HearthBeats: Recipes from a Kitchen Witch
Sharing for the Upcoming Holidays
Merry Meet and Blessed Autumn to you all… As there are no major Sabbats or other holidays this month I am just going to send out some recipes for general interests…
With Yule right around the corner you may want to start thinking of some healthy more natural gifts to give the ones you love… so look at some of these recipes and see if you would like to make them for your friends and Families…
Charming Lavender Tea Gift
You will need:
1/3 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
4 teaspoons orange pekoe tea
New or vintage tea cup and saucer
small plastic bag, or plastic wrap
Tea Ball
Ribbon
Mix the herbs and tea then place in a piece of plastic wrap or a small bag and tie tightly with a ribbon. Place in the clean dry tea cup, with the tea ball (they are very inexpensive and can be found in most store kitchen sections) Include a note that this should steep for five minutes in boiled water. Wrap in tissue paper and place in a gift bag for a great gift for teachers and co-workers.
Here are some Bath Tea’s… not to drink but to soak in… Such a relaxing way to pass some time…
Herbal Tea Baths
You can make a variety of the herbal tea bath bags, all you need are:
Thread & Needle
Coffee Filters
Herbs of choice
Mix the herbs as according to your preference, place a handful in the center of a coffee filter, carefully flatten and fold the edges of the coffee filter over so that it is rectangular shaped, now fold the top down and the bottom up and sew the flaps shut so that the herbs wont fall out when placed in the bath.
Calming Tea Bath
Equal parts of
Chamomile
Hops
Passion Flower
Stimulating Tea Bath
Equal parts of
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Lavender
Stress-Relief Bath Tea
1.5 cup Epsom salt
1cup sea SALT
1cup lavender
1cup camomila
30 drops lavender EO
(Or you can add chamomile EO as well if you wish)
Mix in large bowl. Makes about 14 ¼ cup baths- you can put them in jars with small muslin bags (look in the dollar store or big lots, etc. Or, several toiletries suppliers carry large iron-close tea bags- those are nice when you don’t want to dump out a muslin bag after every bath… 🙂
Stress-Relief Bath Tea 2
Spearmint
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Lemon Verbena
Thyme
Lavender Buds
Calendula Petals
Lavender
Crushed & mixed all in plastic bag then added stress relief EO to boost scent (let sit overnight) WOW they looked and smelled GREAT! Packaged in small cello bags .5 oz per bag rolled top and taped it closed to keep freshness in…Then put an oval take on bag with small piece of tape saying Stress Relief Bath Tea….folded over muslin bag with GG ribbon tied into loose knot and small tag tucked under ribbon…..tag said
To Use Bath Tea Bag
For a relaxing bath fill bag half full with herbal mix. Let bag hang under hot running water, soak and enjoy your herbal bath. Simply throw herbs away after use and rinse bag and reuse.
Then put this in back of the herbal tea bag hiding folded taped end…the oval label was on other side…slid into another bag of same size tied with gold twist tie….
And here are a few Bath Salts…
Bath Salts
Granny’s Cold Oil Bath Salts
Combine equal parts Lavender, Wintergreen, and Rosemary oils to make about a quarter of an ounce. Stir this into a handful of kosher salt and add to a bath that is as warm as you can take it. Be sure there is no draft in the room. If there is a shower curtain you can draw around the tub, and then pull it tight shut to keep the scent and heat in. Immerse yourself in the water up to your chin and just relax and breathe. In about 10 minutes you will suddenly feel quite warm. At this point, hop out, dry off, bundle up so you don’t get chilled and pack yourself off to bed.
HOMEMADE BATH SALTS
Bath salts are so easy to make and there are SO many variations once you start making them yourself.
The basic recipe is as follows:
You will need:
1 cup Epsom salts
5 or more drops of essential oil
Mix together and keep in a covered jar. Allow the salts to sit for a few hours or overnight. Add about 1/2 cup to running bath water.
VARIATIONS:
Add 1 cup baking soda which is a skin soother. Add 2-3 Tsp. honey for a moisturizing. Add 1/4-1/2 cup of a
Healing salt such as Dead Sea salts Squeeze in 3-4 caplets of Vitamin E oil to moisturize. Add 2 cups of baking soda, and 1 cup of citric acid for fizzies.
You can use any type of essential oil that is soothing. Nice choices are lavender, rose, and calendula or patchouli oils
Now I cannot end this without some great recipes for food.. and with it being Thanksgiving time in North America I will include something for this great holiday..
Thanksgiving Turkey
20 lb Young Turkey
Sausage Stuffing (recipe to follow)
Bread Stuffing (recipe to follow)
¼ stick softened butter
Poultry seasoning
Rinse Turkey inside and out with cold water.. pulling off any pin feathers or yucky bits.
Mix Poultry seasoning and Butter and place under the skin of the turkey breast
Stuff inside with stuffing of your choice (I use sausage stuffing inside the large cavity)
Stuff neck skin with bread stuffing (if desired)
Cook 20-25 minutes a pound or until the Turkey leg moves without resistance (or pulls out of the cooked meat)
Sausage Stuffing
1 lb Jones (or other) breakfast sausage roll
2 large loaves white bread broken into small pieces
3 large pinches dried Thyme
1/2 to 1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Cook sausage in large skillet … Browning and breaking into small bits
Add thyme and finish browning
When browned drain off 1/2 the oil (all if you wish)
Add 1/2 cup water simmer gently 2 minutes
Pour over broken bread
Mix thoroughly
Add more water if stuffing seems too dry( want a very sticky stuffing)
Place into Turkey cavity and cook until turkey is done(4-5 hours )
Bread Stuffing
1 large onion cut in half and sliced very thin
2 stalks of celery washed and sliced very thin
1 stick of butter or margarine ( I use butter)
3 large pinched of poultry seasoning
1 cup chicken stock
2 bags of white bread broken into small bits
Sautee onion and celery in butter until translucent
Add poultry seasoning and water and soft simmer for 5 minutes
Pour over broken bread (adding more chicken stock if too dry… more bread if too wet)
Place into turkey cavity and cook 4-5 hours
Place extra stuffing in a baking dish with chicken neck and butt flap( tail piece) and cook separately for additional stuffing (or eat as you go along with your day..LOL)
Acorn squash
2 medium acorn squash
½ tsp cinnamon
½ stick butter
2-4 tbs brown sugar
Cut squash in half
Place cut side down in a microwaveable dish with ¼ cup water
Microwave 20 minutes or until fork tender
Place cut side up in baking dish place ¼ of the butter into each half
Place 1 tbs brown sugar in each half
Sprinkle with cinnamon
Bake in a 350 degree oven until everything is melty and bubbly
Serve as a half or scoop out and place all the “meat” into a bowl
Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Mash
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Steps:
1: Place potatoes and sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add
enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until
very tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
2: Drain the potatoes, and then mash them in the pot to the desired
consistency. Place milk and butter in a small bowl and microwave on
High until the butter is mostly melted and the milk is warm, 30 to 40
seconds. (Alternatively, place in a small saucepan and heat over
medium until the milk is warm.) Stir the milk mixture, sugar, salt and
pepper into the mashed potatoes until combined.
Apple Crisp
5 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup water
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Arrange sliced apples in a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. In a bowl, combine the sugars, flour, and oats; stir in melted butter. Spread mixture over the apples. Pour water evenly over top. Bake in a 375° oven for 30 minutes, until apples are tender and top is nicely browned. Serve warm or cooled with ice cream or whipped cream.
So here I end this, I could go on and on.. as I love to share recipes almost as much as I love to make then and eat them(or use them) So until Yule….
Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating
The Hearthkeeper