Yule Incense

Recipe by Scott Cunningham
2 parts Frankincense
2 parts Pine needles or resin
1 part Cedar
1 part Juniper berries
Mix and smolder at Wiccan rites on Yule (on or around December 21st), or during the winter months to cleanse the home and to attune with the forces of nature amid the cold days and nights.
(The above recipe for “Yule Incense” is directly quoted from Scott Cunningham’s book: “The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews”, page 100, Llewellyn Publications, 1992.)
Oil For sabbath: See OILS

Yule Oil - Put in soap or annoint candles
4 drops pine
3 drops cedarwood
3 drops cinnamon
2 drops frankincense
2 drops juniper

Add a pinch of dried pine needles from your tree with garnet, green tourmaline, and clear quartz crystals. A great Yule tree smell with the hint of log fires and spicy pomanders!

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Yule Salad

Recipe by Althaea
1/2 bag fresh cranberries
3 lg stalks celery
3-4 large carrots
1 large orange
1 can crushed pineapples
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, your preference)
1 large (or 2 small) box raspberry, or raspberry-cranberry Jello
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Open can of pineapples and drain, saving the juice. Put aside. Mix the saved juice from the pineapples and 1 cup of cold water together.
Prepare Jello according to directions, but where the directions call for 2 cups cold water, use the 1 cup cold water/pineapple juice mixture. Before you add the cold mixture to the hot, add the sugar to the hot Jello mixture, and dissolve, then add cold water/pineapple juice mixture, combine well and refrigerate. Be sure to put into a large salad or mixing bowl.
Shred the carrots finely - put aside.
Finely chop celery with a knife or food processor. (I only like the flavor of celery, not the texture, so I use the blender to chop it up very fine)
Chop or crush walnuts
Grate orange peel with fine grater (a cheese grater will do).
Peel orange and clean as much of the pith (the white stuff) away as possible, and section by hand.
In a blender put the cranberries, one handful at a time into the water and chop finely. Add the orange sections and chop more coarsely (using the pulse button on your blender). Add to the Jello mixture. Add all other ingredients to the Jello mixture and mix well. Refrigerate over night.

Topping for salad:
You may top with whipped cream or Cool Whip, but I love this topping the best, it is a nice accent to the sweetness of the salad.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup real mayonnaise
Blend well and place by the tablespoonful on top of the gelled salad. Enjoy!! Happy Yule!
Joanna L. Davis (aka Althaea)

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Calming Mind Sprays

Place the oils in one cup of water in a spray bottle and shake well.
Spray in the air or on non-staining surfaces.

For Obsessive Overthinking
4 drops sandalwood
2 drops vetiver

For Those Over-Preoccupied with Detail
3 drops frankincense
2 drops vetiver
1 drop lemon

For Those who are Over-Analytical and Detached
3 drops geranium
2 drops sandalwood
1 drop patchouli

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COTTAGE PIE
2lbs of hamburger browned
1 med onion chopped
1 package of froxen peas and carrots
3 beef buillon cubes or 2 tsp of the powdered
pkg of brown gravy mix
3-5 lbs of potatoes mashed and creamed..
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese…
Directions:
After you have browned the hamburger…
add the onion– cook till tender– add the peas and carrots..
Take 1/12 c. of water with the buillon cubes and gravy mix…
simmer till thick, then add to meat mixture.
Simmer another 5 mins….
Put this mixture into a pyrex pan –13. x 9 size
Top the mixture with the mashed potatoes and then the cheese on top..
Bake in an oven set @ 350 for 20 mins….
Serve with warm french crusty bread with lotsa butter on top
and a green salad.

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Almond Joy Body Lotion - A Body Lotion Recipe.
This almond body lotion recipe will relieve even the driest skin.

1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp. borax powder
1/2 cup almond oil
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. grated beeswax
2 Tbsp. honey
3-4 drops orange Essential Oil (optional)

To Make This Body Lotion Recipe: Mix water and borax together, stirring
until well mixed. Set aside. Mix together the almond oil, coconut oil, honey
and beeswax in a glass measuring cup. Place the cup with the oils-beeswax
mixture in a pan of water (about 1 to 2″ of water), making a water bath.
Heat over medium heat until the beeswax is melted (8 to 10 min.), stirring
occasionally. When the wax is melted, bring the water/borax solution almost
to boiling (put the glass cup with the water/borax in the microwave on High
for 1 min., or use a water bath on the stove top). Remove the oil-beeswax
mixture from the water bath and pour into blender. Slowly add water/borax to
the mixture in the blender and whip. Allow the lotion to cool completely.

