Preparations

This week's post is short. In fact, there really is no post, only a message to my readers that I'm on something of a vacation this week in preparation for Halloween. Unlike many Pagans, I prefer to stick to the name "Halloween" instead of using "Samhain." There's lots, and lots of cleaning, shopping, and cooking going on this week for the weekend's festivities.

Halloween weekend is an event for me. I take at least one day off for it every year. This year I'm taking both Friday and Monday off, which really leads to great curiosity by my coworkers. I'm "out of the broom closet" at work, so they know I'm usually up to something for Halloween, but I never really tell them what. Honestly, I don't actually tell anybody everything I do for Halloween. Some little secrets are mine to keep, and I like it that way. However, I will certainly share with you as much as I share with them.

In this year's list of events we have scary movies, handing out candy, a Zombie Crawl, and of course my traditional Halloween feast. I don't have the menu nailed down yet, but it's basically the same from year to year. It generally features Vampire chicken, various apple and pumpkin dishes, and an onion bread called bairin breac, in which a ring is baked. More on this later.

Also on feast night there will be all sorts of divinations, and fortune telling, myths and superstitions. Of course we will also be remembering our ancestors and loved ones who have passed. In combination with the Halloween season I've also decided to incorporate the Roman tradition of honoring the Lares and the Penates into my daily rituals. More on these later as well. For now my task is fashioning my household gods in clay, hopefully having them done in time for the weekend, and setting up appropriate altars for them.

I'm also thinking, in honor of the new year (for that's what Halloween is for us Pagans, a new year celebration,) I would like to start changing the focus of this blog, less from food and more from my spirituality. Both are very big parts of my daily life and should be more equally balanced out here, so you will start seeing a shift in topics here. Yes, I will still feature recipes, though slightly less often, and I'll be adding more of my spiritual practices, thoughts and random happenings.

For this not being a post, it did turn out quite lengthy. I'd like some thoughts on what you all are doing for Halloween, both Pagan and not. It's always fun to see how other folks celebrate. This weekend I'll post up some of my festivities and recipes as time permits.

Happy Halloween!

Baked Apples

Apples are one of my favorite fall treats. There's just something about them. They taste wonderful, and when they're cooked they make the whole house smell delicious. Apples, like pumpkins, are the embodiment of fall.

When I was a kid I remember my mom making a dessert called "apple grunt." Basically it was an apple, cored, filled with brown sugar, butter and nuts, and wrapped in dough, then baked. So not Primal. Or is it?

Of course it took some substitutions, but I found several baked apple recipes that I like, and they're all Primal. This is one of those "no-measurement" recipes. You just have to eyeball it.


Baked Apples

Start with an apple, or two, three, four... you get the jist. The first step is to remove most of the core. You don't want to remove all of it, or your fillings will fall out the bottom. I actually learned a really nifty trick for doing this, somewhat accidentally. I didn't have an apple corer, so I had to improvise, and it worked surprisingly well! You only need a sharp knife, and a metal measuring spoon. Plastic might work, but I wouldn't want to risk breaking it. You're going to be putting a lot of pressure on it. If you use plastic, don't say I didn't warn you.

Start by cutting a circle around the top of the apple, as much as you'd like to remove. I had very large apples, and decided to remove about an inch and a half of the center. Cut your circle, maybe half an inch deep, then using your measuring spoon (I used the tablespoon) to scoop out the chunk. Cut another circle a little deeper, and scoop again. Do this until you get most of the core out, leaving half an inch of flesh in the bottom of the apple. Make sure all the seeds and tough membranes are removed around the center. You can "gut" it a little more if you want to add a lot of filling.

Fill the apples with whatever you want to stuff in there. Some apples I used chopped walnuts, butter and honey. Some apples I used almond butter and chopped nuts. Use spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I even did one with sopressatta and asiago cheese, and one with bacon and blue cheese. Maybe try ground pork sausage. Shoot... I should have done that! I have one apple left. I think I'll do that. Make it sweet, make it spicy, make it salty, or make it all three. It's totally up to you and your taste buds. Apples are so versatile, and since each apple is an individual serving, you can customize each apple to each eater's taste.

So you've got your apple cored and stuffed. Good. Bake it. Just put it in a baking pan, cover with foil and bake. Small apples will be done in 20 minutes. Larger apples will take as long as 45 minutes. When the apples feel soft to the poke (use a fork!) remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. This is where they'll split, get all foamy and delicious.

