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Second Harvest

Carrot Cake

Mon, 07/28/2008 - 13:59 — kitchenwitch
Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrots (5 to 6 medium)
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 300 degrees. In mixer bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Notes:

This is my favorite birthday cake. Since my birthday is on Midsummer, I associate this cake with that holiday too. But its warmth and heartiness lends itself well to cooler weather and harvest celebrations as well.

This cake has energy related to prosperity, fertility and lust and is particularly aligned to the sort of sweet, devoted love of an idealistic young couple eager to starti a new family making it great for a wedding cake. That also makes it appropriate for your Heiros Gamos (or Sacred Marriage) on whatever holiday it happens to fall on.

Quick Witch Tips:

Arnica

Sat, 01/05/2008 - 15:54 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Arnica montana

Zones:
5-9

Arnica is a member of the Asteraceae (or Compositeae) family along with sunflowers and dandelions. It is a hardy perennial native to the mountains and pasturelands of Central Europe.

Propagation:

Arnica enjoys a well-drained, slightly acidic soil. To increase drainage, if needed, add some sand to the soil. To increase acidity, you can add some peat moss. If using potting soil, mix equal parts sand and peat moss and combine that mix with equal parts potting soil.

You can propagate by root division or by seed. Roots should be divided in the spring, and seeds collected in the fall. Plant as early as you dare in the spring; ideally starti them in a cold frame and set them into the ground in May. This plant requires full sun and does grow well in a pot. It prefers high altitudes.

Arnica is a great addition to a rock garden.

Collect the flowers as soon as they bloom and hang upside down in a dark place to dry. The root may be collected in the fall after the flowers die down. The root can then be dried in the oven.

History and Folklore:

The word arnica comes from the Greek arnikis which means lamb coat. This refers to the flower's furry sepals.

The German name for arnica is Wolfsblume, or Wolf Flower. In ancient times, the people believed that the spirit of the Corn Wolf wandered among the cornfields adding his strength to the coming harvest. Arnica was placed around the fields to prevent him from escaping before the corn was ready to be harvested. His spirit then entered the final sheaf that was cut and it was later carried to the village in honor. (Note: Corn then was not what we think of corn now, but grain in general.)

Arnica has been wildly popular in Germany for centuries where it claims over 100 medicinal uses for everything from heart disease to anemia. The American variety was used by Native Americans and the early settlers for a variety of uses as well.

Harvesting & Storage:
Household Use:
Magical Attributes:

Arnica is masculine in nature and associated with Midsummer, the harvest and harvest spirits. It is sacred to Freya, Ra and Apollo. It is aligned with the sun and the element of fire.

To drive away thunderstorms (why you would want to, I don't know) burn arnica and say "Set arnica alight, set arnica alight, thunderstorm take flight."

Arnica can be used in general protective rituals as well as rituals for fertility of crops.

Arnica can be planted around an area to keep a spirit from entering or leaving. It will only work until the plant dies back in the fall.

Healing Attributes:

Arnica is topically soothing and aids healing in bruises and sprains and should be applied as quickly as possible after the injury occurs to aid healing. The essential oil can be added to massage oils for use before and after strenuous physical exercise to prevent muscle aches and strains. It is great for muscle aches of all sorts (including PMS) as it reduces inflammation and sooths pain. Arnica actually reduces clotting, however, and does not speed the disappearance of bruises, merely soothes the pain.

It should never be applied to open wounds, rashes or any broken skin. However, a compress of the flowers and roots can be applied in a compress over a bandaged wound to relieve pain and aid in healing. A hot compress can also be applied to aching, arthritic joints and wrists afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome.

A good salve mix for bumps, bruises and sprains is witch hazel, comfrey and arnica.

Some people are allergic to this plant and repeated or continuous use can cause some people to develop an allergy to it. Use with caution and only for first aid purposes. Use something else for daily maintenance.

If you are allergic to any other member of the Compositae family (ragweed, for example) you are probably allergic to arnica! If you allow yourself to develop an allergy to arnica through overuse, you will most likely develop allergies to other members of the Compositae family as well.

Do not take arnica internally. It can cause intestinal irritation, inflames the mucus membranes, and affects blood pressure and heart rate. Even a small amount can kill you or, failing that, cause permanent damage to your heart.

Homeopathic arnica is safe.

Culinary Use:

Arnica should never be eaten as it is bad for the heart and can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

A. montana is threatened in the European wild. If you must use this species, do not use those collected in the European wilderness!
In the US, however, it's a weed!

Stone Soup

Mon, 12/31/2007 - 14:39 — kitchenwitch

This is more of an interactive storytelling thing that is a fun way to produce the communal meal at any gathering, especially while camping at a festival.

The Wicker Man Effigy

Thu, 12/20/2007 - 16:27 — kitchenwitch

The Wicker Man Effigy was made famous by The Wicker Man Movies, there are two, the

Maple-Pecan Yams & Apples

Wed, 12/05/2007 - 12:14 — kitchenwitch
Ingredients:

A handful of pecans
1 cup of apple cider
1 apple, washed, cored, cubed
2 Yams or sweet potatoes, washed, cubed
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cubed apple and yams in a baking dish. Pour cider over all and stir to coat.
Cut the butter into tiny squares and sprinkle over the top.

Notes:

This is a fabulous recipe for your Feast of the Dead at Samhain as the yams celebrate the chthonic deities while the apples are the food of immortality.
This is also a great thanksgiving meal for harvest celebrations and its energies help to draw prosperity to the hearth.

Quick Witch Tips:

Cranberry Apple Sauce

Fri, 11/16/2007 - 09:18 — DawnBlack
Ingredients:

2 cups Cranberries
2 small apples
1 tbsp Cornstarch
3 tbsp Sugar
1/4 C Apple Cider

Peel and slice the apples, rinse and sort the cranberries. Place in a saucepan with apple cider and simmer covered for 1 hour on low heat.

Notes:

Adjust sugar to taste. I like things a bit more tart than the average person.
Stir in pecans and top with whipped cream for a tasty dessert. It also makes an excellent glaze for game meats or use like a sauce for your holiday feasts.

This recipe contains protective energy that fortifies inner strength and health to meet challenges, especially those related to close relationships.

Quick Witch Tips:

Don't rush this one. You have to simmer the berries till they pop just right. If you don't have time, you can buy this ready made.

The Abduction of Persephone

Mon, 08/13/2007 - 08:08 — kitchenwitch

Demeter, by whose hand the grain ripens and turns to gold beneath the sun, had a beautiful as lovely as a field of crocus upon whom she doted as much as any mother ever doted upon a daughter.

Cornhusk Dollies

Fri, 01/19/2007 - 09:44 — kitchenwitch

Corn as we know it, or maize, is a Native American grain.

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