as often as you have it, and you will always have a nice flavoring.

Source Twenty-Five Cent Dinners for Families of Six (1879)

Vanilla Extract

Ingredients

1 ounce of Mexican vanilla bean

2 ounces of loaf sugar

8 ounces of French rose water

24 ounces of alcohol 95 per cent

Instructions

Cut up the bean and pound with the sugar in a mortar, sift and pound again until all is a fine powder. Mix the alcohol and rose water; put the vanilla in a paper filter, pour over it a little of the liquid at a time until all is used; filter again if not all is dissolved. Paper filters may be obtained at any of the large drug stores. The extract may be darkened by using a little caramel.

Source: The Golden Age Cook Book (1898).

Rose Water

Instructions

Gather the damask rose leaves; have a tin pan that will fit under your warming-pan; wring a thin towel out of water, spread it over the pan, and put rose leaves on this about two inches thick; put another wet towel on top of the leaves, and three or four thicknesses of paper on it; put hot embers in the warming-pan, and set it on top of the paper, propped up so as not to fall; when you renew the coals, sprinkle the towel that is at the top of the rose leaves; when all the strength is out of the leaves, they will be in a cake; dry this, and put it in your drawers to scent the clothes; put another set of leaves in, sprinkle the towels, and so till you have used up all your rose leaves. Rose water is a very nice seasoning for cake or pudding; it should be kept corked tightly.

Source Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers.

Candied and Sugared

Praline Powder

Ingredients

1 1/2 cupfuls of sugar

1/2 cupful of water

1 cupful of shelled almonds

1 cupful of shelled filberts

Instructions

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan on the fire; stir until the sugar is well dissolved; then add the almonds and filberts without removing the skins. Let it cook, without touching, until it attains a golden color, the caramel stage. Turn it onto a slab or oiled dish. When it is cold pound it in a mortar to a coarse powder. Keep the praline powder in a close preserve jar ready for use.

Source The Century Cook Book (1901).

Lemon Sugar

Ingredients

rind of 12 lemons

1 pound powdered sugar

Instructions

Grate the rind; mix the grated lemon peel with the powdered sugar; put into well closed jars and set in a cool place; is used for cake sauces and puddings instead of freshly grated lemon peel.

Source: Desserts and Salads (1920).

Candied Mint Leaves

Ingredients

Fresh mint leaves

egg white slightly beaten

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 drops oil of spearmint

Instructions

Wipe mint leaves, remove from stems and rub each leaf gently with the finger dipped in egg white. Mix granulated sugar with oil of spearmint, and sift over each side of the mint leaves. Lay close together on a cake rack covered with wax paper and leave in a warm but not a hot place until crisp and dry. Serve in tea with sliced lemon and loaf sugar.

Source For Luncheon and Supper Guests (1923).

REMEMBER: HAVE FUN AND BE BOLD!

Flowers--More Than Just a Pretty Face! (And An Ode to Borage)

2013-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been reading organic gardening message boards on the interwebs and it seems the most asked questions are, “what can I use in my garden to get rid of pests…” I have an easy solution to this!

FLOWERS.

When planting your organic vegetable garden, you may want to consider planting flowers for numerous reasons. Yes, they are beautiful, making your back yard garden a pleasurable place to be, but flowers are the organic gardener's secret weapon and best ally! Flowers attract bees and butterflies and beneficial insects that eat the bad insects, and often support the growth of your veggies by providing needed nutrients!

The following is a list of flowers that actually make your job easier as an organic gardener—they attract and enlist the help of beneficial insects that will eat the bad insects. I encourage you to do some further research to see how these plants can help you in your garden:

Bergamot, Borage, Butterfly weed, Caraway, Cilantro, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, Gloriosa daisy, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lobelia, Marigold, Parsley, Penstemon, Poppies, Queen Anne’s Lace, Spearmint, Statice, Stonecrop (Sedum), Sweet Alyssum, Yarrow, Zinnia.

A Closer Look At Borage:

Last year I did not plant flowers in my veggie patches, save for the rows of marigolds in between my tomato plants. For some reason they did not survive long. I deadheaded them and gave them plenty of water. I do not know what I could have done differently, and upon further research (that is, asking advice of local organic gardeners…) I have come to the conclusion there is nothing I could have done to extend their life span.

It turns out that while marigolds are beneficial companions to tomatoes, there are other plants that are far superior. For instance, take borage. Borage reseeds itself, attracts bees and other pollinators and also staves off the tomato hornworm. It is a good companion plant and mulch for most plants, being an excellent source of minerals, especially calcium and potassium.

Borage Flowers

Borage Leaves

Borage Plants

In particular, borage and strawberries really like each other! An old time farm trick is to add a few borage plants in their strawberry beds to enhance the fruits flavor and yield.

Borage and tomatoes also make great companions! Both seem to improve in growth and disease resistance when planted near each other.

The borage plant blooms pretty little blue flowers and in folklore/magickal tradition, borage is a plant of courage. I have planted blue flowers in my flower beds for strength! Celtic warriors were said to drink a wine infused with the blooms of this plant before battle. Medieval knights wore scarves embroidered with borage blossoms for the very same reason.

In the kitchen, the leaves can be eaten in salads (it has a fresh, cucumber like flavor.) What’s more, the leaves can also be used as a poultice, soothing and healing to inflamed or irritated skin. Additionally, an infusion of fresh, bruised borage leaves are an old-time herbal remedy for de-stressing. In fact, this is a great plant to have in the herbalist’s garden because it can be used to heal so many ailments. I encourage you to further research this lovely little plant!* (It does get big though, so stake off plenty of room for this one or plant along the edge of the garden!)

XXX
Dawn

Mixed Fruit Salad and Borage-lime Syrup

Make a mixture of fruit e.g. Passion fruit, kiwi fruit, pineapple, selection of berries, melon. Combine fruit in a large bowl. Add borage-lime syrup, toss gently to combine, cover, refrigerate for several hours, even overnight. Upon serving, sprinkle grated coconut for a garnish.

½ c lime juice
½ c sugar
¼ c chopped fresh borage leaves

Combine juice and sugar in small saucepan, stir over heat without boiling, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered without stirring for 5 minutes, cool. Stir in borage.

Red, White & Blue Salad

1 medium cucumber
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes
¾ cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon course black pepper
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped dill leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon finely grated red onion
salt to taste
Borage flowers to garnish
Combine all the ingredients except for the tomatoes and flowers. Slice tomatoes and arrange them, overlapping, around the edge of a serving platter. Mound the cucumber mixture in the center of the platter, just covering the inner edge of the tomatoes. Chill well, and place the borage flowers decoratively on the salad just before serving.
Serves 4 to 6

Kicking It Old School: Preserving Fruit (Paste Cakes)

2013-03-29T10:17:00.001-07:00

Jen here and I had a interesting idea. Which I am calling Kicking it Old School... (AKA: KiOS)
I want to share older receipts and techniques for food & home products.

________________________________________________________________________________

Orange Paste
Image is not mine. If yours let me know.

I love cook books and historical receipts I wanted to share old techniques and recipes. So they are not lost as move through our modern world.

Today I wanted to share a way to preserve fruit.
Some times we com across great deals on flats of fruits or it is just harvest time and we just don't have the time to can or make jelly or we havent decided exactly what to do with it. Here is an easy way to process the fruit until you are ready to use it

New Method of Preserving Fruit

From The White House Cookbook (1887)

Instructions

A new method of preserving fruit is practiced in England. Pears, apples and other fruits are reduced to a paste by jamming, which is then pressed into cakes and gently dried. When required for use it is only necessary to pour four times their weight of boiling water over them and allow them to soak for twenty minutes and then add sugar to suit the taste. The fine flavor of the fruit is said to be retained to perfection. The cost of the prepared product is scarcely greater than that of the original fruit, differing with the supply and price of the latter; the keeping qualities are excellent, so that it may be had at any time of the year and bears long sea-voyages with out detriment. No peeling or coring is required, so there is no waste.

