ANCESTRAL FOOD. HERBAL WISDOM. MAGICAL COOKERY. SEASONAL CELEBRATION.
This Lemon Balm & Wild Rose Tea and Chocolate Rose & Dandelion Root Energy Bites are just a couple of the herbal treats I’ll be serving for Cultivate Your Calm. In this upcoming workshop we’ll be marrying calming and grounding herbs with gentle restorative yoga postures to empower our body to do what it’s been designed to do […]
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Nothing says Imbolc better that the bright yellows of lemon, butter and egg yolks. So what happens when you infuse a sweet, zesty, creamy, lemon curd with the aromatic herbs of the sun? Glorious food magic is what! Lemon Tassies are old-fashioned dessert tarts filled with easy to make citrusy curd. And while no one […]
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I found the recipe for this “extraordinary and irresistible traditional Christmas candy” in a treasured old cookbook “The Auberge of The Flowering Hearth”. Created with only three ingredients, pine honey, toasted almonds and a pinch of thyme, it was caramelized down into a dark, delectable, chewy brittle known as Black Nougat. Well, I was enchanted. Not […]
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“A soule cake, a soule cake, Have mercy on all Christen soules for a soule-cake.” John Aubrey, 17th century I’ve been researching old world recipes in search of Halloween food inspiration, and these sweet little barmbrack “soul cakes” are the result. And while we may think of all things pumpkin when it comes to Halloween, originally […]
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Last spring, I tested out a batch of Burdock & Rose Brownies at Gather’s “Botanical Sweet Treat” bar. And they were the first to go. Their dark fudgey icing drew peoples eyes like a magnet – and no one cared a whit about warnings that these brownies were a little more “earthy” in flavour than […]
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Yes, the cold snowy nights of winter may seem a long way off, but you can be sure, they’re coming. But if you get picking now – I guarantee this boozy, dark, thick wild berry compote will bring the heady luscious flavours of high summer back to your winter table. Using alcohol and sugar to […]
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Then followed that beautiful season… Summer… Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if newly created in all the freshness of childhood. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Looking for a festive way to celebrate the upcoming summer solstice? Well, these aromatic sunny cookies may be just the ticket. Made with […]
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Ripening now in the Pacific Northwest – the Osoberry. Like a cross between cherry, cantaloupe and cucumber, its flavour is unique. Here is a recipe for Osoberry” shrub,” a kind of vinegary cordial popular with the cocktail set. I ended up using it more like a syrupy balsamic vinegar in salads, marinades and glazes. Not […]
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“Be cheerful knight: thou shalt eat a posset to-night at my house” William Shakespeare, Hamlet Dating back to the middle ages, the posset is making a comeback. Like a custard crossed with a pudding, it’s perfect when you want to whip up a special dessert with minimal effort. It’s made with three ingredients, honey, lilac-infused cream and lemon juice – […]
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Oh yes, lilacs are glorious to harvest – but they’re not so easy to prepare. Lilac is tricky and time consuming (you need to remove each tiny stem from each tiny blossom) but the good news is you’ll have plenty of time for working in a little magical intention. Lilac is a potent spell-caster with the power […]
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If you live in the Pacific Northwest, violets are likely popping up their lovely blue little heads somewhere near you – right now. (Unless you’re like me and are blanked under a foot of snow). But if not and you’ve left your Valentine Treat to the last possible minute (as I have) well, violet sugar […]
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It’s no secret that baking confections, cookies and fruit cakes have long been part of feminine customs surrounding the winter holidays. But one beautiful baking tradition is now almost entirely forgotten, and it served as the inspiration for this fruity, dense Mother’s Night Honey Cake. And while it may be a bit rustic, I tried to […]
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Betwixt and between – is how you might describe this time, halfway between late summer and true autumn. This is the time when cooling weather and beginning rains cause the wild greens to regenerate and grow vigorous. This is the time of year when the leaves of plants fill with solar energy as it goes […]
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Little did I know when I first came across an old pioneer recipe for “White Clover Snow” that it would be my solace during dark and hungry times. But after a recent dental pummeling that left me aching and unable to chew, it was this sweet unassuming little ‘pudding’ that rode to my rescue. Spooning its […]
Read MoreWhat does a children’s wildcrafted fairy picnic need? Well, wild rose and daisy cupcakes, elderflower marshmallows, and pink geranium popcorn of course. But you also need something to balance out all the airy floral flavors – like lets say, dense, dark, lush and fudgy, Dandelion Root Brownies. Why? Well, they’re totally theme appropriate for a […]
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“Mystery glows in the rose bed, the secret is hidden in the rose.” 12th Century Persian Poem Don’t underestimate this demure little cupcake. Much more than overindulgence in sugar or cupcake feminism, this divine rose confection is a direct connection to a feminine spiritual heritage thousands of years old. And they offer a scent and […]
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