I am going to revel in Money & Youth, once my hands are no longer sitcky....

Yesterday one of my gorgeous friends brought me a large bucket of Sage! Sage is one of my allies. The intoxicating scent of Sage puts me into a immediate state of CALM....as does Rosemary and Mugwort. So this is my time of year! :). Last night, when the house was still, I sat down with a glass of wine, blues radio, my string, and began tying the Sage sticks & leaves. The sticks will become brooms for my fabulous sage Kitchen Witches (they come when the Sage is ready, and they are definitely my herb Witches!), and the leaves become bundles. The small, loose leaves I let dry, and later put them in sleep pillows or grind them up for seasoning. I use an abundant amount of bundles, as I am constantly cleansing my thrifting treasures, so tying & drying my own is smart.

Magical, mythical Sage; foremost being known for cleansing and chasing away bad Spirits. It is said to attract money, “where Sage grows in the garden the woman rules”, as well as granting a long life and endless youth.

Sage is a wonderful herb for cooking, I especially enjoy infusing meats & chicken when roasting them in a clay baker :).

Sage is hailed for its’ medicinal qualities, and is very similar to Rosemary, as its’ primary medicinal components are volatile oils, & flavonoids. Often used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, Sage is my favorite for any ailments of the mouth. Once, my son had to get a tooth pulled. Of course the dentist prescribed antibiotics for the hole....instead, I had him swish with a Sage infusion several times a day. Within a few days the wound had healed. (You will want to watch closely for infections if you decide to do this.... I kept that prescription for back up. Antibiotics are not evil, I just choose to save them for necessary situations :)...)

If you are tying your own Sage, you will revel in the intoxicating smell, and when you are done, you will try to remove the sticky sap-like residue from your hands. These are the wonderful oils I described :)....No fear, there is an easy way to remove this, and it is surely in your kitchen: Olive Oil. Rub a little olive Oil on your fingers, and the residue will ball up and disappear, while your hands get a bonus oil treatment.

Enjoy!

Herbs that speak. Bring Magik into your kitchen......

This morning I already knew it would be an interesting day :). I am on a learning journey, and my first lessons are about letting go of what does not work in order to let in the new. But that is another post....or posts...that will go under "Journey" at the Goddess's Daily Groove :). Becoming more "aware".....

Back to my kitchen.

Two sick kids, who came back from camp with something that is a cross between a serious head/chest cold and allergies (which we don't have.). I went to the pantry to get herbs for tea, and the first thing that called me was Hibiscus. Then Rosehips, both of them fabulous for Vitamin C, and a general "feel good pick me up". Another plus is that their taste is attracting to kids. As I placed them in the pot, Nettles called me. I did not hesitate, though the combination of the fresh, tangy taste of the first two, and green taste of Nettles seemed a bit strange. As I walked by a cabinet with my standard herbs, the Cassia chips (cinnamon) called sweetly: "Add me for the grounding taste, I will take care of their blood". The magic is happening, the tea is delicious. With a dollop of raw honey, I am sure it will attack those little bacteria sweetly, but with a strong hand. The first batch is warm, but the rest will be on ice and administered for the rest of the day :).

Open your kitchen to magic and healing food. There are lots of books & courses, but I invite you to go into your kitchen at night, when it is quiet & you are alone and uninhibited. Clean it, dance with it, sing to it...be happy in there. Turn on some candles while you work. Hang gathered herbs to dry. Only bring in food that are healthy and authentic, if possible. Kitchens are the hub of life of our houses. They nourish us, not just with food. If you don't have on yet, invite a Kitchen Witch into your home (some shameless advertising there, but my Witches truly bring laughter & good magik into your kitchen :)..).

Now you are ready to "hear" your kitchen, and its' inhabitants :). When you nourish, when you need healing; you will know which foods & herbs to choose. Be open, they may seem strange, but you can trust that your kitchen will take care of you.

Today's Healing Tea:
A big pot, filled with water that has boiled.
1 handful of Hibiscus flowers
1 smaller handful of Rosehips
1 handful of Nettle leaves
1/4 handful :)...of Cinnamon chips (or a stick if you have one, not powder)
Sweeten with local honey, raw is good.
The tea will be thick, and should be drank warm. Then you can thin out with a bit of filtered water and drink it over ice :).

Let the magik begin!
Much love,
Heike

Food Magic.....

Food is comfort :)...that is just the way it is. In our house, food comfort does not mean binging, but it does mean conjouring up certain foods to fit the occasion.

Today, it is a soup to even out the waves of disappointment. Nothing like a little kick to boost that confidence again. And it goes quick, for emergencies :).

You will need:

Spelt
chopped onions (about a half of an onion, or more if you like)
Olive Oil
Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth (or something similar)
Fresh Ginger
Cheyenne Pepper
Fresh Parsley

In a soup pot, heat up a few tablespoons olive oil. Glaze onions. Add about 1 1/2 cups spelt. Fry until grain is browned (it may start popping a bit). Then add about 4-5 cups of water and simmer until grain is soft (this takes about 45 minutes). Remove about 1/2 cup of grains, and puree in a mixer. Add 3-4 tblsp of veggie broth to soup, and add pureed grains back in. Season with salt & cheyenne. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley....

Serve with love to the one who needs a little boost.

P.S. I cook via the “Simpler’s Method”, no recipes, and really, no measurements. Use your intuition, it will tell when to add more or less :).

P.P.S. Also added some Marjoran & Thyme, because when I went to the garden to get the Parsley, they told me that my special little someone needed their help. Be flexible :).

With love,
Heike

Preparing for Lammas

On August 1st, we will celebrate Lammas :).

Traditionally, if you live with the seasons, Lammas marks the "bringing in the of the first wheat harvest". It is also the time to think about preparing for the winter.

I obviously do not grow wheat, but today my son brought in a pretty big bounty from our little backyard garden.

Things are beginning to ripen. The tomatoes that I planted in a box and a bucket are doing much better than the tomatoes I planted in the earth in a bed. I believe it is because the earthen ones got the shivers when we had a cold spell. I get a tomato sporadically, but not the bountiful harvest I had planned on. Soon, I will be bursting with "Gypsy" tomatoes! We are beginning to get new cucumbers every day. I planted Armenian, Long, Regular, and Lemon cucs. The Lemon cucs are nowhere to be found, but the others are coming along nicely. Lots of tomatillos growing, that will make some fabulous green salsa.

I have RHUBARB!!! Even the huckleberries are coming along nicely, getting purple. Next year, I will plant more.

What is not working: Strawberries and chili peppers planted in Topsy Turvys. Sage..:(...

In a few days we will make Lammas bread to eat with our harvested veggies and celebrate our Lammas Feast. The recipe I have is old, long, and typewritten in a book. I found on online for you to enjoy :). I will post mine when I have a bit of time to copy it in....

http://www.grouprecipes.com/97433/lammas-bread-and-spell.html

Two of my favorite books for rituals and recipes to do with kids are:
CircleRound
Wheel of the Year, Living the Magical Life