So What is Jamming?
Unlike traditional canning, quick jamming doesn't require sterilized canning jars or lids. The process relies on the pectin naturally found in fruit, store-bought pectin packets aren't used.
I know in the original receipt it says you don't have peel or core items. You don't. You can to make it ready to use. Like breaking off pieces for cooking. I would leave the skins on thin skin fruits. You might want to remove the cores of apple etc.
Put your Fruit, Herbs or Veggies. Place ingredients in to a good sturdy pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly and mashing with the back of the spoon 5 to 15 minutes, or until mixture becomes the consistency of a thick jam. Let Cool. Mold in a form and dehydrate. Place in a air tight Container.

If you are using the less juice fruits you may want to use a little water. You can add spices and Honey or Sugar during this Process.

BE BOLD! Dont be afraid of Flavor! Have Fun! Let me Know what you think too
-Jen

Guest Blogger: Kris Hughes

2013-03-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

FOOD AND THE SACRED SOUL - by Kris Hughes

I have never doubted for a moment that animals have souls. However, what we should do about that, is such a complex question that it's easy to see why both religious and secular wings of the establishment have long preferred to either deny or cast doubt on the question. It's not the place of this piece to enter too deeply into the definition of what the soul might be. Mirriam Webster's first definition is a pretty good one to be going forward with: "the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life" Further down the list were two more that I particularly liked: "the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe" and "the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment"

Every once in awhile, a popular scientific periodical seems to run an article with a headline like "Scientists Find That Animals Actually Feel Love and Affection" or "Animals Have Emotions After All, Say Researchers". In the words of a no nonsense engineer I know "Geez! They'll be discovering steam power next!" and yet I'm always surprised to find animal loving friends sharing things like this on the internet, as if just one more half baked piece of pseudo-science will lend weight to what we all know in the first place! However, don't forget that it wasn't so long ago that there was a near consensus in the so-called scientific community that animals did not, in fact, even feel pain, and there are still those who try to hang on to this notion, either completely, or who say that "Okay, they feel physical pain, but they lack the same emotional associations (fear of death or incapacity, fear that the pain won't stop, etc.) and this is frequently tied in with the idea that animals don't really suffer in unpleasant or unnatural situations either. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir on these points, but at the same time it's when we come to the realisation that animals probably experience unpleasantness in a similar way to humans, and that they probably do have souls (whatever a soul is) that things start to get really difficult.

The trouble is, that most people who believe that there is such a thing as a soul, would also say that the soul is in some way sacred - and if the soul is sacred, the question of the body which contains it also being sacred has to arise, for if we cause suffering to the body, we probably cause suffering to the soul, and if we kill the body, perhaps we make the soul homeless, or kill it, too. It depends on what you believe, and it's easy to see why it has been easier for people in cultures which keep animals in captivity for their own use, to just say "Animals are not like us, so this is okay." Now, this is where things get really tricky. Let's say that we're agreed that animals do have souls and emotions a lot like ours. We could easily be headed for an enormous guilt trip. Some people deal with this by becoming vegans or working for animal liberation, and I'm not going to descry that at all. Most of us are in a kind of partial guilt/partial denial place, though, and it's really this I want to talk about.

Is there a hierarchy of souls? Is the soul of an animal whose species is endangered more valuable than than of an alley cat? Is a human's soul of more importance than that of a bug? Should the cute, the pregnant or the seemingly noble be given extra points? Somehow, I doubt it, and this is why I personally give much greater importance to ending or averting suffering than I do to preserving life. That goes for humans and animals. Don't get me wrong, I don't view the ending of a life as nothing, but I do believe that life is a circle and death will be followed by rebirth in one form or another. I don't believe that death is the end, but I am absolutely sure that it is inevitable! Suffering, on the other hand, is a dirty business. Not only is the sufferer in some degree of misery, but that suffering besmirches all who contribute to it or who come into contact with it.

So now, let us step toward the dining table. Rather than starting with a big plate of guilt, or even denial, let's think about how we can nourish our body in mindfulness of other souls. When I eat meat, I try always to be mindful of the soul of the animal whose body I eat. That is a start. I also am mindful of the life that animal led, from birth to death, and I believe that it is my duty as a fellow traveler in this world, to know, if possible, whether that animal was kept in a life of misery. For that reason, I don't eat meat unless I feel pretty sure that the animal had a good quality of life. The result is I don't eat much meat, and at the same time I enjoy the meat I eat. Sadly, I love dairy, and knowing what I do about the commercial dairy industry in the US, I know I will have to change that next. (Time to learn to make my own cheese!) That said, though, I believe that we can easily get too hung up on images of cute calves, miserable pigs in restrictive crates, and other horrors, and forget the suffering that is caused to our fellow human and animal travelers by the way crops are grown and the way that food is manufactured and marketed to us. This is important, too. Was the Kenyan farm worker who picked those baby vegetables paid a living wage? How did the illegal field worker who hoed that melon field live while he sent most of his earnings back home to Mexico? What about the Walmart employee who is struggling on food stamps while they stack the shelves with your incredible bargains? Yeah, when you look at it like that, it's a tough call. Of course, you may say that those people have a choice, whereas the animals don't. Perhaps, but they don't always feel that they have a choice, so we might like to ask ourselves what we can do to change that a little.

So now we look at that dining table again, and it has become very fraught with worry for those of us who want to be ethical. Adding to your worry is not my intention, and neither is it my intention to trivialise the suffering of a single soul who contributed to your feast. If you are thinking about things like this, you are on a frontier of evolved thinking. It's a scary place at times, but when we are on a frontier, it never hurts to stop and look back, and look around, and try to gain a little perspective. Everything we do. Everything. Has implications. One of the first things we need to do is cut ourselves a little slack, for causing suffering in yourself probably isn't any better in the universal scheme of things than torturing chickens. As fellow travelers with animals in this world, we have ended up with a great deal of power. Remember that we all have power to cause, and to potentially relieve, suffering in our fellow humans, too. It is a big deal, but it needn't be a heavy weight. We can only do our best. We may see changing some of our habits as arduous or unfair, or we can look at it as a great adventure and a way to feel much lighter in our own souls. Being kinder to those we meet is a form of mindfulness, being kinder in our eating habits, or our buying habits, or in how we treat the planet we all have to share - maybe these all carry equal importance. If we are not attentive in our eating habits, I do believe that it is a symptom of a lack of attention in a wider sense. However, if we eat "ethically" and then are unkind to others for making different choices, I don't think we will be helping anyone very much.

Because we all eat, it is one good place to begin a little mindfulness. That can go both for what we eat and how we behave at the table. It can go for learning to be thankful and for learning to share. The dining table has traditionally been a place of love and hospitality. Perhaps we can reclaim is as a place to nourish our souls and our bodies, and to show love and generousity of spirit to our fellow travelers again, and it might be interesting to see how the ripples of these attentive acts can flow out and into other parts of our lives and all the lives that are touched, as a result.

Since I wrote this piece on water, last week, my partner, Mark (who is an agnostic), and I have begun blessing our food and water, and the food and water we give to our animals. It is interesting to feel a shift in things here as we do this. That act is about sending good energy forward into those around us and what we all consume, but perhaps it is also possible to send energy outward, and backward, toward those who provided us with our food. This is about much more that the "quality" of what we put in our bodies, about more that ethical eating. It is an active and energetic expression of what the Lakota call hunkapi: all things are connected. I personally do not wish to be "self sufficient" in what I eat. How can I be? I recognise the threads which connect me to all life, and have no wish to cut these connections artificially. I would rather use the act of eating and drinking to increase my awareness of the connections.

Bio:Kris Hughes is a horsewoman, musician and writer, concentrating on topics such as meditation, divination, prayer and Celtic mysticism. She designs guided meditation cards and prayer cards, and offers oracle-based spiritual counselling. A native of SE Colorado, Kris spent most of her adult life in Scotland before returning to Colorado in 2008.
Her work and thoughts can be found at Website: Go Deeper and at Facebook: Go Deeper Readings

Kris Hughes Will be our guest on Magickal Harvest Radio! Tune in March 30th at 3 PM MST for a great Show!

