bippity boppity bake!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Is this blog dead? it was such a great resource...

No, I just have 2 jobs and just graduated college so I don’t exactly have a lot of time to transcribe my spells digitally + do illustrations. People are still free to request spells (hey, maybe I’ll have something already on hand that’s faster to post than the other things in the works) and submit recipes/advice of their own.

[thiskitchenwitch]

do you do like actual spells and stuff? that's something people do?

Eh, yeah, but think of it like this: consider how a Christian religious service goes. There are specific rituals both the priest and churchgoers perform in reverence to their faith, such as eating or drinking something to symbolize the blood and body of Christ, processions, prayer, etc. It’s all done in observance of God or the participant’s better self, and a lot of people believe that performing these rituals or making these prayers for help will produce actual, tangible results–or spiritual results, which is in the same vein. It’s not inaccurate to compare it to a spell; the motions and intent are very similar.

Whether or not someone calling themselves a witch believes their spells and rituals have physical (or spiritual) effects is down to them and their faith. Pagans and wiccans can fall under this umbrella, but a lotta folks who call themselves witches end up crafting their own personal spiritual practices and beliefs. In essence, ‘witchcraft’ is a catchall for worship/a spiritual path that may entail whatever the practitioner deems important to their faith. Some people do ‘spells’ in order to simply observe dead relatives or celebrate a new season. Some people do spells as a way to ground themselves, such as in meditation or affirmation. Some people do spells because they have faith in magic.

Basically it’s down to the individual. Whether your little chant spell is to remind yourself to be positive or to try and magically lift your mood boils down to your faith system. Ultimately, if you wouldn’t harsh on your Catholic cousin for their religious rituals and beliefs, it shouldn’t be a stretch to extend that same courtesy to folks under the witch umbrella.

[thiskitchenwitch]

do you have any good herb replacements for alder? (it's being used because of the properties that make it commonly used in both music and wind-whistling magic, and i have no way to get alder.)

This is a bit of a tough one to answer since I don’t know how you might be applying the herbs when you sub them for alder in your practice–are they being burned? Ingested? Applied topically? Used as a wand? I’ll do my best to give you some general options, but feel free to make a more specific inquiry. Musically inclined uses for herbs are few and far between, so this is mostly regarding the wind-whistling. 

Alternate Woods:

Other woods may be more accessible than alder (Alnus spp.). Elder (Sambucus spp.) is a similarly-named wood that shouldn’t be confused with alder, but it shares many of the same properties. The name latin name sambucus comes from a wind instrument traditionally made with elder wood, and it is associated with both music and wind. Elder can be very toxic if handled incorrectly, so you should take care if you use it. Poplar (Populus spp.) has properties regarding speech, language, and wind that you may also find useful.

Herbs:

Popular/generally agreed on herbs for air and wind-calling are anise seed, pansy, saffron, lavender, lemon verbena, heather, mint, and lungwort. Lungwort may be swung around the head or tossed to encourage winds. Not all of these are edible, so please research before you use them internally or externally!

And now, a recipe! This is a modification of a storm-calling/storm-singing brew I have used on occasion. The major changes are some swapped herbs and different intent/natural energy in the water, so it may take a little preparation and waiting for the right weather if you don’t have everything on hand. It is quite flexible with herb proportions, so don’t worry if you only have a little bit of mint or something, just sub in some more of another ingredient. 

The Call

A brew for wind and storm and voice

Ingredients:

Lavender, a few ounces of culinary grade. 

Mint (or, if you’re a little strapped for fresh herbs, a mint flavoring)

Elderberries. A spoonful for a more tea-like broth, or 1 cup per 3 cups liquid for a rich syrup. This is used symbolically as a connection to the elder tree and its properties, as described above. Do NOT eat the berries raw, as they are only safe once cooked.

One to three cups intent-specific water (more below on this)

Sugar or honey to taste; 1:1 ration to the water for a thick, sweet syrup to add to other beverages, and less for a standalone tea.

OPTIONAL, depending on intent: Bee pollen, ice cubes

The first step will likely be to fetch or prepare your water. In my original recipe, I use storm water; for a wind-specific brew, wait for an especially blustery storm or drizzle before collecting it. Alternately (especially if you want warm, summer winds), collect wind in a bottle and submerge it into a bowl of your water, allowing it to bubble up and aerate the liquid. The slower the better with the latter method (and it can be used for things other than water!); experiment with bottle angles and partial capping to see if you can get it to infuse gradually over a night or two.

