Love Potion #37

It doesn’t smell like turpenine or smell like India Ink–that would be Love Potion #9!

Love Potion #37, on the other hand, is quite tasty and looks more like liquid roses (or blood for the macabre-like-my-hubby crowd).  And, it won’t find you love.  However, it might just put you in the mood for it.  Use it with a partner or alone, its great for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and grown-up Beltane celebrations!

Warning:  If you have problems with alcohol or alcoholism, this is not the recipe for you!

Love Potion #37
wide mouthed quart jar
a 750 mL bottle of Amaretto (I like di Amore–its pretty tasty and rather affordable)
4 T hibiscus
4 T damiana
4 T honey
1 T mulling spice
1 T jasmine
1 t cardamom

Put herbs and alcohol in the jar, shake daily for the first week.  Infuse 4-6 weeks in cool, dark place. Strain out alcohol and rebottle.

Love Potion # 37 is technically a tincture, though not as strong as your typical medicinal tincture.  Its made in pretty much the same way(if you aren’t all that familiar with tincture making, check out the video below!), although it contains a bit less alcohol than using 100 proof vodka (50% alcohol is the typical amount of alcohol in a tincture).

You can drink it straight (its best cold), on the rocks, topped off with either water or sprite for a less alcolic beverage (I quite like it this way), or made into an amaretto sour or similar drink.  It is effective in spells and rituals based around one’s relationship, as well as divination concerning love and relationships.

The Herbs
Here’s a list of the herbs in the tincture, and their applicable magical correspondences and medicinal properties…
Damiana–lust, love, and visions (magical); digestive aid, nerve and reproductive tonic (medical); reputed aphrodesiac
Hibiscus–lust, love, and divination (magical); digestive aid and improves circulation (medicinal)
Jasmine–love and dream prophecy (magical); liver tonic and digestive aid (medicinal); reputed aphrodesiac
Cardamom–lust and love (magical); stimulant, digestive aid (medicinal); reputed aphrodesiac
Allspice*–luck and healing (magical); digestive aid (medicinal)
Clove*–love (magical); digestive aid, male reproductive tonic (medicinal)
Ginger*–love and power (magical); mild stimulant, promotes circulation, and digestive aid** (medicinal)
Orange peel*–love and divination (magical); digestive aide, liver tonic (medicinal)

*from the mulling spices
**you may have noticed that all of these herbs are digestive aids, if it seems peculiar that I’ve listed this as a related medicinal property, think about the parts of the body where the digestive system is located in conjunction with the associated chakras…plus, who wants sex when their tummy hurts, lol?!?

Enjoy!

Making it (more) Magical: Another option to consider when making potions is to “brew” at the appropriate point in the moon’s cycle, for one full cycle (as well as other considerations like time of day, etc). Also, use the time “shaking” or mixing the potion to charge it, particularly the first week. If one is doing any energy work in conjunction with making the potion, I’d recommend doing so during the mixing, straining or bottling steps.

(If you were wondering, why #37, its my own notation for making concoctions–it would more accurately read 3-7 for the 7th “try” of the third series of love potions…the first series is water infusions, second series is for oil infusions, etc)

Food for Friday

Caker Cooking with Crescent Rolls

For all I talk about eating local, mostly plants (a la Michael Pollan), etc…sometimes you need quick and easy comfort food.  Sometimes you care more about the yum than the health.  And you don’t want to be wilting away in the kitchen with a home full of guests that you’d rather be chilling with.  Your solution is here!  All you need is some creativity, and crescent rolls in a can…its the ultimate in caker cooking!

Maybe I should have called this post “food I used to be able to eat, before gluten turned on me”.

Apple Turnovers

Thinly slice apples and layer slices on the crescent roll, sprinkle a wee bit of brown sugar and cinnamon, and fold up. Dust on some cinnamon, and bake following the directions on the can.

Asparagus and Bacon Wrap

Wrap asparagus (fresh or frozen) in crescent rolls and wrap everything in bacon.  If you use fresh asparagus, cover the ends in foil.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper and garlic salt and bake according to the directions on the can, plus a few minutes (just keep an eye on it).