The world is changing..

2013-03-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting here on computer this morning having a nice warm cup of Salt Caramel Coffee. YUM.
Anyway, I came across something that made me smile and reflect about how much our world has changed.

No this isn't me :)

Especially the world of food.

Just in my life time, which hasn't been that long, I have seen microwave ovens become everyday household items, I have watched the store shelving become laden with boxed ready to go foods and watched the produce section shrink.

Everyone just moves through life to fast. we forget to slow down and take stock in the world around us. ( I can ramble for hours..being that I have no voice still, boo, I wont)

There is a point to this post. Maybe even two.

So, my first thought that made me smile. Was the reclaiming of food by the individual. There is a whole growing movement of homesteaders and gardeners growing food for their own families and friends. It has gone beyond buy local and organic foods. It has become about growing them.

In stead of people comparing cars and possessions. I have overheard people comparing gardens and what they are growing. You can see the pride beaming from these folks because they are in control of their own food. I have seen people carry pictures of their chickens along side pictures of the kids and dog. This is truly an amazing time to live in.

The Second thing was seeing how people are reinventing jobs. The food a beverage industry is one of the most flexible in types of jobs.

So this is what prompted this post. I ran across a great site called

Turntable Kitchen
Turntable Kitchen is a site connecting food and music. "We feature recipes with a focus on local, fresh ingredients, hand-selected ‘Musical Pairings,’ album reviews and musings on our city livin’ and country hoppin’ adventures"

Talking about combining passions.. I LOVE IT!

If you listen to Magickal Harvest Radio you hear us talk about following your bliss. (Thanks to our Co-host Dawn "The Certifiable Joy Junkie" ) I find it amazing that the passion of food can bring joy and creativity to ones life and you can share it with the world.

Thanks for meandering with me today. I starting to feel a little better so I am hoping to get the blogging thing rolling..
Jen

Magick In The Kitchen: Jen's Kitchen Sink Strata

2013-03-06T09:35:00.001-08:00

Magick in the kitchen....Ok i haven't gone grocery shopping in a week or so...creativity is your friend..
Jen's Kitchen Sink Strata
Basic Strata recipe:

8 EGGS
1/2 cup liquid, such as milk, tomato juice, broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves OR herb of your choice
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. butter
Fillings of Choice.

Now most recipes use a bread or Pasta in the filling..
I have issues with with Flour..So I had left over Spaghetti Squash so I used that as a base. Placed in a Buttered baking dish.

Then I found a can of crab in the pantry. Some misc cheeses in the fridge with Fresh Spinach, onion, garlic and herbs. I chopped all this and tossed in with the Squash. Be creative here. The flavor is up to you!

Mixed Eggs, Liquid and Salt and Pepper in a dish and Pour over veggies.
Cover with Foil
Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 50 or so minutes.
Remove Foil & Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

MHR Special Guest: Joanna DeVoe

2013-02-25T06:44:00.000-08:00

We LOVE LOVE LOVE to talk about FOOD!!! But not just any food...GOOD FOOD! And we will get the pleasure of talking to one of our favorite FOODIES, Joanna DeVoe, this weekend! Saturday, 3PM MST....

Follow the link to

Listen to the show.

My name is Joanna DeVoe & I am the creator of the SAD To SEXY program. I have a passion for inspiring people to lead a more healthy vibrant lifestyle & believe that incorporating more fresh live fruits & vegetables into your diet is a beautiful way to get started. Want to know more... Visit Sad to Sexy

Spring Cleaning:Baby Step #3

2013-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Ok Baby Step#2 one wasn't so bad.. I did get my ceiling & fan dusted.. I wiped down the tops the the door jambs... I was done in 13 min ... I just needed to put on my big girls panties and get it done! - Go Team... Let's Get This Crap Done!

OK dishes are a never ending battle. So I am setting a up routine while my coffee is brewing. Put away dishes and make sure the dirty ones are loaded! Check!
Honestly.. I struggle here, Oh and keeping up on laundry... BOO!

Side note: I get off of work around 3am so getting stuff done is often achieved in the morning Find the time that works best for you.

So in one of my five minute daily tasks... Laundry... put a load in... turn on the cycle and go do something fun... No Problem... just remember.. that you have to put them in the drier and the kicker.... Put them away... NO. a basket on the bedroom floor or tossed on the dresser doesn't count.

Deep Clean Baby Step #3 Kitchen

This is a 15min Task... Clean the Kitchen Cabinet Doors! Get out the de-greaser Solution. Maybe even a Magic eraser.. Hmm I really think that these needs a new name.. I like magick, so I till call them.. those awesome white thingies...that cleans stuff.
OK Get ready set go!
That wasn't SO bad was it...
I realized that I need to repaint my cabinets.. Maybe this summer. Maybe not... who knows

If you had left over time... Clean the range hood and check the screen. The Screen might be gross... clean it if you can. if it is disgusting... go get a new one screen at the hardware store. If you couldn't get that done it 15 min.. Make these 5 min tasks later in the day.

Bonus 5 min task.... We are going to tackling the fridge soon.. when you have 5 minute... Open the Door of the Fridge.. Check the dates on the condiments. Yeah.. you didn't realize that vinaigrette has been there for 3 yrs did you? It happens.. I love reusing bottles, so the glass ones with good lids.. clean out and put away... if you keep them.. if not recycle them.

Spring Cleaning: Baby step #2

2013-02-23T11:05:00.001-08:00

Did I ever tell you that I hate deep cleaning... Ok with that said..
Baby Step #2 Get Moving..

I like to work in small bursts so that I don't wear my self out and I leave my self time to do other things... Like I don't know... Blog.. browse Facebook/Twitter... start seeds.. polish nails, pick the dog hair off your shirt 1 little hair at a time.... I rather do any of that then clean.

However, a good friend of mine reminds me all the time that we ALL can find 5-15 min burst to get stuff done. She is right you know.. She says if you don't believe it.. set a timer and work on one task... most of the time you finish realizing it really didn't take the hour you thought it felt like.

So here was my 1st 5 min Burst.. While the water for my coffee was heating... I unloaded the dishwasher and loaded back up. Turn on.. Coffee Ready.. Taking a Coffee break while blogging. Yeah All good.

Now for Deep Clean Task #1 Dusting..
I drank my coffee. Had a piece of toast... and I really try to avoid the word Deep Cleaning! The meaning of deep cleaning... Well it means Cleaning everything!!! YUK!
Anyway... Look Up! Yes.. you. Look Up! Do you see and dust/cobwebs in the corners of the ceilings? How about the ceiling fan or fixtures? Well we are going to start there.. Oh stop whining... I don't want to either... but we shall clean this first so the dust doesn't land on other things cleaned, already.. its the whole gravity thing..

Today I'm going to focus on the top 2 feet of the house... Light fixtures.. ceiling corners, tops of door jams... now I have a smaller average size home.. I think I can Do this all in 15 min... if you have a larger home or 2 story... do this in 2-15min blocks... take a break in between if you want.. just do it.

Ok... Setting timer for 15 min... Grabbing a Spritzer bottle of Orange Mint watered down cleaning solution for dusting.. (I made a and charged with good thoughts, harmony and removing obstacles.). a couple rag socks, My broom to get the corners... (you might need a step stool for this... Im tall so no need) taking a Deep Breath

Here is some Inspiration... Turn it up!!!!
Magickal Harvest TV 15 min Cleaning Dash

Spring Cleaning: Getting Your Supplies Together

2013-02-19T13:29:00.002-08:00

I hate cleaning. It has to be done Right? I hear groans emanating through out the internet.. Yeah Yeah Yeah.. I don't want to either.
It is that time of year. It is time to Clean away the winter blahs and welcome in spring!

