#wheat poppy seeds and dried fruit with honey

[magazynkulinarny]

Kutia

Zdjęcia miały być magiczne: świeży śnieg, biały ogród w tle i kutia wypełniająca oldskulowy kryształ! A wyszło hmm..., jak wyszło. Na szczęście wigilijny przysmak z pszenicy, mielonego maku i bakalii udał się znakomicie.

Robiłam ją pierwszy raz i byłam podekscytowana. Nie obawiałam się efektu, bo tu nic nie może się nie udać. Najważniejsze, aby wiedzieć jaką pszenicę kupujemy. W sklepach ze zdrową żywnością i warzywniakach znajdziemy przeważnie pszenicę już obłuszczoną, ponieważ proces usuwania twardych łusek jest czasochłonny i kłopotliwy.

Jednak jeszcze gdzieniegdzie na wsiach łuszczenie wykonuje się ręcznie. Po lekkim zwilżeniu, wsypuje się zboże do woreczka z lnianego płótna, zawiązuje i drewnianą pałką ubija na twardym podłożu. Co kilka minut worek należy rozwiązać i zawartość skropić wodą, co sprawia, że łuski łatwiej odchodzą od ziaren. Ręczna obróbka kilograma zboża zajmuje od 15 do 30 minut. Następnie ziarna przepłukuje się wodą na rzadkim sicie, by oddzielić oderwane łuski.

Niezależnie od łuszczenia warto zapytać sprzedawcę o czas gotowania. Dlaczego? Ponieważ możemy kupić pszenicę bardzo twardą oraz poddaną wstępnej obróbce termicznej. Pierwszą trzeba moczyć kilka godzin, a potem gotować 30-40 minut. Tę drugą wystarczy gotować około godzinę.

Co do maku, to jego przygotowanie zależy od tego czy zaopatrzymy się w mak niemielony, mielony, czy może gotową masę z puszki. Niemielony, wiadomo, trzeba zmielić. Dwu- lub trzykrotnie. Wcześniej krótko obgotować w mleku lub wodzie. Mielony tylko chwilę gotować.

Do kutii tradycyjnie wybiera się orzechy włoskie, migdały i rodzynki, ale w czasach obfitości - w których żyjemy, często tego nie doceniając - można dodać inne, ulubione bakalie: kandyzowaną skórkę pomarańczową, orzechy laskowe, suszone figi, morele, śliwki, żurawiny itd. Potrawę słodzimy miodem i serwujemy po schłodzeniu. Można też polać mlekiem lub śmietanką.

Nie tylko w Polsce jada się ten wyjątkowy, choć niepozornie wyglądający, przysmak. Równie, a może nawet bardziej popularny jest na Ukrainie, Białorusi, Litwie i w Rosji. Na stołach pojawia się głównie w okresie świąt Bożego Narodzenia i sylwestra. Na Białorusi rozpowszechniona jest także wytrawna wersja kutii, bez miodu i bakalii.

Składniki:

1 1/2 szklanki pszenicy 1 1/2 szklanki mielonego maku 3 szklanki mleka 1/3 szklanki orzechów włoskich 1/3 szklanki migdałów 2 łyżki rodzynków 2 łyżki kandyzowanej skórki pomarańczowej 2 łyżki suszonych śliwek ok. 1/2 szklanki miodu mleko lub kremówka do polania (opcjonalnie) szczypta soli

Wykonanie:

Pszenicę opłukać pod bieżącą wodą na sicie. Przesypać do większego naczynia, zalać podwójną - w stosunku do zboża - ilością wody. Odstawić na noc.

Kolejnego dnia odlać wodę, zalać dwukrotną ilością świeżej i gotować na małym ogniu ok. 30-40 minut. Ja lubię pszenicę lekko al dente, więc po pół godzinie sprawdzam jej stan. Po ugotowaniu odcedzić i odstawić.

Rodzynki zalać wodą i odstawić do namoczenia. Jeśli chcemy mieć migdały bez skórki, również zalać je wodą.

Mak zalać mlekiem, doprowadzić do wrzenia i gotować kilka minut. Odcedzić mak na sicie wyściełanym czystą ściereczką kuchenną i delikatnie odcisnąć. Powinien pozostać wilgotny.

Z migdałów zdjąć skórki pokroić je grubo, podobnie posiekać orzechy włoskie. Śliwki pokroić na połówki lub drobniej.

Do miski wsypać pszenicę, mak, wszystkie bakalie i rozpuszczony miód. Wymieszać. Jeśli masa okaże się zbyt sucha, podlać mlekiem z gotowania maku.

Przed podaniem schłodzić.

[somethingclevermahogony]

As Promised! A Recipe for Kipsha (Sort of)

Hello everyone! A few days ago I said that, as a way to celebrate reaching 100 followers that I would make one of the dishes from the setting of my WIP. And I did that! Kind of. You see it turns out that Sainsbury's or at least Google, lied to me, and so I was unable to find barely which was a necessary component of this recipe. Even worse when I returned home I found that the only wheat flour that I had was self-rising. And so, I did not make Kipsha (recipe here) which is eaten in the western and central parts of Kishetal, rather I made Kipisa which is eaten on eastern border of Kishetal and Makur in cities like Kutar and Nabi (shown below).

The primary difference between Kipsha and Kipisa is the grain used. Kipisa is made with rye while Kipsha is made with barley. In addition, Kipisa is often served with butter. Butter as a culinary ingredient is almost entirely limited to the eastern plains, where it preferred to or eaten alongside olive oil. Saramuk Ukishiya, meaning "Butter Eater" (Saramuk coming from the Lakuri word for butter, Shayram) is a common derrogatory term used to refer to those people living in the region shown above. The recipe is below the cut!

Kipisa

Kipsha or Kipisa or Kipcha is a kind of cake or biscuit commonly eaten by the wealthy and poor alike. It can vary wildly from soft and spongy to harder and more cracker like. It is a popular form of street food and can be served as savory or sweet. In savory applications honey is typically forgone and olive oil may be replaced with various varieties of animal fat. All varieties contain some amount of barley or more rarely, rye, however examples meant for nobility may contain up to 70 or even 90%.

The name Kipsha is a reference to the sesame and/or poppy seeds used in and sprinkled over the top. Kip being the Kishic word for seed or grain. Though it may also refer to an infant, thus part of the cake's association with fertility.

This recipe is for Sweet Kipisa, as it is enjoyed in the city of Kutar. A similar varient is eaten just across the mountains in Labisa, though here they make use of barley rather rye. It is this barley variety, Kipsha, which is my MC, Narul's favorite dish.

This particular variety of Kipsia is cracker-like, with a slightly chewy interior.

Ingredients

Note: For those ingredients which are not available on earth, approximate substitutes are provided.  

The Cakes

(Note that Kishetal has no distinct set of measurements nor are recipes recorded. Recipes are typically passed down orally and differ greatly between regions and even families. Adjust ingredients to one's own liking)

1 ¾ cups Rye Flour

1 ¼ Unbleached Wheat Flour

½ cup Water

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Untoasted Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Sweet White Wine (Riesling or Muscat are suggested)

3 Tbsp Kafa (This Kishic yogurt drink can be substituted with equal parts plain greek yogurt and whole milk)

2 Tbsp Honey 

1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

2 ½ Tsp Untoasted White Sesame Seeds

½ Tsp Sinrian Cinnamon (Substitute Cassia Cinnamon)

¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper

Toppings

 1. This are meant to reflect Narul’s Preferred Toppings, though with the addition of more typically eastern additions

1-2 Dried figs chopped (Fresh figs may be substituted)

3 Tbsp Honey, warmed

2 Tbsp Regula Juice (Substitute 1:1 parts orange and lemon juice)

Ground black pepper to taste

Sesame Seeds to taste

Chibalan Salt to taste (Substitute: Flake Salt)

Torn mint leaves

Goat Butter, melted (Cow or sheep is also acceptable)

2. Other Toppings

Unsalted soft cheese such as ricotta

Yogurt

Dates

Crushed nuts (typically walnuts or pistachios)

Chopped Cherries or other fruits

Preparation

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. In a different bowl combine all liquid ingredients and whisk thoroughly.

