Midsummer is only a few short weeks away. I'm happy to say I will be back in my home state during that time, but as of yet I have no plans for the actual celebration.
Midsummer celebrates the God in all his glory. The Goddess is heavy with child, as the trees and plants grow heavy with their bounty. The Oak King and the Holly King are one. The Oak King is young and full of vigor, while the Holly King represents maturity and wisdom. Midsummer is a classic time to perform all kinds of magick. Herbs harvested at dawn on this day are considered to be especially potent.
Some symbols of Midsummer are the sun, fire, blades, oak leaves, mistletoe, sun wheels, and faeries.
Some of the foods and herbs in tune with this holiday include lemons, oranges, , fresh vegetables, lavender, chamomile and thyme.
Decorate your table/altar with herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables of the season, blue and green candles, and burn lavender, rose, cinnamon, or citrus incense.
Set up tables outside in your yard if you can, or find a nice park. Provide your loved ones with the following feast and nourish their bodies they can perform their healing, purifying, or love magick. They will be fed in body and spirit.
Midsummer Menu
Chamomile-Lavender Iced Tea with Honey
Pumpernickel Bread (with spinach-dill dip)
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese
Grilled Summer Salmon with Herbs
Key Lime Pie
Iced Tea
This couldn't be simpler. Depending on the amount of iced tea you want to make, steep chamomile tea bags in hot water for a few minutes, along with a good tablespoonful of dried lavender buds, wrapped in cheese cloth. Sweeten with honey. Chill. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.
Grilled Veggie Salad
1 each red and orange/yellow bell pepper
2 small zucchini
1 small eggplant
4 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned
1 red onion
3 small leeks (optional, if you don't want too much onion flavor)
Assorted salad greens
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
4-6 ounces goat cheese
Rub the bell peppers with oil and roast on the grill until the skins blacken. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to sit and steam for about 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel, core and slice into strips.
Preheat the grill. Blanche the leeks (carefully cleaned) and the red onion (sliced into wedges) in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Slice the zucchini and eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Brush all the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables separately until barely done, about 5-7 minutes, turning once. Slice the mushrooms into strips after they come off the grill.
Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a 2:1 (oil to vinegar) ratio. Add the fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad greens with the dressing and arrange on plates. Top with the grilled vegetables and chunks of goat cheese. If desired, a little extra balsamic vinegar can be drizzled over the grilled vegetables. If you aren't a fan of goat cheese, some shaved Parmesan would also do nicely, or leave the cheese out completely.
Grilled Summer Salmon with Fresh Herbs
4 medium to large salmon fillets
4 sprigs each fresh thyme, basil and rosemary
1/2 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
3 - 4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
In a blender combine everything except the salmon. If using fillets that have the skin, apply the herb mixture on the skinless side. On a preheated grill that has been sprayed with nonstick spray, grill the salmon 3-4 minutes on each side.
Stay tuned for Pumpernickel Bread with Spinach-Dill Dip and Key Lime Pie
I need a typing break! :)
Showing posts with label wiccan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wiccan. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Kitchen Deities, Part II
There are so many aspects of the Divine that are associated with the hearth, fire, and food preparation. And why not? Food sustains life, and that which sustains life is sacred. These days, many of us are fortunate to have an abundant supply of affordable food. Sadly, though, many are not. For those of you interested in helping feed those in need, donating non-perishable food to a local food pantry can be a ritual in itself. Just leave the food with a prayer that it nourish those who receive it.
The post I made just a moment ago included a list of various kitchen deities, but it seems that there are more than I originally thought. Fortunately, the Pagan Soccer Mom has a list at her blog ( silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com ). She was also kind enough to list some of the foods and herbs that are sacred to these hearth deities. I recommend visiting her blog. I plan to provide more detailed information about some of the deities and include suitable recipes as I have in the past.
The post I made just a moment ago included a list of various kitchen deities, but it seems that there are more than I originally thought. Fortunately, the Pagan Soccer Mom has a list at her blog ( silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com ). She was also kind enough to list some of the foods and herbs that are sacred to these hearth deities. I recommend visiting her blog. I plan to provide more detailed information about some of the deities and include suitable recipes as I have in the past.