Now I run into the feeling of being overwhelmed & unsure where to start. So this year I going to start with baby steps. Many people love FlyLady and her programs. She has a great site. Flylady Baby Steps. Check her out.. She has great ideas and plans.

Using green cleaners are fantastic. Making in expensive and easy cleaners are even better. I have a hard time with chemicals, So I have to keep things simple, I also like to infuse my cleaners with essential oils and magickal intent. That is the purpose of living a magickal life right?

Lets Start with getting your tool box of cleaning supplies ready:

The Essential Oils and Herbs that are useful around the home

The Essential Oils: Cedar , Citronella, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Mints, Pine, Rosemary, Sweet orange, Tea Tree.
Household Herbs: The herbs and essential oils that you’ll find most useful for various household tasks include those that inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, those that repel or kill insects, and those that act as fixatives.

Herbs that inhibit microorganisms: basil, bay, benzoin, bergamot, camphor, cardamom, chamomile, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, eucalyptus, fir, ginger, grapefruit, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, meadowsweet, myrrh, myrtle, nutmeg, orange, oregano, patchouli, peppermint, Peru balsam, pine, rose-scented geranium, rosemary sage, sandalwood, savory, spearmint, spruce, tea tree, and thyme.
Herbs that kill or repel insects: basil, benzoin, cajeput, white camphor, cardamom, eucalyptus, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, myrtle, orange peppermint, rose-scented geranium, rosemary, sage, savory, southernwood, thyme, wormwood, and yarrow,
Fixative herbs: benzoin, calamus root, red cedarwood copal, costus root, deer’s-tongue, frankincense, myrrh, oak moss patchouli, reindeer moss, sandalwood, sweet grass, sweet woodruff, tonka beans, vanilla grass, and vetiver.

Cleaning Supply Ingredients:

Now you do not need all of these products. This is a helpful guide in understanding home cleaning ingredients.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is a chemical compound that appears as a fine powder. It releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. It’s most commonly used in baking, where it acts as a leavening agent.
Beeswax: Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols. As a component of furniture polish, dissolved in turpentine, sometimes blended with linseed or tung oil
Borax Sodium borate: How Does Borax Clean? Borax has many chemical properties that contribute to its cleaning power. Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This reaction is more favorable in hotter water. The pH of borax is about 9.5, so it produces a basic solution in water, thereby increasing the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners. In other chemical reactions, borax acts as a buffer, maintaining a stable pH needed to maintain cleansing chemical reactions. The boron, salt, and/or oxygen of boron inhibit the metabolic processes of many organisms. This characteristic allows borax to disinfect and kill unwanted pests. Borates bonds with other particles to keep ingredients dispersed evenly in a mixture, which maximizes the surface area of active particles to enhance cleaning power.

Risks Associated with Borax: Borax is natural, but that does not mean it is automatically safer for you or for 'the environment' than man-made chemicals. Although plants need boron, too much of it will kill them, so borax can be used as an herbicide. Borax may also be used to kill roaches, ants, and fleas. In fact, it is also toxic to people. Signs of chronic toxic exposure include red and peeling skin, seizures, and kidney failure. The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. For this reason, borax should not be used around food. More commonly, borax is associated with skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. It is also important to point out that exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child.
Now, none of these risks mean that you shouldn't use borax. If you do a bit of research, you will find risks associated with all cleaning products, natural or man-made. However, you do need to be aware of product risks so that you can use those products properly. Don't use borax around food, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and make sure you rinse borax out of clothes and off of surfaces before use.

Carnauba Wax; Is a wax of the leaves of the palm, Can be blended with beeswax. Carnauba wax can produce a glossy finish and as such is used in automobile waxes, shoe polishes, dental floss, food products such as sweets, instrument polishes, and floor and furniture waxes and polishes, especially when mixed with beeswax and with turpentine.
Castile soap: Olive oil based soap made in a style similar to that originating in the Castile region of Spain.
Cream of Tartar: Potassium hydrogen tartrate, also known as potassium bitartrate, has formula KC4H5O6, is a byproduct of wine making. In cooking it is known as cream of tartar. It is the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid, a carboxylic acid. Potassium bitartrate can be used with white vinegar to make a paste-like cleaning agent.[citation needed] This mixture is sometimes mistakenly made with vinegar and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which actually react to neutralise each other, creating carbon dioxide and a sodium acetate solution.It is a common ingredient in Play-Doh.
Washing Soda (Laundry): Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It is synthetically produced in large quantities from salt and limestone in a process known as the Solvay process.
White Vinegar: This is one of my favorite cleaners!
Vinegar is a natural bi-product of vegetables, fruits, and grains. It's both edible and biodegradable. Vinegar has a basically unlimited shelf life. In addition, literally any alcoholic beverage left exposed to the air will eventually become vinegar. It's cheap to make, cheap to clean with, and cheap to cook with. Vinegar can also be diluted easily with water, added to a multitude of food, and can clean even the messiest greasy mess. It's an all around versatile liquid. Vinegar is also environmentally friendly. It's biodegradable and won't harm the environment in any way. It's even effective and safe enough to use to kill grass or weeds in place of spray weed killer. One study showed vinegar kills 99 percent of surface bacteria, 80 percent of germs, and 82 percent of molds on a counter. That's with a 5 percent solution just like you could purchase at the grocery store. Since vinegar is natural, it won't harm your plumbing.

Supplies

Plastic Squirt Bottles
Containers with Shaker Tops
Spray Bottles
Coffee Cans, Glass Jars
Cotton Rags, Sponges, & Buckets ( I like sing old clean cotton sport socks. You know the ones with wholes in the heal or toes. I mark them with a big R (for rags) with a sharpie)

Recipes

Kitchen

Homemade Dish Soap
1 cup liquid Castile soap
3 tablespoons water
a few drops essential oil (if using unscented Castile soap)
Combine in a vessel of your choice (I use an old vinegar bottle with a metal spout), mix well, and use.
For greasy dishes: add 1/2 of vinegar or lemon juice
Soap residue: Brew 2 cups of White or green Tea, wash in brew.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

1 part borax
1 part washing soda
Combine the powders in a bowl and mix well, breaking apart any clumps. Transfer to an airtight container to store. Use 1 tbsp of mixture per load. you can add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture.

Hard water rinse: add 1 cup of Vinegar to the little rinse drawer. For that extra sparkle. Again, SO EASY.

Degreaser: Make a 3x strength of Tea (Black or green just make it strong) and as a little vinegar.

To Clean Microwave: Place 1/2 a lemon (make sure it isn't a dried out) or a mug of water, into microwave for 3-5 min and wipe out.

Living Room:

Rug Cleaner
1 c Borax,
1 c Baking Soda
1/2 c of cornmeal
10 drops of Essential oils.
Mix and store in a an air tight container.

Bathroom:

Scouring Powder
1 c of baking soda
1/4 c dried herbs
2-8 drops of oil
Mix and store in a an air tight container.

Soft scrub:
3/4c baking soda
1/4 c of powdered milk
1/8c castille soap.
5 drop oil
Mix and store in a an air tight container.

Soap scum remover:
1Tbsp soda
1Tbsp salt
2 drop oil
Add vinegar to make a paste. Rub with damp cloth and rinse well.

Germ B gone Toilet cleaner:
2c water
1/4c castille soap,
1Tbsp Tea Tree oil
place in spray bottle. shake well. Wipe with clean cloth.

Making your magickal cleaning supplies:

There are many ways to customize your supplies. Check the correspondence of herbs and oil to create customized combinations to enhance home spells. Charge and or bless your supplies to assist in your intents. What better way to make your home a sacred place.

Next post will be ideas to get started on spring cleaning!

-Brightest Blessings

Special Guest: Dee Chapman

2013-02-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

It is official!!! On Feb 23, Dawn and Jen will be interviewing Your Favorite Witch, Dee Chapman.

You might know her as TipToeChick, Master Herbalist and the owner of The Green Eyed Owl LLC. Be sure to check out her pages here on Facebook, YouTube or head on over to her website where you will find all sorts of herbs, herbal remedies, herbal advice and other products for living the magickal life! *super excited*

Is there anything you want us to ask Dee? Leave your question in the comments section and we will ask on the air.