Next, combine your herbs and berries with your water and sugar. 

FOR COLD WINDS: Add more mint, use white sugar, and place ingredients in fridge or cool place with ice cubes instead of water. Allow the ice to infuse cold into the other components and allow the mix to cold-brew overnight. You will still need to heat this if you use elderberries; if desired, create and freeze an elderberry tea in place of ice cubes, so you will not need to reintroduce heat after the cold-brewing process. Otherwise, heat the mixture thoroughly, and reduce on a simmer.This is perfect for a brisk, refreshing wind in the summer, or powerful winds in the winter. Best drunk or applied cold!

FOR WARM WINDS: Add more lavender, and use honey instead of sugar. If you have time, I recommend steeping the lavender and honey together in a cozy place for a few weeks beforehand. Combine your base ingredients and get it to a brisk simmer to extract all the herbal essence. Reduce. After cooling, add bee pollen and allow to rest in the sun before using.This is best for strong summer winds, and a warm breeze on too-chilly spring and fall days.

FOR POWER: Add more elderberry. Make a syrup instead of a tea, using lots of the berry for a dark, rich brew. I would personally recommend using storm water AND aerating the water for some extra kaboom; if possible, create the potion on a day that’s already windy/stormy, and cool the syrup outside as the wind howls. Sing to it or play music if you’re comfortable–stuff with heavy drums and monotone vocals is my fave for big moody weather feelings.

To use:

if a tea, drink shortly before attempting vocal, whistling, or wind magic. Drink hot if working vocally to loosen your voice. If a syrup, add to water or another beverage, or apply to your lips. You can also take it as a thick tonic. I would recommend clearing your mind and meditating on the potion’s purpose before consuming.

I hope this is useful! Followers, feel free to chip in; wind and music magic are not generally my arena, so if anyone can help this anon, I’m sure they would appreciate it!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Hello! I just started reading your blog, and I'm very interested in practicing some kitchen witchery, but I had a question. Is it possible to practice witchery and still eat meat?

Yes! I am personally a vegetarian, but meat preparation is still a large part of my life due to my decision to incorporate natural food into my pet’s diets. There is nothing wrong with an omnivore (which you are) enjoying meat. While some spiritual and religious paths forbid some or all animal products, ‘magic’ is an INCREDIBLY broad stroke of the brush that doesn’t really have those strict limitations.

If you are concerned about the ethical ramifications of eating meat, first consider that eating vegetarian/vegan isn’t always ‘ethical’ (who picked your crops? Were they paid well or taken advantage of? How much gas did it take to bring that food to you?), and that meat sources are not always cruel (hunting for population control, local farm animals, etc). Sourcing your meat, like all your food, is important if you can afford to do so; a little extra effort to attend local food markets can do a lot to connect you to your surroundings and reduce your personal environmental impact. But don’t feel bad if you can’t do that! We all have to pick our battles in life and do good where we can. Buying a Wal-Mart chicken isn’t going to invalidate you as a witch.

In short: if you can eat meat comfortably, and you don’t have any existing moral objections to it, there is no reason you should forgo it in this particular spiritual practice. Hope this helps!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Whew, finally back from school! Now that I’m free, it’s time to reassemble one of my best school essentials for next quarter—tiny, reusable packets of herbs that are perfect for spells on the go (or spicing up a dull meal…what’s the difference, really?). 

While I love the look of tiny bottles for portable ingredients, they’re not as space-saving as these repurposed straws. So though my best staples get bottled for easiest refills, I like to keep the odd ingredient (or extra backups of the classics) rattling around in my pockets like this! Some things to keep in mind:

Only melt the ends as they’re separated from the herbs by the pliers/tweezers—food safe plastic or not, you still don’t want that melting on your ingredients!

Most straws work for this, but thin plastic straws may warp and bubble further up the tube before the ends seal shut; try a few tests, and heat with care.

