Tag: dessert

Halloween Samhain

by Tara Sutphen, posted in Halloween Sahmain

SAMHAIN (Sah-win)

BY TARA SUTPHEN

Samhain, the Pagan Sabbat called Halloween. Samhain marks tthe midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice; the nights are getting darker. Rest and Rejuvenate, Dream and Create, Plan and Recharge. We are given an opportunity to take the high road and not the low road. We are asked to step into our personal power as gracefully as we can. There is a surge about relying on yourself, on your knowledge, skills, and tool set. You are having an opportunity to clear unneeded responsibilities and old karma.

Halloween, also referred to as All Hallows’ Eve, became a holiday observed on October 31. It initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts for three days and concludes on “All Souls’ Day”. Halloween’s Celtic origins began as Samhain in ancient Britain and Ireland. It was considered the beginning of winter.

During the Samhain festival, people believed souls who had died would return to visit those they left behind and their homes. People set bonfires to ward off evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts. Many different characters were associated with this day as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons.

Halloween Games:

  • Dance to scary music and freeze when the music turns off
  • Everyone tells a scary story
  • Pass it on Ghost Story
  • Scary movies (age-appropriate)
  • Go see the “Rocky Horror Picture Show”
  • Divination – Samhain is the beginning of the pagan year; Fire or Water Scrying – Tarot cards – Crystal Ball
  • Make masks and costumes (represents your alter ego for the next year)
  • Create spells
  • Gather in a circle and express a desire and expel a fear
  • Chant or make wishes around a candle
  • Carve pumpkins
  • Go trick or treating or have a party with friends

Samhain Recipes

Hallowed Cakes

1/2 cup vegetable oil4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted2 cups granulated sugar4 eggs2 tsp. vanilla2 cups cake flour, sifted2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt1 cup confectioner’s sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine vegetable oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt into oil mixture. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll about a Tbsp. of dough into a ball. Drop balls into confectioner’s sugar, and roll until coated. Place balls about 2″ apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Hot Apple Cider

1 1/2 gallons apple cider2 whole cinnamon sticks5 cloves1 large orange, sliced thin with peel left on1/2 lemon, sliced thin with peel left on1/2 cup sugar

In large pot, combine cider, cinnamon sticks, orange and lemon slices. Add sugar to taste. Heat thoroughly. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cup softened butter1 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey2 eggs1 tsp vanilla1 cup pureed pumpkin1 1/2 cups flour1 1/2 cups oatmeal (grind rolled oats in a blender, but not into a flour)1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp cloves1/2 cup raisins1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream together butter and sugar (or honey). Beat in eggs. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal, salt, soda, and spices. Add to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto a baking sheet and bake at 375° for 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

2/3 cup shortening1 tsp. nutmeg2 2/3 cups sugar1 tsp. cinnamon4 large eggs2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. vanilla1/2 tsp. baking powder3 1/3 cups flour2/3 cup water1 can Pumpkin1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all the above ingredients together, pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes. Optional – add dates and nuts

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Boil 3 layers of Lasagna noodles

in greased pan start layering

1 whole cooked and mashed butternut squash

ricotta cheese

pesto

shredded mozzerella

350°F for 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted

www.moonsorce.com

Summer Solstice

by Tara Sutphen, posted in spiritual
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Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha

By Tara Sutphen

21st June

“In the world’s audience hall, the simple blade of grass sits on the same carpet with the sunbeams, and the stars of midnight” – Rabindranath Tagore (Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, 1861-1941)

Summer Solstice marks the end of the waxing year. And the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, as winter begins in the southern hemisphere. On this day, the earth’s “circle of luminescence” will be from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. The equator receives twelve hours of daylight, as there will be 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole and 24 hours of darkness at the South Pole.

All over the world people honor this day as an important reminder of the apex of light and to cast away evil and their problems. Northern Hemisphere inhabitants use June 21 as the day of celebration, but the splendor of light lasts from new moon to full moon.

Worshipping the Sun’s great power, all cultures celebrate in some way. Celts and Slavs dance around bonfires while Chinese marked the day honoring Li, the Goddess of Light. The celebrants of modern and ancient ceremonies tune in that life comes from the sun. It is life giving and life supporting. We’ve recently had the good fortune to have electricity, greenhouses, and shipment suppliers. How will you celebrate? We all may not get a chance to dance around the bonfire but it’s a time to bask in the light, sit in the sun, cast our worries away and awaken to our lives.

Recipes:

Summer Pasta Salad

2 cucumbers chopped

2 big tomatoes chopped

1/2 red onion chopped

5 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp cilantro (coriander)

2+ tbsp honey

salt/pepper

2 cups shell macaroni (optional: gluten free)

Directions

Cook pasta, drain. 