MHR Ep 24 Magick In the Garden

2013-02-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

What now brown cow...

Over the last 2 weeks... we have mentioned that it is time to get your garden beds ready and gather clean your tools.

So now what. It is still a little to direct sow most seeds. If you have raised beds or planters, you can direct sow peas and potatoes.

Seeds are popping up everywhere! Time to gather friends and share seeds. Or do my 2nd favorite thing... buy seeds for yourself!

Garden Beds: Time to make sure that your garden beds a weed free. Add some compost to boost the nutrients. Before you know it.. its going to be time to fill those boxes with goodies.

Journals: Get your journals out and start recording your progress, plans, hopes and dreams... This is where the magick begins.

Pay our respects: Leave offerings to the spirits of place. Ask them for permission to plant in the soil and thank them for their aid in an abundant growing season!

A Dash of Magick:

We asked the question: What is Magick?

The most often quoted definition of magick comes from Aleister Crowley, who says,

“Magick is The Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity to Will.”

One of my (Jen) favorite excerpts describing magick is from Pure Magic by Judika Illes

“Magic is part of real life. Magic is not an excuse to assume that Earthly laws, Laws of nature, will somehow be suspended, that exceptions will be made for you. Magic just reminds us that Earth’s laws are a little more complex than we often care to remember.... Magic isn’t license to abandon common sense. Ideally, they enhance each other. Magic doesn’t supersede the laws of nature: It is the Law of Nature.”

We chatted about what Magick means to us. So here is your chance to share your thoughts on what magick is. We want to hear from you!

MHR Ep 23 Love is in the Air!

2013-02-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE

is Love all you need? Well, I’d say, Love....and a garden!

February is the Month of Love and with Valentine day coming up this week, The topic was LOVE FROM THE GARDEN! So much magick tied to the month of February, as it is the beginning of spring in the ancient agrarian calendar, and spring is the time of awakening! In the garden, this looks like little buds coming through the snow, or perhaps a bit of BONE work going on, with the prep and planning of hard architecture, fencing and cleaning.

February is often under rated in terms of what kind of GARDEN LOVIN’ there is going on! Many people think of it as a rest time, or a fallow time, and really it is...but Depending on your climate, February is full of garden tasks to do!

So if your February is...

Hot: Start seeds of hardy veggies, annuals, herbs outdoors. Aerate and feed the lawn. Harvest fruits and veg daily to foil critters and promote new production.
Warm: Clean and sharpen your garden tools. Protect plants against late-season frost. Clean and repair your bird houses.
Mild: Start seeds of veggies, annuals and herbs indoors. Use sterile mixes to prevent damping off of young seedlings.
Cool: Get seed-starting equipment ready, including sterile mixes, trays, pots and lights. Be patient--spring will come! Repot any house plants that need more growing room.

This is also a great time to plan and start a kitchen garden.

A Dash of Magick

Self Love

Self love is probably the most powerful protection amulets around, and it is the most under utilized protection guard we have available to us! To many, the mention of Self-love seems kind of airy-fairy, new agey,, hippie dippy, but i think these notions keep us in a trap of fear of truly loving ourselves. Self love really encompasses simple actions--for instance, how we talk to ourselves, who we say Yes or No to, taking some time to do things that make us feel good.

One of the best things I have found from experience is reciting simple mantras to reinforce and solidify the beliefs in myself over time. Every time you catch your reflection in the mirror, tell yourself, “I Love You!” At first you might feel silly...but soon, you will notice a subtle change within your mindset. If you are doing this faithfully, without fail, every single time you notice yourself in a mirror or a reflection, the “I Love You” mantra will solidify in your mind and take root, and soon there will be no doubt whatsoever that you do, In fact, love yourself!

Witches Bottle

During the episode Dawn mentioned the use of witches bottles. She mentioned that she could not remember which book of Christopher Penczak's that had an in-depth look at making witch bottles. Dawns favorite guide comes from The Witch’s Shield. His advice gives a great “recipe” for protective herbs, crystals and other symbols, identifying your intent and what else to include in your bottle and where to place it.

MHR Ep 22.. And we are back!!!

2013-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

After a nice and well needed break we are back..
Happy Imbolc Everyone.

We had great show. It was chuck full of information. So if you didn't catch it when it aired. By all means listen. Just click the little widget for Blog talk and enjoy.

Can you believe that we are now in February? We neither can we. we are just happy to be back! With Spring right around the corner. There is must to be done in the garden.

Now is the time to...cut back brambles, plan and build your hard structures such as greenhouse and raised beds. Also time to plan your watering systems

Plants to sow indoors: Cabbage, Celery, Endive, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mache, Onions, bulb
Radicchio Scallion (green onion) and Spinach
Herbs: Chives, Fennel, Leaf Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage Savory, Summer Thyme
Transplants: Asparagus and Rhubarb

(Of course this will very depending on where you are on this planet)

Today’s Magickal Imbolc menu:

Colcannon
Soda Bread with Caraway Seeds
Home made butter
Jen's Green Soup

Homemade Butter: This so EASY!!!!!

Take a quart size mason jar.
Fill 1/2 to 5/8 full of cream.

Here you can add some salt or herbs to taste.

Place lid.
Shake

This was a great activity to get the kids help with. Pass it around.
(We did this during our Imbolc Ritual, it is full of blessings and magick)

After about 15 min a shaking, There should be a clump of butter in liquid, If so, drain the the liquid, we added this to our offerings. Place the butter on a plate and enjoy!

Green Soup:

With spring so close we coming to a period of the season where we want warm comfort food that is on the lighter side. This green soup base is a go to food for me (Jen). What I love best about this soup is that other than it being full of greens, is that it is a kitchen sink soup, anything goes. There are no exact measurements. This will make a nice size pot of soup. to adjust your ingredients based on your pot.

Caramelize 2-3 large Onions.

Thinly slice onions
In skillet over medium low heat: drizzle Olive Oil or a pat of UNSALTED Butter (There is a reason for the unsalted butter... Adding salt during the caramelizing process,will prevent the very thing you are trying to accomplish)
Place onions in pan and cover. Stir occasionally
Cook till caramelized. (when you think it is ready cook a little longer)

Add to Stock pot:

Caramelized Onions.
Stock ( I make a Big pot so i use about 93 oz of stock. This could be chicken or veggie stock.)
Toss in 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic
1 Bay Leaf (if you don't have that is OK, I like how it helps meld all the flavors)
Add herbs of choice at this point
3 Tbsp of white rice (This will give you our creamy texture with out adding dairy.
Cook for about 15 min at a good soft simmer.

Add Greens

Spinach, Kale, Mustard or Turnip Greens or what ever combination of greens that your heart desires. (Just remove the thick stems... save those for your next batch of stock)

Simmer for about another 15 minutes.
Remove Bay leaf ,Salt and Pepper to taste.
Then blend with a immersion blender. (not everyone has one of these. I did not think i really would use this. but I end up using this 2-4 times a week. it was work the $20 I paid for it.)
Garnish : Anything goes here... I like hot sauce, lemon and a drizzle of sour cream topped with croutons. You can diced ham and cheese. Or like my girlfriends do. Put it in a bowl and leave it alone.

Love Custard!!!!

2012-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone, If you listened to the MHR Episode Sweet Lavender, you have heard us mention "Love Custard!"

Well, I have put together a recipe modification that combines the element of scent and taste for Pumpkin and Lavender in a custard. Here it goes...

The sugar and cream in this recipe is infused with lavender Flowers, instructions below.

"Love Custard"

Ingredients

15 ounces pureed cooked pumpkin

2 eggs

1 cup half-and-half cream*

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lavender Sugar*

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into four greased 10-oz. custard cups.

Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; pour hot water around cups to a depth of 1 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle approximately 2 teaspoons of Lavender sugar over the custard.