3. Combine wet and dry ingredients, knead using your hands to form a firm ball, add water and flour as needed to achieve this.

4. Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 4.

5. Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C (fan 195 C).

6. Liberally dust a counter or large cutting board with rye flour. Dust a rolling pin or similar instrument with flour.

7. Place the rested dough onto the floured surface and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch

8. Using a biscuit cutter or knife, cut dough into cakes, these can be any number of shapes, delicately score the surface.

9. Place cakes on a covered cookie sheet making sure that they do not touch. 

10. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden or lightly browned.

11. Remove and immeditately apply melted butter, honey, and regalu juice to surface. Allow to sit and cool for at least 5 minutes (Kipisa is not eaten hot. The more time is allowed for the absorption of the toppings, the better)

12. Once cool, add additional toppings. It is not unusual at this point to add additional butter and honey, nor is it unheard to dip the cake in the regalu juice and butter while eating it.

13. Enjoy!

I probably should have a taglist but I don't know who all would be on it, whoops. So I'm just tagging my followers that liked the original post @patternwelded-quill , @skyderman , @flaneurarbiter , @jclibanwrites , @alnaperera, @rhokisb, @blackblooms , @lord-nichron , @kosmic-kore , @friendlyshaped , @axl-ul , @talesfromtheunknowable , @wylanzahn , @dyrewrites , @foragedbonesblog

[imsociallyanxiousgetoverit]