Breakfast Pizza

Flatten out the crescent rolls and press together either on a cookie sheet in a rectangle or into a pizza pan as a circle.  You may want to make a raised edge with the crust.  Sprinkle with cooked bacon and/or sausage crumbles and/or ham, frozen hash browns or shredded potato, veggie chunks, or other toppings.  Whisk 3 eggs  and pour evenly over the toppings.  Sprinkle seasonings (I like basil and minced garlic with a tiny bit of lemon pepper) and cheese, then bake.

PB & J Pockets

When I was a kid, I always wanted to make grilled PB & J…which is pretty much a toasted cheese sammy, minus the cheese and substitute with PB&J.  Except its really, really messy…peanut butter does *not* melt like cheese.  So, my momma came up with the idea of using crescent rolls–put a scoop of PB, and another of J into the big triangle part of one crescent roll, and place another on top, pressing together the edges.  One can makes 4 pockets.  You could just as easily add cheese, and other toppings as well to make your own “Hot Pockets”.

 

 

Food for Friday: Flowers

Flowers can be food!  

Its not quite the season for flowers around here, but its coming.  And that means its time to bring out and dust off all the spring green and early summer foraging and herbal stuff (plus, I’m cleaning out my shoe box of recipes and other cooking info)!  For this week’s Food for Friday, I though we could talk about eating flowers.  

When we think of culinary herbs, we don’t often think of flowers.  But…nasturtium, rose, chamomile, redbud, zucchini or squash blossoms, snapdragon, violets, yarrow, calendula, lavender, citrus blossoms, hibiscus, clover, bee balm, borage, chive blossoms, honeysuckle, jasmine, daylily, geranium, lilac, mint flowers, and pansy (to name a few, here’s some more) can all be used in food.  Be careful of allergies when using flowers in food, and be sure to leave poisonous flowers alone!

Preservation Methods: 

• Drying–Hang freshly harvested (best time is usually early in the morning before full sun) by the stem in a dry dark location of room temperature (somewhere between 60-75 degrees F) with good circulation OR lie on mesh screen in a dust free space that meets the same criteria as for hanging.  Once dry, store whole, crumpled or pulverized in airtight glass containers in the dark.  When using in a recipe calling for fresh, use half.  Drying does alter flavor somewhat.
• Jellying–Steep 1 c of packed flowers into water in a covered glass or ceramic container for 1-2 days and strain the infusion into a 6 qt nonreactive Dutch oven or preserving pan.  Add 1/2 c of herb or flower vinegar and 3 1/2 c sugar and dissolve the sugar.  Bring the solution to a rolling boil and add 1 pouch of liquid pectin (or 1 pkg of dry).  Boil for about a minute (unless pectin instructions say otherwise) and remove from heat.  Skim off any foam and then pour into sterilized half pint jars, leaving about 1/8 in head space.  Put on lids and process for 5 min in a boiling water bath and turn upside down for 5 min to test lid seal.  Flower jellies can be used as glazes on meats, fish, veggies and toast.
• Flowered Butter–Finely chop flowers and mix into softened butter (1 c flowers: 1 lb butter ratio), cover and allow to muddle at room temperature for a few hours, and then refrigerate for several days before serving.  Flower butter will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.  It can be used in recipes for cakes or cookies, or as a spread.
• Infused Honey–Add 1/2 to 1 cup of flowers per 1 lb jar of honey, cover loosely and place in a half pan of gently boiling water.  Remove from heat and rest in water for around 10 minutes–never heat to more than 140 degrees F.  Once cooled to room temperature, close tightly and let set for a week before using.  Strain if desired.  This can be added to regular or flowered butter to make honey butter.
• Flowered Sugar–Pound 2 c granulated sugar with 1/2-1 cup of flower petals in a mortar (or run thru a food processor) and place in a clean jar and cover for about a week.  Sift (optional) and store in an airtight container.  Sprinkle as a tasty topping.
• Syrup–Boil together water, sugar and flower petals (1:3:1) for about 10 minutes, or until thick like a syrup.  Strain through cheesecloth into a clean glass jar.  Store in fridge for several weeks.
• Vodka (for drinking)–Infuse 1/2 c flowers into 2 c good vodka for at least 48 hours at room temperature.  Strain and store in freezer.