The consistency may seem a bit thin, but it will thicken as it cools. You
may add the orange Essential Oil now if you wish. Pour into a lidded
container. To use: massage a small amount into your skin.

This body lotion recipe leaves your skin feeling and looking radiant. The
Almond Joy Body Lotion feels silky-smooth and smells terrific. This body
lotion is a lavish and invigorating way to treat your skin.

It is easy to make an affordable, skin nourishing and pampering bath and
body product. Feel free to substitute or add other essential oils to
personalize your body lotion recipe. The recipe can be left without
fragrance or essential oils can be added for therapeutic benefit.

Creams and lotions are made by combining oil-based, which provide nourishing
properties, and water-based ingredients to moisturize the skin. Creams and
lotions are the only skin care applications that moisturize and nourish at
the same time.

Here’s a quick, inexpensive and easy packaging idea; Removing labels off
empty glass jars. Relish jars, olive jars and baby food jars all work well.
Spray paint the lids with a granite spray. Hand lotion recipes packaged in a
cobalt bottle or a brushed aluminum bottle always present well. Or, place
your almond body lotion recipe in decorative bottles. For an added touch,
write the recipe on a little card and tie the recipe onto the bottle with
ribbon or raffia.

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Minty Fresh Bath Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried mint (chop up finely if its fresh)
1 cup fresh bay leaves -finely chopped
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon of almond extract
Procedure
Mix ingredients together then place in a mesh bag such as cheesecloth. Place
under hot running water. Sit back & enjoy.

Tropical Dream Bath Recipe
Ingredients:
3 drops rose fragrant or essential oil
2 drop jasmine fragrant or essential oil
1 ounce liquid glycerin (skin moisturizer)
1 ounce coconut oil
1 (4oz) bar castille soap (humectant) (grated or flaked), you can also use 1
cup unscented shampoo as an alternative to the castille soap.
1 quart (4 cups) distilled water
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Store in a container. Pour in running water.

Note: Castille soap is used to soften and moisturize the skin, its made from
100% Olive Oil. Liquid glycerin another skin moisturizer, is a by-product of
soap making. Both of these products can be found at health food stores, some
drug stores, or major department stores depending on where you live. These
products are readily available on the internet as well.
http://www.pioneert hinking.com/ tropbubble. html

Chocolate Kissing Potion
Combine 1 1/2 tsp. cocoa butter, 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, the contents
of 1 vitamin E capsule and 3 chocolate chips. Melt , then cool before
applying.

Raspberry Oatmeal Hand Cream

A nice, rich cream to smooth and soothe your hands. You can substitute
any fragrance oil you’d like in the quantity called for in the recipe,
or you can leave it unscented too!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup distilled water
1/8 teaspoon borax
1/3 cup sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon lanolin
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon beeswax
15 drops raspberry fragrance oil
5 drops oatmeal, milk & honey fragrance oil

Combine water and borax in heavy pan (or double boiler) over low heat;
stir until borax dissolves. In separate saucepan (or double boiler),
melt the beeswax, sweet almond oil and lanolin together, stirring until
all well blended. Slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, add the water/borax
mixture into the oil/wax mixture stirring constantly. Continue stirring
until it forms
a thick white cream and has cooled to room temperature. You can use a
handheld mixer on low speed for this. Stir in fragrance oils and make
sure they are well incorporated. Pour the cream into jar and seal. The
shelf life of this cream is about 3 months but you can add the
preservative of your choice to extend that.

by Arcadia Aromatics

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EASY ROSEMARY BEER BREAD

ingredients

12 oz wholewheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 oz sun dried tomatoes, chopped finely
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 fl oz real ale
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Line a 1 lb 9 oz loaf tin with non stick baking parchment.

3. Place the wholemeal flour in a bowl and stir in the baking powder;
chopped sun dried tomatoes, rosemary and salt.

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the ale and olive
oil, and mix to a firm dough.

5. Press the dough into the loaf tin and score the top.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until well risen and the base of the bread sounds
hollow when tapped.

serving amount

makes 10 slices.