List of all SDV and SDV:E (Stardew Valley: Expanded) Giftable Items

Horseradish

Daffodil

Leek

Dandelion

Parsnip

Cave Carrot

Coconut

Cactus

Banana

Sap

Large Egg

Egg

Milk

Large Milk

Green Bean

Cauliflower

Potato

Garlic

Kale

Rhubarb

Melon

Tomato

Morsel

Blueberry

Fiddlehead Fern

Hot Pepper

Wheat

Radish

Red Cabbage

Starfruit

Corn

Rice

Eggplant

Artichoke

Pumpkin

Bokchoy

Yam

Chanterelle

Cranberry

Holly

Beets

Ostrich Egg

Salmonberry

Amouranth

Pale Ale

Hops

Void Egg

Mayonnaise

Duck Mayonnaise

Void Mayonnaise

Clay

Copper Bar

Silver Bar

Gold Bar

Iridium Bar

Refined Quartz

Honey

Pickles

Jam

Beer

Wine

Juice

Clam

Poppy

Copper Ore

Silver Ore

Coal

Gold Ore

Iridium Ore

Wood

Stone

Nautilus Shell

Coral

Summer Shell

Spice Berry

Sea Urchin

Grape

Spring Onion

Strawberry

Sweet Pea

Common Mushroom

Wild Plum

Hazelnut

Blackberry

Winter Root

Crystal Fruit

Snow Yam

Sweet Gem Berry

Crocus

Red Mushroom

Sunflower

Purple Mushroom

Cheese

Goat Cheese

Cloth

Truffle

Truffle Oil

Coffee Bean

Goat Milk

Large Goat Milk

Wool

Duck Egg

Duck Feather

Caviar

Lucky Rabbit’s Foot

Aged Roe

Ancient Fruit

Mead

Tulip

Summer Spangle

Fairy Rose

Blue Jazz

Apple

Green Tea

Apricot

Orange

Peach

Pomegranate

Cherry

Bug Meat

Hardwood

Maple Syrup

Oak Resin

Pine Tar

Slime

Bat Wing

Rusty Blade

Swirl Stone

Solar Essence

Void Essence

Void Pebble

Void Shard

Void Soul

Fiber

Battery

Dinosaur Mayonnaise

Roe

Squid Ink

Tea Leaves

Ginger

Taro Root

Pineapple

Mango

Cinder Shard

Magma Cap

Bone Fragment

Radioactive Ore

Radioactive Bar

Ancient Fiber

Bearberry

Conch

Dried Sand Dollar

Ferngill Primrose

Golden Ocean Flower

Goldenrod

Green Mushroom

Four-Leaf Clover

Monster Fruit

Monster Mushroom

Mushroom Colony

Poison Mushroom

Red Baneberry

Salal Berry

Slime Berry

Rafflesia

Sports Drink

Stamina Capsule

Thistle

Void Root

Winter Star Ross

Dewdrop Berry

Aged Blue Moon Wine

Blue Moon Wine

Aegis Elixir

Armor Elixir

Barbarian Elixir

Gravity Elixir

Haste Exilir

Hero Elixir

Lightning Elixir

Pufferfish

Anchovy

Tuna

Sardine

Bream

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Rainbow Trout

Salmon

Walleye

Perch

Carp

Catfish

Pike

Sunfish

Red Snapper

Herring

Eel

Octopus

Red Mullet

Squid

Seaweed

Green Algae

Seacucumber

Super Seacucumber

Ghost Carp

White Algae

Stone Fish

Crimsonfish

Angler

Icepip

Lava Eel

Legend

Sandfish

Scorpion Carp

Flounder

Midnight Carp

Mutant Carp

Sturgeon

Tiger Trout

Bullhead

Tilapia

Chub

Dorado

Albacore

Shad

Lingcod

Halibut

Lobster

Crayfish

Crab

Cockle

Mussel

Shrimp

Snail

Periwinkle

Oyster

Woodskip

Glacierfish

Void Salmon

Slimejack

Midnight Squid

Spookfish

Blobfish

Stingray

Lionfish

Blue Discus

Baby Lunaloo

Bonefish

Bull Trout

Butterfish

Clownfish

Daggerfish

Dulse Seaweed

Frog

Gemfish

Goldenfish

Grass Carp

King Salmon

Kittyfish

Lunaloo

Meteor Carp

Minnow

Puppyfish

Radioactive Bass

Razor Trout

Seahorse

Sea Sponge

Shiny Lunaloo

Snatcher Worm

Starfish

Torpedo Trout

Undeadfish

Void Eel

Water Grub

Dwarf Scroll 1

Dwarf Scroll 2

Dwarf Scroll 3

Dwarf Scroll 4

Chipped Amphora

Arrowhead

Ancient Doll

Elvish Jewelry

Chewing Stick

Ornamental Fan

Dinosaur Egg

Rare Disc

Ancient Sword

Rusty Spoon

Rusty Spur

Rusty Cog

Chicken Statue

Ancient Seed

Prehistoric Tool

Dried Starfish

Anchor

Glass Shards

Bone Flute

Prehistoric Handaxe

Dwarvish Helm

Dwarf Gadget

Ancient Drum

Golden Mask

Golden Relic

Strange Doll

Strange Doll

Prehistoric Scapula

Prehistoric Tibia

Prehistoric Skull

Skeletal Hand

Prehistoric Rib

Prehistoric Vertebrae

Skeletal Tail

Nautilus Shell

Amphibian Fossil

Palm Fossil

Trilobite

Emerald

Aquamarine

Ruby

Amethyst

Topaz

Jade

Diamond

Prismatic Shard

Quartz

Fire Quartz

Frozen Tear

Earth Crystal

Alamite

Bixite

Baryite

Aerinite

Calcite

Dolomite

Esperite

Fluorapatite

Geminite

Helvite

Jamborite

Jagoite

Kyanite

Lunarite

Malachite

Nepunite

Lemon Stone

Nekoite

Orpiment

Petrified Slime

Thunder Egg

Pyrite

Ocean Stone

Ghost Crystal

Tiger’s Eye

Jasper

Opal

Fire Opal

Celestine

Marble

Sandstone

Granite

Basalt

Limestone

Soapstone

Hematite

Mudstone

Obsidian

Slate

Fairy Stone

Star Shards

Fried Egg

Omelet

Salad

Cheese Cauliflower

Baked Fish

Parsnip Soup

Vegetable Medley

Complete Breakfast

Fried Calimari

Strange Bun

Lucky Lunch

Fried Mushrooms

Pizza

Bean Hotpot

Glazed Yams

Carp Surprise

Hashbrowns

Pancakes

Salmon Dinner

Fish Taco

Crispy Bass

Pepper Poppers

Bread

Tom Kha Soup

Trout Soup

Chocolate Cake

Pink Cake

Rhubarb Pie

Cookies

Spaghetti

Spicy Eel

Sashimi

Maki Roll

Tortilla

Red Plate

Eggplant Parmesan

Rice Pudding

Ice Cream

Bluberry Tart

Autumn’s Bounty

Pumpkin Soup

Super Meal

Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing

Farmer’s Lunch

Survival Burger

Dish’O’The Sea

Miner’s Treat

Roots Platter

Triple Shot Espresso

Seafoam Pudding

Algae Soup

Pale Broth

Plum Pudding

Artichoke Dip

Stir Fry

Roasted Hazelnuts

Pumpkin Pie

Radish Salad

Fruit Salad

Blackberry Cobbler

Cranberry Candy

Bruschetta

Coleslaw

Fiddlehead Risotto

Poppyseed Muffin

Chowder

Fish Stew

Escargot

Lobster Bisque

Maple Bar

Crab Cakes

Shrimp Cocktail

Ginger Ale

Banana Pudding

Mango Sticky Rice

Poi

Tropical Curry

Squid Ink Ravioli

Mushroom Berry Rice

Big Bark Burger

Flower Cookie

Frog Legs

Glazed Butterfish

Grampleton Orange Chicken

Mixed Berry Pie

Baked Berry Oatmeal

Void Delight

Void Salmon Sushi

[luckystorein22]

What are some good recipes for making homemade biscuits, cookies or crackers with whole wheat flour?

Certainly! Using whole wheat flour in baking can add a nutty flavor and extra nutritional value to your biscuits, cookies, or crackers. Here are recipes for each:

Whole Wheat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar)

1 tablespoon honey (optional, for sweetness)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the cold butter pieces to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and honey.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead it a few times. Pat it into a 1-inch thick circle.

Use a biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits and place them on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat or dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, mixing well.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Fold in the whole wheat or dark chocolate chips.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Whole Wheat Crackers:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup water

Optional: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or herbs for topping

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour and salt.

Add the olive oil to the dry ingredients and mix.

Gradually add the water, stirring until the dough comes together.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's very thin.

Cut the dough into desired cracker shapes and place them on a baking sheet.

Prick the crackers with a fork and sprinkle with optional toppings.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Keep an eye on them, as baking times may vary.

Feel free to customize these recipes based on your preferences, adding nuts, dried fruits, or other mix-ins to your cookies, or herbs and seeds to your crackers. Enjoy your whole wheat baked treats!

[mywildattic]

𝕾𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖆𝖙𝖘

{Art by Julia Nikita}

The sabbats are holidays celebrated throughout the year on solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them. These sabbats form the Wheel of the year.

There is a controversy surrounding the dates of these holidays, as people celebrate them all over the earth, not only in the northen hemisphere but in the southern too. 

One viewpoint is that the Sabbats should be celebrated as they were originally created to be... in other words, Samhain is October 31st, regardless of where you live. In the Southern Hemisphere, even though you are just gearing up to summer on October 31st, this perspective says that you celebrate the cleansing and releasing, the honouring of the dead just as you would if you lived in the Northern Hemisphere. The other viewpoint (the one I personally agree with) is that you should celebrate when you feel like the season corresponds with the holiday, in other words, your craft, your rules. So if you live in the southern hemisphere, you have the choice.

I’ll be writing the dates for each holiday starting with the northen hemisphere and then the dates that many people celebrate them in the southern hemisphere

🌲𝐘𝐔𝐋𝐄

{December 21st//June 21st}

Yule focuses on rebirth and renewal as the sun makes its way back to the earth. It's all about new beginnings, reflection and embracing warmth. Much like Christmas, many celebrate with a feast, gift giving, being cosy and appreciating the good.

↟Nature: cedar, frankincense, myrrh, mistletoe, pine, birch, ivy.

↟Foods//flavours: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, wintergreen, apple, dried fruit.

↟Stones: citrine, ruby, garnet, alexandrite, green tourmaline.

↟Activities: decorate your altar with incense associated with Yule, burn ash wood for prosperity, bake using Yule flavours like ginger or cinnamon, make wreathes to hang around the house, spend time with loved ones.

🕯️𝐈𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐂

{February 1st//August 1st}

Imbolc focuses on celebrating the nature that is preparing to grow and renewal, also known as "candlemas" and the "Feast of Pan".

↟Nature: basil, blackberry, heather, celandine, iris, wisteria, vanilla, bay, yellow and white flowers.

↟Foods//flavours: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peppers, onions, spices, and herbal teas.

↟Stones: amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, onyx.

↟Activities: decorate with candles and sun decorations, go hiking, have a bonfire, bake foods with poppy seeds, and burn any leftover winter herbs.

🌼𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀

{March 21st//September 21st}

Ostara focuses on manifesting creativity and love. As the days become longer, energy becomes stronger.

↟Nature: ash, alder, daffodil, honeysuckle, narcissus, primrose, violet, jasmine.

↟Foods//flavours: olives, maple syrup, honey, edible flowers, chocolate, pine nuts, nettle or lavender tea, local fruits and vegetables.

↟Stones: amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.

↟Activities: gardening and planting seeds, bake breads with olives or honey for example, start new projects, talk to plants, do some painting, decorate with wildflowers.

🌰𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐄

{May 1st//November 1st}

Beltane focuses on fertility, love and abundance. Also known as "may day", on this sabbat many celebrate with dancing, bonfires and many high energy activities, including enjoying themselves sexually with a partner or even conceiving children.

↟Nature: frankincense, lilac, ivy, marigold, woods, rose, thyme, mint, yarrow.

↟Foods//flavours: oats, leafy greens, fruits, breads, honey.

↟Stones: malachite, amber, fire opal, red jasper.

↟Activities: dance, decorate with florals and symbols of the sea, go to the beach, go hiking, have a bonfire, feast on fruits, vegetables and grains, laugh and let your hair down. And if you're trying to conceive or simply would like to have sex, Beltane is a wonderful time to do so.

🦋𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀

{June 21st//December 21st}

Litha focuses on growth and celebrating the longest day of the year and the sun, before the shorter days begin.

↟Nature: fern, yarrow, sage, rose, oak, mugwort, lavender, chamomile, myrrh, pine.

↟Foods//flavours: herbed bread, honey, sunflower seeds, iced herbal tea, lemon, vanilla.

↟Stones: lapis lazuli, amethyst, malachite, tiger's eye.

↟Activities: make or buy a sun catcher, surround yourself with warm tones, watch the sunrise and sunset, make sun water, spend time outdoors, make use of herbs.

🌾𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐒//𝐋𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐇

{August 2nd//February 2nd}

Lammas, or lughnasadh focuses on celebrating the first of the three harvesting sabbats and taking time to really feel the positivity in different aspects of life.

↟Nature: cornstalks, heather, acacia flowers, hollyhock, oak leaves, wheat, myrtle, spices.

↟Food//flavours: grainy bread, corn, potatoes, nuts, blackberries, wine.

↟Stones: amber, agate, citrine, clear quartz, obsidian, tiger's eye.

