Lexington Pagan Pride Day 2008

The Kentucky Kitchen Witches will have a table set up at the Pagan Pride Festival this year on September 20, 2008! We are currently working on a COOKBOOK which we will have for sale. It follows the wheel of the year and is full of yummy recipes and magical correspondences. We are now happily taste testing several recipes to assure they are delicious! We will also have some food samples, treats, herbs and other items for sale. Please come by and say hello.

Watermelon Fruit Basket

With the heat index reaching over 100 in the summer, no one really wants to slave over a hot stove. Here is a great recipe for those hot summer days.... no oven required.

To begin, take a sharp knife and slice a small thin piece off the bottom of your melon to keep the bottom flat so it will not roll around on the counter.

Next, take the tip of a marker/pencil and draw a horizontal line in the middle of the watermelon. Then mark a strip of about 2 inches wide in the middle in the top half of the melon - this will form the handle of your basket. The marks form 2 large "wedges" on either side of the handle. Carefully cut the 2 wedges from either side of the handle. Remove the fruit from under the handle with a small knife.

Take a melon baller or spoon and hollow out the inside of the watermelon. After removing all the edible parts, take a large spoon and gently scrape out the sides of your "basket". Be care not to scrape too thinly on the handle. To avoid liquid from collecting in the bottom of the "basket" and making the fruit soggy, make small "drainage" holes in the bottom of the watermelon after hollowing it out and before filling with the fruit. Display the basket in a container filled with ice cubes to keep the fruit cold, and to catch any juice from the drainage holes.

Mix the watermelon with other ripe fresh fruits. You can decorate the bowls using your knife to cut designs as shown in the picture above. Be creative and enjoy!

Summer Solstice or Litha

The Summer Solstice is a festival in tribute of the Sun King. Occurring on or about June 21 it marks the longest day of the year when the sun is at its northernmost point moving into Cancer. This is a wonderful time to gather herbs or other vegetables. It is also the time to collect your magical water for usage around the house since Cancer is a water sign. Collect rain water in a jar and store on a shelf. Always remember to leave offerings after collecting your magical items!

The full moon, occurring on June 18, is known as the honey moon. The tradition is to gather honey from beehives at this time to make mead and other dishes. That being said, have mead at your altar with honey cakes for your offering. Decorate your altar with greens, golds and orange. Chamomile and lavender are excellent herbs.

You may want to try a few activities at this time as well, such as making a Witch's Ladder by braiding three strands of red, black and white yarn into a three foot length. Weave nine feathers of various colors into the braid and hang up in your home. Use feathers of green for money, white for balance, black for wisdom, etc.

Here is a fun and rather disturbing Summer Solstice recipe:

Squashed Frogs

1 stick of butter
10 oz. bag marshmallows
5 cups corn flakes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons green food coloring
1 cup M&M's plain chocolate candies

Melt margarine in large saucepan. Add marshmallows and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and mixture is syrupy. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and food color. Mix. Add corn flakes and M&Ms and mix until well coated and bright green. Drop from a tablespoon on a piece of waxed paper and cool the globs.

Beltane

BELTANE

Beltane or May Day occurs on May 1 and is the last of the three spring fertility festivals. It is a time when people, plants and animals prepare for the warm months ahead. Beltane is often celebrated with a May Pole in which ribbons of purple, yellow, pink, green and white are tied and wrapped around a pole. Traditionally, the ribbons were white and red to symbolize the God and Goddess and their union, however if you prefer the brighter more spring time colors can be used. Other traditions include jumping the Beltane fire and baking Beltane cakes as offerings to the God and Goddess. It is a festival of love, lust and fertility. Animals often associated with Beltane are goats, rabbits and honey bees. Decorate your home and altar with fresh flowers and greenery. Serve Beltane cakes, vanilla ice cream or marigold custard. Meade is a good drink for this festival.

Marigold Custard

Beltane Marigold Custard
Recipe by Scott Cunningham

2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats the spoon, add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.
{The above recipe for "Beltane Marigold Custard" is quoted directly from Scott Cunningham's book "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner", page 153, Llewellyn Publications, 1988/1990.)