Combine lime juice, cilantro, honey, salt & pepper in small bowl. 

In a large bowl, combine pasta vegetables. Toss gently in lime dressing.

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz) pkg large shell pasta (optional: gluten free), ½ c. dill pickle juice plus 4 tbsp. pickle juice (divided), 2/3 c. mayonnaise (optional: veganaise), 1/3 c. sour cream (optional: plain yogurt), Salt & Pepper to taste, ¾ c. sliced or diced dill pickles, ¼ c. onion, 2 tbsp. minced fresh or dry dill spice, (optional: 2/3 c. diced or grated cheddar or almond cheese)

Directions: Cook pasta to pkg specifications. Rinse & drain cold water, add ½ c dill pickle juice, set aside, In another bowl, add 4 tbsp dill pickle juice , mayo, sour cream, salt & pepper (optional: dash of cayenne), Drain off excess pickle juice from pasta and mix with dressing, chill one hour and serve.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons minced onion 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 bag (10 ounces) fresh spinach 1 pint strawberries, sliced thin In a blender, combine the sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oil, and vinegar. Blend well. If the dressing seems thick, add a few drops of water.

Remove the stems from the spinach and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Arrange them on individual salad plates or in a salad bowl. Arrange the strawberries on top. Drizzle the dressing over the strawberries and serve.

Bonnie Brae Strawberry Pie

A mixture of cooked and fresh berries helped make this pie a family favorite.

1 quart strawberries or 1 large package frozen strawberries, thawed and drained 3/4 cup water 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup sliced berries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained whipped cream whole berries for garnish Combine strawberries and water in saucepan. Cook until just softened, about 4 or 5 minutes. (Let frozen berries thaw; heat but don’t cook them.) Mix together cornstarch, sugar, and water until smooth; add to hot berries. Cook over medium heat until clear. Add lemon juice; immediately remove from heat and let cool. Place sliced berries in cooked pie shell. To assemble pie, pour cooked mixture over berries, top with whipped cream, and garnish with whole berries.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Wedding Cake

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 3 cups sugar 4 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 6 egg whites Preheat over to 350° F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour in buttermilk and begin mixing slowly. Continue to mix until well blended. Add flavorings and stir. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° F, then lower heat to 300°F and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and cool on racks. After 10 minutes, remove from pans and continue cooling on racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract No wedding needed to have this cake

Other food /drink ideas –

mint iced teas, dandelion salads, strawberry shortcakes, geranium leaf sorbet, berry pies

Ceremonies:

The Druids celebrated with “The Wedding of Heaven and Earth”.

Two people represent Mother Earth and the Sun King. Create a Bonfire, dancers adorned in garlands and flowers, and young men jumping through the tall flames. A time of cleansing and renewal. The participants playing Mother Earth and the Sun King go to each participant, and speak to each person as though planting seeds of growth, imparting words of love, wisdom, thankfulness and prosperity.

Candle or Bonfire Ritual

With a candle or your bonfire – Give blessings in the 4 directions. Cast a blessing for yourself, a blessing for the harvest, a blessing for your loved ones, and a blessing for the earth. (make this blessing 3-5 sentences long for each subject) A Call to Love

Single women are to sleep with 4 flowers under their pillow Flowers:

Flowers blooming in your area, also daisies, roses, lilyof the valley, calendulas, marigolds

Decorations:

daisy chains, lavender wreaths, rosemary garlands Head wreath

Circle base, thin gauge wire, or vines and tie or wire on flowers of your choice Symbols:

Fire to celebrate the power of the sun, Sun Wheels, Medicine Wheels, Stone Circles, Candle Circles, Mother Goddess, Ripening fruits, Sun Dials, Feathers, and Swords/Blades. Candles:

Green & Blue representing the earth White representing God light

www.lifeforceactivation.com

www.moonsorce.com

Summer Solstice

by Tara Sutphen, posted in summer, summer solstice, Tara Sutphen

Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha

By Tara Sutphen

21st June

“In the world’s audience hall, the simple blade of grass sits on the same carpet with the sunbeams, and the stars of midnight” – Rabindranath Tagore (Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, 1861-1941)

Summer Solstice marks the end of the waxing year. And the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, as winter begins in the southern hemisphere. On this day, the earth’s “circle of luminescence” will be from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. The equator receives twelve hours of daylight, as there will be 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole and 24 hours of darkness at the South Pole.

All over the world people honor this day as an important reminder of the apex of light and to cast away evil and their problems. Northern Hemisphere inhabitants use June 21 as the day of celebration, but the splendor of light lasts from new moon to full moon.