Remove the baked apples from the oven and let cool slightly. The filling will be molten hot. Carefully transfer the apple to a bowl. Add milk if you like. I topped the walnut/honey apple with coconut milk and it was divine! Devour and enjoy!

Sharing My Space: Familiars?

This was not my planned post, but it's a thought that came to mind and I wanted to share, and it's just timely considering Halloween is just around the corner. It's about my house, a mouse, unwanted guests and some welcome new additions.

For those of you who don't know, I live in the upstairs portion of a large, beautiful old farm house, set on 95 acres of pure bliss. I love my apartment, but it does have a few drawbacks. The driveway is a beast, especially in winter, the windows are horribly drafty, and as comes with old farm houses... I have pests. But I'm beginning to wonder about these so-called pests, and how hard I should work to keep them out of "my" territory.

As I sat here on the couch watching a missed episode of House, something caught my attention. I heard a quick chirp, and a dash out of the corner of my eye. It was a mouse and it scurried into my pile of firewood stacked in the cubby next to the fireplace. Vesta be darned! I don't want to unload all that firewood and search for a stinkin' mouse!

Truth be told I kind of like mice. I kept pet rats for well over a decade, having raised and loved a total of twelve before I decided I couldn't handle the loss of one more companion. I have a certain affection for rodents, so I'm less squeemish about mice in my house than many folks. It's more of a nuisance than anything. It's one thing if I have rats that live in a defined space (their cage,) with supervision and a certain amount of discipline. A wild mouse, on the other hand, has none of that. They scurry where ever they please, poop without discernment, and help themselves to anything edible or chewable in my territory. This could be a problem.

I'm not entirely bent on removing the mouse from my house, I realize. In fact part of me is quite ok with having it here, just so long as it stays off my countertops, out of my food, and away from the cupboards. That's easy enough considering all my food is already kept in glass jars for this specific reason. I don't mind sharing my space with a mouse, so long as it's not helping itself to my food. Keeping the pantry and countertops clear of edibles should deter the little guy (or gal) from bothering too much with the kitchen. One sign of poop anywhere and he/she will have to be evicted, humanely of course.

That got me to thinking about the other pests in my house. I go through occasional bouts of flies that venture down from the attic. It seems they're more than content to leave the minute I open a window or the door. The zen part of me says that's enough, and there's no need to kill them. What harm can a fly do?

Spiders... I have them everywhere. I'm not the least bit ashamed of my cobwebs. In fact, my Witchy self quite likes them to a degree. I am tolerant of most spiders in my house, so long as they're not aggressive, or potentially poisonous. Unfamiliar spiders are sent outdoors, agressive spiders are killed (I'm sorry,) and the rest (which leaves daddy long-legs, cobweb spiders and jumping spiders) are welcome to live in my space, rent free. All I ask in return is that they not bite, and that they keep the insect population under control. They seem to be doing a fine job of both.

And of course many of you are aware of my mealworm farm. Those are welcome pests, absolutely.

I also just added to my list of roommates, two beautiful Oriental Short-Hair cats. A black male named Hex, and a grey female named Luna. I adopted them from a shelter 3 hours away in Buffalo. They're siblings, 8 years old, fixed and declawed, and they're absolutely GORGEOUS.

Now, I'm not really much of a cat person, but I've been toying with the idea for a while. These two came along and that little voice inside said "Them! They're the ones!" So, there ya go. I've got cats. I'm sure adding these fine felines to the household will keep the mouse away, or at least questioning his choice to live in my house. The flies and spiders will surely keep the kitties entertained.

Really, having all these critters in my house got me to thinking- about our culture mostly, and how we look at sharing our space with "pests." We seem to sterilize our space and lock it under our control. Only approved pets allowed in our space, and anything else is either removed or killed. When did that start? Were our ancestors like this? It makes me wonder about the old civilizations... medieval Europe, ancient Rome, Egypt, the Germanic tribes... how did they deal with pests? Or did they bother? Was it just a way of life that there were critters and crawlies around us?

I wonder if our ancestors thought much of a mouse scurrying along the wall or a spider making its way across a countertop, or if they just let it get on with not so much as a second thought. Invaders were just a fact of life. Nature doesn't know that this apartment is my space, and my space alone. Nobody sent a notice to the flies, the mice, and the spiders telling them to keep out. How do they know they're tresspassing?

