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Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

12/6/2022

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St. Nicholas was born in the 4th Century in Lycia, Asia Minor to very wealthy parents. Even as a child he was very religious. He was very young when he became a priest and he went on to become a bishop. Sadly, his parents died shortly after he was ordained. He inherited a great fortune, and he shared it generously with people in need. His giving was from the heart - he was not interested in credit or compensation. He often gave unanimously. He was dedicated to common people and emperors alike.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, laborers, merchants, pawn brokers, and particularly sailors and those who work near water. 

There are many stories describing his generosity. A nobleman who had lost his fortune was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters so planned to sell them into slavery. St. Nicholas galloped by their castle in the dark of night and threw a bag of gold in the window. He did this three nights in a row, providing each daughter with a dowry. Eventually, it was discovered that he had been the generous benefactor. His fame as a gift giver spread through out many lands and he has been credited with the concepts of Father Christmas and Santa Claus.

The three bags of gold represent the three golden balls found on the signage outside pawn broker's shops.

In another more gruesome story, he saved three babies, often pictured beside him. During a famine, an inn keeper had no meat to feed his customers so he cut up three children and tossed them into a brine filled pickling tub. Thankfully, St. Nicholas walked in just in time to bless the boys and bring them back to life!

During that same famine, he convinced sailors on a ship filled with grain to unload some of their cargo to feed those who were starving. They were initially reluctant since the grain had been weighed and they wanted to deliver the entire shipment. He assured them that the cargo would weigh exactly the same amount when it was delivered. It did.

As you celebrate St. Nicholas Day, give a gift from the heart. It doesn't need to be expensive. It could be a kind word, a quote that would make someone feel valued, a thank you. Or is could be a poem, or a recipe! Here's my gift to you!

Golden Bishop's Tea

4 cups black or green tea
4 cups apricot nectar
Serve hot with a honey if desired and a sprig of rosemary 
and a sprinkling of nutmeg

Optional: 1 Tablespoon apricot brandy per cup


Golden Apricots, Tansy and Wheat

As you celebrate St. Nicholas Day, think gold! Decorate with golden wheat and tansy! Serve apricot or orange nut bread with Golden Bishop's Tea. Create your own golden delights! 
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Apricot
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Tansy
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Wheat
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Lavender Almond Cookies

6/12/2022

 
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1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh lavender blossoms
I cup (two sticks) butter at room temperature
2 cups almond flour
1 cup flour

Combine the sugar and fresh lavender blossoms using a food processor. 
Add the butter and combine. Next add the flours. 
Mix until thoroughly combined. 
The batter will be soft.
Chill for 30 minutes.

Flour both sides of the dough and place between two long sheets of waxed paper.
Using a rolling pin, roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Work quickly. The dough will get soft again as you work with it.
Cut cookies with a floured cookie cutter.
Remove all the excess dough and return to the 'fridge. This will make it easier to move your shaped cookies. 

Gently lift cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with baking parchment paper.
Chill the cookies on the baking sheets for 30 minutes

Set oven temperature to 300 degrees F. 
Once the oven is preheated, bake for about 30 minutes. Begin checking at 20 minutes and don't let the edges of the cookies brown.
Cool on a wire rack placed.

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon water.
Mix thoroughly with a fork. Add a little more water if needed. 

Keeping the cookies on the wire rack, move them over the sink if your rack fits, or place waxed paper under neath for easy clean up. This can get messy!

Use a spoon to lightly glaze the cookies. Top with lavender blossoms. Let the glaze set up and serve. 


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My last harvest of lavender and almond lavender cookies to celebrate the summer solstice.

Lavender Season is Here!

6/11/2022

 
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One of the simplest ways to use lavender is to simply gather the stalks of lavender and tie with a ribbon. It's best to cut them as soon as the flowers are in bloom in the spring. Cut them a few inches above the woody growth so you won't harm the plant. Gather first thing in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun becomes intense.
Hang to dry in a cool dark place. 

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Lavender hearts
You'll need 6 stalks of lavender
Ribbon - I've been using 3/16 inch lavender satin ribbon for all my projects. It's not too large to over power the lightness of the flowers.

Make two lavender braids using 3 stalks for each braid. When they are braided, bend into a loop. Put the two loops together to form a heart, keeping the flowers on top. Cut off the stems in the back and tie with a ribbon. 



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Lavender garnishes
12 to 18 stalks of lavender
One egg white, beaten until frothy
1/3 Granulated sugar
Waxed paper or parchment paper

Dip just the flowers of the lavender into the egg whites to completely cover, then dip them into the sugar. Place on waxed paper or parchment paper and let dry away from heat or sun. Use as a garnish with fruit salad, lemonade, or iced tea.
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Stir some fresh lavender flowers into your favorite sugar cookie recipe, vanilla ice cream or lemon sherbet. 