Spring Equinox

OSTARA (March 21)

Ostara is the spring equinox, occurring when the night and day are of equal length. It is a festival of fertility and balance. During this time eggs are colored and placed on the altar, as well as rabbit figures and baskets of fresh flowers. Bless seeds for future planting or you can begin planting seeds indoors to be replanted outside once it is warm enough.
Herbs: Honeysuckle, jasmine, iris, mint
Incense: Violet, strawberry, jasmine
Colors: Pastel pinks, greens, blues and yellows
Gemstones: Aquamarine, red jasper
Foods: Hard boiled eggs, honeycakes, fresh fruits, seeds and leafy greens

• You can celebrate the coming spring with a light and flavorful dish with lots of fresh veggies!

Eggplant Sandwiches

• 1 eggplant sliced into rounds
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 4 Tbls. olive oil
• 2 Tbls. lemon juice
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1tsp. fresh basil
• Fresh leafy salad greens
• Warm Italian bread
• Sliced tomatoes

Whisk oil, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper. Brush mixture onto each slice of eggplant. Place eggplant on baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip half of the slices over and sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining eggplant to form little sandwiches. Broil and additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with bread, greens and tomato slices. Make additional oil and lemon mixture to toss greens and tomatoes with if you wish.

Or make homemade honey-lemon jelly for your offering cakes on Ostara!

Honey-Lemon Jelly

• 5 to 6 lemons
• 2-1/2 cups honey
• 1 package (3 oz.) liquid pectin

Grate rind from lemons to measure 4 teaspoons; set aside. Squeeze juice from lemons to measure 3/4 cup pour lemon juice through fine strainer, discarding seeds and pulp. Combine rind, juice and honey in 6-quart saucepan, stirring well. Bring mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin. Return mixture to a rolling boil, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat; skim off foam with metal spoon, if necessary. Pour jelly quickly into 2 hot, sterilized pint jars, filling to 1/4 inch from tops; wipe jar rims. Cover immediately with metal lids and screw on bands. Process jars in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Cool jars on wire rack.

When it Snows - Make Snow Pea Salad!

I love snow peas! You can get them all year in your grocery and they are fabulous. So, we had a bit of a snow storm here in Kentucky and I thought I would make a little snow pea salad to fight off the winter blues.

This salad is full of magical properties: Snow peas - love and goddess magic, Radish - protection, Vinegar - purification.

Snow Pea and Radish Salad

1/2 cup thinly sliced radish

1 1/2 cups snow peas

6 Tbls. rice wine vinegar

1 Tbls. five spice powder

1 tsp. Chinese hot mustard

3-4 tbls. dark sesame oil

Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking and combine with sliced radish. Snow peas should still be crisp. Combine vinegar, five spice powder, oil and mustard with a wisk or shake in a jar. Pour over snow peas and radish. Toss to coat. Eat now or chill. This is so good!

Kentucky Kitchen Witch Imbolc Brunch

For our Imbolc celebration our little Circle is having a brunch on Saturday, February 2, 2008, including bacon and potato quiche, lemon raspberry muffins, salad and mimosas! We are going to make fairy houses to celebrate the coming of spring. I will add a tutorial and pictures of our houses when they are finished!

Close the circle:

Call to Brigid
In unison:

"Amid the darkness the Lady is stirring,
Gently awakening from frozen dreams,
All the world has awaited this moment
The return of the Maiden,
And Her promise of oncoming Spring."

Circle closer:

"Hail Lady Brigid, Goddess of creativity and heralder of the Spring.
We ask that you enter our circle and join us as we honor and thank you
For the gifts you bestow."

The eternal flame within
Red candle is lit by Circle closer. Each person sets a white candle in front of them and passes the red candle lighting their white candle. The red candle is extinguished.

In unison:

"Blessed Brigid of the golden flame, listen as we call your name
I invoke your spirit to burn in me, as I will, so mote it be."

Look into the flame of your candle and visualize Brigid's power of inspiration and transformation flowing through you and making your goal a reality. Allow the white candle to burn throughout your celebration.

Open the Circle.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 Tbls. vegetable oil

1 Tbls. lemon juice

2 egg whites

1/2 t. lemon extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 t. grated lemon zest

1 cup frozen raspberries

2 Tbls. sugar for decoration

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and lemon extract.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Gently stir in raspberries.
• Spoon batter evenly into the muffin cups.
• Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins on wire rack and enjoy.