So I sit here, kitties by my side and a little black spider crawling overhead. Who know what else is lingering within these walls that I don't see? This is, after all, a Witch's house. Maybe some of the old myths and tales are true. Black cats, bats, rats, spiders and bugs... these are the many things that Witches love. Or at least this one does. Could this laid back attitude toward sharing my space be some hint of the old tradition of Witches' familiars?

In my years as a Witch, I've never officially had a familiar. I've had my rats, and some of them I bonded with quicker and easier than others, but I've never considered one of them a "familiar"- as in an animal that actually helps me do my spellwork. I do have types of animals I'm drawn to- coyote, rats, and moths for example, but I never really thought of them as "familiars" either. It's funny to think I've been a Witch so long, and it's not until now that I've actually really thought about familiars. Should I have one? Do I need one? Are any of these critters in my house willing or able? Hmm... perhaps I have some homework to do.

One book that I have touches on the subject of familiars. It says that the one factor that defines a familiar spirit is "sustained interaction with an individual human being." I suppose this could mean any pet. Familiar, from the Latin familiaris, simply means "of a household or domestic." The book further states that it's any spirit that links itself to someone for a long period of time, and that there's frequent communication... however it's NOT a familiar if the human half of the relationship is ignorant of the spirit.

Yes, I most certainly have some homework, and some soul searching to do... deciding if one or both of these kitties are to be a "familiar" and why, and if so... how.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, or questions even. Have any of you had familiars? What's your take on familiars in general, either from a Pagan or non-Pagan point of view? Anything I should consider about adding this to my spiritual practice?

This appears to be quite an extensive subject and I'm eager to jump into it and see if this fits into my life. Indeed, I have loads of homework to do.

Cinnamon

Mmm... cinnamon...

Cinnamon is a very common spice that most people are familiar with. Many of us got our first tastes of it as children. My first recollections of cinnamon were in cinnamon toast, or one of my favorite candies- fireballs. Apple pie would be bland without it. Pumpkin pie, and of course cinnamon buns too. It's a spice that appeals more to our sense of smell than taste. Truly cinnamon doesn't register on our taste buds at all, but instead as a fragrance, reminding us once again how the two senses are so intimately connected. Cinnamon smells warm and earthy, a bit bitter, a lot spicy, and very woody. It's a pungent smell that is absolutely unmistakable.

Like many herbs and spices, cinnamon has a long history that goes beyond food. Far beyond. Cinnamon was once so highly-prized that wars were fought over it, it was used as currency, and it has been said to have aphrodisiac powers.

In the Laurel family, true cinnamon originates in Sri Lanka, and is also known as Ceylon cinnamon, and is dated by Chinese writings as early as 2800 BC. It's western name is derived from the Arabic and Hebrew term amomon, which means "fragrant spice." Cinnamon was so valuable at one time that Pliny the Elder wrote of 350 grams of cinnamon being worth fifteen times its weight in silver.

Because cinnamon was so highly sought after and for many years produced in only one place, anyone who controlled its flow would profit immensely. Portuguese traders made their way to Ceylon (around the southern tip of Africa) in the 15th century. Later the Dutch recognized the value of cinnamon, and by 1640, had displaced the Portuguese and gained control of the Cinnamon monopoly. In 1796, English control of the seas allowed them to take Ceylon from the Dutch.

Cinnamon remained prized all the way up until 1833 when other countries found it could be easily grown in such areas, including Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Mauritius, Réunion and Guyana. Cinnamon is now also grown in South America, the West Indies, and other tropical climates. The cinnamon often found in the US is not considered "true" cinnamon, but rather is a lesser quality known as "cassia."

In ancient times cinnamon was commonly used in religious, spiritual and ritual uses. It was a known ingredient in the Egyptian embalming process- which similarly cinnamon was also valued for it's preservative qualities for meat. This is due to the phenols, which inhibit the bacteria responsible for spoilage, and the strong aroma masked the stench of aged meats. The Roman Emperor, Nero, ordered an entire year's supply of cinnamon to be burnt as a sign of remorse after he murdered his wife.

The Old Testament mentions the use of cinnamon several times, including when Moses is commanded to use both the sweet and bitter forms in the holy anointing oil, in Provers where lovers beds were perfumed with herbs including cinnamon, and in the Song of Solomon where his beloved's garments are said to be scented with cinnamon.

In Medieval times cinnamon was used as a staple ingredient, along with ginger, in many recipes. At the time, most meals were prepared in a single cauldron, so casseroles and stews containing both meat and fruit were typical. Cinnamon helped bridge the two flavors. When crusaders brought home precious sugar, it too was added to the kettle. One combination of these flavors still survives today as mince pie. Unfortunately what's known as "mince meat" today rarely actually contains meat, but apples instead.

