I prepare this holiday season with a heavy heart because things haven’t gone as I wanted them. But I’ve realized the past couple of days that it doesn’t mean I can’t make things better as I go. I can. I just have to believe in myself and those who love me to do so. I’ve been making some jewelry for those I love and I’ve been working hard on getting some other things finished as well. It’s not been easy trying to get things done with all the extra medication and tiredness I’ve been experiencing the past month. I’ve not said anything to those who know me, but I agree with my specialist– my lupus is active again. I should be getting my test results shortly– okay, right now, and yeah, we’re right. It means some prednisone time on top of other stuff, but I’m hoping I’ll be feeling better over the next month or so.

Right now, I’ve got my slow cooker pork veggie soup cooking. It’s fun, easy and colourful. It’s also good for you and really healthy as well. I’m debating on thickening it up once it’s done, but maybe I will. So how do you make this delicious treat?

Pork Loin and Veggie Slow Cooker Soup

1 pork loin, about 2lbs. diced if not frozen, or cut into chunks if frozen

1 box chicken stock

5 stalks of celery, deleaved, cleaned and diced into bite size pieces

10 baby carrots, diced

3 small white potatoes, diced and parboiled in boiling water for 10 minutes

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 can diced tomatoes

2 ancient red peppers, deribbed, deseeded, and diced

1 tbsp chicken soup base

2 cups water

2 tbsp blueberry promengranate red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, diced finely

Mrs. Dash, Garlic powder, basil, Italian seasoning mix, and salt (amounts to taste)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In slow cooker, layer all the veggies in first. Then mix thoroughly with the stock, soup base, red wine vinegar and seasonings. Add in the pork and cook on high for 4 hours. An hour before serving, add in the 2 cups of water and shred pork to bite size pieces if you’ve not done it in the beginning. Add more seasonings like salt and pepper to taste at the table.

Today, I’ll be redoing my altar, shaking off the last of the winter thoughts and bringing in the freshness of spring. Because I’m also a fire baby, though born in September, I will be creating a small pile of sacred sticks to be used in various rituals for this summer season. The colours for the altar are brighter as we head into the second half of the year, bringing to mind the Oak King’s time to reign.

For me, cooking becomes lighter, but at the same time, more flavourful with herbs and spices that allow you to experience other countries and other places all without leaving your own home. Beltane is also the one day a year we can let go of ourselves- to lust freely and have that lust returned. In the olden days, babies conceived at Beltane were considered triple blessed and cared for not just by the parents, but by the village. Why? Because children born at this “between” time were considered to become great among them either as druids as seers or even as warriors. Their abilities were linked to this thinning between this mortal realm and the other realms as well.

Tonight, I might let myself go a little bit- drinking some of my Keel and Curley wine. Then I might take my male and turn the erotic tables on him for tonight. It’d serve him right since I’ve been suffering since the hysterectomy. I still have another week until I’m fully able to play, but there’s no saying I can’t pleasure him. *grins* Today is a day of physical and spiritual pleasure. One that you take and do in a manner befitting the gods and mankind. One of giving and receiving. You cannot give unless you receive. You cannot receive unless you give. For me, it means cooking for my family, walking Shango and enjoying the bright sunshine, and then preparing a special chocolate dessert I know my male and my nephew, who’s coming over, will especially enjoy.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large yolk
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips

Directions

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cloves together in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat, add the bittersweet chocolate, then set aside until melted.

Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl, then slowly whisk in chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture to make a loose dough. Don’t overwork the dough. Fold in the chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if convection option is available).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into balls, about 2 inches or 1 1/2 ounces each, and put on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a couple inches between the cookies. Bake until outside is crackly, but the center is still moist, about 13 to 15 minutes, or 12 in convection. Cool on a rack.

How do I prepare for my personal Yule before handling my family for Christmas? I’ve been preparing for weeks actually. I’m actually off this Yule, so for me it’s a blessing. I’ve started baking for myself and the male all week. Yesterday I made my favourite Dutch Apple Cake recipe, and I added in Maraschino cherries for a hint of extra colour. I even made pulled pork last night using my own blend of spices in the slow cooker. *sigh* It turned out better than I thought possible because I was tweaking the seasonings. I think I’ve finally found the right spices that just enhance the pork without overwhelming it. Go me! Today, I’m relaxing and I’ll be making cookies and some Yule bread. Tomorrow, we’re cleaning up the house, which will give me the clean feeling of renewing the sun and bringing spring to the house, even though we’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here in Florida.

The other thing I’ll be doing for Yule is my annual ritual. This includes spell working for peace in the upcoming year and to bless those in my family and friends. I do this every summer and winter to ensure those I love are always cared for. I also thank the gods and goddesses for the time of winter- the time that allows us to think more on ourselves and what we wish to get rid of, what we wish to change of ourselves.

Winter is a time of core realizations. It’s a time to prune away the deadwood in our lives and get back to the basics of life and living. It’s breaking it down to family, friends, and living life simply and contentedly. It’s a time for me that I spend rereading my favourite books on divination, basic spiritual practices and I make lists– what I want to do, what I know I can do, what I need to do to get to the first list. Then I work out how I can honestly do it all without sacrificing anything. Then I rework the lists. I can’t always do what I’ve done. I’ve started to accept this, though it hurts me deep inside. So, I have to retrain myself as if I was a new person in the world of writing and in the world of being me. This means little steps. This means having people to help me along this journey this year, like Kell, Nik, Lena, and others. People who love me for me and want me to succeed– they also aren’t afraid of kicking my ass. LOL

Spending time baking and thinking this Yule is important to me. It’s the gift of life and the gift of endings. Things change in the dark half of the year. This is where the shortest day is. This is where twilight and darkness is greater than daylight. It’s when you become more aware of not just the physical but the spiritual aspects of yourself. Take the time to honour this part of yourself- even if you’re not a believer of any major religion. Why? Because we’re all spiritual. We all need to honour that aspect to come to terms with our entire essence.

Happy Yuletide and may the Gods and Goddesses bless you this year!

Cyn’s Dutch Apple Cake

3 medium peeled apples, diced (3 cups) (Can be tart or somewhat sweet)

3 tbsp sugar (for apples)

1 cup sugar (for cake batter)

2/3 cup softened butter

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 tsp nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine the apples, 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Let sit about an hour.  In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla. Combine flour and salt, then gradually add to the wet mixture, beating until just smooth.

Fold in the apple mixture into the cake batter. Then pour this into a well greased 9 inch loaf pan or a 8×8 pan that has high sides.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or so until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes on a rack, then remove to cool further or serve warm.

6 pounds of tart or lightly sweet apples, unpeeled, cored, and sliced 
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 strips of lemon zest, each 2 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of water

In a large saucepan cook the apples in the cider over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Puree them through the medium disk of a food mill into another saucepan and add the remaining ingredients.

Cook the mixture over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until very thick. Discard the lemon zest and spoon the mixture into 2 sterilized 1-pint Mason-type jars, filling them to within 1/2-inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a dampened cloth and seal the jars with the lids.

Put the jars in a water bath canner or a rack in a deep kettle and add enough water to cover the jars by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and process, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer the jars with canning tongs to a rack and let them cool. Let the apple butter mellow in a cool, dark place for at least 1 week.