As I write this blog, I am officially listening to the Saturday Night Safety Dance on 1st Wave Sirius. It is awesome and plays The Smiths more than I care to listen to, which makes me happier than I can imagine. Who cant love The Smiths, really? I know that perhaps some people find this time to be sacred and are in mindful meditation and ritual, but for me, dancing and happiness is sacred, and cooking with these emotions make for some excellent food! Before I get into, please remember this blog will be longer than most days, because it is a sabbat today.
This sabbat is one of my favorites. Basically because I get to dye eggs. Yes, the Christian Easter did come from this sabbat, tis true, but my favorite part of celebrating Ostara is that I dont actually hard boil the eggs..rather, I blow out the insides of the egg by making two small pricks with a sewing machine needle on the top and bottom of the egg, and fill them with lavender, lilac, rosemary or sage if you wish. (Even confetti is cool!)
After doing this, I dye them. And yes, it is with the Easter Egg colors! But you can do it naturally!
Egg Dye Recipe
Yellow: yellow onion skins
Pink: Beets
Blue- Blueberries
Lavender- Blackberries
Orange-Carrots
Green-Kale or Spinach
Mince 1 cup of any of these vegetables, and boil with about 1 cup water for twenty minutes. (Separately) Strain out vegetables and add 2 tbl of vinegar per each cup of water. Dip your egg until it becomes the color you desire. If you use a wax crayon, you can draw designs on your eggs and then dip them.
How much I love this! It reminds me of being little and trying to get rosemary leaves into VERY small holes, while my older sister laughed hysterically at me.
Ostara is a time of rebirth, and just like in Buddhism, I was taught that Druidism believes that our souls jump from place to place. After death, we are constantly being reborn; we can be a rock, a tree, a monkey, a dog, a boy, a girl...etc...etc..you get my point. Therefore, Ostara is used as a time to give thanks for life. It acknowledges and honors all life. Pagan alters are adorned with flowers, potted plants, candles, incense and any sign of life. Eggs, a symbol of fertility and new life, are decorated. With its very special shell, all archetypal connections humanity has ever had are displayed: life, death and life renewal. Back in the day, hens would start to lay more when more light came from the sun (aka spring), and therefore, as the world bloomed, an abundance of eggs could be found, and thusly, celebrated because it symbolized the beginning of spring. And a what celebration Ostara can be!
My mother always taught me it was incredibly important to give thanks to each of the four directions for the gifts they offer while cooking for this festival. The directions are deosil (clockwise). East symbolizes the beginning of everything, South-fire, as it rules healing and destruction, West- connotes water and the womb, and it rules emotion and the subconscious mind, and last but not least North- as it symbolizes the earth, and it rules the earth and material gains. You can say thanks by cooking, taking a meditative walk, planting herbs, or perhaps doing art--anything creative.
Herbs and flowers associated with this sabbat are as followed: Acorn, celandine, cinquefoil, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, gorse, Easter Lily, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, narcissus, olive, peony, rose, strawberry, tansy, woodruff, and violet.
The foods, (YAY!), that are used, according once again, to MY family, (which means they may vary) are milk punch, hot cross buns, leafy green vegetables, honey cakes and foods made with flowers.
Because of this, I will be posting my favorite recipes for Equinox Quiche and Elder Flower Sweet Cakes:
Elder Flower Sweet Cakes:
1 large egg
1 tsp. orange blossom extract (can be bought where liquor is sold, but orange juice will work)
1/3 c. honey
2 tbl. brandy
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c. Elder Flower Heads (go to an herb store for this!)
2 mint leaves, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon for garnish
Sweet cream (whip cream) for garnish
Mix the egg, orange extract, honey and brandy. Stir in flour and cinnamon.The batter should be thick. Stir in Elder heads, and mint. Heat a griddle on medium . Add oil or butter to it. Plop the cakes on like pancakes. When the middle bubbles, flip. Wait about two minutes. Take off. Top with the mixture of sweet cream (whip cream and lemon)
Equinox Quiche
1 pie crust (bottom will have recipe)
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese (for extra kick, mix in half swiss or havarti)
1/8 c. mushrooms
1/2 c. bacon or sausage ( can be left out)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. half and half
(I throw in spinach with 1/4 c. red onion,sauteed)
Pie Crust
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chilled butter
2 1/2 Tbl. cold water
Mix flour and salt together. Cut in butter, using a pastry cutter, or two butter knives used in a criss cross cutting motion, until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stirring with a fork, add water, 1 tbl at a time, until mixture resembles stiff dough. Try not to over stir the dough. The more you stir, the harder it gets, and the less delicious it will be. Roll the dough into a circle, line a pie plate with dough and trim the edges.
Cover the bottom with of the crust with cheese, mix together all veggies, meats if desired, with eggs, add salt and pepper..maybe a tsp each, and pour on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes.
So there you all be. The food is good, but making it is the best part! Hope to have you all back on here soon!
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