↟Activities: bake bread, make corn dolls, visit a sunflower field, spend time in nature, acknowledged what you are grateful for, journal.

🍁𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐍

{September 21st//March 21st}

Mabon focuses on honouring the change of the seasons, balance and peace.

↟Nature: sage, pine, marigold, thistle, acorns, milkweed, oak leaves, myrrh.

↟Food//flavours: cinnamon, nuts, beans, dark fruits, pies, soup, butterscotch.

↟Stones: citrine, carnelian, clear quartz, sapphire, yellow agate.

↟Activities: collect pine cones, donate food and old clothes, meditate, dry herbs, spend time with loved ones, speak to the nature around you.

🎃𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍

{October 31st-November 1st//April 30th-May 1st}

Samhain focuses on celebrating life, and honouring those who are no longer with us.

↟Nature: heather, sage, pumpkins, straw, flax, patchouli, myrrh.

↟Foods//flavours: apples, cider, pumpkin, pies, soups, stews, potatoes, ginger.

↟Stones: amber, black obsidian, fossils, onyx, sandstone, bloodstones.

↟Activities: honour the deceased, spend time with family, make a hearty comforting meal, make or buy a scarecrow, spend time practicing divination.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭

↟Do a tarot reading relevant to that sabbat.

↟Spend time in the moonlight, charging your crystals and tarot cards, as well as meditating.

↟Bake something using at least one traditional food of that sabbat to share with others.

↟Cleanse your living space and any of your magickal items.

↟Write down how you’re feeling and how you’d like to feel in the weeks to come.

[noctivague]

Demeter’s Offerings

Day 7 - Offerings - Historical & UPG

Historical:

Grain: Demeter is the goddess of the grain so it’s the first offering that comes to mind. Traditionally it would be wheat or barley or spelt (some other type of wheat), lupine and oat. You can easily expend on that and offer her other types of grain though. 

Legumes: Another important type of food, legumes make for a good offering. Lentils, chickpeas, fava beans and split peas are the most traditional.

Bread and baked goods: Bread was a staple of the ancient’s diet and Demeter is THE goddess connected to that. Bread thus makes for an amazing offering, even better if you can make it yourself. I include in that every baked goods that you make with flour. 

Fruits and vegetables: The first fruits of the harvest were historically given to her as a thank you, so if you grow your own it’s an easy way to be in the tradition. If you don’t, offering her fruits or veggies that are grown locally and in season is a good alternative. I pretty much always give her something different since it varies depending on what I manage to get that week. 

Nuts: same deal as fruits and veggies 

Pigs: all meats were used as sacrifice but pigs were especially connected to Demeter as they were specifically sacrificed during festivals. If you don’t want to or can’t offer her that, clay votive offering are a good alternative and one I used myself. Piglets were thrown in an underground chamber and left to rot before being taken and their remains mixed with seeds. This was a ritual meant to ensure the fertility of the soil. 

Water: an all around great offering for the theoi

Honey: much like water it’s a great libation for all the theoi

Incense: Still an all around great offering for the theoi, most traditional would be myrrh, olibanum or benzoin but you can experiment

UPG:

Beer: beer is made with cereals (don’t ask me which one I hate beer) so in my mind it makes for a good offering. Where I live it’s easy to ones made locally which supports local artisans and farmers which is even better. 

Apple Cider or other fruits based alcohol: it’s made with fruits so it seems fitting. Any alcohol made with fruits would also work. It’s a good offering for all year round if you don’t have anything fresher to offer at the moment. 

Poppies: I’m putting this in UPG because even though poppies are historically associated to Demeter, I was thinking of giving her trinkets or objects representing or having poppies on them as a good way to decorate your altar. Dried poppy pods looks great in a vase alongside wheat as well ! 

Snakes and doves: those are her sacred animals as I explained previously so small objects or trinket with that are a cool offering 

Mint tea: since mint is supposed to be part of the ingredients of the kykeon, I see mint tea as a good offering for her and my go to offering for when I don’t have anything else to give her. 

Gardening related items and plants: I have a small plant on my altar and I think it makes for a cute offering that lasts in time. 

What about wine? 

In the Homeric hymn, she refuses the wine that is offered to her, probably related to her daughter’s abduction, so I personally don’t offer her that. 

Link to the 15 days template

[rose-icosahedron]

Minecraft lore no. 2: Food

this is a guide to all the potentially edible things that exist in minecraft if you want to put game-accurate food in your minecraft-based fics.

meat

chicken, beef, rabbit, pork, and mutton are common in most player's diets, however some other meats are considered delicacies by some.

bats, parrots, horses, polar bears, pandas, llamas, wolves, and strider meats are eaten by some, but considered morally abject by others.

some claim mooshroom and hoglin meat have distinct tastes from normal beef and pork, tests have proved mostly inconclusive in this matter for mooshroom meat compared to normal beef, but there is a notable textural difference between hoglin meat and normal pork

spiders, bees, and silverfish are also quite edible if one manages to defeat one, but some find the taste, and more often the concept of consuming insects rather objectionable. cave spiders however are best avoided due to the large amount of poison stored through out their bodies, and ender mites are best avoided due to the teleportation magic found within them, eating one often produces similar results to eating chorus fruit.

some consider dragon meat a delicacy, though many could do without due to how hard it is to slay a ender dragon, in addition to avoiding the large amounts of acid and magic stored within a dragon's body.

sea food:

salmon and cod are the most common sea food, however they are not the only edible animals found within the oceans and rivers of minecraft.

puffer fish is edible with proper preparation, but it is very ill-advised to eat one without proper training in puffer fish preparation.

some people will eat tropical fish, although due to the large amount of species, it is very possible to end up fishing up something poisonous without knowing

calamari is much less risky to acquire, but is objectionable to some. the eddiblity of glow squid has yet to be tested.

while technically edible, many people have moral reservations about eating turtle and dolphin meat.

other animal products:

there are many animal products aside from meat that can be eaten.

mushroom stew, a substance acquired by milking a mooshroom provides a thin milky stew with mushroom dispersed throughout. it however is not spiced in any meaningful way and in quite bland.

milk is gotten from cows via milking, and while it has very little nutritional value can counter the effects of most magical effects as well as providing being used in cooking in many ways. it can also be used to make butter and cheese, both of which are incredibly useful in a large amount of cooking.

honey can be found in beehives and is comprised of flower nectar and bee spit. it can be harvested to serve as a sweetener in many dishes, and can be drunken if you feel like it. 

chicken eggs are used in alot of cooking as a binding agent and source of protein. not recommend, but you can eat them raw. not recommended,  but you could mix raw eggs and honey to create rather monstrous drink.

dragon eggs are very rare, but sometimes eaten as a delicacy. they are fairly nutritionally similar to chicken eggs.

salmon roe or salmon eggs are small orange colored salty spheres that are often eaten raw.

the mushrooms that grow on mooshrooms can be harvested via shears and are virtually indistinguishable from other mushrooms.

fruit:

apples are a sweet fruit eaten raw or cooked into desserts

melons are large fruits that grow on a vine with soft red flesh, while they are very tasty they are not recommended for cooking

pumpkins are large orange gourds. the flesh is often used in baking of many kinds, and the seeds are roasted for a nice snack.

sweet berries while they are often eaten raw, they are also great for jam, baked goods, and even wine making.

rose hips not recommended to be eaten raw, they are good for jams, ketchup,  soups, and even tea.

cacao beans while they can be eaten raw, are often taken through a process of roasting, drying, and fermentation to be used for cocoa power and chocolate in many deserts and other recipes.

chorus fruit the strange fruits local to the end they are full of teleportation magic and need to be cooked to be safely eaten. they are often eaten raw, but are very dry. they are typically used in baking. they have a unique, but not particularly strong flavor.

