noms nibbles & meals

The Joys of Beltane and the Wild Transformation of Spring

The Joys of Beltane and the Wild Transformation of Spring

  I’ve got a lot of heart for Beltane. Earth’s fertility feels most tangible: She accessorizes with flirtatious first flowers and sticky buds, teases with the first tendrils of climbing vines. Her wild, showy reemergence tempts us beyond frail hope into courageous, playful, intimate relationship…

Fun Ways to Drink Fire Cider

Fun Ways to Drink Fire Cider

By now you know I love fire cider. I love making it. I love cooking with it.  I also love drinking it! Here are three simple, creative ways to enjoy your fire cider by the glass… Cheers! fire cider smoothies WHOA. I saw you flinch…

Chile Corn Chowder with Bacon for your Belly

Chile Corn Chowder with Bacon for your Belly

Our freezer and pantry regularly provide us with delicious reminders of previous seasons’ bountiful and diverse harvest. Many of our most delicious moments in the kitchen result from creative ways of using items we’ve previously put by. Our chile corn chowder with bacon is a…

Rise & Shine Granola: Crunch, Coconut, NOM

Rise & Shine Granola: Crunch, Coconut, NOM

I’m a big granola lover, but I hate the funky ingredients included in many processed, pre-made granola blends. Too many of them have artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and other junk that I’m not interested in consuming. So, I basically avoided granola until a friend shared…

Still *More* Things To Do with Fire Cider

Still *More* Things To Do with Fire Cider

(If you’re just joining this series, you’ll find a fire cider recipe here to get you started and other recipes using fire cider here… If you’re back for more, welcome back!) Yes, there are still more amazing ways to use fire cider. Here are a…

*Other* Ways To Use Fire Cider

*Other* Ways To Use Fire Cider

If you’re like I was, you were very excited the first time you made fire cider. I visualized my highest possible health as I washed, peeled, and minced my ingredients. I imagined wellness itself steeping in that beautiful Mason jar. I was positively dizzy with…

Fire Cider for Fall

Fire Cider for Fall

Let me begin by reminding you that I am not a health care professional (nor am I into pretending to be one). So I won’t suggest I know how to protect you from everything that might infect you this autumn. I’m no master of my…

Browned Buttery Roasted Butternut with Sage

Browned Buttery Roasted Butternut with Sage

While the rest of the world is losing itself over Pumpkin Spice Everything, I’m just happy to be in the season when people open their hearts and mouths to actual, real-life edible gourds. If you’re a regular consumer of organic squash, you’re probably already aware…

Almond Coconut Cocoa Not

Almond Coconut Cocoa Not

Let me begin by saying I am an Only Child. Despite a big heart and a sensitive soul, I can be a real brat. [Not on the daily. Here and there. But still. Only Child. Where the “O” and the “C” are capitalized no matter…

bright blessings from the heart of winter: thyme-infused honey

bright blessings from the heart of winter: thyme-infused honey

Happy New Year, friends! I’m just poking my head out of my hibernation cave to offer the first “hello!” of 2015. As is my nature, I am hunkered down in contemplative mode making plans for the new year, assessing strides against last year’s goals, and tending to…

old-fashioned spiced elderberry syrup

old-fashioned spiced elderberry syrup

No elderberry syrup in your house? The best day to make it is yesterday: you want it on hand for sniffles, sneezes, and the almost inevitable immune fatigue that comes in colder weather. This little kitchen witch loves elder for its many offerings (wood, flowers, berries)…

Oils & Herbs for Virgo

Oils & Herbs for Virgo

Meet Virgo… Intelligent, observant, independent, and precise, Virgos are one of the bigger thinkers of the zodiac — they love to analyze details and get into the nitty-gritty of things with much of the action focused on their thought processes as opposed to physical action.…

mooning over elder

mooning over elder

On a recent wild-crafting hike, I came across enough Elder bushes at the peak of bloom to call forth memories of my Danish grandmother’s garden. The experience got me thinking about the lore behind Elder…   Part of the honeysuckle family, Elder is considered sacred…

oils & herbs for cancer (the moonchild)

oils & herbs for cancer (the moonchild)

Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac, is an incredibly creative, sensitive, and emotional sign. Cancer tends to prefer things that are soothing, mild, cool, water-y (or water-based, like melons), or simple. Cancers don’t like to be disrupted and neither do their emotional and physical…

oils & herbs for gemini

oils & herbs for gemini

Welcome to Gemini, the zodiac sign of The Twins! Gemini’s herb associations include many well-known favorites that are easy to incorporate in meals or use around your home to celebrate this astrological sign, Lavender, Dill, Caraway, Parsley, and Basil among them. As for oils, we…

oils & herbs for taurus

oils & herbs for taurus

We are always excited to find Taurus actively in the heavens as both my husband and I not only find Taurus favorably popping up in our natal horoscopes, but also have a slew of wonderful Taurus friends. The oils and herbs associated with Taurus are…