Poppy Seed Tea Recipe: How To Make Poppy Seed Tea The Right Way

Are you looking for a natural and clean way of treatment for any pain-related conditions, Did you know traditional Poppy Pods bases medicines are considered the most effective way of relieving pain? Then try a cup of Unwashed poppy seeds tea, which is also a great source of minerals, like manganese, copper, and iodine. Did you know 30 grams of unwashed poppy seed Tea, milk mixed with sugar is very beneficial in treating insomnia, Poppy oil can also be used Poppy latex boasts opioid compounds known for their sleep inducing properties. I’ll be presenting a poppy seed tea recipe that I have been using for a very long time now.

We are a certified Organic Farm that offers Dried Poppy Pods grown with practices that support biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and protect clean air and water. The health of our clients, community and our planet are critical to all of the choices that we make. Our Dried Poppy Heads and Poppy Seeds are of the best quality in the market and cultivated to meet the requirements of the United States, Canada and Australian Markets If you’re interested in learning how to make this herbal tea, check the recipe and items that you’ll need and the instructions below.

Poppy Seed Tea Recipe The Right Way

Items You’ll Need

Unwahed Poppy Seeds Lemons (Optional) Blackberry Vinegar (Optional) Water Fruit Juice (Optional) Bottle With Lid Large Jar Funnel Tea Towel + Rubber Band (Optional) Saucepan Citrus Juicer Knife Stirring Spoon

Instructions

Prepare Your Ingredients

Shake And Soak

Drain The Liquid

Squeeze Some Lemon Juice Most important Tip

Store Poppy Seeds In Airtight Container Final Thought

What You’ll Need

Unwashed Poppy Seeds

Unwashed poppy seeds can easily be obtain from dried poppy pods from supplies who specifically sale unwashed poppy pods. For this recipe, you’ll need about 500 grams of poppy seeds- this is good for one person. If you’re buying in bulk, I recommend using less because they are stronger than the washed poppy seeds sold in grocery stores.

Poppy seeds contain opium alkaloids (papaver somniferum) , like morphine, codeine, and papaverine. In small amounts, they can have a good effect on the body, ease nervous irritability, and work as natural painkillers. To select the most potent seeds, look for supplies that sale natural organic dried poppy pods, or organic unwashed poppy seeds from organic poppy farmers.

Note. All seeds sold in grocery stores washed and do not contain opium alkaloids (papaver somniferum) and wont help in any way.

Lemons

To conceal the slight bitterness of poppy seeds, you’ll need about 3-4 lemons. The acid content of lemons can also help release the alkaloids from the seeds by suspending them above the water. To select the best lemons, look for finely grained textured peels. But its okay if you don’t like or have lemon so it actually depends on your needs.

Blackberry Vinegar

If you have no lemons or you just want a variety in flavor, you can use blackberry vinegar instead. This fruit vinegar is characterized by a delicate acid flavor and a strong blackberry aroma. Aside from the pleasant tangy taste, this fruit vinegar gives a pack of nutrients, like vitamins A, C, and K.

Water

Soak the Unwashed poppy seeds in water, you need about 700 ml of water. It’s recommended that you use warm water, not hot water, to wash the goodies off the seeds better. As possible use filtered or distilled water so you can’t risk your tea to be contaminated with any water contaminants.

Fruit Juice

If you like to increase the strength and potency of the opiate effects, you can restrict the histamine production by adding some juices, like grapefruit juice. I have tried pineapple juice and it’s good enough to mask the taste of the poppy seed tea.

Equipment

Bottle With Lid For this poppy seed tea recipe, you’ll need a 1-2 liter of plastic bottle. An empty soda bottle is a good choice. The bottle will serve as the container where you shake and soak the poppy seeds with the water or fruit juice of your choice. Make sure that your bottle has a secured lid because you don’t want to make a terrible mess when you shake the contents inside.

Large Jar You need a large jar to serve as the container of your finished poppy seed tea. To save you the cost of buying a new jar, you can use the empty pasta jars in your kitchen. Just make sure that the jars are thoroughly cleaned before you use them.

Funnel A funnel comes in handy when you’ll be placing the poppy seeds into the plastic bottle. If you can’t find a funnel at home, you can make your own from a sheet of paper.

To make, fold the paper until you form a shape similar to an ice cream cone. Make sure that the bottom has a hole smaller than the opening of your bottle so the seeds won’t leak when you pour them.

Tea Towel + Rubber Band (Optional) To strain the liquid from the seeds, you’ll need a tea towel. You’ll be tying the towel into the opening of the bottle. Alternatively, you can use a coffee filter or any clean cloth. Recently, I used a clean sock and it worked out fine.

To secure the tea towel into the bottle, grab a rubber band. If you can’t find any rubber band at home, you can use a string.

Saucepan You may need a saucepan to warm the water fast. A 1/2 quart mini saucepan is a good size, but you can use any deep pan or pot you have at home. Alternatively, you can use a kettle to boil water faster.

Citrus Juicer To extract the juice from the lemons efficiently, you may need a good citrus juicer. What I use is the manual lemon squeezer, like this one, which guarantees no toxic materials. If you have no citrus juicer at home, you can extract the juice by using a fork.

Knife Yes, you need a knife to cut your lemons into half. There’s no specific brand or type of knife to use. You can use any available knife available in your kitchen.

Stirring Spoon A stirring spoon is a great help when you’ll be mixing the filtered poppy seed tea with the lemon juice. You can any long spoon you have at home. Just make sure that it’s clean so you won’t be imparting any dirt into your tea concoction.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare Your Ingredients Prepare Your Ingredients For this poppy seed tea recipe, Use 500 grams of poppy seeds, 700 ml water, and 3 lemons. In a mini-saucepan, heat the water for a couple of minutes or until warm. You don’t want the water scalding hot because extreme heat will destroy the alkaloids rapidly.

Shake And Soak Get your plastic bottle and place a funnel on top. Pour the poppy seeds into the bottle cautiously. You need to be careful in this process because it will be very easy to spill the seeds and cleaning them will be such a hassle. When all of your seeds are in the bottle, pour the warm water.

Secure the lid of the bottle and give a vigorous shake for about five minutes. After that, you can let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes. Repeat the shake and rest process for about an hour. The longer you do this process, the stronger your tea will be.

Drain The Liquid At this point, the seeds may appear to be a lumpy mess. To separate the liquid from the seeds and other bits of particles, you can drain the tea in two methods: unscrewing the cap or using a tea towel + rubber band.

Method 1: Unscrew The Cap For the first method, unscrew the cap slightly, but not too loose or the whole contents will leak into the jar. Now, turn the bottle upside down and place it over the opening of the jar. If the bottle is not balanced well in the top of the jar, lean it against a wall.

You should be seeing the liquid seeping out from the cap. If you find that there’s not much liquid coming out, squeeze the bottle occasionally.

Method 2: Tea Towel + Rubber Band

Remove the lid from the bottle and place a clean tea towel on the opening of the bottle. Secure the cloth with a rubber band. Similar to what you do in method 1, tip the bottle over the jar and let the liquid filter through the cloth. Since the filtering process will take a long time, squeezing the bottle occasionally will speed up the process.