vegetables:

potatoes are starchy tubers. they are used in alot of cooking. you know what potatoes are.

carrots are sweet root vegetables. they are eaten raw and used in cooking. you also know what carrots are.

beetroot used in stews, or pickled and eaten, cooked with, or used in salads.

leaves, petals, seeds:

kelp, not typically eaten raw, it is often dried, and used in cooking.

acorns nuts from dark oak trees, they need to be put through a blanching process to become palatable, and are often used to make acorn flour.

alium refers to a large group of plants, this includes chives, onions, and garlic.

tulips have edible petals that are eaten raw or candied

rose petals are edible, and while they can be eaten raw, are often candied or used to make rose water which is often used as flavoring in baking.

dandelions are completely edible, often used in salads.

spruce cones in the springtime when they are green they can be eaten raw or cooked and eaten whole(like a corn on the cob). during the winter the nuts can be extracted and eaten or used in cooking.

spruce tips are the fresh growth that can be found in the springtime, they can be eaten raw, dreid, canied, and used in cooking.

spruce needles are not particularly tasty, but can be eaten in a pinch, and can be used to make tea.

sunflower seeds can be eaten raw or roasted, can also be made into sunflower oil, which is very useful for cooking.

poppy seeds: while the majority of the plant is poisonous, te seeds are often used in cooking to add flavor.

fern tips: the growth tips of ferns, sometimes eaten raw, often pickled.

wheat is a basic grain typically used in baking and occasionally in stews.

fungus:

brown mushrooms are one kind of mushroom found through the overworld, can be eaten raw, also used in cooking.

red mushrooms: another kind of mushroom native to the overworld,  usually used in cooking.

crimson fungus is from the nether and is very dry and fibrous, typically used in cooking if eaten at all.

crimson roots are roots put off from crimson fungus trees. when grated they have a strangely peppery taste and are used as a spice.

other:

spruce and birch inner bark are edible and used as flavoring.

some varieties of jungle tree bark is literally just cinnamon

orchids are typically poisonous, but one verifies seeds are used as a common flavoring in baking. (vanilla beans)

water is water, sea water can be boiled to make sea salt.

this has been an overview of all the potentially edible things in minecraft. (the base ingredients) have fun with your fic writing.

[paperbagnotes]

Constant groceries list;

Dried fruit or dates, prunes, apricots

Peanut butter powder

Kind or Lara bars

Rice crackers

Yogurt

Honey

Aloe

Andies candies chocolate mints I put them in my freezer for a frozen treat

Citrus (grapefruit, mandarin, orange, lemon)

Fruit (mango, mangosteen, pineapple, apple, banana, coconut, lychee, straw-berries, cherries, avo, melon, grapes, kiwis, plums, pears, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit)

Juice concentrate (pomegranate, guava)

Veg (mushrooms, carrot, broccoli, bok choy , Brussels sprouts, asparagus, artichoke, kale, spinach, sprouts, arugula, jackfruit, leeks, cauliflower, eggplant, squash, snow pea shoots/leaves, mustard greens, green beans, beets, bitter melon, okra, lettuce, potato, tomato, tomato paste, pickles, cucumber, zucchini, onion, almost any)

Gelatin

Raw sugar cane

Tapioca startch

Almond flour

Baking soda

Brown sugar

Baby oats

Bagels

Basil seeds

Hemp seeds

Spirulia

Chia

Cocoa powder

Coconut oil

Coconut aminos

Fake butter (flavacol or orville)

powdered cheese or popcorn seasoning

A cheese

(id like to say anything delicious but often it’s just cheap Parmesan, or “creamcheese” “sourcream” or “American” if I have soft pretzels, most of the time it’s probably mozzarella though maybe. the best recent cheese I got to eat wasnt anything crazy just something called sartori espresso cheese by I think the brand? BellaVitano lol, but it was amazing!)

Egg

Nondairy “milk”

Nori sheets & flakes

Imitation :( crab (fillet for occasion)

Olives

Tuna

Tofu

Tea

Herbs (Chaga, maca, kava, camu camu, hypericum, astragalus, gymnema leaf, pinebark, milk thistle, lions Maine, coriolus, cordyceps, silybin, maitake, reishi, cumin, red curry, yellow curry, za’atar, black pepper, basil, garlic, parsley, cilantro, celery salt, chives/shallots, fenugreek, lemon grass, carrot seed, saffron, turmeric, tarragon, paprika, Cayenne, jalapeño powder, habanero flakes, fire oil, olive oil, balsamic, brewers yeast, chaat-tandoori-graham masalas, pumpkin spice, peppermint essential oil, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, other flavor extracts/beverage syrups)

Stonemill Matcha powder or Taoist elixir chai from masala chai co.

Chlorophyll or Udo's oil -not often

Nuts and seeds (poppy, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, cashew, pistachio, pecan, pinenut, hazelnut, walnut, almond, Brazil)

Grains&beans (corn kernels, rice, quinoa, lentils, rice flour or gluttonous wheat flour?, black-white-pinto-mung beans, splitpea, chickpea, edamame)

Cup’ noodle seafood (optional)

Naan bread/tortilla/pita

Pb&J

Loaf

Devils poison optional 🧉🍺🍹🍸🍾🍶🍷🥃☠️

With these ingredients I can snack and make almost all of my comfort foods it really depends on what veg or grain/bean I have.

I gotta go to red apple tomorrow- so this is fresh in my mind. I’ll get one farmers market day off Atleast before I go I hope :] something to look forward too

I’m literally out of 20 things or Atleast half this list rn.. but with a month to two left.... ah - eh. I’m letting most of it run out. I hate losing a cabinet of spice everytime I move.

Ce la vie

[fayegracexo]

How to Celebrate Lughnasadh

Somehow we are already to our first of three harvest festivals in the wheel of 2019! This year is flying by crazy quick! I can’t believe July is already over and it’s time for Lughnasadh on August 1st! (Fun Fact: The Gaelic word for August is ‘Lunasa’ - Lughnasadh is pronounced Loo-Na-Sah!)

If you happened to catch my last post (if you didn’t, click here! ‘Lughnasadh vs. Lammas’) then you already know the difference between ‘Lughnasadh’ and ‘Lammas’, and some of the history, which means it’s time to get into the fun part...how to celebrate it!

To keep this post simple I’ll put it in list form, and I apologize in advance for mentioning some things more than once, there’s some things that end up being good crossover ideas, so sorry if it sounds repetitive at all! (Just your typical chronically apologizing Libra over here!) 

I’ll start with some traditional ways to celebrate, then list the correspondences, THEN go into a longer list of celebration ideas! I’ll try to keep this short but there’s lots of info and I wanted to give plenty of options, so if you don’t see what you're looking for, just keep scrolling it’s probably there! ;) (It’s long, i’m sorry oh geez)

If not, I’m always available for messages and questions, and i’ll be posting craft ideas, recipes, and more ways to celebrate on my Instagram account that’s connected to this blog. Check the ‘Lughnasadh’ highlight and my story on August 1st for more! @selfcarewitchxo​ 

Now let’s jump in!

How To Celebrate Traditionally

To start, I wanted to suggest some basic ways to celebrate in a more traditional way, and then go into a list with lots more options and details! Some of these might repeat in the list below so sorry in advance! (Libra problems again, I tried to organize the best I could...I’m so OCD)

Lughnasadh is about giving thanks for what has grown in summer, and for the abundance in our lives. We gather what has grown and begin to prep for winter and the darker, colder months, but not before celebrating a successful harvest season!

In the old days, it was tradition to climb a hill and bury or leave an offering of the first and best of your harvest to Lugh, usually the first loaf of bread you've baked. Offerings are left in exchange for blessings, gratitude, abundance, strength, protection, and growth. You can do the same hill idea, or leave your first loaf or other offering on your altar, or another special place.