These methods are pretty standard for a number of leaf herbs as well, and can be altered as such.   Something to remember–not all flowers will do well in all preparations.  Also, flowers can be added into salads, used as garnish, fried into fritters like the dandelions, and used in a number of other ways.  Even better, flowers in food is a great way to incorporate a little bit of herb magic into the kitchen.

Recipe Links:
Redbud Jelly
Rose Petal Drop Scones
Calendula Omlet
Lavender Sorbet
Candied Flowers
Lilac Muffins
Sparkling Viola Cocktail
Geranium Pound Cake

a pot of tea (part one)

I like tea.

If you are a regular reader, you may have guessed this already.  I mean, I do include what tea I’ve had to drink that day in my  weekly musings posts!

To be precise, I like all sorts of teas.  I also like all sorts of herbal infusions and decoctions (since tea is an infusion of a particular herb, the tea plant, or Camellia sinensis).  Sassafras tea is probably one of my favorites, along with peppermint, or a nice cup of chamomile and lemon balm after a rough day.  I like to experiment too–pumpkin with pumpkin pie spices and black tea (it was pretty darn tasty) to cucumber, watermelon, and lemon balm as a cold infusion (great on a hot summer day).  And on the days that I don’t want to be be bothered to blend my own, a pot of Constant Comment usually hits the spot.

Whenever possible, I like to grow or forage my own herbs–some are easier than others (particularly since I’m an apartment dweller without a balcony for growing things).  When I can’t, I really like Frontier Herbs to order dried herbs (our local grocery store of awesomeness carries a pretty good selection of their herbs too).   Richters is a good supplier to order seeds, live plants, etc, if you have a better growing situation than I!

When it comes to concocting tea blends, there are a books I would recommend…over the years, I’ve thrifted or libraried a number of herbal tea books, of which I think these are the most useful while being user friendly…

• The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking
• 20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature’s Healing Herbs
• Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health & Vitality
• Healing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful Beverages

But really, the real way to make tea is to be a scientist about it!  Start with the building blocks–single herbs.  Research their magical and medicinal properties, contraindications, etc.  Make a pot, or two, or ten and record the flavor and how it makes you feel, emotionally and physically.  Everyone is different, and just because X is good for Y doesn’t mean that you and your body will like what X does for you (or maybe you won’t like how X tastes, or maybe you think you need more or less of X to achieve the flavor you like).

Stock your cabinets with the best collection of useful and complimentary herbs that you can afford that suit your daily needs (your daily moods and goals), and test them out in combination for whatever mood or moment you are trying to celebrate, enhance, influence, etc.  Don’t forget proper herb storage!  And most importantly, don’t forget to record your results!

You may be wondering, “What the heck do I record?” That’s really good question, and it will depend on you.  I would suggest (particularly if this is new to you) that you start with a list of herbs you know you can easily get your hands on.  Then, I would suggest looking up the basic properties for each herb, and recording them in the front of your handy-dandy notebook (can you tell I’ve seen too much Blue’s Clues?), along with medical contraindications and dosages**, the “taste profile” of each herb*, as you start trying out single herbs.  Once you have that, try out combinations that seem likely on paper.  Put them next to each other and smell them–if they don’t smell good together, it is unlikely (though not impossible) they will taste good together (and remember, we are talking about enjoyment tea, not medicinal tea).  If you like the combination, write it down and try it out…and then record the results.  As an example, if I wanted to relax, I would maybe start with equal parts of chamomile, linden, and lemon balm…or if I thought that I was starting to feel a bit cruddy due to winter ick, I’d use some white pine needles, oranges and ginger.