Squeeze Some Lemon Juice Squeeze Some Lemon Juice When all the liquid are drained from the bottle, remove it from the jar. You can extract more liquid left in the seeds by pouring the seeds into a clean cloth. Squeeze as much liquid as you can.

By this time, you’ll be left with a kind of slurry in the jar. That’s your poppy seed tea. To mask the flavor of your tea, add some lemon juice. To extract the juice from the lemons, first, cut them in half by a knife. Place each half in the citrus juicer and squeeze directly into the jar. Use the stirring spoon to mix the lemon juice with the tea.

Now pour a cup of tea and enjoy. You may start by drinking one cup of poppy seed tea to feel the results. If the pain still persists after 30 minutes, you may drink another cup.

Most important Tip

Store Poppy Seeds In Airtight Container When properly stored, poppy seeds can stay fresh up to six months. store the poppy seeds in an airtight container. Keep this container in a cool, dry place with proper ventilation and away from sunlight.

Before you store them, make sure that they’re well dried, any presence of moisture will promote the growth of molds which will ruin the quality of your seeds.

Another easy and very convenient way to store poppy seeds is by storing it in dried poppy pods so you can break the seeds out when need be.

Final Thought Did you have fun learning how to make a simple poppy seed tea recipe? You have found a natural painkiller. With its morphine content, it’s easy to get addicted so make sure that you pay extra caution when drinking it. Never overdose on this stuff.

If you have any questions or suggestions please let us know in the comments section. Contact us id you need unwashed poppy seeds or dried poppy pods, we have the best quality products you could fine online.

IMBOLC was so MAGICAL!! Oh my goodness!!

It's a bit of a long story and I don't want to leave out too many details but I am so glad it all turned out more than ok!! I did not have enough time to put everything together easily and I had to whip up a ritual last minute and I was staying at a coworker’s BOUGIE apartment that is BEAUTIFUL and Ideal for an Imbolc setting (the color scheme is like all white, gray and cream with TALL ceilings, Huge french windows, fluffy white carpets, fireplaces I could put white pillar candles in, long sheer white curtains, you get the point lol) but literally I had a witch gathering party at his place while he was away and I had to make it look like nothing. ever. happened.. the next morning.

I bought these string candle-lights which everyone was laughing at how in theme it was but I strung some across window sills and over the fireplace that I've stuffed white pillar candles in. I stuck tea lights everywhere and found some silvery tealights at a corner shop that were "spa scented" which sounds weird but!! They smelled fantastic and made the space feel calmer. I topped those with sage leaves. I used vanilla incense sticks and this other scent called 'Divine' (that stamford masala incense brand you might see at every spiritual shop) that really elevated the space and made it feel calm and angelic. The whole apartment felt very angelic, light, white and fluffy. On their large screen TV I made a visual playlist on youtube of timelapse videos of nature thawing into spring and frost melting or flowers sprouting from the ground. I played a lot of winter meditative tracts and purifying binural beats.

I pulled strings to get out of work early so I could run to my coworkers place, feed his cats, and get to cooking!! I made a spread of cheese, (mostly brie), coconut cheese, cheese infused crackers and poppyseed crackers, black sable grapes and blueberries that I sprinkled silver bonbons in.

I prepared 3 tonics as a welcome drink that my witch friends could choose from to what potion will aid them for the seeds they are sowing and the cycles to come. They were syrups that were agave based and infused with herbs overnight. There was one for clarity to know what steps to take to achieve goals and that was an infusion of sage, juniper berries and rosemary. There was one for inspiration and sudden muse or creativity to help complete projects and that one was an infusion of valerian root, chamomile, blue poppyseeds and caraway seeds. (Seeds were also symbolic in this one lol), then lastly there was one for inner fire and a wake-up call to get the drive going to get tasks done. That was a black breakfast tea leaf with a sprinkle of pepper in it. They were mixed with Gin (gin being a juniper infusion actually has an interesting history with being used as a cleanser and medicine though its obviously not used that way anymore) and tonic so they were all really herbal and refreshing (non-alcoholic drinks were just gin-free) and they all had a pretty light golden clear color. The clarity one was the most popular though I wish I drank some of the wake-up call one myself.

For food I made baked macaroni and cheese with mozzarella, sharp cheddar, brie, sweet sauteed white onions, black pepper and truffle oil. The plant-based option was stuffed cabbage rolls made with this BEAUTIFUL cabbage I had no idea existed (it caught my eye in the store) called sweetheart cabbage. It was snow-white colored and each large leaf was somewhat heart-shaped. I stuffed it with a sauteed combo of white sweet onions, white mushrooms, chopped parsnips, cauliflower rice and coconut cheese. Lastly I made a salad of chopped fennel and the smaller leaves of the sweet heart cabbage and raw parsnips.

The whole table's food had a white and beige theme lol. We all caught up about our lives and ate food and coo-ed over the cats. When everyone arrived we got to the ritual which I dressed his coffee table in different tea lights and bigger candles. Since I am WIZENED from many previous disasters with candles on tables and witch shenanigans, I put SEVERAL covers on his glass coffee table which consisted of 1- bamboo mats, 2- a white blanket as table cloth (mostly for aesthetic) 3- a coat of aluminum foil 4- 2 layers of cream table cloths. Just to ensure nothing could damage his table.

I am not the biggest fan of leading ritual cause it feels uncomfortable to me to 'lead' everyone's energy but its nice cause this is the third sabbat in a row I've hosted and I guess my friends get the gist now so they all kind of contribute their own parts to it which is.. WHAT I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE lol. I take initiative to host sabbats or gatherings or create a community so sometimes people think I am a leader cause I am initiating something but honestly I just want to hold space for others. Anyway the ritual started off with us cleansing baggage from our previous cycle so we can move into the next one purified. I had a juniper bundle I bought in glastonbury that I smoke cleansed everyone with.

Then we spoke about what Imbolc meant for us and how its also reflective on the cycle of life and death when the spirit enters the womb and how seeds of life and hope are stirring. I asked them each to take a tea light and visualize it as a goal or project they wanted to accomplish for this year and to dress it in herbs and oils. I had sage for clarity, rosemary for abundance, blue poppy seeds for growth and inspiration, tea tree oil for protection etc and they could carve in symbols to their candle or whatever. When they were working on that I read everyone's spirit's incarnation crosses from their human design since I knew everyone's birth time lol. The incarnation cross uses some astrology to take into consideration the position of the planets during your third trimester when it’s believed that the spirit enters the body in the womb. It’s to illuminate what your spirit’s intention in this incarnation seeks to fulfill. 

Before we lit the candle my best witch friend took us on this AMAZING guided mediation that was so creative and visual and wonderful. We grounded ourselves but she took us on this story-telling guided meditation journey of us being deep in the earth and smelling the damp soil but having our goal be this light or seed within us that grows and expands until it pushes us up and out through the soil into the wintery forest air. I really felt like some reborn forest faerie sprite after that like she should record meditation podcasts.

We then lit our candles and we used the flame to light the biggest pillar candle as our combined hope and it lit ABLAZED. One of my friends couldn't get her candle to light and we did divination for her to find out what was blocking her and did a road opening spell for her so that she could overcome the obstacles.