​A few more thoughts on lavender

I've always thought of lavender as an herb of the night.
​Lavender is associated with peace, nocturnal wishes, sweet dreams and restful sleep.The fragrance has been used for centuries to create a restful night's sleep. 
  • Sip a cup of lavender tea before bed time. Use two tablespoons lavender flowers in 4 cups of boiling water and steep for 15 minutes. Strain. (Makes 4 servings). Sweeten with honey. 
  • Lavender baths are delightful! Place the dried lavender blossoms in a bath bag  and place in the tub. Soak for about 15 minutes. There are numerous recipes for herbal baths on the internet, ranging from pure lavender flowers to herbal blends and additions of epson salts, sea salts or oatmeal, so I won't add them here. There is only one way to do this incorrectly! If you read about adding lavender flowers, rose petals and other herbs directly to the water, consider the clean up and use the bath bags. 
  • A sprig of lavender under your pillow provides a restful fragrance and an added bonus! You can make a wish right before you go to sleep and if you dream of your wish, it will come true!
  • You'll find a recipe for a sleep pillow using lavender if you take the time to search under herbs in the categories to the right on my blog. This is Hidden Treasures, after all, and there are many treasures worth the search!


As we continue to explore lavender's nocturnal charms, keep in mind that not everyone sleeps at night. Lavender is also very useful if you plan to stay awake!
  • Lavender is the only herb I know attributed to aiding those who want to attract ghosts! Simply carry a sprig with you and ghosts will become visible! It also provides protection so no worries! You'll find more about lavender and other herbs associated with witches and goblins and ghosts - oh my! - in my free Haunting Herbs e-book.
  • Attracting love, passion, and romance have long been associated with lavender. It is used in perfumes and oils. love spells, sachets, potpourris, to scent stationery for love letters, and to scent lingerie and sheets. It is also recommend to place lavender in lingerie drawers or when storing wedding gowns and other heirloom quality clothes, to prevent moths and insects from harming delicates and to add fragrance. 
  • There are accounts of it being misused though. Prostitutes have used it to attract clients, and reputedly had success luring even the unwilling. 

Whether you plan to stay awake or sleep, lavender will make your experiences more enjoyable!

St. Lucy's Day, December 13th

12/11/2021

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St. Lucy's Day is currently most often associated with Sweden, one of the celebrations of light in the midst of winter's darkness. Little Christmas, or the Feats of Saint Lucy, is a favorite advent celebration. In the early morning, the Lucia Bride, usually the youngest daughter, is dressed in a long white gown with a myrtle or bilberry crown and lighted candles. She awakens the family, often bringing coffee and tea, and braided Lucia twists, flavored with saffron and cardamon. After the family is served, she visits the barns, taking food to the animals.

In addition to the home celebration, the young girls attend services at the church dressed in their lighted crowns. St. Lucy represents the promise of the light in the darkness and the sun's return. 

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Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with visual challenges. Lucy was born in Syracuse, Sicily in the 3rd century. She was born to wealthy Christian parents and at an early age she secretly vowed to remain a virgin and serve God by helping others. 

Her father died when she was young. When she came of age, her mother arranged her marriage to a pagan but Lucy rejected him. It was the time of the Diocletian persecutions and when her suitor denounced her as a Christian, she seemed destined to death by burning or life in the brothels. Her fate was to be martyred by a sword through her throat. 

In another story she escapes the marriage by tearing her eyes out in frightful desperation. She is often depicted carrying her eyes on a tray. 
Miraculously, her sight was restored and she was able to serve God and mankind as she has intended. She is celebrated for giving sight to the blind, food to the hungry, and light to the darkness. The name Lucy comes from the root word Lux, meaning light. 





Herbs associated with St. Lucy's Day

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Saffron                Myrtle                 Dill                     Goldenrod        Bilberry

St. Lucia's Saffron Braided Bread

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Bread

I teaspoon saffron, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes. Let cool

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 T softened butter
3 eggs
3 T sugar
1 teaspoon salt
I cup slivered almonds
1 cup dried bilberries (blueberries) or raisins
5 to 6 cups unbleached flour

1. Prepare saffron.
2. Dissolve yeast in water. 
3. Mix the butter with eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. 
4. Add milk to butter and eggs.
5. Add almonds and dried fruit
6. Stir in saffron mixture.
7. Add flour gradually and stir with wooden spoon until it is is smooth and forms a ball. 
8. Place on floured board or counter and knead until smooth - about 5 minutes.
9.Put into a greased bowl, turn it over and cover with a towel in a warm place until double, about an hour and a half. 
10. Punch down dough, divide into 3 sections. Braid and form into a circle shape. 
11. Place on cookie sheet and let rise until double - about 30 minutes.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
13. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
14. Remove from oven, cool and ice.

Icing

2 cups confectioner's sugar 
1 teaspoon almond extract
Combine and gradually add water until it is the consistency of icing. 
Drizzle on to bread. 
Decorate with slivered toasted almonds and/or dried fruit if desired. 
Top with candles





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Harvesting Calendula

8/6/2021

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Calendula blossoms gathered and prepared to dry. 
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Red and Golden Beets and Mangos in  Honey, sprinkled with Calendula
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Beets and Mangoes with Calendula
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2 medium red beets, peeled and diced
2 medium golden beets, peeled and diced
Cover beets with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. Drain. 
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Add
2 Tablespoons honey
​1 mango, peeled and diced
Heat until all  ingredients are warm.
Sprinkle with calendula and serve. 
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Savory Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

10/9/2020

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It’s that time again - pumpkins and pumpkin seeds!