More Kitchen Deities
A while back I made a few posts about kitchen deities from various countries, as well as recipes from their cultures. Since I haven't done that in a while, I thought I would make a few more posts regarding gods and goddesses of food, agriculture, and the hearth.
Below is a list of kitchen deities, courtesy of www.thepaganpath.net:
Agni - Indian fire god and god of the home and hearth
Atar - Zoroastrian god of celestial and terrestrial fire
Ayabba - African goddess of the hearth
Bast - Egyptian cat-headed goddess, goddess of the flame and fire
Brigit - Celtic fertility goddess and goddess of the fire, hearth, healing, poetry, and wisdom
Chantico - Aztec goddess of the hearth fires and volcano fires
Chiconahui - Aztec goddess of the hearth and guardian of the home
Chu Jung - Chinese god of fire
Gibil - Babylonian god of fire
Ephesus - Greek god of fire and volcanoes
Hestia - Greek goddess of the hearth, fire, and family life
Hyang Api - Indonesian god of fire
Hyang Kehen - Indonesian god of the hearth
Kagutsuchi - Japanese fire god
Kiyoshikojin Seichoji- Japanese god of the cooking stove
Loki - Norse god of the fire, hearth, and lightning. Also known as the trickster god.
Ong Tao - Asian god of the hearth, stove, and household
Pele - Hawaiian fire goddess, goddess of volcanoes
Prometheus - Greek Titan, he stole fire from the gods and presented it as a gift to humans
Sanpo Kojin - Japanese god of the hearth
Tsao Wang - Chinese god of the hearth and family
Ut - Siberian goddess of the hearth
Vesta - Roman goddess of the hearth and eternal fires (Roman version of Hestia)
Vulcan - Roman god of fire and volcanoes
Xiuhtecuhtli - Aztec fire god
Although the kitchen has traditionally been viewed as the woman's domain (you may not agree with this, but there's no denying it is a common viewpooint), you can see that there are many gods associated with the hearth. More specifically, these gods are associated with the fire in the hearth, fire being masculine, as the sun.
There are also many gods and goddesses of agriculture and the harvest - Dionysus, Bacchus, the Corn Mother, John Barleycorn, Dumuzi (Sumerian), Demeter, etc.
If you are considering putting together an altar for a kitchen god or goddess, do some research and either fine a harvest or hearth deity from the pantheon you follow, or find another kitchen deity with whom you identify.
A simple, small table or shelf in the kitchen (or just outside the kitchen if the space is small) can house your kitchen altar. Some things you can include are dried kernels of corn, seeds, dried herbs and flowers, a representation of fire or the hearth such as a dollhouse fireplace or stove, and a picture or other representation of your deity. You can make it yourself out of clay. Craft and hobby stores have a large selected of dollhouse miniatures, so you can even include food or plates. I've been working on my kitchen altar for some time and I made most of the items out of polymer clay. My only problem is living in one place long enough to set up the altar! Hopefully when I move back to the US...
Stay tuned for more information on kitchen deities, recipes, and tips on making an kitchen altar and for making your kitchen the heart and soul of your home.
Below is a list of kitchen deities, courtesy of www.thepaganpath.net:
Agni - Indian fire god and god of the home and hearth
Atar - Zoroastrian god of celestial and terrestrial fire
Ayabba - African goddess of the hearth
Bast - Egyptian cat-headed goddess, goddess of the flame and fire
Brigit - Celtic fertility goddess and goddess of the fire, hearth, healing, poetry, and wisdom
Chantico - Aztec goddess of the hearth fires and volcano fires
Chiconahui - Aztec goddess of the hearth and guardian of the home
Chu Jung - Chinese god of fire
Gibil - Babylonian god of fire
Ephesus - Greek god of fire and volcanoes
Hestia - Greek goddess of the hearth, fire, and family life
Hyang Api - Indonesian god of fire
Hyang Kehen - Indonesian god of the hearth
Kagutsuchi - Japanese fire god
Kiyoshikojin Seichoji- Japanese god of the cooking stove
Loki - Norse god of the fire, hearth, and lightning. Also known as the trickster god.