While I always carry around a pen knife, if you don’t, consider keeping these in a little pocket tin with a razor blade for easy opening. Cutting the small notch in the end is pretty effective for fingers-only opening, but may cause leaks in fluid-filled packets and should be avoided in those cases. Small, neat incisions with a knife also make for easier sealing for reuse! 

EDIT: while I didn’t touch on it too much here, I also use these to prepare ready-made spells. If you’re doing this, consider matching the color of the candle and straw to the spell intent!

[thiskitchenwitch]

YES MORE KITCHEN WITCHCRAFT! It's great to see more recipes and stuff involving food, my own resources were lacking in those topics... And also, awesome that you're getting tons of recognition for this. Looking forward to seeing your future posts! :D

Aw man, thank you!! <3 I’m glad I could help--I know there are a few great blogs on tumblr that deal with kitchen witchcraft and domestic herbalism, but not a lot of them are recipe-based. I hope I can continue to deliver useful content for you all!!

[thiskitchenwitch]

My birthday is coming up, is there any kitchen witchery I can do? Like a cake recipe or something?

Sorry for getting to this a bit late--I hope your birthday hasn’t passed yet, but if it has, it’s not too late to go for a second round of treating yourself to the good stuff!

Here’s a fave cake to welcome inbirthdays and new years! I’m especially fond of it because it’s a relativelylight slice of deliciousness that pairs really well with tea and coffee, so it’seasy to double up your spells and intent through a little brewing magic. Themost powerful ingredients in this are rum, cinnamon, and oranges—all associatedwith protection and luck. Rum is also used often as an offering material, so ifyou worship a god or want to please local spirits, this would great to sharewith the spirit world as well. Oranges bring abundance and happiness to you,and are used frequently in beauty baths and spells…well, you are what you eat,so why not include it for those purposes too?

Optional syrup topping:

½ cup rum

½ cup butter

½ cup orange juice (or sub inwater with a lil orange extract)

Sprinkle of salt

A few cinnamon sticks, or pinchesof powdered cinnamon

Combine everything except the rumin a saucepan and reduce on low heat until about ½ original volume. Remove fromheat and allow to cool slightly before adding rum. You can make this ahead oftime from the cake, but you’ll need to reheat the syrup so it drizzles inevenly.

 For the cake:

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

A couple big ol’ shakes ofcinnamon

¾ cups white sugar

¼ cups brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs and one separated egg yolk

½ cup milk

¾ cup butter

¼ cup rum

A hearty dash of vanilla

Zest of a few oranges

A little more cinnamon and sugarto sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325 F. Sifttogether flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Mix together milk, vanilla, zest andrum; allow to come to room temp. Beat room temp butter in mixer or by hand,slowly adding the white and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and theextra yolk and beat until combined. While beating, stir in alternating pours ofthe flour and milk mixtures, mixing each until just combined (don’t overbeat!).Pour into a greased pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, gaugingcompleteness with a dry knife poked into the center. Cool for ten minutesbefore upending from the pan. Drizzle with hot syrup, if using, and sprinklewith extra cinnamon and sugar.

I like this with a mint and basiltea for fortune or a rum-spiked peppercorn coffee for a year of renewed energy.Combine it with a little brewing magic (and maybe some bath magic, if youREALLY wanna spoil yourself) and welcome in good vibes!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Ahhh, thank you all! I’m glad you like it so far! And yes, I do all my own illustrations. c:

[thiskitchenwitch]

Wake: a potion for last minute mornings, rough weeks, and all-nighter recovery

As some of you may have noticed, I’ve been a bit absent from this blog since college started back up—mostly due to being completely overwhelmed by a tremendous amount of work in addition to my school duties. I’m sure we’ve all been there; you’re treading water with your normal workload, when suddenly everything else goes belly up and you’re stuck with WAY more than you think you can cope with (and, if you’re like me, you might even get lucky enough to catch a gross cold on top of that!).

Well, the good news is that you probably CAN handle what life is throwing at you. The bad news is it’s probably still going to suck for a while as you get things back under control. A little self care can go a long way at such times, so this and the next few posts will focus on just that! This first recipe (or potion, if you prefer) is quick, dirty, and a lifesaver on rough days.  It’s simple, and can easily be tweaked to replace different ingredients (chai instead of coffee, etc.) as long as they abide by the same goals: keep awake, keep fed, and keep going.