After we wanted to do some candle scrying so another friend who does these amazing sound healing ceremonies (I went to glastonbury with her) lead the candle scrying and Y'all.. it was INSANE Like none of us were READY for the fucking adventure.. Basically we thought we'd all be staring into a candle in a trance quietly but it literally felt like something took hold of her like a greater spirit used her as a vessel and it was incredible. She told us all to hold hands and we closed our eyes and did some breathing. We all had to pulse each others hands and visualize a white thread locking us together for protection and creating a circle. She then called on to our higher guides to protect us and create this link to our higher spirits to open a channel so that we may see and allow the fire to guide us. She then was speaking so fast but also with such precision on how the light is opening a door and whatever we will see will help us unlock our true potential and see how we are the light etc for what felt like 6 minutes nonstop and it was so hard to stay on cause I had the WORST PAIN come up in the center of my back where my heart was and I was feeling like it was the culmination of energy being blocked (I have been doing sound healing there to help my heart energy but its been a rough journey), and the fire just felt like it could not channel through me cause of that blockage, but though the knot still hurts even as I type this, I could not break the circle lol. My best friend to my right was staring so intently I knew she was off like astral projecting into this fire, and as I would catch glimpses of others around me everyone was just like.. ON a Journey. I felt like it was like that scene in Harry Potter when they took the port key like we were all locked in and spiraling through time and space and I just had to wait until it was done. I looked at my friend to my right and she was beaming with TEARS covering her face, and my other friends looked windswept for some reason?? We were all like goddamn.. Everyone had Some Shit they've seen in the fire. Even if some of us didn't see something we saw a lot of colors which I mostly saw since I was really focused on the pain in my back. My friend leading the scrying said that the back area I pointed out was a channel that was blocked and is connected to my throat energy so once I fix that it can be aligned/opened but its like.. healing is so hard guys haha.

Anyway we grounded ourselves after the ritual with dessert! :) There was cheesecake (of course) I decorated with white chocolate star sprinkles and the same silver bonbon sprinkles and pavlova that could be topped with blueberries. I also had a cookie spread of butter cookies, white chocolate chip sugar cookies and white chocolate twix bars. The rest were mostly vegan desserts which were lovely. I bought coconut rice pudding but my other friends got vanilla cupcakes with thick white vegan buttercream, there was vanilla soy icecream that was really creamy and light and my aries witch friend I went to Berlin with made home made vegan tiramisu which was fantastic! She also bought red wine.

We spent the rest of the evening chatting, playing with the cats and laughing about whatever, my Aries witch friend was upset I made the dresscode all-white but she was wearing her 'artist' shirt she does painting in so she didn't care that she got tiramisu ALL OVER IT lol. (which we pointed out that no one else had stains on their white outfits but I mean she's an Aries what do you expect), and when we were all getting drunk and sleepy I asked my best witch friend if she wanted to tell a story and Oh My God she fucking DELIVERED

Basically she took us on this adventure retelling the story of Baba Yaga cause it was a tale that does also have to do with crone passing power to a maiden and a cycle re-continuing. Plus it's a midwinter tale involving fire and illumination. Anyway I used to think about how sad it was that back in the day people didn't have movies and had to like tell stories and shit but she was so good at telling this story I was like damn I get it now why people just used to sit around and tell stories together cause this shit is lit.

Before everyone left I forced people to take home food (I mean I had to get rid of all evidence of anything happening in my coworkers house) and I made everyone white paper lanterns with goodies inside and I stuck an electric tealight in it so it glows. I put a bathbomb in there, white chocolate, mint crumbles, buttermints for the non-vegans and tiny spell-jars filled with salt flakes.

When I was finally alone and had to do cleanup it took me nearly three hours but I was also drunk at that point lol. I now have left-over mac and cheese for days but gladly my aries witch friend is vegan and took the cabbage rolls with her and everyone helped take everything else.The cleaner came in the morning and essentially all evidence of anything ever occurring in that apartment was cleansed away...

I hope everyone else had a fantastic Imbolc!! It was on such a perfect moon phase too since it's the first quarter moon!!

Kitchen Witchery: Herbs

Introduction To Magical Cookery

Kitchen Witchery is one of the most basic and common forms of magic. In spite of the name, it really covers most of the household chores - cookery, gardening, tidying up, traditional arts and crafts, etc.

The post will focus on the cookery aspect of Kitchen Witchery. Food is not just fuel for the body, it should also be fuel for the soul. And Kitchen Witchery allows us to infuse our meals with beneficial energies to transform, heal, and draw love, protection, wealth and more into our lives.

Anyone who has ever carefully crafted a meal for scratch for someone with a particular intent has partaken in Kitchen Witchery, albeit unknowingly. Mothers preparing a special celebration for their families are practising it. The key is to prepare each meal with intent. One of the ways you can expressly infuse your intent into your cookery is with herbs.

Different herbs resonate with different energies, evoking different magical goals. They can be used dried, fresh cut, or straight from pots on your window sill. If you grow, prepare, and dry your own herbs, you can also infuse them with your intent throughout the entire process - but this is not required. Even store bought fresh or dried herbs can be used.

Before using, to strengthen your intent, you can consecrate the herbs to your purpose.

To do this, you should first purge negative energy, centre, and root yourself to the earth. Prepare the herbs for the recipe you’re using. (If you are drying fresh herbs for use later, begin to prepare them for drying instead.) When this is done (or if drying herbs, has been fully prepared for drying), hold the prepared or dried herbs in your receptive hand (the hand you use most, either right or left) and draw in a little earth energy, letting it flow through you, passing through your hand and into the herbs. Invoke Deity/Deities at this time if you wish, and chant the following:

"I charge this herb in the name of Sacred Love, With the cleansing powers of the Earth, I banish any negative energies, I purify it and make it blessed. I consecrate this herb to my purpose: <State purpose here> For the good of all, and the harm of none."

Your herbs are now consecrated for use, and you can unroot from the earth. If you are drying fresh herbs, when they have completed the drying process, store them in a dry, airtight container and label them - name of herb, date dried, consecrated purpose. You may have many of the same herb consecrated to different purposes, so labelling is important.

Herbs and Their Energies

The following is a list of common herbs and what magical uses they serve in Kitchen Witchery when added to recipes. This is a short list of easily obtained herbs - there are many more. Check out books on Kitchen Witchery, and Google “magical correspondences of herbs”. Always do your research and make sure the herbs you want to use in food preparation are safe for human consumption.