For as long as cinnamon has been used as a spice for food, it has also been used medicinally. Texts reveal it was used as early as 4000 years ago in China, and was known as kwai. Medieval physicians used it to treat coughing, hoarseness and sore throats. Cinnamon was a popular medicinal herb in Ancient Rome, and was useful in treatments ranging from inflammation, poisonous bites, menstrual disorders, as well as treating symptoms of the common cold and flu.

Cinnamon was also commonly known in the ancient world for its antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties, and it was often applied to externally to wounds and irritating skin conditions. During childbirth, women were given cinnamon as a sedative to ease the pain and discomfort of labor. It also was found to be useful in treating gastro-intestinal troubles, such as nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea.

Today cinnamon still has a wide variety of medicinal uses. Studies have shown that just a half teaspoon of cinnamon a day can lower LDL cholesterol, it can have regulatory effect on blood sugar (making it especially beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes,) and in some studies cinnamon has shown an ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections. In addition, it has been found to have anti-clotting effects on the blood. Other studies have found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory, and Kansas State University researchers found that cinnamon fights E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices. Nutritionally, cinnamon is a great source of manganese, iron and calcium.

In culinary terms, cinnamon is one of the biggest workhorses of the spice shelf. Cooks use it for everything from flavoring baked goods and drinks, but it also works wonders in stews and sauces. It matches especially well with apples, berries, chicken, chocolate, coffee, lamb, oranges, and pears. It's one of the ingredients of my favorite hot chocolate as well. There are so many things you can do with cinnamon. How about a little hot spiced apple cider or mulled wine?

Spiced Cider is ridiculously easy to make, and is one of my favorite treats of Autumn.

Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients:
1 quart apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup dark rum (optional)
*thin sliced apples and cinnamon sticks for garnish

Pour apple cider into a large sauce pan.

Add cinnamon sticks and lemon zest.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain.

Add dark rum if desired.

Serve warm in coffee mugs, garnish with apples and cinnamon sticks.

Magically speaking, cinnamon is as versatile in spellwork as it is in the kitchen, with uses ranging from money spells, love spells, protection and promoting psychic awareness. Cinnamon is a Sun herb, so it invokes a gentle warmth, rather than the fiery blaze of Mars. Because it is considered a Fire herb, you can often find it used in various forms of love and sex magick.

Magic doesn't have to be complicated to work. Some of the simplest spells sometimes work best of all. In true Kitchen Witch fashion, here are a few useful little spells you can do around the home or business without a lot of ritual involved. It's what we Witches like to call "practical magick."

-Sprinkle a little cinnamon in your coffee in the morning may help to improve business.

-To protect yourself from gossip or the envy of others, place a tiny dot of cinnamon* on your breast bone in the morning while dressing.

-Sprinkle a little cinnamon under the phone. It may help you get that difficult person to call you back.

-Eating a cinnamon flavored candy before you need to make a presentation or a speech, can help you be more eloquent (as the spice is ruled by Mercury.)

-The next time you wash the floor, add a dash of cinnamon to the pail to increase business.

*WARNING: Do not use the essential oil on skin without dilution in a carrier oil! There's a reason it's considered a Fire herb. Just a drop or two in the carrier oil is sufficient.

Now if you don't mind, I'm going to make some baked apples... with cinnamon, of course!

Coconut Trail Mix Cookies

I had a cookie attack. It's not my fault. I blame Mark (of MarksDailyApple.com) with his Iron Chef Challenge using coconut. I didn't win, but it did give me a justification for "having" to make cookies! My prize was in finding a recipe for cookies that I really like, almost as much as Primal chocolate chip cookies.

The recipe I found wasn't exactly Primal, so of course I had to do some tinkering. Sometimes I'm a little iffy about tinkering when it comes to cookies and cakes. I'm always nervous that it won't turn out, and Primal baking ingredients aren't often cheap. At least not when compared to traditional flours. Luckily, this one worked.

The trail mix idea was sort of an improvisation. The original recipe just called for almonds, but I didn't have just almonds, so in went the entire trail mix. I really liked the raisins in the cookies. I will have to add more of them next time.

