Blessings Darlings!
Being as I'm even more of a hermit than my friend Suz is, I don't get out much. But today I found myself driving off to the Big City on business, and I ran smack dab into Imbolg.
At first it was a subtle thing. The bare trees of winter no longer seemed as harsh. Their outlines had softened with the faint beginnings of swollen buds.
Then came the official in-my-face sign: LAMBS! Very young lambs, already rather coated in the signs of Mud Season.
As I've mentioned before, I don't personally celebrate the High Days based on either the calender or astrological timing, I do it by local herding and agricultural signs. These are the signs of Imbolg in my area.
So, it's official. Imbolg has arrived. Bridget - come in, come in, and welcome!
Frondly, Fern
Showing posts with label Candlemas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Candlemas. Show all posts
Friday, February 8, 2013
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Crumbs
Blessings Darlings!
The Julian calendar says today is Imbolc - which is a milestone and high day to be sure, but it's still just the middle of the 'hungry time of the year'. So making food stores get thru' till first good harvest is still a priority, especially for those of us who farm and/or garden.
Part of the art of frugality (and surviving, and MacGyverism in general) is the 'expanding the marginal utility' of everything. You know - re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle type mind set. Like - I just started onion seeds in egg cartons.
That's a feature in my kitchen as well. Not JUST pre-planning use of leftovers, tho' I certainly do that.
Let's talk bread.
We who make our own bread know that it has, especially in winter, a variable lead time from starting it to getting it on the table. Yeast prefers warm weather, and we who use as little heat as possible have house temperatures that vary greatly day to day. This is because, while I raise the temperature for a few hours in the morning and evening, after that the rate at which the house temperature drops varies by how cold and windy it is outside. So I have to pre-emptively bake bread, anticipating need.
I don't always do this well. Sometimes I get a lot of bread in the house at once, and there is risk of some of it getting moldy before it all gets used. That's where making bread cube dressings for chickens and such comes into play, or making bread puddings, etc.
So the LOAVES can have their marginal utility expanding. But what about bread crumbs? After all, slicing that lovely, crusty home-made bread really does produce a heck of a lot more crumbs than you get buying pre-sliced bread!
First, how would you collect the crumbs from slicing? In my case, I've set it up so the cutting board we use for bread sits in a low-sided quarter baking sheet. It nests very nicely! Slice bread, the crumbs stay contained. And they build up FAST.
So, you have lots of crumbs, now what? First you use them in the dishes that normally require bread crumbs - topping casseroles, frying foods, buttered crumbs on veggies, etc. But when the Chubby Hubby or the Spawn leave slices of bread out that they've cut badly (like, they only got half a slice, etc) then I end up with LOTS of stale bread and crumbs. What then?
The you look online, and find lots of recipes for cookies made from bread crumbs! They aren't half bad, either. I'd share them, but I really haven't changed them at all, and I don't have the links handy (Printed them out LONG age).
Crumbs. They're for dinner. And dessert.
Frondly, Fern
The Julian calendar says today is Imbolc - which is a milestone and high day to be sure, but it's still just the middle of the 'hungry time of the year'. So making food stores get thru' till first good harvest is still a priority, especially for those of us who farm and/or garden.
Part of the art of frugality (and surviving, and MacGyverism in general) is the 'expanding the marginal utility' of everything. You know - re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle type mind set. Like - I just started onion seeds in egg cartons.
That's a feature in my kitchen as well. Not JUST pre-planning use of leftovers, tho' I certainly do that.
Let's talk bread.
We who make our own bread know that it has, especially in winter, a variable lead time from starting it to getting it on the table. Yeast prefers warm weather, and we who use as little heat as possible have house temperatures that vary greatly day to day. This is because, while I raise the temperature for a few hours in the morning and evening, after that the rate at which the house temperature drops varies by how cold and windy it is outside. So I have to pre-emptively bake bread, anticipating need.
I don't always do this well. Sometimes I get a lot of bread in the house at once, and there is risk of some of it getting moldy before it all gets used. That's where making bread cube dressings for chickens and such comes into play, or making bread puddings, etc.
So the LOAVES can have their marginal utility expanding. But what about bread crumbs? After all, slicing that lovely, crusty home-made bread really does produce a heck of a lot more crumbs than you get buying pre-sliced bread!
First, how would you collect the crumbs from slicing? In my case, I've set it up so the cutting board we use for bread sits in a low-sided quarter baking sheet. It nests very nicely! Slice bread, the crumbs stay contained. And they build up FAST.
So, you have lots of crumbs, now what? First you use them in the dishes that normally require bread crumbs - topping casseroles, frying foods, buttered crumbs on veggies, etc. But when the Chubby Hubby or the Spawn leave slices of bread out that they've cut badly (like, they only got half a slice, etc) then I end up with LOTS of stale bread and crumbs. What then?
The you look online, and find lots of recipes for cookies made from bread crumbs! They aren't half bad, either. I'd share them, but I really haven't changed them at all, and I don't have the links handy (Printed them out LONG age).
Crumbs. They're for dinner. And dessert.
Frondly, Fern
Monday, January 30, 2012
Imbolc Preparations
Blessings Darlings!
Want to prepare? Okay.
Turn off the podcast. Put down the book on Wicca. Step away from the computer.
Instead ... go outside. Spend time there.
Make it a point to notice when it's sun rise and sun set each day. Feel the lengthening of the light in all your being.
Leave offerings for the local manifestations of the nature spirits. It's still the hungry times for them, and will be for rather a while. Coat a big pine cone with peanut butter (or melted tallow) and roll it in bird seed. Tie it on to a local tree.
Frondly, Fern
Want to prepare? Okay.
Turn off the podcast. Put down the book on Wicca. Step away from the computer.
Instead ... go outside. Spend time there.
Make it a point to notice when it's sun rise and sun set each day. Feel the lengthening of the light in all your being.
Leave offerings for the local manifestations of the nature spirits. It's still the hungry times for them, and will be for rather a while. Coat a big pine cone with peanut butter (or melted tallow) and roll it in bird seed. Tie it on to a local tree.
Frondly, Fern
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Full Moon in Cancer
Blessings Darlings!
Today's the Full Moon, which makes it a Wiccan Esbat. Many of us will be working magick today, as esbats are good for that. With the full moon in Cancer, it's probably especially good for family/relationship magicks, I'd guess.
I wish that there was going to be an Esbat working at OccupyDC, but none is planned. I'm too far away (and have no car today) so can't make it there to see about organizing one. OTOH, this is as good a time as any for me to start looking into if the DMV (that District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) Pagan community has anything going to support OccupyDC, and if not try to get something going. Nothing based on the coven I'm in or the two Pagan denominations I'm in, but Pagan individuals working to support the protestors, especially the ones sleeping in the Plaza. I'd REALLY like to make sure that, if Occupy wants it, that there an be an Imbolc celebration there.
Frondly, Fern
Today's the Full Moon, which makes it a Wiccan Esbat. Many of us will be working magick today, as esbats are good for that. With the full moon in Cancer, it's probably especially good for family/relationship magicks, I'd guess.
I wish that there was going to be an Esbat working at OccupyDC, but none is planned. I'm too far away (and have no car today) so can't make it there to see about organizing one. OTOH, this is as good a time as any for me to start looking into if the DMV (that District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) Pagan community has anything going to support OccupyDC, and if not try to get something going. Nothing based on the coven I'm in or the two Pagan denominations I'm in, but Pagan individuals working to support the protestors, especially the ones sleeping in the Plaza. I'd REALLY like to make sure that, if Occupy wants it, that there an be an Imbolc celebration there.
Frondly, Fern
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