Tag: recipes

happyvibes-healthylives:

Homemade Rose Water

not only does rose water smell amazing, it is also great to use in your beauty routine. it is a hydrating & effective face toner and makes skin dewy & soft. it has a pretty expensive price tag, so making it yourself can help save you some money. you could just boil rose petals with water then strain and use that, but this way yields a more pure & potent product. 

  1. its preferable to use roses from a garden, but if you can’t, be sure to spray them with distilled white vinegar and let them soak in water. rinse thoroughly. crush & bruise petals to release some of their oils & scent. you can also use dried rose petals if you’d like.
  2. place a heavy heat safe bowl inside a pot. put the rose petals in the pot around the bowl & cover petals with distilled or filtered water. the water should come halfway up the sides of the bowl. don’t get any water inside the bowl, just around it.
  3. take the pot’s lid and flip it upside down- then place it on top of pot. turn stove to medium-high heat and cook petals a few minutes till they dull in color like shown in the picture.
  4. turn the stove to medium-low heat. take ice cubes and place on top of the upside down lid. (the rose water rises to the top of the pot and leaves condensation on the inside-out lid. the ice cools the lid down so the condensation drips into the bowl in the pot, creating your pure rose water.)
  5. as the ice melts, use a ladle to remove the melted water so it doesn’t spill over. then keep adding more ice. repeat the process a few times- this will take around 30 minutes.
  6. when done, remove bowl from pot and allow to cool. the water that has collected in the bowl is your rose water. store in a tightly covered glass jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or freeze. optional- add in some drops of lavender oil & witch hazel. 

take a cotton ball and rub on face & neck after you wash your face or whenever it needs a boost. it helps cleanse impurities, close pores and really does make your skin glow. it’s nice in the summer especially. you can also add some to your hair conditioner, body wash or lotion. 

the-darkest-of-lights:

I was requested to post the recipe for the vasilopitta.

Vasilopitta ( Greek bread of fortune )

1 tbsp ouzo (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp anise seed
¼ tsp ginger
½ tsp grated orange peel
1 bay leaf
2 envelops active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1 cup milk , hot
1 stick butter
7 cups flour
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
12 whole nuts or cranberries

Bring ¼ cup water, ouzo , cinnamon , anise seed, ginger ,orange peel, and bay leaf to a boil in a small saucepan; cool. Discard bay leaf . Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine milk and butter in a medium sized bowl ; let sit intil butter melts . Add eggs , yeast and spiced water,beat until smooth . Mix flour , sugar , salt, in a large bowl . Slowly mix in liquid until dough is easy to handle. Turn onto a floured surface ; knead for 20 min . Place in a greased bowl ; turn ounce let rise for 5 hours .

Punch down dough ; knead for five minutes . Let rest for 5 min. Shape into one large loaf or two smaller loaves ;decorate then place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover ; let rise for 2 hours . Preheat oven to 350F
Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 60 mins.

~ a kitchen Witch’s cookbook
by Telesco

recreationalwitchcraft:

Herbal Remedies for Cold and Flu Season

1. DIY Elderberry Thyme syrup – elderberry has been used for centuries in healing because it provides immune support (and has long been thought to banish negative energy). Can be taken both preventatively and to shorten the course of a cold. 

2. DIY Cough Drops – these cute cough drops are made with tea and honey to sooth an irritated throat. The original blogger chose hibiscus tea for the taste, but consider using one of the herbal teas she lists at the bottom for a more healing herbal remedy.

3. Lemon, Honey, and Ginger in a Jar – a traditional and internet favorite, this mixture turns into a jelly for when your throat needs serious soothing. Honey has been used for millennia to heal a variety ailments, just be sure to keep this away from infants. 

4. 30 Herbs for Cold and Flu Season – for those that like to have options, here is a long list of healing herbs with suggestions on how to use them during cold and flu season. 

druiddaydreams:

Herbal Medicine: What
is an Electuary?

An Electuary is a medicinal paste created with something
sweet, such as honey or jam. Thick electuaries can be rolled into little balls
for children to take with some juice, and thinner electuaries can be mixed with
beverages such as hot tea. At its essence, an electuary is an herb infused
honey.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the first known
use of an Electuary dates back to the 14th century. ‘Electuarie’ is
a Middle English word derived most likely from the Greek ‘Ekleikton’ or ‘Ekleichein’
meaning to lick up. After all, a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go
down, am I right? 😉

The common kitchen witch (and herbalist) will already be
familiar with the process of herbal infusions, such as making tea blends, but
making and storing electuaries can really kick your magic crafting up a notch. The
primary use is medicinal but you can expand this into everyday spellcraft as
well. Below are just a few examples of both medicinal and magical electuaries
and how to create them.

Medicinal

Chamomile – Mildly
sedative and soothing for stress relief.

Mint –
Soothes digestive track to help with heartburn, nausea, and indigestion.

Raspberry
Leaf – Especially beneficial for women by balancing hormones and helping with
painful menses.

Elderberry, Echinacea,
Licorice Root – This blend is a good immune supporter and very helpful for
viral respiratory infections and treating the symptoms accompanied by the flu.

Magical (individual
ingredients or blend to your tastes)

Love – Rose Petals,
Lavender Flowers, Lemon Verbena, Apple, Cardamom

Money –
Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Almond, Orange

Protection –
Anise, Elder Flower, Fennel, Basil, Blackberry

Purification – Rosemary, Bay, Lemon, Chamomile, Nettle, Turmeric

How to make an
Electuary

The best results come from using dried herbs or flowers and
local raw honey. The dried plant material allows you to store your electuary
longer because it has little to no water in it, where fresh plant material will
thin the honey and require refrigeration to prevent mold. Raw honey from your
local area is also best because it will contain traces of pollen from the trees
and flowers in your area which assist with preventing seasonal allergies.

The process
is to create a double-boiler system by putting a pot with some water on to
boil, then placing a slightly larger metal bowl in it so that it sits snuggly
(but not too tight) without touching the water. The gentle steam will warm the
metal bowl enough to melt your honey without boiling it directly. Once your
double-boiler is assembled put in your desired amount of honey and dried plant
material. You can use herbs from your kitchen, ground spices, dried flowers,
etc. I would recommend finding food grade if you’re buying online or at a local
shop. Organic would be the best of course (pesticides don’t make good
electuaries!). The amount of honey to plant material is up to you depending on
how strong you want the infusion to be. Let your plant material simmer for an
hour in the honey over your double-boiler.

*Alternative* You
could infuse your honey and herbs using a small crock pot if you wanted to so
you could simmer for 2-3 hours.

If you want your electuary to be a thick paste, finely grind
your herbs prior to infusing using a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle if you
have that kind of patience). Alternatively you could just use store bought
ground herbs/spices. You will want to use more of an equal ratio of plant
material to honey to make sure it stays thick. Please note that this will make
the honey taste strongly of the herbs you use so be mindful of taste when you’re
choosing herbs to blend, or just plan to roll into more of a “plant pill” to be
swallowed. After infusing, store in a clean dry jar with a lid.

If you prefer a thinner electuary that can be mixed by the
spoonful with a cup of hot water or tea, then you can use any kind of plant
material in any amount you’d like with your honey to control strength and
flavor. After infusing, strain it into a clean dry jar with lid for storage. Straining
a combination of leaves, roots, bark, and ground spices will allow the smaller
particles to stay within the electuary while removing the larger more
undesirable pieces. This seems to be the most popular method.

You can now use your electuary however you’d like!
Medicinal, Magical, with tea, in your cooking, the possibilities are endless so
experiment!

Brightest Blessings,

Thalya /|