For best results, use a small hand-held torch. Hold the torch 4 to 5 inches from the sugar, maintaining a slow and even motion. Stop torching just before the desired degree of doneness is reached, as the sugar will continue to cook for a few seconds after flame has been removed.

If you don't have a torch, place custard 6 inches below the broiler for 4 to 6 minutes or until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes before serving.

Yield 4 servings.

*Here is a link on how to make Lavender Sugar.

* To infuse the 1/2 & 1/2 Place in sauce pan add 1 tbs of lavender flowers(or more if you like) and heat gently. strain and cool.

MHR Thanksgivings - Dash of Magick

2012-11-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

It’s time to add A Dash of Magick! Today I wanted to share a Wonderful Spell/Ritual I came across a couple years ago.
Bountiful Ritual To Increase the Good Things in Your Life by Amerindea

This is a wonderful ritual to do around Thanksgiving, but it can be done anytime of the year that you want to be grateful for what you have and make sure that the good things,such as money, love, success and health, keep coming to you.
November is a time when psychic thoughts are strong. Doing this ritual in November brings an abundance of love, prosperity and health.
For great abundance of love, prosperity and health do this ritual on Saturday or Sunday before the full moon this month's full moon is the Full Beaver Moon: November 28, 9:46 A.M. (which is ThanksGiving weekend! Sunday would be a great time to do this Ritual) This ritual should not be done more than 3 times a year. The items you will need are: Gemstones: Rose quartz for friendship and love Unakite for a healthy mind Agate for strong protection Garnet for good luck, love and money Citrine for success and good luck Carnelian for health and money Emerald for love and health Smoky quartz for energy and prosperity Sodaltie for harmony 3 votive candles in clear glass holders 1 white votive, 1 orange votive and 1 green votive Vase with water and evergreens (can be ivy, holly or pine) 1 penny, 1 dime and 1 quarter A small dish or bowl (silver, brass or clear glass) 1 teaspoon of honey and a small piece of bread on a white plate 3 tablespoons of red wine or grape juice in a clear glass A list of 10 or more things for which you are grateful Clean your stones: Clean your stones in the method you like.
The night before the ritual write your grateful list and have your evergreens in the vase.

Prepare your altar: Put all the items on your clean altar. Put the candles in glass holders, have the matches close by. Place the candles from left to right white, green and orange.

Place the gemstones in an order that is meaningful to you in front of the candles. For example, if love is most important for you now, then put the love stones first starting on the left or if health is the most important, then the health stones. The order of the stones may be changed each time you do this ritual.
Put your grateful list under the white candle, put the vase with the evergreens behind the green candle and the coins behind the orange candle.
Place the small bowl to the left of the candles
Put the plate with the honey and bread and the wine or juice to the right of the candles. Light the candles starting at the left with the white candle and say: I have love and friendship in my life Light the green candle and say: I have a strong and healthy body with a clear mind Light the orange candle and say: I have success and prosperity in my life
Say the following lines in order as you pick up each gemstone one at a time with your right hand and place the gemstone in your left hand. After you recite each line gently blow on the gemstone and then put it in the bowl. I deserve love and friendship in my life I deserve a strong and healthy body with a clear mind I deserve success and prosperity in my life I feel the flow of love and friendship around me I feel the flow of health in my body and clearness in my mind I feel the flow of success and prosperity around me I accept the increase of love and friendship into my life I accept the increase of having a stronger and healthier body and a clearer mind I accept the increase of success and prosperity into my life
After the nine stones are in the bowl, dip the bread in the honey and say: I have much sweetness in my life! (Eat the bread and honey.) Take the wine and say: I have much joy in my life! (Drink the wine.) Let the candles burn out. Take away the bread plate and wine glass, but leave everything else on the altar for the next 3 days. On the third day, wrap the coins in your grateful list, take this and the evergreens to a tree you like and bury the wrapped coins at the base of the tree, then place the evergreens on top and say: So I give what I receive in abundance!

Magickal Harvest Thanksgiving Special

2012-11-10T23:00:00.001-08:00

Dawn and I are gearing up for a Magickal Harvest Radio Thanksgiving special on 11/17/2012 1:00 PM MST We would like to Hear from all of you!
A: One thing that you are grateful for.
B: A special family tradition. (This can be a special Recipe/dish, activity etc.)

Send us an email with your Thanksgiving traditions to be shared on the air. You can drop us a line at MagickalHarvest@gmail.com or message us via www.MagickalHarvest.com or Facebook. We look forward to to hearing from all of you!

MHR Ep 13 Fall Planting

2012-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I do hope that you had a chance to Listen to Magickal Harvest Radio's show this week. Dawn and I had a great time talking about Fall planting, We learned a great many things about Cool season and overwintering plantings. So here is a Recap:

What to Grow:

Cool-season vegetables:

Brussels Sprout

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Lettuce

Radishes
Rutabaga
Spinach

Overwintering:

Broad Beans
Asparagus
Peas
Garlic
Onions, Spring onions & Shallots
Winter Lettuces
Spinach
Spring cabbage

When to Plant:

Good to Know: Estimated Frost Dates by Zone

Zone 3 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 4 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 5 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 6 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 7 - Oct 15th - Nov 15th
Zone 8 - Oct 30th - Nov 30th
Zone 9 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 10 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 11 - Frost Free

Here is a link to the Farmers Almanac Frost Chart for United States

Check out when your last frost date is; In the Boise/Nampa Id area it ranges about the first week of October.
Check the desired plants length to maturity, then subtract the required days from your frost date. (I would pad a week or two, just in case, unless you are using cold frames or other protection) Pretty Easy HUH?

Ways to Extend your growing season.

Example of Cold Frames: Here are a bunch of DIY links
http://www.instructables.com/id/Winter-Harvests-With-a-Cold-Frame/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cold-Frame-Insulated/

DIY Cloches & Crop Covers.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-Cloche-Dome-individual-plant-gree/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Quick-and-easy-homestead-uses-for-Plastic-Bottles-/step4/ColdframeCloche/

How to Build a Greenhouse in 1 Hour

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Greenhouse-in-1-Hour/

A Dash of Magick

Appalachian Folklore: (Thank you everyone for all the folklore shared on the web..there are to many of you to list! but our thanks is great)

The Weather

After you hear the first fall cricket, it will be 6 weeks until frost.

If squirrels gather nuts after sundown in October, it will be a hard winter.

The first three days of each new quarter will determine the weather for that quarter. For example, the first three days of January will indicate the weather for January, February and March. The first three days of April will determine the weather in April, May and June. The first three days of July will determine July, August and September, and the first three days of October determines the weather for October, November and December. A quarter starts on the first day of the month following a solstice

If the first week in August is uncommonly hot, the coming winter will be snowy and long.

If the first frost hasn’t occurred before the full moon in October, then there won’t be a frost until the full moon in November.

If you see a ring around the moon, and it has stars inside the ring, that will tell you how many days until there is a big storm.

Garden

Gardens do better if seeds are planted on even-numbered days of the month.

Crushing rosemary into a glass of wine will boost mental powers.

Conduct most of your garden chores during the waxing of the moon. Light nights make light crops: never plant when the moon is full.

All above-ground crops should be planted with the new moon.

Root crops should be planted under the sign of Taurus for quicker growth.

Planting on Friday is bad luck, unless the zodiac sign is right.

It's good luck to steal herbs.

Beans planted on dark nights will grow the best crops

Onions should be planted in the old of the moon (that is waning to dark phase).

If two people's hoes hit together, they will work in the same field next year.

So Munch Mint... recipes...