BASE:

Coffee (or another stimulant)

Sugar to taste

Optional, if you have time:

Pinch of cinnamon (energy, good vibes, strength)

Dash of clove (protection)

Peeled ginger (strengthens and intensifies workings it is part of)

Vanilla (restores lost energy)

Pinch of calendula flowers (courage, energy, protection)

If you’re in a rush, just make coffee or caffeinated tea as you normally would and move to the next step. If you have a few minutes—or are prepping ahead of time—you have two options:

1.       Steep the optional herbal ingredients in coffee while gently heating until infused, straining once finished, or

2.       Place herbs in a saucepan with a 2 / 1 mixture of sugar and water, enough to cover the herbs. Heat until sugar is melted and herbs have fully steeped their flavor into the syrup. Strain and bottle to add to your coffee base later.

If you are using vanilla extract, do not add it until the mixtures are cooled from a simmer, as the alcohol will evaporate. If you are very stressed while making this, I recommend stirring counterclockwise to banish negative energy and taking the simmer time to take a few deep breaths, clear your mind, and try to release a little tension.

To your base, add the following:

Milk/cream/soy (adds healthy fat and calcium—milk’s a food, too!)

Powdered nuts; specifically, I like a big scoop of powdered peanut butter for this (peanuts bring prosperity and protection), but there are a lot of different nuts with different properties available on the health market. A big huge jar of powered peanut butter will run you only about nine bucks at most stores.

This part seems like it might taste bad (I know that’s what I was afraid of when I first made it), but it’s honestly kind of good. And most importantly, both the above ingredients—mostly the peanut butter—are full of protein and good fats, which upgrades this from a short-term energy boost to something that will actually sustain you throughout the day.

When mixing the components, I place them all in a jar and shake vigorously. Jars are great for carrying drinks around in (or am I just weird?), and shaking the potion is my favorite point to really focus on its purpose: energy. If you want, this is a solid little chant to do over it as well, especially if accompanied by visualization:

I won’t rest; sleep won’t take me

Daily trials will not shake me

I am still here, standing strong

Time for rest has come and gone.

Throughout the day, this serves as a light power shake and a great way to kill both your hunger and your caffeine addiction at the same time. When I know that I’m not getting back home until late, this is my go-to for powering through the day!

[thiskitchenwitch]

I was wondering, when you use herbs in your meals do you dry them first or do you just wash the leaves/petals and toss 'em in?

Either way works, honestly, so I mix up my approach depending on the season. Dry spices lend themselves well to meat rubs and oil infusions, and are obviously very convenient! Newly dried herbs and flowers often boast more concentrated flavor than either fresh or older dried product, which can be helpful in honey or alcohol infusions, or when you want to add a lot of an herb to a baked good. 

I do tend to use fresh herbs when I have them because the freshness does (in my opinion) improve the dish. A lot of times the color can be more pronounced in the final product too, which is nice! If you use fresh it’s a good idea to finely chop your petals and leaves first, though, to allow for better dispersion.

[thiskitchenwitch]

I was wondering if you had any substitutes for smoke/fire. I can't use them inside because I have two birds. So far I have a volcanic rock on my altar but it doesn't feel like enough to represent fire and I would love to have more variety.

If it’s not possible to directly use an element in spells, I usually try and represent specific aspects for what I’m doing. Some things that might work for fire:

-Classic representations such as an athame (or a wand, depending on who you talk to) for a ritual element

-An portrayal of an animal you associate with fire, such as a pheonix

-Desert sand (bonus points if you collected it yourself on a hot day and have memories attached!)

-Charcoal, ruby, fire opal, or red garnet to add to your lava rock

-For smoke: the smell or taste of medicinal charcoal powder can be great (just don’t inhale it!). A burned, cooled piece of hardwood can also be smelled to invoke smoke, and lasts quite a while before you need to refresh the scent.

My personal favorites are, of course, in kitchen-y herb form! I like to make a hot tea with spicy ingredients–black pepper, ginger, clove, even a little habanero if I’m feeling really dangerous–and using the fiery taste to get a feel for the element. If you don’t like spices, using rich smokey flavors and drinking the tea as hot as possible can also work well. Placing a hot cup on an alter will result in the plumes of steam looking a lot like streams of candle smoke! 