Love

Sorrel

Marjoram

Dried apple

Coriander

Vanilla

Cloves

Rosemary

Dill

Pink rosebuds (food grade)

Passion

Cinnamon

Ginger

Chili pepper

Cardamom

Red rosebuds (food grade)

Protection

Marjoram

Cinnamon

Garlic

Parsley

Cloves

Bay

Peppermint

Juniper berry

Dill

Cumin

Basil

Black peppercorn

Chives

Mustard seed

Health

Allspice

Poppy seed

Chamomile

Caraway

Garlic

Coriander

Marjoram

Juniper berry

Cinnamon

Thyme

Healing

Bay

Thyme

Cinnamon

Rosemary

Coriander

Peppermint

Garlic

Fennel

Lavender

Happiness

Spearmint

Wintergreen

Catmint

Cinnamon

Marjoram

Luck

Allspice

Nutmeg

Star anise

Basil

Bergamot

Cabbage

Success

Bay

Rosemary

Marjoram

Lovage

Ginger

Saffron

Bergamot

Money

Basil

Marjoram

Dill

Cloves

Ginger

Allspice

Spearmint

Bergamot

Cinnamon

Prosperity

Cinnamon

Oats

Spearmint

Bergamot

Coriander

Safe Travel

Caraway

Spearmint

Dill

Garlic (Theft protection)

Fennel

Mustard

Cumin (Theft protection)

Parsley

Courage

Basil

Chives

Bay

Thyme

Black tea

Horseradish

Black peppercorn

Peace

Lavender

Marjoram

Lemon balm

Spearmint

Purification

Garlic

Rosemary

Fennel

Parsley

Anise

Bay

Lavender

Sage

Insight

Marjoram

Caraway

Lemongrass

Mace

Celery seed

Orange

Peppermint

Star anise

Wisdom

Bay

Chamomile

Dill

Lavender

Cumin

Basil

Thyme

Parsley

Sage

Sleep

Peppermint

Lavender

Rosemary

Thyme

You can add any of these herbs into your existing recipes. You should try to add those that compliment the recipe, but if none suit the flavour profile, even a small pinch of your magical herb (well incorporated) will do the trick!

You can strengthen your Kitchen Witchery by writing chants to use while preparing and cooking the dish. Stir in a chant for love, blend a chant for prosperity, brew a chant for sleep. Chants don’t have to rhyme, but they should have a good rhythm to work to.

These are the basic start to Kitchen Witchery - creating dishes with magical intent for the eaters to benefit from. There are other aspects of Kitchen Witchery which will be covered in future posts. Until then, experiment with infusing your meals with magic and will!

The Cat Cafe (Yoongi) Part Two

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word Count: 1,579

Summary: “I don’t like him”

A/n: Haha here’s the part two I promised months ago!~Joy 

Part One//Part Two//

Your shift today was a bit tense, Yoongi refused to look at you let alone talk to you. You wish you could solve whatever problem he had with you. One moment you two were best friends the next he acts like you just stepped on his new headphones and called his music trash. “Ah excuse me?” A lady asked in annoyance you finally woke up from your daydream to see a girl maybe in her first year of high school with her group of friends. “I asked for three lattes and three lemon poppy seed muffins? Are you gonna take my order or just stare at me blankly?” She sneered as her friends let out tiny snickers.

“Of course, my bad” You smiled softly writing down their orders.

“We want a table where we can see the cute boy working in the kitchen.” The girl smiled at Yoongi when Yoongi noticed she winked at him.

“That table over there” You pointed to the table in the corner where they would see the kitchen. You handed their orders to their table.

“Hey, can you get me his number?” The girl asked twirling her strand of hair while her eyes looked at Yoongi her friends let out giggles.

“I’m sorry but if you want his number you’ll have to ask him” You answered politely as she rolled her eyes.

“Well? Get him over here?” She scoffed as you smiled slightly.

“I’ll try to” You replied walking away from the table once your body turned around to face the kitchen your smile turned into a frown, you were sick and tired of seeing girls like this at the cafe. “Yo, Yoongi some underage girl wants your number” You yelled as he rolled his eyes.

“Why would I give my phone number away to a little girl?” Yoongi scoffed giving you a look of disgust.

“I don’t know but she wants you to go out there and talk to her so you can explain why you don’t want to give her your number.” You simply stated as he rolled his eyes.

“Fine, finish icing these cakes?” He asked as you nodded and he walked out of the kitchen. The girls noticed Yoongi approach as the girl started to adjust her hair, batting her eyelashes so Yoongi would notice how nice and long they were. “Did you ladies need something?” He asked politely as she smiled at him.

“Yes actually, another cup of this delicious latte I'm guessing you made and your number” She winked as Yoongi tried to smile.

“Sorry ladies, I actually didn’t make that latte and my number is out of service for little girls like you. Believe it or not, that girl in the kitchen right now is my girlfriend and I’m sure she wouldn’t want me talking to girls that could get me in prison.” The girls just widened their eyes as one of them let out a scoff.

“Whatever, you’re the one missing out not me” She rolled her eyes as her and her friends walked out of the cafe. Yoongi just shrugged as he walked back into the kitchen, taking the icing back from your hands.

“How’d it go?” You asked as Yoongi shrugged.

“I told them I wasn’t interested and they just left” Yoongi lied as you laughed softly.

“I guess we’ll have to use your face to get our customers” You joked as Yoongi let out a tiny chuckle. “Yoongi?” 

“Hmm?” He hummed in response.

“I hope whatever happened between us that made us so tense this morning went away and we can still be good friends” You smiled as Yoongi smiled back.

“Of course” He replied as you felt a sense of relief that your bosses son didn’t hate you anymore. 

“Great!” 

The work day had finish and Yoongi and you were cleaning up, Yoongi’s mom came back to the cafe and all of you sat down to have some cake and tea to enjoy the evening. “Y/n, it’s getting late already do you want to stay at the cafe for the night?” Yoongi’s mother asked but you just shook your head.

“No it’s okay, I would hate to disturb you” You declined softly as she shook her head.

“Nonsense, you’re like a daughter to me!” She smiled brightly as you smiled back.

“I guess I have to now” You grinned.

“You can borrow some of Yoongi’s old clothing it might be a little bigger than you’re used to though.” She smiled escorting you to your room which was the guest room. Yoongi handed you his old clothing.

“I hope the clothing is clean but I haven’t worn these in forever.” Yoongi grinned, as his hand rested on the back of his head. You laughed as you walked to the guest washroom, changing into Yoongi’s old clothing. You hopped into bed checking your messages.

Kiwoo (11:45): Hey babe! 

You (11:45): Hi!

Kiwoo (11:46): I want to see you again T-T

You (11:46): Me too, too bad I’m always working now.

Kiwoo (11:46): We should have a study date soon!

You (11:47): Yess that would be amazing!

Kiwoo (11:47): Okay good, text you tomorrow. Love you!

You (11:48): Love you too!

You had the best sleep in your life it was much better than your crummy apartment, you wanted so badly yo move into a better apartment but you had to wait to earn money little by little. Kiwoo and your anniversary were coming up and you were saving up money for his gift, Kiwoo already bought your gift and you wanted to get a better gift for him this year. “Y/n you can have the day off” Yoongi’s mother grinned.

“I thought you needed extra hands today?” You asked as she grinned.

“Not today! I got invited to a baking festival to judge the cakes!” She grinned excitedly. “Actually, could you take Yoongi shopping or something? He needs to leave the house more often.” 

“Of course, I would love to” You grinned excitedly to finally hang out with Yoongi where you weren’t working.

Yoongi went to go check up the music store checking the newest tracks as if he wasn’t already caught up. You dragged him with you to all the stores where you knew Kiwoo would enjoy buying items from there, once you found the perfect gift you headed to the cashier to pay for it, you spotted someone very familiar.

“Kiwoo?” You shouted to the guy, seeing the man turn around you noticed it was Kiwoo but he was with another person. A girl.

“Y/n!” He smiled brightly, walking with the girl with him.

“Who’s this?” You smiled as she smiled back.

“Unnie, don’t you remember? It’s me, Soomi!” Soomi smiled brightly, the Soomi you remember was a little twelve-year-old girl but she was sent to a private school from her parents right when you started dating Kiwoo so you never saw her often.