2012-08-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Quinoa Salad Recipe with Lime + Fresh Mint

This cool summer salad (which just so happens to be vegan and naturally gluten-free). What makes a quinoa salad taste so fabulous? Fresh mint, lime juice and good tasting/quality extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 2 limes

2-3 fresh mint sprigs, leaves removed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves or parsley

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

A handful of sweet and ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons diced red onion- or use 2 chopped scallions

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:First, rinse your quinoa in a sieve (it's tiny so the usual colander might not do).
Cook the quinoa as you would raw rice: boil in 2 and 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups fresh salted water, covered, until all of the water is absorbed. (Dawn’s note here: I prefer to toast my quinoa before boiling it. the toasting gives it a nuttier flavor and also cuts the startchiness...)
Scoop the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, tossing lightly with a fork until combined.Taste test and adjust seasonings.
(Dawn’s note here: I would add toasted pine nuts to this right before serving for texture and taste! Also, a variation would be to add curry powder for a mediteranean/middle eastern taste treat!)
Cover and chill- the longer, the better. In fact, I think this salad tastes better the second day- so plan ahead and make it the day before.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/08/lime-quinoa-salad-with-mint.html#ixzz20nqCp4by

So Much Mint So Little Thyme... Whats Jen Drinking in this episode???

2012-07-29T23:14:00.003-07:00

If you haven't Listened to Episode 12 So Much Mint So little Thyme.. well you are missing out. Take a listen to the player alongside this post!

Dawn brought a little subject to everyone's attention: That every episode, I (Jen), mention some sort of cocktail, wine or liquor. She is right, I do. I am passionate about food and drinks and I love to share recipes and Ideas to make life interesting.

In theme of so much mint, so little thyme. (funny because this so true, these are mint based not thyme)

The mint julep, official drink of the Kentucky Derby

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Lets start with the....

Mint Julep

Now.. there are pages and Pages over the internet on how to make a Mint Julep one site I found a great read was an article written by Troy Patterson for Slate.com. Want to read the Article please do!

The Mint Julep

Your Hardware: " A mint julep tastes best in a silver goblet of elaborate sentimental value. Yours might be engraved with the initials of a favored great-aunt, for instance, or of a long-vanquished foe. If you have no such item in your cupboard, consider the following substitutes, listed in descending order of desirability: any other kind of silver goblet, a pewter goblet, a silver cup, a pewter cup that you inherited even though your cousin really wanted it very badly, any other kind of pewter cup, any other kind of goblet, a Collins glass, a highball glass , any other tall tumbler, a white wine glass, a two-handle sippy cup."-Troy Patterson (see what I mean It is worth a read)

INGREDIENTS
    10-12 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish (I like a stronger note of mint)
    1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons confectioners sugar (personally like less sugar)
    Seltzer water
    Crushed ice
    2 1/2 ounces of good Kentucky bourbon whiskey

(brandy can also be used. It not traditional but it can be FUN!)

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and top with the sugar. Muddle these together until the leaves begin to break down. Add a splash of seltzer water, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

Now another Summer Favorite.

The Mojito

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 bunch fresh mint

1 oz. dry white rum

2 oz. club soda

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix sugar with lime juice in a tall glass. Add 3–4 ice cubes and several sprigs of mint, then pour in rum and club soda. Stir well, garnish with a bit more mint and serve.

Now I love playing with flavors...here is an idea that is perfect to get ready for the upcoming end of summer.

Blackberry Mint Vodka!

Here is what you need!

8-12oz of Fresh or Frozen Blackberries

A lot of Mint Leaves

2 Cups of Sugar

1 Cup of Water

Decent unflavored Vodka (You want to be able to drink it)

a glass container to fit everything.

Place the Blackberries and Mint into the container.
Put the water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add in the Sugar.
Stir until the Sugar has dissolved.
Once all the Sugar has dissolved, remove from heat; set aside to cool.
Once cool, pour the simple syrup into the container with the blackberries and mint until it is about 35% full.
Next, fill the remainder with vodka.
Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 days (the longer, the better) before using.

Add to a good Ice tea over ice.. YUM!

I hope this starts you on your way to enjoying a Magickal Harvest!!!

Featured Music From Ep12 So much Mint..so little thyme

2012-07-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Harvest Song by Boise's own Beltane. You can purchase Their CD at The Record Exchange, Crone's Cupboard, Rediscovered Books, or at their website,www.beltanesongs.com, Cd Baby, Amazon and iTunes.

Find Beltane at www.beltanesongs.com (join the mailing list)
www.reverbnation.com/beltanemusic
www.facebook.com/beltanemusic

The Scent of passion....

2012-07-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ok.. if you caught the Last 2 episodes of Magickal Harvest radio. Then you are aware of the the whole Love Custard thing. I wanted to share a couple great Ideas I found while scouring the web....

How to Make Perfume With Pumpkin & Lavender

Things You'll Need

Jar
Essential Pumpkin Oil and essential lavender oil
100 proof vodka
Spring water
Coffee filter
Spray bottle

Instructions: Mix Your Ingredients

Find a clean jar (with cover) to mix your ingredients.
Add 20 drops of lavender and pumpkin oil (10 drops each) to the jar.
Add 2 1/2 oz. of vodka to the pumpkin and lavender mixture.
Put the cover on the jar and shake it. Place the jar in a cool, dark place such as a closet for 48 hours. Let it sit undisturbed.
Add 2 tbsp. of distilled water to the mixture and let it sit for another 48 hours. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter and into a sanitized spray bottle of your choice.

Imagine lightly spritzing your comforter or sheets. Or spritzing an unscented dyer sheet or felted wool ball before storing your sheets in the closets.... mmmm.

The Baking Bird had a wonderful recipe for Lavender Pumpkin bread! Her images are Beautiful!

Harvest Moon Farm has a wonderful collection of recipes dedicated to Lavender. Check out their Recipes
Pay special attention to Pumpkin Praline Lavender Pie. (I am so going to make this later this year.)

Ok I know i was talking about making my own recipe for Love Custard... But I began thinking. Even though we are awesome cooks. Recipe writing is kind of a pain. (I forget to measure things.) So I was thinking.

This image courtesy of Chef Evelyn Paul

Ingredients

1/4 cup brandy
1 packet (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin powder
1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure edible lavender extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
8-10 chopped gingersnap cookies

Instructions

Place the brandy in a heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt.

Place the bowl of gelatin over a pot of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear.

Whisk the hot gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

Using an electric mixer whisk the heavy cream, lavender and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.
To assemble:
First spoon some of the pumpkin mixture into parfait glasses, add one layer of whipped cream, then some chopped gingersnap cookies.

Repeat and end with a third layer of the pumpkin mixture.

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, top with the lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Lovely Lavender!

2012-07-16T10:21:00.002-07:00

Southwest Idaho is an agricultural mecca, a pretty trendy thing these days,and I feel so blessed to live in this community. Since Jen and I started the Magickal Harvest group, we have created opportunities for ourselves to get out and enjoy all the offerings of this area, from wild crafting and urban foraging expeditions to local community events and festivals. We live in wine country (the Snake River AVA was designated official status in 2007) and to drive along the Snake River looking out at all the vineyards is truly a sight to behold! We have spectacular farmers markets offering an abundance of farm-fresh and wholesome, real foods. Our desert climate makes for excellent growing conditions for lavender!

So, it's early Monday morning, and I'm sitting here reflecting on the events of this past weekend. Jen and I did a live broadcast from the Lakeside Lavender Festival here in Nampa and we couldn't have asked for better weather conditions. Vendors hawked their wares, and our local Brick 29 Bistro, provided a deliciously simple boxed lunch. Oh, and the lavender ice cream, lavender frappes, and lavender Italian Soda was immensely enjoyed! I got lots of beautiful photographs of the lavender fields, the lake and our baskets of overflowing bundles of lavender!

This was our second annual trip (as a group) to the Festival, and we plan to continue this tradition of harvesting lavender for years to come (or at least as long as the organizers see fit to continue the Festival!)

The Magick and Folklore of Lavender

If you listened to the show this past Saturday, you heard us talk all about the lovely lavender plant! This herb is so magickal and has a rich history in folklore and legend. You can listen to the broadcast for all the tidbits and anecdotes that we shared, and you can continue reading for recipes, spells and tips for using lavender in your mundane and magickal life!