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Prepare Your Seeds

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The first step in preparing the pumpkin seeds is to cut open your pumpkin! If you can find a peanut pumpkin,I think you'll be delighted! I was! They look like they are covered with peanuts and are a little sweeter than most pumpkins. And baking your own pumpkin, instead of using canned, is always worth the effort. What a difference!
​Directions for baking the pumpkin are in an earlier post. Do a search on the welcome page!
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Place the seeds into a colander and pull out the orange pumpkin strings (discard) while rinsing with warm water. 
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Place the seeds on a towel and let dry over  night. Don't skip this step!  If they  aren't  completely dry, they won't be crisp!

Oil and Season 

Add one or two tablespoons of olive oil to thoroughly coat. 
The final amount will depend on the size of your pumpkin and the amount of seeds.
(about 1 teas. oil per 1/2 cup of seeds) 
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Add 1 teaspoon pink  Himalayan sea salt and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
(inspired by Kevin  Lee Jacobs - a favorite!)
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Bake and Serve

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and serve warm!

Watch them closely so  they don’t burn but be certain to cook them until crisp so they won’t be tough!
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 This is on of many options. You'll find a lot of recipes for savory, as well as sweet, roasted pumpkin seeds on line.  If you come up with your own variation, add it in the comments below! Enjoy!
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Summer Drinks

7/18/2020

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Watermelon Raspberry Cooler

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!/2 watermelon, seeded and cubed
Juice of two lemons
Puree watermelon and lemon juice in food processor. 

Raspberries - i cup
Fill center column with raspberries. 

Pour watermelon mixture into pitcher. Fill with water to the top of the center column.


Wait several hours or overnight for the flavors to blend.
Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices and raspberries. 
 


Cantaloupe Cucumber Lime Cooler

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1 ripe cantaloupe
Juice of two limes

Puree cantaloupe and lime juice in food processor

1 sliced cucumber
Fill center column with cucumber slices.

Pour cantaloupe mixture into pitcher. Fill with water to the top of the center column. 


Wait several hours or overnight for the flavors to blend. 
Serve over ice. Garnish with unsprayed pansies and lime slices. 




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Acorn Cookies

9/30/2019

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Autumn always inspires  me to make acorn cookies! 
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Acorn Cookie Recipe

2 cups walnuts (pecans will work too!), finely chopped but not ground
Put 1/2 cup aside for later
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Cookies

1 cup  butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
     combine in food processor or mixer
3 cups flour
1/2 teas baking soda
​     add flour, baking powder  and 1 1/2 cup nuts
1 teas. vanilla extract
     add vanilla and process until dough is mixed
Refrigerate  until  firm for a  couple of  hours or overnight.

Preheat the  oven to 350 F 
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls -  should make about 3 dozen cookies. 
Bake until firm and lightly browned on the bottom. 
Cool.

Roasting  Nuts

Roast remaining 1/2  cup nuts on parchment paper on a  cookie  sheet  in 350 F oven until brown, stirring occasionally to brown evenly. 
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Dipping Chocolate

Combine
1 cup chocolate morsels, dark  or milk chocolate, based on your preference - 
​2 teas. shortening
in  a  small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30  seconds. Stir. Heat for 30 more seconds.
Stir until evenly melted and ready for dipping.
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Assembling the Acorns

The cookies are very rich  so handle carefully.
Dip about a third of  the  end  of each cookie in chocolate and  then dip into the nuts! 
​Enjoy!
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Tapenade

8/27/2019

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People frequently cringe when I order anchovies on pizza but Caesar salads certainly seem to be popular!  Anchovies add spark to tapenade as well. This one is a favorite!
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Asparagus Cheddar Quiche

4/6/2018

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Asparagus Cheddar Pie

This week I'm working on Orange for my Exploring Rainbows class and my asparagus cheddar pie turned out to be more orange than expected so I thought I'd share. More orange will follow on my Lost in a Rainbow section after next Tuesday's class. Here's the recipe - very easy.
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Heat oven to 375 F

Partially baked 10" home made pie crust - I baked mine for 5 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Brush the bottom of the baked pie crust with 1 T dijon mustard, optional

I pound asparagus,, cooked
4 eggs
3/4 cup light cream
salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh dill, optional
2 cups grated cheddar cheese separated into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup for topping. 
Hot Hungarian paprika

Cut the asparagus stalks in half and reserve the top halves. Cut the bottom halves into smaller pieces - about one inch - and place in pie shell. 

Combine eggs, cream, garlic, spices and 1 1/2 cup cheese and pour over asparagus. 
Arrange the top pieces of asparagus with the spear heads facing in towards the middle. 
Top with remaining half cup of cheese.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes (until the eggs are set and knife inserted in the center comes out clean).
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    Welcome!! I’m Mikell (pronounced Michael). If you love spicing up your life with herbs, recipes, decorating and crafts, symbolism and rituals like I do, I hope you’ll sign up for  my newsletter and free Enhancing Your Life with Herbs e-book!

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