“Oh my goodness, Soomi you’ve grown so much!” You grinned as you pulled her in for a hug.

“Unnie, who’s that?” Soomi asked pointing to the slightly asleep Yoongi who was holding onto your items.

“This is Yoongi, I know him from work we were looking for an anniversary gift for your brother but I guess I’ll have to wait till next time to go find one if you tell your brother” You pouted as she widened her eyes.

“Of course not Unnie!” She used her hands to clasp her mouth. 

“Y/n!” Kiwoo grinned as he came back with a coat that he wanted to buy.

“Kiwoo, it’s nice to see you today” You grinned as he pulled you in for a hug.

“I thought you were working today?” Kiwoo asked as you smiled brightly.

“Boss let me have a day off today” You smiled as Kiwoo grinned, kissing you on the cheek.

“Ah, and you brought him with you today?” Kiwoo tried to smile as Yoongi only gave him a slight glare.

“Is there a problem?” Yoongi asked as he walked closer to you and the others.

“There is actually, I don’t see my girlfriend every day and now I come to the mall with my little sister and I see her and you of all people are hanging out with her” Kiwoo clenches his teeth.

“It’s fine Kiwoo, I asked him to come with me to help me pick up a couple things.” You tried to calm him down.

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Kiwoo asked as he started to feel more jealous.

“Because I couldn’t because it was for you” You simply answered seeing Kiwoo go back to his normal self, he started to grin again.

“Oh! Of course, sorry Y/n I don’t know what came over me” Kiwoo smiled.

“It’s fine!” You grinned as Yoongi scoffed.

“Let’s go Y/n, we should buy some treats for the cats.” Yoongi walked away from the bunch.

“Hey let’s hang out later, You still live in that crusty apartment?” Kiwoo suggested as you grinned.

“Sure and yeah” You answered.

“You know I could just buy you a new apartment right?” Kiwoo looked at you with concern.

“Save your money for your tuition! Don’t waste it on me” You smiled as Kiwoo only nodded.

Yoongi and you walked down the cat food aisle when Yoongi finally spoke up “I don’t like him”

“You don’t like who?” You asked.

“Kiwoo” Yoongi stated.

“Get to know him, he’s nicer than you think.”

“I don’t want to, you should break up with him.”

Munchies from Around the World

(To accompany your study sessions for language finals) by CAPS Language Team

بليلة/Balilah: Arabian Gulf

Jake’s tea and Balilah on his last day in Saudi Arabia

“Balilah is originally from Jordan but is a popular dish in the Arabian Gulf. It’s made of boiled chickpeas which are mixed with garlic, salt, cumin and olive oil.” ---Jake, Arabic tutor

Hanuta: Germany

Source

“Hanuta, usually written as hanuta, is an abbreviation for Haselnusstafel, which are a delicious German sweet treat that’s not quite as filling as a cake. If the packaging looks vaguely familiar to you, that’s because this snack is made by the same company which makes the ever-popular Kinder Eggs. Enjoy the two wafers and the hazelnut-chunk-and-cocoa spread in between.” ---Casey, German & Writing tutor

Empanadas: Argentina and New Mexico

Source

“Empanadas are a staple if you ever visit Argentina. Unlike the empanadas you can find here in New Mexico, Argentine empanadas have a meat filling. For the best dining experience, enjoy empanadas de carne (beef) and a glass of your favorite cold drink.” ---Ryan, Assistant Coordinator of Writing & Language

Source

“For something closer to home, try the New Mexican variety of empanadas, which have sweeter crust and are filled with jelly. Enjoy empanadas de cereza (cherry) and a cup of warm coffee for the perfect breakfast or dessert.” ---Ryan Here’s a how to video to make these delicious treats.

La Galette des Rois: France

Source

“La Galette des Rois, or ‘king cake,’ is a fluffy, flaky pastry that can be found in every French bakery during the month of January. In France, it is eaten in light of the Epiphany. Hidden inside are two small figurines and those who find them are coronated with paper crowns. This is a great treat that is available even after the winter holidays.” ---Savannah, LLC Location Supervisor

おにぎり/Onigiri: Japan

Source

“Onigiri, or rice ball, is a popular food in Japan to grab when you are hungry between meals. The simplest one can be made of cooked rice and salt, but you can also season the rice with different flavors, wrap them with seaweed, or put various things such as pickled plums, grilled salmon, etc. inside. Try them with a cup of hot green tea!” ---Motomi, Student Manager for Language Learning

СУШКИ/Sushka: Russia

Source

“Here is a little Russian snack that is very popular to drink tea with. It is called SUSHKA. It is something like a small dried bagel or a bigger and sweeter pretzel. SUSHKA (singular) or SUSHKI (plural) can be plain, with poppy seeds, or vanilla. Really good with tea and can be purchased at Istanbul Market in Albuquerque.” ---Svetlana, English as a Second Language and Russian tutor

うまい棒/Umai-bou & ポッキー/Pocky: Japan

Source 1, Source 2

“Umaibou and Pocky are cheap (usually costing less than a dollar), and can easily be bought from any nearby convenient store in Japan. Because of their packaging and simple shape, they are good to eat while studying. Umaibou are kind of like a giant Frito chip in the shape of a small cylinder, and would be a good choice for those who prefer savory. Pocky shares a similar stick shape, but would be better for those who prefer a sweet flavor to snack on.” ---Ari, Japanese tutor

Brigadeiro: Brazil

Source

“Brigadeiro is one of the most popular and beloved desserts in Brazil. These chocolate bonbons have a fudgy texture and are extremely easy to make, with just four ingredients: condensed milk, butter, cocoa powder and chocolate sprinkles.” ---Laima, Spanish & Portuguese tutor

Pan con Tomate: Spain

Source

 “Pan con tomate, also known as Pan a la Catalana, is a typical Spanish tapa (a small snack often served with a drink). The bread is toasted, rubbed with tomato and fresh garlic, and drizzled with olive oil and salt. Many people enjoy it as an appetizer or as a breakfast food, and it is often served with cured ham or cheese.” ---Laima

Palma ac me: Ancient Rome

Source

“Ancient Romans would eat dried fruits with honey during the main meal of the day (cena) which would normally be very long-lasting and contain several courses (see Petronius’ Satyricon for a satirical example of the extravagance of a Roman feast). This is a photograph of dates with honey which would have been a common presence at a dinner party as a precursor to the main part of the meal (sort of like an appetizer).” ---Nina, Latin and Greek tutor

Σταιτίτας/Staititas: Syracuse, Ancient Greece (attested in Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists)

Source

“Staititas are sort of like pancakes, and were probably mainly eaten for breakfast. Athenaeus tells us that they were made by pouring moist spelt-flour dough out into a frying pan and adding honey, sesame-seeds and cheese on top.” ---Nina

Carambars: France

Source

“Carambars are a chewy candy from France. Originally, they were caramel-flavored, but now they are offered in a wide variety of flavors such as peach tea and cotton candy. Inside their wrappers are jokes, which are often considered to be very childish in quality. You can order them on Amazon if you ever want to try them out!” ---Hazel, French & Writing tutor