[thiskitchenwitch]

Psst--I clarified my substitute spell components post with an extra note about pine, specifically pine when burned/used in cooking, since some folks had a bee in their bonnets about that. While it goes without saying that you should research all spell components before using them--yes, even in kitchen witchery--I did realize I should make it very clear the do’s and don’ts about cooking with pine (i.e. it’s honestly not that dangerous, but only use a little for your spell/let it burn off a bit and do it outdoors, never in a wood stove). Making an exclusively pine fire will make food taste gross, and it has a higher chance of being sooty, so you have to cut it with other wood. Hope that clears things up! Again, always research what you’re burning so you know how to use the material safely/in a way that won’t ruin your dinner!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Flower butter is an incredibly simple way to incorporate fresh flowers and herbs into your kitchen, and looks super impressive when paired with fresh bread or scones. You can make as many variations to this as you have edible plants on hand!

Basic flower butter proportions:

One cup fresh, organic edible flower petals or herbs, unpacked

½ cup (a stick) room temperature butter

½ tsp or a drizzle of lemon juice (to prevent flowers browning)

Chop petals or herbs finely and drizzle with lemon juice; mix into butter. Simple as that! I recommend pouring in a few spoonfuls of honey to taste if you’re using flowers.

Some variations to try include…

LUCK BUTTER: A savory green herb butter for good fortune! Use basil (to bring luck) and chive stalks and/or blossoms (to drive ill energy away). Add a little mint to taste, and salt the butter to your preference, using a salt that has meaning to you if possible (sea salt for oceanic prosperity and protection, etc). Stir clockwise and focus on the upturns in life you hope to see. All these ingredients also can be found in money spells, so tweak proportions and intent if you’d like to see this butter result in cash instead!

LOVE BUTTER: A sweet way to butter up a lover or crush and encourage good vibes. Or for self-love, as this is great way to spoil yourself! Combine rose petals and several chopped strawberries into a fragrant jam, then mix thoroughly with butter and honey. Whisper something personal into the bowl that you’d like your love to hear—it can be as sweet or as saucy as you like—and picture the intent infusing the mixture, ready to carry your message to whoever enjoys your tasty treat!

PROTECTION BUTTER: Because sometimes you have to eat your stress and worry away. Clear yourself of bad vibes with this cleansing, spicy concoction. Roast garlic in the oven and chop finely; combine with ground black pepper, black salt (if you can get it). To those protective ingredients, add several finely chopped nasturtium blossoms—peppery and fierce, they represent victory and conquest. Combine stirring counterclockwise, picturing a blaze of protective fire and energy springing to life in the bowl. Focus again on this image as you eat, knowing the flames will burn out the negative energies that have been plaguing you.

[thiskitchenwitch]

As summer cools off, we can start getting our baking fixes without dying of heat stroke—hooray! But if you still want to hang onto that summer sunshine, this recipe combines yellow squash (the underappreciated sibling of zucchini) with lemon and ginger for a sweet golden pop that’ll wake you up in the morning.

The three stars here are squash, lemon, and ginger. Squash is not particularly known for herbal or magical attributes, but it’s a sun-soaked vegetable full of nutrition. It wouldn’t be a stretch to consider squash as a stand-in for sun water or another sun ingredient in baking applications—after all, it’s 90% water and grows best in the full blaze of midsummer! Lemon has cleansing properties and is well known to help wake up a sleepy mind, making it a great breakfast bread ingredient…especially when paired with ginger. Ginger’s a protective, fiery magical ingredient and a powerful anti-inflammatory that soothes internal pains. Together, they make for an invigorating flavor with delicious benefits!

If you would like, prepare yourself for the recipe by setting up each ingredient before you start (mise en place!) and focusing on the outcome you want—a meal that will wake you up in the early school mornings, a snack that will keep you alert after a long day of work, a tasty ward against the oncoming colds and flu—whatever you think is an appropriate purpose for this sunny bread (hint: it’s all of them!). Make sure to combine your ingredients purposefully. Lighting a candle may help you focus, if you need the help!