My Magickal Lavender Wand

Lavender for healing:

Lavender promotes healing and emotional well-being. In history, lavender was used as a general mood tonic, to lift the spirits and for calming. It also used it to treat head lice, and to repel insects and moths. Lavender was even mixed with other herbs and smoked.The history of lavender includes healing, for calming, inhaled for headaches and dizziness and used as a compress for fevers. Queen Elizabeth the 1st had frequent migraine headaches and drank lavender tea.

Lavender oil was rubbed on the chest for colds and bronchitis at night. Sometimes it was mixed with thyme and inhaled. Both lavender and thyme is known today to be good against bacteria. Mix it with a carrier oil and rub it on painful joints. Science is now looking at lavender in cancer treatments. Studies have shown it to reduce the size of breast cancer in mice.

Lavender oil is also one of the few essential oils that you can apply directly to your skin. It is an excellent healing oil for burns and minor scrapes. I (Dawn) burned myself last summer and upon application of the oil, I experienced an almost immediate relief!

Lavender is associated with the heart chakra, which makes sense considering it's used to promote the healing of broken hearts. Energetically, lavender can help to energize and balance a dysfunctional heart chakra. Keep a bunch of lavender around to promote feelings of self love and restoration.

Lavender Recipes:

Jen's Love Custard

Recipe to follow

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients

Vanilla Bean, split down the middle

1 c sugar

2 c water

3 sprigs Culinary Lavender

Add all dry ingredients to water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and remove bean and lavender sprigs from syrup. Let cool. Use in Italian sodas, to flavor lemonade, and any time your recipe calls for simple syrup.

Lavender for magick:

Method 1:

Fill a small bottle with lavender buds, dragon's blood and a strand of your own hair. Keep the bottle near you, or wear it on a string around your neck.

Method 2:

To protect against abuse of all kinds, take your birthstone and rub it with lavender. Keep the stone on your being at all times.

This makes an excellent charm for children who may be dealing with a bully. I find it interesting that the color adopted by the National Bully Awareness movement is purple. Lavender has long been used as a protective herb, especially in cases of domestic violence and abuse. Women would wear lavender sachets to protect against abusive spouses. Considering the lavender plant promotes feelings of serenity and calm, it makes sense that it would have that effect on an aggressor.

(Dawn here: if you are being abused, PLEASE seek help! And if you know of a child who may be experiencing abuse, PLEASE call for help! You do not deserve any kind of abuse and all sorts of help is available! Contact your local women's shelter, the police, your local Strengthening Families organization or domestic violence prevention organization for resources!)

Basic Candle Spell for protection

1 chime candle (color depends on your intuition)

dried lavender

Lavender Oil

On a new moon, grind lavender into a powder. Anoint your candle with oil and roll candle in your lavender powder. Light the candle and as it burns, envision the flame projecting a protective shield/bubble around you and your property.

Growing Season!

2012-07-16T09:09:00.002-07:00

Sponsorship opportunities available! Do you have a DIY, urban homesteading, city farming, alternative health/nutrition, community-minded, gardening, crafty or other type of home-based, online or small business that could benefit from exposure to our radio listeners?

Contact us today for this exciting (and very, very affordable!) opportunity to get your name in front of your target market and grow your business!

Magickal Harvest: where sowing seeds and growing communities is just the beginning!

magickalharvest@gmail.com

Followup: Kohlrabi-HUH!?!

2012-07-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

So After Doing the Kohlrabi-HUH!?! episode I did plant a couple plants to try it out... And They Grew beautifully..

The leaves grew large and Green.
The Bulb developed nice and Round.

Then the week of the 4th happened.. and well I go out to harvest and BOOM some are HUGE! (Ok Folks.. I have HUGE hands..see how big this thing got)

So If you caught this show we said that you dont want to let it get too big. Or looses it tenderness and becomes woody... Well it did.
(Huge = woody)

So do not fret my dears if your kohlrabi get to big.. you can still eat it. You have to cook it! Which is what I am eating for Breakfast this morning.

Yes.. I am eating kohlrabi for breakfast...

So here is what I did and many of you know I am creative cook... I like ideas of recipes .. I"ll be damn if I can follow one.
So I sauteed them with a Thai/Indian flair..

Break off the greens, (Save these as well, the delicious sauteed as a side dish)
Remove thick outer layer. (if you have giant kohlrabi, then you might duct off some extremely woody flesh as well... No worries) On small ones a good veggie peeler is your friend.
Rinse to make sure you get all the dirt off.
Cut into match sticks.
In a saute pan, on medium heat, put in a dollop of coconut oil and toss in kohlrabi
Season. I used ground ginger, lime juice, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper and a touch of curry
Saute till you are happy with it.

I cooked it till it had the texture of a room temp pickle. Soft with some crunch.
YUM

You can roast the larger ones too...
Well this is Jen signing off. Wishing you a Magickal Harvest!

Magickal Harvest

KiOS: Spices and Herbs

Lets talk about spices

Dried

Essences and Extracts

Candied and Sugared

REMEMBER: HAVE FUN AND BE BOLD!

Flowers--More Than Just a Pretty Face! (And An Ode to Borage)

A Closer Look At Borage:

Mixed Fruit Salad and Borage-lime Syrup

Red, White & Blue Salad

Kicking It Old School: Preserving Fruit (Paste Cakes)

New Method of Preserving Fruit

Guest Blogger: Kris Hughes

FOOD AND THE SACRED SOUL - by Kris Hughes

Kris Hughes Will be our guest on Magickal Harvest Radio! Tune in March 30th at 3 PM MST for a great Show!

The world is changing..

Magick In The Kitchen: Jen's Kitchen Sink Strata

MHR Special Guest: Joanna DeVoe

Follow the link to

Listen to the show.

Spring Cleaning:Baby Step #3

Deep Clean Baby Step #3 Kitchen

Spring Cleaning: Baby step #2

Here is some Inspiration... Turn it up!!!!Magickal Harvest TV 15 min Cleaning Dash

Spring Cleaning: Getting Your Supplies Together

The Essential Oils and Herbs that are useful around the home

Cleaning Supply Ingredients:

Supplies

Recipes

Kitchen

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Living Room:

Bathroom:

Making your magickal cleaning supplies:

Special Guest: Dee Chapman

MHR Ep 24 Magick In the Garden

What now brown cow...

A Dash of Magick:

We asked the question: What is Magick?

MHR Ep 23 Love is in the Air!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

is Love all you need? Well, I’d say, Love....and a garden!

So if your February is...

A Dash of Magick

Self Love

Witches Bottle

MHR Ep 22.. And we are back!!!

Homemade Butter: This so EASY!!!!!

Green Soup:

Love Custard!!!!

MHR Thanksgivings - Dash of Magick

It’s time to add A Dash of Magick! Today I wanted to share a Wonderful Spell/Ritual I came across a couple years ago. Bountiful Ritual To Increase the Good Things in Your Life by Amerindea

Magickal Harvest Thanksgiving Special

MHR Ep 13 Fall Planting

What to Grow:

Cool-season vegetables:

Overwintering:

When to Plant:

Good to Know: Estimated Frost Dates by Zone

Ways to Extend your growing season.

How to Build a Greenhouse in 1 Hour

A Dash of Magick

So Munch Mint... recipes...

So Much Mint So Little Thyme... Whats Jen Drinking in this episode???

Mint Julep

The Mojito

Blackberry Mint Vodka!

Featured Music From Ep12 So much Mint..so little thyme

The Scent of passion....

Lovely Lavender!

The Magick and Folklore of Lavender

Lavender for healing:

Lavender Recipes:

Jen's Love Custard

Recipe to follow

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients

Lavender for magick:

Growing Season!

Here is some Inspiration... Turn it up!!!!
Magickal Harvest TV 15 min Cleaning Dash

It’s time to add A Dash of Magick! Today I wanted to share a Wonderful Spell/Ritual I came across a couple years ago.
Bountiful Ritual To Increase the Good Things in Your Life by Amerindea