蛋烘糕/dān hōng gāo: China

Source

 “Dān hōng gāo, or house special pancake, is very famous traditional Chengdu snack which could be dated from Qing Dynasty in China. Nowadays it could be found at food booths of everywhere in Chengdu. It can be filled with meat, Chinese ham, red beans, sesame, etc., and tastes a little crisp outside and super moisture inside. Taking some pancakes with a glass of milk in the morning could be a good breakfast. And you can also sit down and have some house special pancake with a cup of tea to enjoy sunshine at afternoon.” ---Wenhao, Chinese tutor

Conchas: Mexico

Source

“Conchas, also known as Pan Dulce, refers to a sweet bread that originated in Mexico. Conchas are inexpensive and are popular in some states, like New Mexico, here in the U.S.  While at home, enjoy a concha with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or a late-night snack.” ---Ana, Spanish & Writing tutor

Pizza al taglio: Rome, Italy

Source

 “Despite there being packaged merendine ‘snacks’ along with other snack food in Italy depending on the regions, a very common one is that of the pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice, and literally ‘pizza by the cut’). This type of pizza was invented in Rome and is found most often in pizzerie in Rome and in a few other places around Italy. There are a wide variety of pizzas and they are baked in rectangular trays to then be cut at any size and sold by weight. You can choose to sit down and eat it, though it is common to have it wrapped so half of the pizza is sticking out, and eat it while walking. It is also different than the pizza tonda ‘round pizza’ which was originally invented in Naples, is found more in sit down restaurants and it is often thinner than the pizza al taglio.” ---Daisy, Italian & Writing tutor

  A rich buttery, cardamom-infused Mawa/Khoya cakes are rich tea cakes that known to be the specialty of Mumbai’s Parsi Cafes.These cakes are extremely delicious, soft and buttery. Traditionally, eggs are used in baking Mawa cakes, but since these days so many people prefer eggless bakes, we can bake equally good eggless version also.

In Mumbai where I had my home- baking venture, I made eggless Thandai* flavored mawa cakes/cupcakes during Holi for my clients. I used Thandai flavored fresh whipped cream for frosting. Store bought Thandai syrup or Thandai Powder both can be used giving the flavor. For this post, I have used homemade Thandai paste. I was making Thandai syrup when my daughter reminded me of the Thandai flavored cupcakes that I made during Holi in Mumbai. She loves Thandai milk and loved Thandai Mawa cupcakes. So I saved some paste while making Thandai. I have these cute mini bundts and decided to bake mini bundts this time. For frosting, I have used Thandai flavored and saffron infused White Chocolate Ganache. The soft, khoya cakes moistened with diluted Thandai syrup and frosted with saffron and thandai infused white chocolate ganache, tastes almost like Rasmalai( an Indian dessert made with Indian Cottage Cheese in thickened milk syrup).

*For those who don’t know about Thandai, it is an Indian summer drink that is prepared with Almonds, Cashew nuts or pistachios along with fennel, poppy and melon seeds, black peppercorns, rose petals, saffron. It is prepared in concentrated form like sugar syrup and is mixed with cold milk for consumption. It is one of the best summer cooler drink and helps to keep the body cool.

Give a try to these mini bundts and have something new this festival season.You can bake in cupcake pans or an 8-inch cake pan.I have used a combination of All purpose flour and almond meal/flour. You can use only all-purpose flour if you want.Substitute the amount of All-purpose flour with Almond meal. Also, increase the amount of Mawa or Khoya to 150 gms in the recipe. Mawa used can be store-bought or homemade.

Let’s see the ingredients and the method to bake these mini mawa cakes. This recipe gives you 4 mini bundts and 9 mini bite-sized cupcakes, or 12 medium cupcakes or and one 8-inch round cake.

Ingredients:

For Mawa Cakes:

All-Purpose Flour– 175 gms

Almond Meal– 25gms

Thandai Paste/ Powder–10-15 gms

Khoya– 100 gms

Butter–80 gms

Baking Powder– 1 Tsp

Baking Soda–1/2 Tsp

Curd–4 Tbsp

Milk — 100ml

Apple Cider Vinegar–5 ml

Method for Mawa Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Grease the bundt pans with oil/butter and dust very lightly with flour. Tap off the extra flour from the pan. If you are using a cupcake tray then line the muffin liners.

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Sieve together all-purpose flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt if using unsalted butter or using oil. If you are using Thandai Masala, sift it with flour. I used oil for the recipe and added 1/4 tsp of salt with the flour.

If using butter beat softened butter and sugar together.

Once light and fluffy, add curd and beat until creamy.

Add vinegar in milk to make buttermilk and let it stand till it is added with flour. Don’t mix it.

Add Thandai paste and mix.

Add flour in 3 parts mix alternating with buttermilk. Finally, add some saffron infused milk.

Transfer the batter to pans and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes in mini bundt pans or cupcake tray.

Once baked check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake it should come out clean and also cake should leave the sides of the pan. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.

Move the cursor over the images for caption

Ingredients for Mawa Cakes

Sieve together Flours, Baking soda, Baking Powder.Add salt if using unsalted butter,

Add vinegar to milk

Let it stand for few minutes

Beat together oil and sugar

Add Yoghurt/Curd

Beat the mixture nicely.

Add Thandai paste and mix

Add crumbled Khoya

Mix everything nicely

Batter for the cakes

Add batter till 3/4 full

I added the remaining batter in mini bite sized cupcake mould

Baked cakes and muffins

For Thandai Flavoured Ganache Sauce: 

White Chocolate –1 cup / 170gms

Cream– 4 tbsps

Thandai Masala/ Syrup—1 Tsp

Saffron Infused Milk–1/2 cup

Butter–1 Tsp

Method for White Chocolate Ganache:

Take chopped White Chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Keep over a pan of hot water, the bottom of the bowl should not touch water in the pan.

Stir until the chocolate is melted.Make sure to press out any lumps with spoon or spatula. Take away from hot water and mix until smooth.

Boil cream in a small pan with a tsp of butter, you can heat cream in the microwave for 2-3 minutes also but be careful as cream may splatter in the microwave while heating. As soon as it starts to bubble, add slowly into melted chocolate stirring continuously and mix well.

Add Thandai syrup and beat until smooth. Add the saffron infused milk and mix well.

Wrap it with a cling film, and once it cools down.

  Ingredients for Ganache

Melt White chocolate over a pan of hot water

Melt it smooth and mix thoroughly pressing the lumps

Heat Cream in a pan

Mix with Chocolate

Add Thandai Concentrate or syrup

Add saffron infused milk.. Ganache is ready to use

Pour Ganache sauce over bundts

The Ganache will have a thick sauce like consistency as we have added some milk to it. Pour over the mini bundts or the cupcakes. Garnish with crushed nuts or sprinkles.

Garnish with crushed nuts and sprinkles

Ganache can be stored in the refrigerator for a month and in the freezer for about 3 months.

If you don’t have White Chocolate, you can use Rabri as topping for mawa cakes. Please check the recipe for instant Almond Rabri. Add some Thandai powder or syrup to rabri to get the Thandai flavor.

If you don’t want to Thandai flavor in the cake or ganache, skip it, flavor it with cardamom/ nutmeg or cinnamon powder.

For Homemade Khoya recipe.. click the link.. Homemade Mawa/Khoya

Hope you will enjoy these mawa cakes infused with Thandai flavors. Have a very Happy and colorful Holi!!

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Thanks for stopping by!!