The “standard” for a non-medicinal herbal infusion** is about 3-4 tsp dry herb (or 2-3 tsp fresh) to 2 c of water that has just been boiled, and seep for 10-15 minutes before straining and drinking. I find that using a french press is simplest way to make tea (no bags necessary). If you are mixing herbs, that amount would be divided into “parts”. When I write a tea recipe out in my handy dandy notebook, it looks something like this 2 cham: 1 lav: 1 lem balm, and I just sort of “eyeball” it.  But hot tea is not the be all and end all of tea.  In the summer, when it has busted 100 degrees F, the last thing I want is hot tea.  Cold infusions are fantastic.

If you are looking for ideas of herbs to start with, my “tea cabinet” is always stocked with the following: lemon balm,
linden, cinnamon, elderflower, lavender, hibiscus, sassafrass (forage), damiana, corn silk (which I get from fresh corn in the summer @ the farmers market), rose petals (forage), rose hips (forage), ginger (really, this one is in my freezer), apple (fridge), oranges (fridge), white pine needles (forage), red clover flowers (forage), chamomile, and yarrow.  I also supplement from fruits and veggies in the fridge and from my medicinal herbs…and even from commercial blends.  One of my favorite combinations is Bigelow’s Plantation Mint with sassafrass and orange slices.   Basically, get some herbs and start brewing!

Next time we’ll either talk about the science of infusions, or making them magic…I’m not sure which yet!

*Taste is mostly smell, so the smell of an herb can offer you a lot of information on how an herb will taste.  If you are wondering how to record the aroma and taste of each herb, this site which talks about the smells of essential oils and picking combinations that go together, offers a good introduction which is herb-specific.  Other sites that might help–this one and this one on the terminology describing food flavors, or this one on the technique of wine tasting, and this one on spices.

**Medicinal teas are really not the same as non-medicinal ones.  They are generally stronger, and prepared as a decoction, rather than a simple infusion.  Also, some herbs that one might use medicinally aren’t meant to be used very often internally.  Medicinal teas should also be prepared by the weight of herb (which is more precise).  I do still advocate knowing the medicinal properties for non-medicinal teas, because some medicinal properties correspond to psychology–an herb used to calm the digestive system is often useful in settling nerves as well, as well as for magical properties that might have been overlooked.  Also, I advocate keeping track of the medical contraindications (like pregnancy and medications and common allergens) and dosages so that you can make the appropriate decisions regarding how much of a herb (or none) that you should use based on your own medical condition (and that of any one you are serving).

Musings for the Last Harvest

A tea for the Last Harvest:  For tomorrow, I’m trying a new bit of tea…I refridgerated a bit of our jack’o'lantern’s scrapings and plan to simmer it up with some cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  I think something will bound to be missing…but I can’t think of what might be a good addition at the moment.  Maybe just some plain ole tea…like an Irish Breakfast or something.

Meet Opal: A couple years ago, when looking for an alternative to Santa Claus, who could still be tied into the Santa mythology, the Sabbat Faeries were born.  At Yule time, they help Santa out by delivering Solstice gifts to Pagan children, because Santa is pretty darn busy gearing up for Christmas Eve.  Now, there are a group of eight, and each one is in charge of a different holiday.

The Samhain, or Last Harvest Faerie, is named Opal, and I’ve been told by Chickadee that she lives in a tea pot hanging from the branches of a very old tree called Willow (who, of course, happens to be a willow).  In addition to her duties as a Sabbat Faerie, Opal helps the Willow Keepers (you might remember that the Willow Keepers are a group of Tree Herders, but if you don’t, that is okay because I just reminded you) tend the Willow Grove.

Opal and the Faeries have quite a few jobs to do for both Halloween AND Samhain–planting costume ideas into people’s heads when they need help, making sure that everyone has a fair amount of treats as they trick-or-treat, trying to keep the candle’s in the jack-o-lantern’s from going out, and putting the extra bang or super shrieky shriek into  All Hallow’s Eve fun.  But their most important task is organizing the spirit side of Rememberance Eve.  You see, it used to be that when the veil thinned and the spirits wandered that some of them got lost, and others caused a ruckus, and some of them even didn’t want to go  back afterwards!  Can you imagine the mess that made?!?