Courtesy of CatDancing @ Witch’s Brew on MSN

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GARLIC-HERB CHEESE SPREAD

1 cup ricotta or farmer cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut up
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tblsps. chopped fresh herbs (marjoram, oregano, rosemary,
sage, savory or thyme)
2 tblsps. fresh basil, chopped
1 tblsp. fresh chervil or chives, chopped
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Fresh herb sprigs
assorted crackers

Place first 9 ingredients in blender container or food
processor with metal blade. Cover and process until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Garnish with
fresh herb sprigs and serve with crackers. Makes 2 cups.

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Brown Sugar Candy

3 C. light brown sugar

1 C. water

1 t. white vinegar

2 egg whites - beaten stiff

1 C. nuts - chopped

Boil the sugar, water and vinegar until it forms a string. Beat in the beaten egg whites. Beat together until cool. Add the nuts and drop on waxed paper.

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Horehound Tea
(c) Wystira Moonsinger

When one usually thinks of horehound, you think cough drops, right? Well,
not so…you should also think of horehound tea. Horehound tea offers a
soothing, welcome relief from cought. Horehound has fantastic expectorant
properties and is also good for the liver, gallbladder, poor appetitie,
asthma, as well as, soothes sore throats. Horehound tea is also fantastic
for use with bronchial congtestion and believe it or not, indigestion. You
can use the tea also on chronic skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.

CAUTION: Do NOT use horehound during pregnancy as it will induce labor.

Horehound Tea
(c) Wystira’s Herbal BOS

1-2 tsp. horehound leaves & stems
1 cup boiling water
Pour the boiling water over the herb material and let steep for 3-5 minutes,
strain. Drink 2-3 cups per day. Do not sweeten when treating digestive
problems, coughs or bronchitis. But, you can add 1 tsp. of honey per cup to
improve the tea’s bitter taste. Honey has a soothing effect on mucous
membranes in the respiratory tract.

Drinking horehound tea after a rich meal helps reduce digestive problems and
improves bile secretion, which helps you to digest your meal more
effectively and helps reduce bloating.

Congestion Ease Tea
(c) Wystira’s Herbal BOS

1 1/2 oz. horehound herb
3/4 oz. eucalyptus leaves
3/4 oz. valerian root
3/4 oz. marsh-mallow root

Make tea like the above recipe by steeping the above herbs for 3-5 minutes.
Strain and drink. This will help to break up the muscous congestion and
soothe irritated respiratory tracts. You can sweeten this with honey.

Menstruation Regulation Tea
(c) Wystira’s Herbal BOS

1 1/2 oz. horehound herb
3/4 oz. shepherd’s purse
3/4 oz. aniseeds
3/4 oz. rosemary leaves

Make a tea like the above by steeping the herbs for 3-5 minutes; strain;
drink.

Flatulence Relief
(c) Wystira’s Herbal BOS

Drink 1 cup of the tea (see above) 2-3 times per day, unsweetened.

Horehound Cough Syrup
(c) Wystira’s Herbal BOS

1/2 oz. horehound herb
2 cups boiling water
1 lb. brown sugar

Place the hergb in the boiling water and cover then remove from heat till it
gets cold. Strain out the herb using a cheesecloth or very fine strainer (I
prefer the cheesecloth) . Add the brown sugar and melt over low heat,
stirring constantly till all of the brown sugar is incorporated. Bottle,
seal, and refrigerate up to 4 weeks. Take 1 tbsp, 4-5 times a day.

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It is Time to get the grills out and BBQ!!!!

Horn-Honking BBQ Sauce
1cup Ketchup
1/2 cup beer or non-alcoholic beer
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcesteshire sauce
1 Tbsp. steak seasoning
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Use as a basting sauce while grilling.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

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“A LUSTY BREW FOR BELATINE”
by Edain McCoy

1 liter ginger ale
1 pound honey
1 cup orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup passion fruit juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup papaya juice
1 cup alcohol of choice for “spiking” (optional)
1 spacious punch bowl

In a medium-sized sauce pan, blend the honey and
the orange juice over medium heat. Keep stirring
until the honey is completely blended into the
liquid. If you can still feel “heaviness” in the
bottom of the pan, keep stirring. Remove from heat
and allow to cool completely. In another bowl,
combine remaining ingredients. Pour honey mixture
into the punch bowl over crushed ice or ice cubes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

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• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 to 2 inch piece vanilla bean
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. rose water
• Whipped cream

Using a clean mortar and pestal reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt sugar and spices together.

Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the egg yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat.

When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh marigold petals.

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Ariel Wishing Powder

Each of the herbs, essential oils and colors listed in these recipes were
chosen because they correspond to the elements of Air and Water as well as
possessing strong protective energies. Use these powders to enlist the aid
of the angel Ariel.

* Herbs:
* Lemongrass
* Yarrow
* Essential Oils:
* Eucalyptus
* Colors:
* Blue
* Gold
* White

All wishing powders consist of three main ingredients Dried Herbs,
Essential Oils, and colored Glitter or Confetti.

The glitter and confetti you choose to work with can be anything from tiny
silver stars to large purple hearts, large bottles of standard crafting
glitter to small pots of ultra-fine iridescent glittering powder, and even
colored wood shavings. I have found that when looking for ways to
incorporate color into your powders, there are literally hundreds of options
Try them all and find out what works best for you!

To create this powder, you will need to gather the following items:

* The herbs, Essential Oils, colors listed above
* A bowl for mixing (I recommend a plastic bowl with a lid since it is much
easier to shake a powder together than to stir)
* Any measuring cups or spoons you prefer to use
* A mortar and pestle to help break up large chunks of herbs

Once you have all your equipment ready, measure each ingredient into the
bowl. For your first few powders, I recommend using 1 Tablespoon of each
herb, 1 teaspoon of each glitter and / or confetti, and 1 drop of each
Essential Oil. You can easily customize your powders once you get the hang
of making them!

Next, cover your bowl tightly with its lid and shake vigorously until the
ingredients are well blended. To empower your magickal powder, visualize
what you would like the powder to accomplish money in your bank account,
your perfect soul mate, or the excited face of your best friend when you
present her with a special birthday wishing powder. Hold this image in your
mind at least until you have finished shaking. Ideally, you will be thinking
about this purpose throughout the whole creation process from gather
ingredients to packaging the finished powder to give your magick as much
energy as possible.

To package your finished powder, you may measure it into small plastic
zipper bags, pour them into small glass vials or plastic tubes, or even
store them in the bowl you used to create them. The possibilities are nearly
endless! Just remember to label the powder once you’ve packaged it and
include a list of ingredients and instructions for use.

~ From: “Make A Wish - The Art of Creating Magic Wishing Powder” by Lady
Wolfdreams ~

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Easter Bonnets
Easy to make and delicious, these beautiful Easter Bonnets will give your Sunday celebration a stylish flare.
Prep time: 15 min.
Baking time: 12 min.
Decoration time: 40 min.
Difficulty: Challenging

What you’ll need:

1 bag each of M&M’S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Easter, STARBURST® Brand Jellybeans, SKITTLES® Brand Bite Size Candies for Easter, STARBURST® Brand FUN SIZE® Fruit Chews for Easter
10 medium cupcakes (2-1/2-inch) , store bought or homemade
1 package refrigerated sugar dough, or ten 4-1/2-inch cookies
2 16-oz. containers prepared white frosting
Food coloring

Step by step
–> What to do:

Roll the sugar dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Press out ten 4-1/2-inch cookies. Bake the cookies according to directions on the package. Set aside.

Remove the paper cupcake liners from the cupcakes. Trim the rounded top of each cupcake to square it off.

Ice the top of each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of frosting. Turn the cupcakes upside down and place them on the cookies. Set the “cookie hats” on a wire rack.

Divide the icing into 4 bowls. Beginning with a few drops of food coloring, tint the icing in each bowl to a desired pastel shade. One at a time, place the bowls into the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir the icings to achieve a consistency that’s easy to pour but not too runny—like a milkshake.

Spoon icing over the hats, completely covering them. Set aside for 10 minutes to let icing firm up. If necessary, spoon icing over the hats again to coat them completely.

Decorate each hat using M&M’S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Easter, STARBURST® Brand Jellybeans, and SKITTLES® Brand Bite Size Candies for Easter.

To make hat ribbons, unwrap STARBURST® Brand FUN SIZE® Fruit Chews for Easter. Soften them in the microwave for 5 seconds. Then thinly roll them, cut them into thin ribbons, and wrap them around the hats.

Makes 10 bonnets.

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