Lughs’ original festival, was also focused on feasting, games, and athletic competition. Try recreating the same and have some friends over for a BBQ and some friendly competition! 

Gods, Goddesses, Animals and Other Deities

The Celtic God Lugh is the patron deity for this festival, but if you’re not from a Celtic background, don’t use Lugh in your practice, or are from a Dianic tradition, there are many other Gods, Goddesses, animals and deities to choose from to incorporate into your Lughnasadh holiday. 

Tailtiu (Lughs’ adoptive Mother who passed away, the festival is held in her honor) is a traditional female option, but any grain/agricultural/Mother Goddess/Father God figures make great picks. 

For Goddesses, Rhiannon, Annona, Persephone, Cerridwen, Ceres, Demeter, and Isis are all options, and Odin, John Barley Corn, Dagon, Taranis, Vulcan, Mercury, Loki, Tammuz and Adonis are suggestions for the males! This is just to name a few of course! 

As for animals, agricultural animals such as roosters, lambs, sheep, calves, and pigs are associated with the holiday, you can also use the majestic stag! For more mythological options, the centaur, phoenix and griffin are also associated.

Try adding statues, figurines, feathers, bones or other things associated with these Gods/Goddesses/deities/animals as altar decorations!

Decorations

How can you have a holiday without some festive decorations? Take some time to redo your altar space, room, or even your whole house if you want, to get into the holiday spirit! Being a harvest, nature based holiday, there are many cheap, easy, decorating ideas, that include many things we already have at home! 

To start, use some seasonally scented candles, wax burners, or essential oils to make your sacred space smell like Lughnasadh vibes! 

Candles in holiday colors, or tied with holiday colored ribbon, make a good altar addition! (See below for list of color correspondences) 

Dried corn, rice, wheat, corn dollies, fallen twigs, dried straw, herbs, crystals, corn stalks, pumpkins, squash, dried oats, dried beans, a cornucopia, sunflower seeds, flowers, a scythe, a sickle, or a cauldron are quite seasonal options! (Keep reading for suggestions for crystals, scents and herbs!)

Crystals 

These crystals are associated with Lughnasadh. Try using them as altar decorations, in your spellwork, or to meditate with during the holiday!

Amber, aventurine, carnelian, citrine, moss agate, topaz, golden topaz, obsidian, tigers eye, brown agate, clear quartz, cats eye, lodestones, peridot.

Plants/Herbs/Flowers/Scent Associations 

Lumping this one a little since these have dual uses! 

Wheat, Basil, Mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Calendula, Yarrow, Sunflowers, Marigolds, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose, Rosemary, Rose hips, Blackthorn, Vervain, Peonies, Poppies, Ginseng, All Spice and Chamomile all have associations with Lughnasadh. Use these to decorate, make tea, cook or bake with, scent your home or altar space, or to leave as an offering! (Keep reading for suggestions on how to use these) 

Colors

Try candles and ribbons in shades of green, brown, bronze, orange, yellow and gold. Personally, I always choose a yellow, brown, gold, and green candle for my Lughnasadh altar space.

Yellow represents solar energies, happiness, and transformation.

Brown represents earth energies, strength, protection, and animals.

Gold is to illuminate, for success, divine power, and the harvest.

Green represents abundance, prosperity, fertility, growth, wealth, life, and vegetation.

Food & Drink Ideas 

As Lughnasadh is a feasting holiday to give thanks, consider having some friends and loved ones over for a BBQ or potluck! both are great traditional ideas. Try these food and drink suggestions to indulge in holiday flavors!

Foods: BBQ, breads, roasted lamb, pot luck, berries - like blueberries and blackberries, potatoes, pies, nuts, pumpkin, mushrooms, garlic, honey, acorn squash, summer squash, apples, oats, rice, beans, fried chicken, berry pancakes

Drinks: Since wheat is a big thing, beer is a staple drink, but if you’re more of a wine person try elderberry, blackberry or blueberry wine. For alcohol free options, cherry or apple ciders are great, or plain apple juice. 

Mint and chamomile are associated herbs, they make a great tea suggestion! Sweet mint, peppermint or spearmint make lovely iced teas. Blueberry or blackberry teas are also delicious! 

I’m also personally adding mojitos to this list as a modern update. Since mint is associated, adding some from your garden in a refreshing mojito sounds like a good way to incorporate it to me!

Try some oats or blueberry pancakes in the morning with a seasonal juice or herbal tea, then do a bigger feast for dinner of lamb or chicken, with a beer, then pie for dessert!

More Ways to Celebrate 

Bake Bread

There’s lots of recipes online for you to bake your very own loaf. Try adding herbs, or twisting the dough into Celtic knots for extra flair. You can also ‘paint’ the bread! Try Pinterest for some great recipe ideas. Bake extra to give away to a loved one or leave as an offering!

Have a Popcorn Party

Since Lughnasadh is associated with corn, try having a movie night wit friends and making different varieties of popcorn! Do you like spicy, or sweet kinds? This is a great idea to try with kids! 

Have a Beer

As a grain holiday, relaxing with a cold brew is a good way to relax this Lughnasadh. Safely and responsibly of course.

Create a Besom

A besom is a witches broom. This is a good time of year to use dried straw, fallen twigs, ribbons and charms to create your own. Personally I love to see lavender in them, gorgeous!

Make Candles

If you have the supplies (even cooler if you have you own bees and wax!) try making candles. Bonus points for seasonal colors and scents, triple points for recycling old wax and bringing life back to old candles! 

Harvest/Canning

Harvest your fruits, veggies, and herbs you’ve grown to use them in thanks in teas, tinctures, salves, your cooking, spellwork, and to hang up to dry. Make salsas, or preserves or jams to try on your Lughnasadh bread, or try canning to have a treat in the cold months!

Spend Time Outdoors

Take a walk, hike up a hill, have a picnic, visit a Farmer’s Market or produce stand for local goodies, or go pick fruits, like apples, berries or peaches at a local orchard! Find a way to soak up the last of the season’s warmth.

Have a Fire/Light a Candle

Have a bonfire solo or with friends, and consider burning away some things that need to be released. Throw things that don’t serve you (that are fire safe of course!) into the flames and let them be released. Let the fire ‘reap’ the bad from your life, and ‘sow’ positivity back into it.

If you can’t have a fire, choose a seasonally colored candle, or a few, and give thanks by it’s light! You can carve runes into them if you’d like also!

Spellwork

Lughnasadh works with themes of success and abundance, so it’s a great time of year to do spellwork involving your career, health or love life. If you or someone you know is trying for a new job, or hoping for a new relationship, or maybe buying a house, or moving to a new location, try a little spell to help you manifest your (or theirs!) goals.

Scrying/Divination

Break out your tarot, oracle cards and scrying/divination tools! This is a good time to try new methods you haven’t worked with before, such as bones or runes. If you’ve never tried fire scrying, use your Lughnasadh bonfire or candle as a first attempt!

Cooking/Baking/Drink Making

Feasting with friends or loved ones is a good way to celebrate! (Try the menu ideas above!) Try using herbs you’ve grown or purchased from a local stand in the recipes!

Make a Corn Dolly

Traditionally the least sheaf that was ceremonially cut was used to make a ‘corn dolly’, and carried to the village. The corn dolly would be made into a corn maiden (or corn mother) if the harvest was good, or a ‘cailleach’ (Celtic word for witch, hag) after a bad harvest. These dollies could be clothed, or dressed with ribbon. If you make a doll at Lughnasadh, she can be used again in six months for Imbolc, and can be dressed in spring colors. The harvest Mother, becomes the Spring bride! (Some traditions don’t believe in reusing the doll, but that depends on your practice!)