Let’s just say that Grandmother Moon and Mama O’shen and Mr. Mountain and…well, you know, all those head honchos, they were NOT happy.  Wayward spirits have a tendecy of scaring some people.  So, Opal and her friends were given the task of helping spirits find the right homes to visit–the homes with families who had prepared special meals to invite them in to share, and homes where families might not know about Samhain, but could use a little bit of comfort from their departed relatives.  For those spirits that no longer have families, I have heard that the Sabbat Faeries throw one heck of a party!

This year we thrifted our costumes…Chickadee (who had wanted to be a mermaid) changed her mind and decided to be Snow White.  She even wants to carry an apple and pretend to be going to take a bite unless she gets candy.  Dramatic much?  I guiess I should be glad she didn’t think of hair dye to really  be in charachter.  Sharkbait is going as a turtle…I actually had to hide his costume, because it was impossible to get him out of it!  I get to dress up, if I want to, for work tomorrow…I think I’m just going to do a devil tail and some devil horn hair clips that I have or something.  But tomorrow night…totally going as a mombie!  I’m going to put curlers in my hair, and the worst scrubby cleaning lounge clothes ever, and zombie make-up.  If anyone asks what I am, my kids drove me crazy and I became a mombie.

…because that’s sort of what I feel like right now.  Going on week three of The Hubby In San Diego.  I survived Weekend of Hell–two kids with strep and a snowicaine sort of sucks.  Although., I can’t complain too much–our power never went out, and other than a 25 degree temperature drop and some wicked tides (which could have been much worse, since we live three blocks from the beach), all we really had to deal with was three and a half days of practically non-stop rain (Sunday night’s wind was a little freaky too).  And while I can’t complain too much, because it COULD have been so much worse, I really want to.  ZOMG…sick kids cooped up in a house in crappy weather, whining and hacking, sneezing and snotting, making messes and falling asleep instead of cleaning them up…  What about mom feeling like crapola and not getting any sleep?  What about mom wanting to kick and scream and cry ?  I want to get sent to San Diego to work for a few weeks!

For Dinner Tomorrow:  I’ve decided against a family ritual tomorrow…with Sharkbait (or, probably with any 4 year-old child with ADHD), its just too much with only one grown up (Miss February has a job now, and works in the evenings).  Instead, we are going to do a Dumb Supper (it might be the only silence I get all evening) after trick-or-treating, and then light the altar and have prayer and a mini-meditation before bed time.  Then I might do something…or not–I think by then, I’ll be passing out for the night (I work outside, where it is quite cold, and I’m sick…).  But, I’m making colcannon (its already made actually, just have to reheat) with califlower to replace some of the potato, baked apple stew (I’ll link the recipes once I’m back to regualr internet on a real computer, instead of this IE app on XBOX), and pulled pork (which is also already made, I just have to thaw and reheat).

But I really want to try…the recipe for Mandragora Wine in Gerina Dunwich’s The Pagan Book of Halloween,which uses the fruit of one May Apple (which I can tell you is harder than heck to find–deer get to those darn things pretty fast!), 13 apples,. 3 oranges and 3 lemons, along with 7 lbs of sugar, three gallons of water and yeast.  The rest is basic wine making proceedure, and in about 5-6 months, wine!

Set the kidlets to making magic this Halloween: Catching a falling leaf as it drops from the tree, before it touches the ground, is said to make a wish come true!

Parting Thought:
I have set my face to the sun as we spin into the darkness. I will greet the beloved spirits of my family, and honor the spirits of my ancestors on this night where the bridge between the realms of like and death is at its strongest. For it is death that makes life possible–that nourishes the living. May our remerberance honor those who have made our lives and our livlihoods, from the threshing of grain to the passing of prior generations.
(inspired by some of the phrasing in Ceiswr Serith’s A Book of Pagan Prayer)