Coconut Trail Mix Cookies

1/2 cup trail mix
1 cup sifted coconut flour
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 stick of softened butter
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl blend the sifted coconut flour and shredded coconut. Don't use the sweetened crap. Go for the real stuff. Blend them completely and mix in your trail mix. Use a fork. It'll keep it fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the butter, honey, salt, eggs and almond extract.

Throw them all together in a big mixing bowl and blend until nice n' smooth. It should only take a minute. Just make sure your butter is nice and soft.
Ok, now here's where the magic begins. Combine the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients. Grab a big wooden spoon and mix, folding the flour mixture into the batter over and over. It'll get really sticky and clumpy. Make sure you get it all mixed.

Now leave it alone. 5 minutes. Don't touch!

Keep yourself busy while your dough is resting. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Have a drink. Eat some trail mix. Have another drink.

Ok, you can touch the dough again.

Take 2 spoons- teaspoons- and scrape dough balls onto the parchment about an inch apart. They won't spread much, but you'll need a little space. Grab a fork and mash... gently mash the cookies down. Lie the fork into the dough in one direction, and then the other, so you have a little checker pattern. Kind of like the traditional peanut butter cookies.

Pop the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes... check them occasionally and take them out when they just start to brown on the tips. Be careful, they scorch quickly!

Carefully slide the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto the counter top to cool. Try to avoid scarfing immediately. Trust me, they're hot!

Alternate variety:

This is for you hard-core Primals out there. Add to you ingredient list 1/4-1/2 cup mealworms. Yes, MEALWORMS. Muahahahaha!

-To prepare your mealworms (assuming they're raw), gently toast them in a dry pan on low heat, just until lightly golden. Don't heat them too fast. They'll explode like popcorn and jump out of your pan!

-Once your mealworms are toasty and golden, blend them into your dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.

These are such good cookies. Let me tell you, they make a wonderful breakfast combined with hot coffee, while you're speeding to work and running late.

Sweet & Savory Prosciutto Peppers

Since my garden turned out so horribly, I have been revelling in the abundance of my parents garden. One of their latest harvest produced a hearty amount of jalapeno peppers. Really there's only one way I know how to use jalapenos. Poppers.

Jalapeno poppers are a favorite hors d'oeuvres in my family, and is acceptable as a Primal fare, at least for those who don't mind a little dairy in their diet. I like the traditional popper- pepper, cream cheese, bacon- but I have to say the flavors left me a slight bit lacking. The pepper is a good delivery system for the bacon and the cream cheese adds a satisfying texture, but flavor wise you get little more than bacon and hot. I'm looking for more.

Sweet and spicy make a great flavor duet. It's always fun to play with your taste buds, combining opposites, activating receptors in more than one region of your tongue. That's what I wanted to do with the poppers. The pepper provides the spicy. The bacon provides some salt and savory flavors, but I wanted something slightly more delicate in texture, so I went with prosciutto. I decided to use the cream cheese to deliver just a little sweet. The results were phenomenal.

Sweet & Savory Prosciutto Peppers

You will need:

Jalapeno peppers
1 package of cream cheese
1 medium onion, minced
3-4 Tbsp honey
4-6 ounces prosciutto

Start by prepping your peppers. Cut off the tops, and remove the seeds and membranes. Do this carefully and try not to get too much of the oils on your hands. If you like them more spicy you can leave more of the membrane intact. If you want a milder pepper, remove the membranes completely.

Next melt your cream cheese, either in the microwave or in a double boiler, until it's easily stirrable. Add your minced onion and honey and warm through so that the onions soften. Be careful not to scorch your cream cheese if using the microwave. I prefer the double boiler personally. Having your cream cheese melted makes the filling process so much easier.

Spoon your cream cheese mixture into the peppers. Fill them just level with the top of the pepper. Try not to eat the filling. I had some trouble with this.

Finish by wrapping your peppers in strips of thinly sliced prosciutto. The package I bought had wide, 3-inch strips of meat, so I cut them in half lengthwise, not only making them just the right size to wrap the peppers, but it gave me enough prosciutto to wrap even more poppers.

Place your poppers on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the cream cheese is all melty, the prosciutto is just a bit crispy, and the peppers are tender. Remove them from the oven, let them cool a tad (because the cheese will be molten at this point) and enjoy!

Needless to say, I really like these. A lot. I think they're now one of my new favorite snacks, and I tell you what, I don't think I can every go back to the "regular" pepper poppers again. They're sweet, and spicy, and salty, and rich. They're a little creamy and a little crunchy. They're just so good... and now I want more, but they're all gone!