Worshipping the Sun’s great power, all cultures celebrate in some way. Celts and Slavs dance around bonfires while Chinese marked the day honoring Li, the Goddess of Light. The celebrants of modern and ancient ceremonies tune in that life comes from the sun. It is life giving and life supporting. We’ve recently had the good fortune to have electricity, greenhouses, and shipment suppliers. How will you celebrate? We all may not get a chance to dance around the bonfire but it’s a time to bask in the light, sit in the sun, cast our worries away and awaken to our lives.

Recipes:

Summer Pasta Salad

2 cucumbers chopped

2 big tomatoes chopped

1/2 red onion chopped

5 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp cilantro (coriander)

2+ tbsp honey

salt/pepper

2 cups shell macaroni (optional: gluten free)

Directions

Cook pasta, drain. 

Combine lime juice, cilantro, honey, salt & pepper in small bowl. 

In a large bowl, combine pasta vegetables. Toss gently in lime dressing.

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz) pkg large shell pasta (optional: gluten free), ½ c. dill pickle juice plus 4 tbsp. pickle juice (divided), 2/3 c. mayonnaise (optional: veganaise), 1/3 c. sour cream (optional: plain yogurt), Salt & Pepper to taste, ¾ c. sliced or diced dill pickles, ¼ c. onion, 2 tbsp. minced fresh or dry dill spice, (optional: 2/3 c. diced or grated cheddar or almond cheese)

Directions: Cook pasta to pkg specifications. Rinse & drain cold water, add ½ c dill pickle juice, set aside, In another bowl, add 4 tbsp dill pickle juice , mayo, sour cream, salt & pepper (optional: dash of cayenne), Drain off excess pickle juice from pasta and mix with dressing, chill one hour and serve.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons minced onion 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 bag (10 ounces) fresh spinach 1 pint strawberries, sliced thin In a blender, combine the sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oil, and vinegar. Blend well. If the dressing seems thick, add a few drops of water.

Remove the stems from the spinach and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Arrange them on individual salad plates or in a salad bowl. Arrange the strawberries on top. Drizzle the dressing over the strawberries and serve.

Bonnie Brae Strawberry Pie

A mixture of cooked and fresh berries helped make this pie a family favorite.

1 quart strawberries or 1 large package frozen strawberries, thawed and drained 3/4 cup water 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup sliced berries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained whipped cream whole berries for garnish Combine strawberries and water in saucepan. Cook until just softened, about 4 or 5 minutes. (Let frozen berries thaw; heat but don’t cook them.) Mix together cornstarch, sugar, and water until smooth; add to hot berries. Cook over medium heat until clear. Add lemon juice; immediately remove from heat and let cool. Place sliced berries in cooked pie shell. To assemble pie, pour cooked mixture over berries, top with whipped cream, and garnish with whole berries.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Wedding Cake

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 3 cups sugar 4 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 6 egg whites Preheat over to 350° F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour in buttermilk and begin mixing slowly. Continue to mix until well blended. Add flavorings and stir. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° F, then lower heat to 300°F and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and cool on racks. After 10 minutes, remove from pans and continue cooling on racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract No wedding needed to have this cake

Other food /drink ideas –

mint iced teas, dandelion salads, strawberry shortcakes, geranium leaf sorbet, berry pies

Ceremonies:

The Druids celebrated with “The Wedding of Heaven and Earth”.

Two people represent Mother Earth and the Sun King. Create a Bonfire, dancers adorned in garlands and flowers, and young men jumping through the tall flames. A time of cleansing and renewal. The participants playing Mother Earth and the Sun King go to each participant, and speak to each person as though planting seeds of growth, imparting words of love, wisdom, thankfulness and prosperity.

Candle or Bonfire Ritual

With a candle or your bonfire – Give blessings in the 4 directions. Cast a blessing for yourself, a blessing for the harvest, a blessing for your loved ones, and a blessing for the earth. (make this blessing 3-5 sentences long for each subject) A Call to Love

Single women are to sleep with 4 flowers under their pillow Flowers:

Flowers blooming in your area, also daisies, roses, lilyof the valley, calendulas, marigolds

Decorations:

daisy chains, lavender wreaths, rosemary garlands Head wreath

Circle base, thin gauge wire, or vines and tie or wire on flowers of your choice Symbols:

Fire to celebrate the power of the sun, Sun Wheels, Medicine Wheels, Stone Circles, Candle Circles, Mother Goddess, Ripening fruits, Sun Dials, Feathers, and Swords/Blades. Candles:

Green & Blue representing the earth White representing God light

www.lifeforceactivation.com

www.tarainsight.com