Smudge/Cleanse/Bless Your Space

Smudge away that negativity that’s been lingering, clear the air, and your life, so that you may grow bountiful! Buy a smudge stick or make your own with sage and added herbs if you’d like. Mugwort, rosemary, lavender and juniper are good additives. Open the windows, let the light and breeze in! Start fresh and clean this holiday, and reap those bad energy places!

Make a Gift

Acts of service and selflessness are important on Lughnasadh. We’re in a place of abundance, and it’s time to share the bounty and love with others. Make a gift for a friend, loved one or neighbor to share the holiday spirit. Try flowers you’ve picked, breads or foods you’ve made, jams or jellies you preserved, or another homemade craft item. Make it with love! They’ll be sure to feel the positive vibes. They’ll see this act of kindness, and pass it on...the world needs more love!

Acts of Service

Lughnasadh is centered around themes of prosperity, generosity, continued success, and giving thanks; which makes it a great time to help those around us, and share the blessings of our abundance with others. 

Consider volunteering your time, organizing a community cleanup, picking up trash at the beach, having a friend, neighbor, or loved one over for a hot meal, or offering to help a neighbor with something they need. Devote your time, and watch the blessings come back to you.

Make a Gratitude List

What has ‘grown’ in you life this year that you’re thankful for? Have some seasonal tea, sit by a candle, and make a gratitude list of everything you’re blessed with in life. 

Make a reap/ sow list

On that note, you can also try a reap/sow list. Write down what you’re proud to have “planted” in your life, and watched grow, and also what your’re not proud of. What needs to be ‘reaped’ from you life? What weeds are strangling you, that need to be pulled for a bountiful harvest next year? Use this time as personal reflection, and choose what to reap and sow to live your best life in alignment with your true self. Think in ‘Regrets’, ‘Farewells’, ‘Harvest’ and ‘Preserves’

Regrets: Think about things you meant to do this summer that did not come to fruition. Project your regrets onto fire safe objects, like pine cones, and throw them into your fire. You can also write on dried corn husks or paper. 

Farewells: What’s passing from your life? What is over? Say goodbye. You can use visuals or writing for this, and also throw into the fire to release, or a lake or ocean. You could also use a flower bulb and plant it, to watch it grow back next year.

Harvest: What have you already harvested this year? What is sprouting? Find a way to represent those things and create a visual reminder to hang in your home. 

Preserves: Think about the fruits you have gathered this year and how you can hold onto the sweet memories. Make a remembrance box, or box altar, to help remember special things, times and people. 

Make a Craft

Lugh is the God of craftsmanship, so try making something festive to decorate your home or altar! Wheat can be used for wreaths and door decorations, apples can be turned into seasonal candle holders, or try making your own corn dolly or besom. Search Pinterest for these great ideas or check my Instagram account for the how-to’s! (@selfcarewitchxo)

Go to a Craft Fair

And again, on that note! Since Lugh is the God of this, see if there’s any local craft fairs in your area and buy some local goodies!

PHEW!

That’s it folks! Your complete guide to celebrate Lughnasadh! Thank you for being patient with me as I got this posted. If you hear from me on other sites you know I already typed this whole thing once and it got deleted! Ahh! I’m glad to have this up finally!

Connect with me on Instagram to see what i’ll be doing for the day, and send me the ideas you’ve decided to try out! I’d love to see your crafts or anything you’ve baked! Also if you have any ideas to add, let me know and I’ll post them!

HAPPY CELEBRATING!

Blessed Lughnasadh Witches!

~ Faye ~

@selfcarewitchxo​ 

[kimmycup]

i hate coming at you with excuses but i had a busy day! i will be sending you another one in a few hours;) little drummer boy is a classic! i feel that the entirety of ptxmas is so underrated. i really wish they bring back more songs from there for other christmas tours tomorrow is the big day! you know what i was thinking of? in my country, tater tots are a traditional meal during christmas night. yes tater tots. in your family/culture what are some weird christmas meals you have? -secret santa

That’s totally okay, honey! I get it since I was busy as hell myself. I hoped to write a ficlet but all I managed yesterday was collapse into bed at 1am. I have yet to clean up the mess gift wrapping left behind... 

And since we are in different timezones, it’s honestly no problem. You’re in US? 

Tater tots seem a bit weird. I thought they were a bit like fast food? But I may be wrong. They always were this weird thing I didn’t understand in the movies xD I mean, they come from bags. We have sth a bit similar, like potato pancakes but we usually just make them ourselves. (usually meaning every week in my house xD)

So, get ready for a wild ride because as you probably already figured, I tend to ramble.

Okay, Christmas meals in Poland. We are very traditional here. Most festive celebration is Christmas Eve dinner eaten in the evening, which traditionally should have 12 different dishes. 

The most traditional ones that have to appear are:

1. Barszcz - beetroot soup, clear and a beautiful transparent red (opposed to every day version with cream we eat all year round), eaten with “Uszka” (direct translation - “little ears”) which is a type of “pierogi” folded into half, a traditional polish dumpling, either with mushrooms or mushrooms and pickled cabbage filling. Sometimes also comes with white beans instead of or besides dumplings.

2. Fish soup or mushroom soup with croutons.

3. Carp. Fish is important and carp is literally only sold around Christmas. Some people even buy them live and keep in the tub until preparing dinner comes... No, thank you. Fillet for me.

4. Fried pickled cabbage with peas or lentils. Can also feature mushrooms. (A lot of people put mushrooms into a lot of things, my grandma and brother are allergic so not in our house)

5. Traditional dried fruit brew. 

The other ones vary from region to region. For example a lot of people, usually a bit further north, make poppy seeds dumplings or sweet wheat dessert pudding, but it’s not something popular in the mountains where I’m from. 

But also, the usual 12 dishes is done like.... Soup, one. Dumplings in the soup, two. XD We count very... liberally to achieve the 12 xD 

But I think honestly, most of our Christmas meals may come as weird to other countries because they are deeply traditional polish/slavic cuisine. 

That, and we have a tradition of breaking Christmas wafers when wishing each other and later sometimes eating them with honey (if there is any wafers left).

[somethingclevermahogony]

A Recipe From the Lands of Kishetal

Hello Tumblr, I haven’t posted anything here in quite some time, what with a new job and other various life events I simply have not had the energy to be posting regularly.

For now here is a recipe from the world of my WIP, The Testaments of the Green Sea.

Kipsha

Kipsha is a kind of cake or biscuit commonly eaten by the wealthy and poor alike. Kipsha is a popular form of street food and can be served as savory or sweet. All Kipshas contain barley, however those of the wealthy may contain up to 50% wheat, giving the cake a lighter texture.

This recipe is for Labisaji Sweet Kipsha, as would have been eaten at the city’s many festivals, typically at a stand or shop. This happens to be the favorite food of my MC Narul.

Ingredients

Note: For those ingredients which are not available on earth, approximate substitutes are provided.  

The Cakes

2 3/4 cups Barley Flour (Optionally 1 1/4 Unbleached Wheat Flour may be used in substitution of an equivalent amount of barley)

1/2 cup Water

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Untoasted Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Sweet White Wine (Riesling or Muscat are suggested)

2 Tbsp Kava (This Kishic yogurt drink can be substituted with equal parts plain greek yogurt and whole milk)

2 Tbsp Honey 

1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp Untoasted White Sesame Seeds

1/2 Tsp Sinrian Cinnamon (Substitute Cassia Cinnamon)

1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Poppy Seeds (Optional, traditionally only added during Spring Festivals)

Toppings

 1. Narul’s Preferred Toppings

1-2 Dried figs chopped (Fresh figs may be substituted)

2 Tbsp Honey, warmed

1 Tbsp Rejir Juice (Substitute 2:1 parts orange and lemon juice)

Ground pepper to taste

2. Other Toppings

Unsalted soft cheese such as ricotta

Yogurt

Dates

Crushed nuts (typically walnuts or pistachios)

Chopped Cherries or other fruits

Preparation

1. Combine all dry ingredients.

2. In a different bowl combine all liquid ingredients and whisk thoroughly.

3. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, using your hands to form a firm ball, add water and flour as needed to achieve this.

4. Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours and maximum of 4.

5. Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C.

6. Liberally dust a counter or large cutting board with barley flour. Dust a rolling pin or similar instrument with flour.

7. Place the rested dough onto the floured surface and roll out to approximately 1/2 inch (Note: At no time should the dough be kneaded, take care when rolling to avoid tearing the dough)

8. Using a biscuit cutter or knife, cut dough into rectangular cakes roughly the same shape and size of a graham cracker.

9. Place cakes on a parchment covered cookie sheet making sure that they do not touch. 

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden.

11. Remove and cool, 10-15 minutes.

12. Once cool, drizzle warmed honey over cakes and add any additional toppings.

13. Enjoy!

[studyinukrainetoday]

#UAcuisine 🎄✨ Kutia is a symbol of Christmas in Ukraine. There are many recipes for the dish — it can also be made with rice, dried and candied fruit and honey. Although it is a sweet dish, kutia is the first to be served at Christmas dinner. This year, try to cook kutia with poppy seeds, walnuts and dried cherries with the recipe from the book 'Ukraine. Food and History' 📝⬇️ ▪️wheat grain — 500 g ▪️poppy seeds — 100 g ▪️honey — 2–3 table spoons ▪️walnuts — 75 g ▪️sultanas — 30 g ▪️dried cherries — 50 g ⭐ Rinse the wheat grains well and cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, skim off the froth and keep cooking over a low heat for about 20 minutes. ⭐ Pick clean the sultanas, and soak them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Soak the poppy seeds in boiling water for 15 minutes, drain and mince them in a blender or grind them in a traditional Ukrainian mortar or makitra. ⭐ Crush the shelled walnuts; finely chop the dried cherries. Dissolve the honey in a small quantity of water. Season the cooked wheat porridge with honey mixed with water, add the other ingredients and mix. 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰; Wa.me/+380688378143 #studyinukraine #internationalstudentsservices #studyabroad #studyinukrainetoday #study #internationalstudents #student #Ukraine #permit #visa #residency #invitation #permanent #status #education #embassy #mbbs #medicaltourism #universities Website:studyinukrainetoday.com ✉️ study@studyinukrainetoday.com https://www.instagram.com/p/CYZLOxHM7_9/?utm_medium=tumblr

[russianchristmasproject]

Foods

Some people fast (don't eat anything) on Christmas Eve, until the first star has appeared in the sky. People then eat 'sochivo' or 'kutia' a porridge made from wheat or rice served with honey, poppy seeds, fruit (especially berries and dried fruit like raisins), chopped walnuts or sometimes even fruit jellies!

Kutia is sometimes eaten from one common bowl, this symbolizes unity. In the past, some families like to throw a spoonful of sochivo up on the ceiling. If it stuck to the ceiling, some people thought it meant they would have good luck and would have a good harvest!

[flour2door]

Shop Cupboard For Low Fat Baking

Reducing fat doesn't suggest sacrificing preference. Rather, choose active ingredients that are normally reduced in fat.

  Flours

Mass-produced, extremely fine-tuned flours are great for a lot of baking function, but also for the best results pick organic stone-ground flours since they will include flavor along with texture to our cooking.

  Rye flour

This dark-coloured flour has a low gluten material and also provides a dense loaf with an excellent flavor. It is finest blended with solid wheat flour to give a lighter loaf.

Gluten Free Bread Flour

Soft flour

This flour, in some cases called sponge flour, contains less gluten than simple flour and is ideal for light cakes and biscuits.

Solid flour

Made from tough wheat which includes a high percentage of gluten, this flour is the one to utilize for bread-making.

Wholemeal flour

Since this flour includes the full wheat bit, it offers a coarser structure and also an excellent wholesome taste to bread.

  Nuts as well as Seeds

The majority of nuts are reduced in filled fats and high in polyunsaturated fats. Usage them moderately as their total fat material is high. Sunflower seeds, poppy as well as linseeds benefit decorating rolls or adding texture.

  Yeast

Dried yeast assists bread to climb.

  Herbs and also Seasonings

Cut fresh natural herbs add a lot of interesting to baking. They add flavor to bread, buns as well as soda breads. In the absence of fresh natural herbs, dried out natural herbs can be utilized: much less is needed yet the taste is generally not as excellent.

Spices can add either solid or refined flavors depending upon the quantity used. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg and also mixed flavors are most useful for cooking yet more unique flavors, such as saffron or cardamom, can likewise be used to fantastic effect.

Buy natural herbs and spices from a store with a high turn over to ensure optimum freshness and also flavor.

Buy Flour Online

Sweeteners

Dried fruits

These are a traditional enhancement to cakes as well as teabreads. There is a variety offered, consisting of even more unusual varieties such as peach, pineapple, banana and mango, in addition to even more familiar currants and glace cherries. All-natural sugars in dried fruits include sweet taste to baked items and maintain them moist, making it possible to make use of much less fat.

  Fruit juice

Focused fruit juices are extremely useful for cooking. They have no included sweeteners or chemicals and also can be weakened as called for. Usage them in their concentrated form for baking or for sweetening fillings.

  Honey

Great honey has a solid flavor so you can utilize instead much less of it than the comparable quantity of sugar. It additionally includes traces of minerals and vitamins.

  Malt extract

This is sweet spin-off of barley. It has a solid taste as well as is ideal for bread, cakes as well as teabreads as it includes moisture.

  Molasses

This is the deposit left after the initial stage of refining sugar cane. It has a strong, great smoky and somewhat bitter taste that provides a good taste to bakes and cakes. Black treacle can often be made use of as a substitute for molasses.

  Pear and also apple spread

This is a very concentrated fruit juice without any extra sugar. It has a sweet-sour taste and also can be used as a spread or mixed with a little fruit juice and added to baking recipes as a sugar.

  Raw sugars

A lot of cooking dishes ask for sugar; choose unrefined sugar instead of fine-tuned sugars, as they have even more taste and also contain some minerals.

[ukrainian-recipes-blog]

3 important January holidays for Ukrainians Once upon a time, Ukrainians called January studen, i.e. a very cold month. There were three important holidays during this period: Christmas, Epiphany, and Old New Year (St Vasyl Day). How did Ukrainians celebrate these holidays and what exactly did they cook for the feast? Christmas When the Christmas fast ended (on the evening of January 5), Ukrainians started to prepare for a more delicious feast rich in many favorite dishes. Among must-have traditional recipes were kutia cooked from wheat with the addition of honey, raisins, and poppy seeds. Ukrainians also cooked borsch (beet soup), shaped varenyky (dumplings) with potato and cabbage, baked pies, fried, pancakes, and boiled uzvar (dried fruit drink). Traditionally, the family celebrated Christmas for 3-4 hours and at the end of the meal all dishes were left on the table since it was believed that deceased relatives will definitely visit their home to enjoy family delicacies. Old New Year (St Vasyl Day) On January 14...↴ https://ukrainian-recipes.com/3-important-january-holidays-for-ukrainians.html

[everydayhealthyrecipes]

Are you celebrating Christmas Eve Polish style? Then you need to make this delicious traditional #kutia recipe. It contains cooked wheat berries, poppy seeds, honey, dried fruit and nuts and is very easy to make😋 recipe in profile link. #huffposttaste #purewow #yahoofood #msnfood #polishrecipes #polishfood #polishchristmas #polishchristmaseve #wheatberries #poppyseed #cookblogshare https://www.instagram.com/p/B6JlzAbFlQa/?igshid=oes74k630sn2