              Thandai Flavoured Mini Bundts Mawa Cakes(Eggless)!! A rich buttery, cardamom-infused Mawa/Khoya cakes are rich tea cakes that known to be the specialty of Mumbai's Parsi Cafes.These cakes are extremely delicious, soft and buttery.

Today we will be going over the Sabbat, Mabon. Mabon also goes by other names, such as, Autumnal Equinox, Me’an Fo’mhair, Alban Elfed, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Grape Harvest, Feast of Avalon, and Cornucopia. Mabon is celebrated this year, on September 21st. Mabon is celebrated on the Autumn Equinox. Day and night are now equal again, but the days will become shorter, and the nights will become longer. Mabon is the Second Harvest. On this day, we can work on spells that bring balance in our lives, and in ourselves. Mabon is a time of reflection, remembrance, and preparation for the dark half of the year. Many people still grow their own food, so this is a time where we harvest and store our food for the long winter that is coming. Mabon can be compared to Thanksgiving, although not all Pagans celebrate Thanksgiving due to the history behind it, but that is a different story, for a different time. Around this time, we should give thanks for our loved ones and good fortune in our lives. Here are some associations: Herbs: Sage (garden, purple, white - just remember that white sage is becoming endangered), Rue, Yarrow, Rosemary, Mistletoe, Saffron, Chamomile, Passionflower, and Rose Hips. Colors: Orange, Gold, Yellow, Brown, Deep Greens, Red, Maroon, Purple Flowers: Marigold, Rose, Honeysuckle, Red Poppies Scents: Frankincense, Rose, Apple, Sage, Chamomile, Myrrh, Pine, Patchouli, Jasmine, Clove, Cinnamon Crystals: Clear Quartz, Amber, Peridot, Diamond, Gold, Citrine, Yellow Topaz, Cat’s Eye, Aventurine, Carnelian, Yellow Agates Trees: Hazel, Pine, Oak Animals: Dogs, Wolves, Stag, Blackbird, Owl, Eagle, Salmon, Goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur. Deities: Modron, Bona Dea, Land Mother, Triple Goddess Aspect, Persephone, Demeter, Ceres, Morgan, Snake Woman, Epona, Pamona, The Muses, Mabon, Sky Father, The Green Man, The Wicker Man, The Corn Mn, Thoth, Hermes, Hotei, Thor, Dionysus, Bacchus Food: Grapes, Apples, Grains, Vegetables, Squash, Pumpkin, Corn, Gourds, Nuts, Bread, Roots, Dried Fruit Symbols and Decorations: Baskets, Grape Vines, Oak Leaves, Pinecones, Acorns, Oak Sprigs, Wreaths, Cornucopia, Horns of Plenty, Burial Cairns, Seeds, Apples, Any Food Listed Above Mabon is a good time to do spells regarding: Charity, Thanksgiving, Compassion, Family, Remembrance, Harmony, Balance and Peace. Here are some examples of Activities and Spells that you can do around this time. You can tailor them to your needs, or what you have available, or you can use what is listed. Make do with what you have, don’t go out and buy stuff if you don’t need it. You will be surprised what you can find in your cabinets. Just remember, anything can be substituted. -Decorate Your Altar! - This should be fairly simple as you can go outside and gather acorns, pinecones, leaves, pretty much anything that you can find outside right about now. Also, if you are on a budget, you can take a trip to the dollar store, or the thrift store, and you can find many things there as well! I know I did!! Add to your altar, or make a new one, with things that resonate with you. There is no right or wrong way to do this. It is what you find in your heart. - Things To Take To Celebrations: Pagan or Not - If you are looking to do something decorations wise, I would advise to head to the dollar store, Michaels, or a craft store. I went to Wal-Mart and the dollar store and got some great things to make! I found stick wreaths, leaves, flowers, signs, plastic pumpkins and gourds, hay bales, and many other things that I am using. One thing I have already made is a Harvest Bowl for my Altar. It can be used as a centerpiece pretty much anywhere. I bought a clear plastic bowl, plastic gourds and pumpkins, loose leaves, apple cinnamon potpourri, hay bales, and little scarecrows on a stick. I just arranged everything nicely in the bowl and set in on my altar. I will be working on the wreaths, and autumn crowns soon. I have all of the stuff for it but I am awaiting for my daughter to get home from her dad’s house. You could also make food from any of the above correspondences and bring that along. Just to be on the safe side, I would inquire if anyone has allergies to anything. Another thing you can do is gather supplies that you could make an Autumn collage out of and bring the supplies with you so you can do some arts and crafts with anyone interested, child or adult alike. - Make a prayer flag! - You can gather a piece of string and some fabric or cloth. Prayers and requests are written on the prayer flags and hung outside for them to be carried away by the Gods and Goddesses. When you are done constructing, you can hang the flag outside. - Apple Candle Holders - All you need is a Tea Light Candle and Apples. The candle holders will be good for about 3 to 4 days. Test each apple to make sure that the apple stands correctly. Hold the tealight on top of the apple and make a score line to show how big of a hole you will need and use a spoon to hollow out the apple. Then set the candle inside the apple and ta-da! You have a candle holder. You can use these to decorate your altar, or you can put some on a plate with other decorations - that are fire safe - and use it as a centerpiece. - Blessing Salt - You will need, Fresh Kitchen Basil, Fresh Holy Basil, Fresh Rosemary, and Coarse Salt, a kitchen knife, and a cutting board. You will need approximately about 1 cup of herbs, all together, and 3 cups of salt. Place salt on the cutting board with some herbs and start to incorporate the herbs with the salt by cutting them. Continue to add salt until desired texture. When you are done, if you used fresh herbs, you will need to let it sit out for 1 to 2 days until the herbs have properly dried. Cover with a paper towel. The shelf life is about 3 to 4 months. You can use the blessing salt for: Place at every threshold in the house for inviting in positive energy. Blessing the people entering your home. You can even use it on food! -Create a list of things that you are thankful for and read it everyday. - Honor the darkness. Keep in mind, “Without Darkness, There Is No Light”. Call upon the Gods and Goddesses of the dark night, and ask for their blessings at this time of year. - Raise some energy - A great way to do this is at a gathering, you can create a drum or music circle. You can also raise energy by chanting or dancing, or a combination of all three! - Fall Cleaning! - You have all heard of Spring Cleaning. Why not do some fall cleaning! You could be spending a lot of time indoors especially with all the holidays coming up. You should physically and spiritually cleanse your house. You can spiritually cleanse your house with sage, sweetgrass, or a spiritually cleansing spray. - DIY Spiritual Cleansing Spray - Simplified - Gather a dark glass or metal spray bottle - 2 4 oz, distilled water, sea salt, a tablespoon of witch hazel, or vodka (to preserve the spray), Tablespoon of sea salt, 1 Tablespoon of dried rosemary or 5-7 drops of essential oil, 1 Tablespoon of dried sage leaf, pinch of dried basil, and 3 cloves. -Steep all ingredients in the warm, distilled or purified water for 20 minutes. Stir.- Line a sieve with a piece of cheesecloth or a paper towel and place it over a bowl. Pour the mixture through to strain and let it drain into the bowl. - Pour into the spray bottles and place the lids on them. Label them. - If you like, place several crystals around the bottles for a few hours so that the spray becomes charged with the added energy of the crystals. - Shake well before using each time. Dark Mother – Mabon Honey Wheat Bread added by Linda Rupp At Mabon, we celebrate the goddess in her aspect as the crone, the wise old woman. This honey wheat blend is a delicious way to celebrate the end of the harvest. Serve warm with herbed oils for dipping, or with a big scoop of Apple Butter. Makes 2 loaves Cook time: 30 Min Prep time: 1 Hour Serves: 8 Ingredients 2 c warm water 1 Tbsp active dry yeast 1/3 c honey 3 c whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1/4 c vegetable oil 2 Tbsp butter 4 c all -purpose flour Directions 1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add honey and mix well. Stir in the whole wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, and butter and mix until a stiff dough has formed. Gradually work the all-purpose flour into the mix, one cup at a time. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop, and knead for about fifteen minutes. When it reaches the point where it's sort of elastic, shape it into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with a warm, damp cloth, and allow to sit and rise until it's doubled in size -- usually about 45 minutes. 2. Punch the dough down and cut in half, so you can make two loaves of bread. Place each half in a greased loaf pan, and allow to rise. Once the dough has risen an inch or two above the top of the loaf pan, pop them in the oven. Bake at 375 for half an hour, or until golden brown at the top. When you remove the loaves from the oven, allow to cool for about fifteen minutes before removing from the pan. If you like, brush some melted butter over the top of the hot loaves, to add a pretty golden glaze to them. 3. Note - If you're doing this in a bread machine, remember, the recipes makes two loaves. Halve everything if you're allowing the machine to do the mixing. If you hand mix it, you can still drop the single-loaf balls of dough into the machine to bake. Butternut Squash Soup INGREDIENTS 1 large butternut squash Butter (I use half a stick, but use as much or as little as you like) 1 onion 2 -3 cloves garlic, minced (I like to use a lot of garlic, but go with your own taste preference) 2 C vegetable broth 1 C applesauce 1 C water 1 C heavy cream Fresh rosemary Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS First, roast your squash. Preheat your oven to 375, and cut the squash longways down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and strings, so that all that’s left is the meat. See the little hollows where you scooped the seeds out of each half? Put the butter in there. Alternately, you can melt the butter and brush it all over the inside of the squash – either method works just fine. Put the two halves, cut side up, in a baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes. While your squash is in the oven roasting away, you can go ahead and start the rest of your soup. If you want to use a pot on the stove, set it on low, or do like I do and use a crockpot on the lowest setting. Dice the onion into small pieces, and put them in the pot with the garlic, vegetable broth, applesauce and heavy cream. Cover the pot with a lid while it simmers. Once your squash is done, let it cool for a few minutes, and then scoop the meat out of the center – it should be nice and tender by now. Place the squash meat into your blender or chopper and puree it so it’s smooth and creamy – depending on how big your blender is, and how big your squash is, you may need to do this in batches. It’s fine to do it that way. After you’ve pureed the squash, add it into the soup pot and stir gently to get it all blended together. How long you leave your soup simmering is entirely up to you – if you’re doing it on the stovetop, be sure to stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn. If you do it in the crockpot, I like to let mine go about four hours. About half an hour before you plan to serve it, chop up some fresh rosemary and stir it in, as well as adding as much salt and pepper as you like. I typically use a tablespoon of salt, because it really brings out the flavor of the squash when you season it well, but do whatever your palate prefers. Likewise, with the pepper, I typically add about a teaspoon. If you like, garnish with a small dollop of sour cream and some chopped green onions. Serve this at your Mabon celebration with a big chunk of crusty bread, your favorite veggie dish, or anything else you can think of! Note: An alternate method is something you can try if you’ve got an immersion blender – instead of pureeing the squash before adding it to the soup, add it in directly, and then use the immersion blender to puree it in the soup pot. Try it and see which way works best for you! - Gratitude Ritual by Patti Wigington Updated August 31, 2016 For many Pagans, autumn is a time of giving thanks. Although this is the most obvious around the Mabon holiday, if you live in the United States, most of your friends and family will be giving thanks in November. If you'd like to tie in to that a little, but with a Pagan flair, you might want to consider doing a short gratitude ritual as a way of expressing your own thankfulness. Before you begin, decorate your altar with symbols of the season. You may want to choose items that represent abundance, such as: You'll want to have a candle on your altar. Gold or green is preferable, but you can use another color if it signifies abundance to you. Also, make a batch of Gratitude Oil ahead of time to use in the ritual. Baskets of fruit, such as apples or grapes Cornucopias An abundance mandala Colors associated with abundance, such as gold and green Symbols of things you're thankful for, such as your health or your career Photos of your family and friends who mean a lot to you If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, go ahead and do so. As you begin, take a moment to reflect on the abundance in your life. When we say abundance, it doesn't necessarily mean material or financial gain -- you may be abundant if you have friends who love you, a satisfying family life, or a rewarding career. Think about that things you have for which you are most grateful. These are the things you will be focusing on in this rite. As you're thinking about these things, anoint the candle with the Gratitude Oil, and then light it on your altar table or workspace. If you have a particular deity in your tradition who is associated with thankfulness, you may wish to call out to this god or goddess and invite them into your circle. If not, that's okay too -- you can express your gratitude to the universe itself. Beginning at one corner of the table, begin saying the things you are thankful for, and why. It might go something like this: I am thankful for my health, because it allows me to feel well. I am thankful for my children, for keeping me young. I am thankful for my career, because each day I get paid to do what I love. I am thankful for my job, because I am able to feed my family. I am thankful for my garden, because it provides me fresh herbs. I am thankful for my coven sisters, because they make me feel spiritually complete… and so forth, until you have expressed your thankfulness for everything in your life. If you're doing this ritual with a group, each person should anoint a candle of their own, and call out their own things that they are thankful for. Take a few more minutes to meditate on the candle flame, and to focus on the notion of abundance. While you're thinking about things you are grateful for, you might also wish to consider the people in your life that are grateful towards you, for the things you have done. Recognize that gratitude is a gift that keeps on giving, and that counting one's blessings is an important thing to do, because it reminds us of how truly fortunate we are. Note: It's important to realize that one of the things about being thankful is that we should let people who have made us happy know they've done so. If there's someone specific you wish to thank for their words or actions, you should take the time to tell them so directly, instead of (or in addition to) merely doing a ritual that they'll never know about. Send a note, make a phone call, or tell them in person how much you appreciate what they've done for you. - Cooking and Magick - Anything you cook, magick can be incorporated into! You can use corresponding herbs and stir in your intentions. - Collect Fallen Leaves - Another good activity is to collect the fallen leaves off trees and write wishes in black ink, or you can use sigils. During Mabon, you burn the leaves to release the energy of your wish. If you cannot burn the leaves, bury them in the earth. *Quite a bit of the magick for Mabon is based on cooking. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate if you do not like cooking or you are not able to do it* I'd like to hear some of your suggestions as well on how you practice! I used many resources for this article. I used books, webpages, Tumblr, and best of all, I also quoted some of these from Witch Way Magazine. Witch Way Magazine is one of my favorite Witchy Magazines as well as the people who contribute. I can definitely say that they treat everyone with respect and like they are family. One of my best Witchy references! (This was supposed to post Tuesday, the correspondences)