The Corn(y) Post

Corn. Maize. Whatever you call it, this delicious grain has been cultivated by Mesoamericans since prehistoric times. Corn is believed by historians to have first been cultivated in Mexico, but it is not known precisely when. 

Corn means different things in different countries. In England, 'corn' can refer to wheat, while in Ireland, it can refer to oats (other posts for other times). Corn may have been introduced to Europe by that d-bag Columbus, or it could have been another d-bag European explorer/conquistador. Either way, corn as we typically think of it is indigenous to North and Central America. When the Bible says 'corn', it means wheat or barley, most likely. 

It is/was the staple of many an indigenous diet, along with beans and squash (The Three Sisters) here in North America. 

Corn is ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. Corn energy is Corn Mother energy to me - fertility, love, protection. Spirituality is included in the list of corn's energies. 

Cornmeal can be used in spiritual practices to represent the four elements. It can be given as an offering. Blue is considered the most sacred. It also represent west. Yellow represents north; white is for east; red is for the south. 

Lammas and Mabon are excellent times to utilize corn. Stalks can be used for decoration. Dishes featuring corn are appropriate for the sabbat meal. 

One of my favorite corn recipes is the cornbread we've made in my family for years. 

Nar's Family Cornbread:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar (or less if you prefer)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup butter milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter or shortening
2 tsp. salt

Whisk together sugar, buttermilk, egg, and butter or shortening. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in another bowl. Add to wet ingredients. 

This recipe is perfect for a cast-iron skillet if you have one. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease the skillet with shortening. Pour in the batter and bake for 22-25 minutes. 


References:

Cunningham, S. (2003). Cunningham's encyclopedia of Wicca in the kitchen (3rd ed.). St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Gibson, L., & Benson, G. (2002). Origin, History, and Uses of Corn (Zea mays). Retrieved September 17, 2015.

Double Layer Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake

So, I made a thing:  

Pardon my crappy pictures, but I took them just a little bit ago.  It's 4:23 am right now.

I think the drink is vile, but I thought it would translate well to cheesecake form.  It did!  OMG this cheesecake is sooooooooo creamy and rich. I didn't use too much sugar, either.  You can kind of see the individual layers, but the colors are pretty similar.

Crust:

·         1 box gingersnaps, finely crushed  (I had about 1 ½ cups of crumbs)

·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Mix butter and gingersnap crumbs and press into bottom and partially up the sides of a 9” spring form pan.

Latte Layer:

·         20 oz. softened cream cheese (2 ½ packages)

·         2 eggs

·         ½ cup sour cream

·         1 ½ tablespoons espresso powder

·         1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

·         ¾ cup sugar

Pumpkin Spice Layer:

·         20 oz. softened cream cheese

·         2 eggs

·         ½ cup sour cream

·         1 8-oz. can pumpkin puree

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

·         1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine ingredients for latte layer until smooth.  A food processor works best.  Spoon into the crust.

Combine ingredients for pumpkin spice layer until smooth. Spoon evenly and gently on top of latte layer.

Wrap bottom of pan in foil Place pan in a water bath.  I used a large skillet for this, but you could use a roasting pan or whatever the spring form will fit in.  (Heat some water and pour about ½ - ¾ inch into the other pan.)

Bake cheesecake at 325 for about  1 ¾ hours, until middle is set.  Run a knife around the edge. Remove from roasting pan/skillet.  Cool.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.