Ong Tao - Asian god of the hearth, stove, and household
Pele - Hawaiian fire goddess, goddess of volcanoes
Prometheus - Greek Titan, he stole fire from the gods and presented it as a gift to humans
Sanpo Kojin - Japanese god of the hearth
Tsao Wang - Chinese god of the hearth and family
Ut - Siberian goddess of the hearth
Vesta - Roman goddess of the hearth and eternal fires (Roman version of Hestia)
Vulcan - Roman god of fire and volcanoes
Xiuhtecuhtli - Aztec fire god
Although the kitchen has traditionally been viewed as the woman's domain (you may not agree with this, but there's no denying it is a common viewpooint), you can see that there are many gods associated with the hearth. More specifically, these gods are associated with the fire in the hearth, fire being masculine, as the sun.
There are also many gods and goddesses of agriculture and the harvest - Dionysus, Bacchus, the Corn Mother, John Barleycorn, Dumuzi (Sumerian), Demeter, etc.
If you are considering putting together an altar for a kitchen god or goddess, do some research and either fine a harvest or hearth deity from the pantheon you follow, or find another kitchen deity with whom you identify.
A simple, small table or shelf in the kitchen (or just outside the kitchen if the space is small) can house your kitchen altar. Some things you can include are dried kernels of corn, seeds, dried herbs and flowers, a representation of fire or the hearth such as a dollhouse fireplace or stove, and a picture or other representation of your deity. You can make it yourself out of clay. Craft and hobby stores have a large selected of dollhouse miniatures, so you can even include food or plates. I've been working on my kitchen altar for some time and I made most of the items out of polymer clay. My only problem is living in one place long enough to set up the altar! Hopefully when I move back to the US...
Stay tuned for more information on kitchen deities, recipes, and tips on making an kitchen altar and for making your kitchen the heart and soul of your home.
A Few Ideas
I don't want to be one of those cookbook authors who refuses to share recipes from books for free, but I can't give away all of the culinary secrets just yet :) Some of the recipes I've included in this blog so far have been mine, while others have come from other sources (which I have dutifully cited).
Here are some of the dishes that will be included in the Summer section of the book, encompassing Midsummer and Lammas/Lughnassadh. There will be meat, dairy, and gluten-free recipes as well.
Appetizers and Drinks (note to self - find cute title :P)
Shrimp Enchilada Dip (recipe featured in an earlier blog entry)
Guacamole (everyone has a recipe for this, I know, but I promise you mine is amazing)
Summer Wine Punch (a refreshing mixture of wine and fruit, but lighter than sangria)
Mango lassey with mint
Main Courses
Grilled Kofte (the Turkish influence is creeping in!)
Grilled vegetable Skewers with Middle Eastern-style marinade (also a grilled chicked version)
Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Vegetables
Sides and Salads
White Bean Salad
Red Potato Salad with Dill
Quinoa Tabbouli
Dessert
Grilled Pineapple with Ginger, Honey, and Lime
That's just a sample of the recipes I have been working on and plan to continue testing. The book will also include information about the magical uses of some many of the foods included in the recipes, plus a few surprises.
Here are some of the dishes that will be included in the Summer section of the book, encompassing Midsummer and Lammas/Lughnassadh. There will be meat, dairy, and gluten-free recipes as well.
Appetizers and Drinks (note to self - find cute title :P)
Shrimp Enchilada Dip (recipe featured in an earlier blog entry)
Guacamole (everyone has a recipe for this, I know, but I promise you mine is amazing)
Summer Wine Punch (a refreshing mixture of wine and fruit, but lighter than sangria)
Mango lassey with mint
Main Courses
Grilled Kofte (the Turkish influence is creeping in!)
Grilled vegetable Skewers with Middle Eastern-style marinade (also a grilled chicked version)
Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Vegetables
Sides and Salads
White Bean Salad
Red Potato Salad with Dill
Quinoa Tabbouli
Dessert
Grilled Pineapple with Ginger, Honey, and Lime
That's just a sample of the recipes I have been working on and plan to continue testing. The book will also include information about the magical uses of some many of the foods included in the recipes, plus a few surprises.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Yule Feast, Part I
IT's almost that time of year again! Actually, it *is* that time of year again - time to start preparing ourselves for the rebirth of the Sun.
Winter is a time of turning inwards, of taking stock of our gifts, and ridding ourselves of things, such as excess negativity, prejudices, regret for things we did not accomplish or things we should have done differently.
This is the time of the Crone, She who awaits us at the end of our journey through our present lives. She is the granter of wisdom, the one who helps us realize our potential, and the mother of the Sun King. We await his rebirth, lighting candles, burning a Yule log, decorating our homes with boughs of evergreen, blood-red holly, and golden-orange suns. The time of darkness is upon us, but it grows shorter every day. We await this joyous occasion.
There are many Yule tales out there. I invite you to read a few and share them with your coven, your family, whomever.
Now it is dark, it is cold, and perhaps snow covers the ground where you live. In the past, fresh food was scarce, if available at all, and people lived on the foods they preserved especially for this time of year. Dried fruits, cured meats, pickled vegetables, and grains made up the diet. For some, even the meat was a luxury. If the harvest was small, many people went hungry. Some starved.
These days we have supermarkets in many places, and many people have access to abundant sources of food. Sadly, however, some do not. One of the ways we can celebrate this time of year is by donating food to local food pantries, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Visit this site for more information on how you can help hungry people in your area (in the US): http://feedingamerica.org/default.aspx?show_shov=1
Also consider visiting http://www.thehungersite.com/ or http://www.care2.com/, where daily clicks generate donations to help the needy. It can't hurt, and it may help.
This is also a time to feed our feathered friends. Hang a bird feeder filled with various seeds and nuts. There are many websites which provide information on the types of birds in your area, as well as what to feed them, and where to place feeding tables and houses.
Wherever you are, I hope your table will be filled with Mother Earth's bounty. Be thankful for it. Share what you can, and stay tuned for some recipes and ideas.
Winter is a time of turning inwards, of taking stock of our gifts, and ridding ourselves of things, such as excess negativity, prejudices, regret for things we did not accomplish or things we should have done differently.
This is the time of the Crone, She who awaits us at the end of our journey through our present lives. She is the granter of wisdom, the one who helps us realize our potential, and the mother of the Sun King. We await his rebirth, lighting candles, burning a Yule log, decorating our homes with boughs of evergreen, blood-red holly, and golden-orange suns. The time of darkness is upon us, but it grows shorter every day. We await this joyous occasion.
There are many Yule tales out there. I invite you to read a few and share them with your coven, your family, whomever.
Now it is dark, it is cold, and perhaps snow covers the ground where you live. In the past, fresh food was scarce, if available at all, and people lived on the foods they preserved especially for this time of year. Dried fruits, cured meats, pickled vegetables, and grains made up the diet. For some, even the meat was a luxury. If the harvest was small, many people went hungry. Some starved.
These days we have supermarkets in many places, and many people have access to abundant sources of food. Sadly, however, some do not. One of the ways we can celebrate this time of year is by donating food to local food pantries, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Visit this site for more information on how you can help hungry people in your area (in the US): http://feedingamerica.org/default.aspx?show_shov=1
Also consider visiting http://www.thehungersite.com/ or http://www.care2.com/, where daily clicks generate donations to help the needy. It can't hurt, and it may help.
This is also a time to feed our feathered friends. Hang a bird feeder filled with various seeds and nuts. There are many websites which provide information on the types of birds in your area, as well as what to feed them, and where to place feeding tables and houses.
Wherever you are, I hope your table will be filled with Mother Earth's bounty. Be thankful for it. Share what you can, and stay tuned for some recipes and ideas.
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