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 cups flour

1 1⁄2 cups yellow squash (grated or pureed)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

A pinch of ginger, to taste

2 eggs

3⁄4 cup sugar

1⁄2 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

OPTIONAL:

Zest of a lemon + 1 tbsp of juice, if you want it real lemony

Candied lemon-ginger peel, to taste

Lemon glaze

Instructions:

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon). Combine and beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and candied peel in a separate bowl. Add juice and zest if using. Mix in dry ingredients, stirring just until batter is wet, avoiding overmixing. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan; top with glaze and, if you want, some extra candied peel. Try not to eat it all at once!

Lemon(s)

Grated or powdered ginger

Sugar, 1-2 cups as needed

Water to cover peels + ½ cup

Peel lemon with a vegetable peeler, trying to remove only the yellow skin with as little white (pith) as possible. Slice into thin strips and place in a pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil for 30s then drain (this helps cook out bitterness, in case you have pith still on). If there’s a lot of pith on your lemon peel, add a pinch of salt to the water and blanch a second time. Place blanched peels in dry pot and cover with sugar. Add the ½ cup of water and the ginger and slowly bring up the heat to a simmer, dissolving the sugar and being careful not to caramelize or burn the solution. You should be able to simmer on low for 40-60 minutes like this to really candy the peels. Drain the peels (saving the sugar syrup for glaze) and either coat in sugar (if you want some to eat later) or chop when cooled for the bread!

Lemon Glaze:

Using the syrup from the lemon peels, add lemon juice and powdered sugar to taste. Drizzle hot over the fresh loaves. If you have not made the lemon peels and still want glaze, combine 1 tbsp lemon juice with ½ powdered sugar and mix in the zest of one lemon, adjusting proportions as you like.

The loaves are delicious with or without the glaze and peel, and the peel is super tasty as a candied treat by itself (and makes a great gift). Enjoy!

[thiskitchenwitch]

Herbs, flowers, fruits, wood: The substitutes you can count on!

You’ll probably be using at least one of the above things in most magical workings. Here’s a quick breakdown! 

ROSEMARY: Rosemary can substitute for any herb. Used for its own properties, it is a good component in cleansing baths, can be kept under the pillow to remember dreams, and things associated with memory: memorable impressions, recall, and enhancement of one’s own memory. In cooking, it makes a delicious addition to savory dishes and meats, while also providing a complex flavor to sweet applications. Rosemary infused in honey or tea is strong and tasty, and it adds a sophisticated edge to simple sweets like sugar cookies.

ROSE: Rose can substitute for any flower. Make sure to only get roses for culinary applications or grow your own, since those from a florist will likely contain pesticides! Roses are known for their uses in love spells, but are also used in many applications calling for happy, benign energy. Rose can soothe an angry heart, especially if the anger is due to relationship issues. In cooking, rose is a delicate floral note that can easily be lost under intense flavor, and is best highlighted in sweet or mild applications. Rose petals and rosehips make great tea, and can be jellied for a vitamin-C rich treat. Rose petals can be infused into oil, honey, sugars, and alcohol. Rose water can be used to enhance the flavor, but be sparing—storebought rosewater does not taste as light as homemade, and can overpower and ruin natural floral flavors.

LEMON/ORANGE: Fruit substitutions are less straightforward than others, but lemon, orange, and occasionally apple are considered solid go-tos. Pick whichever is right for the working or recipe, based either on intent or the other spell components! Lemon is associated with water and the moon, and used frequently in purifying and cleansing—both magical and non-magical. Lemon and honey in hot water is a great remedy for sore throat and indigestion, and the smell of lemon will perk you right up on a sleepy morning. Lemon (or any citrus) peel infuses fantastically in sugar, honey, booze, etc. Avoid using pith (the white stuff) and stick to the flavorful zest and juice. Zest is great in practically any baked good, and simply pouring hot water over used lemon rinds will make you entire house smell amazing.

PINE: Pine is regarded as a good substitute for most resins and woods. Pine resin is easy to collect, as are the needles, with a little reading on the species of tree. Pine is thought to banish sickness and bring in prosperity and luck, and often hung over doors or mixed into fragrant sachets to place under pillows. Pine needle tea is bitter, but rich in vitamins A and C; it should be incorporated sparingly to cooking applications, and you may want to enhance it with mint to avoid overuse of the bitter pine taste. In outdoor cooking, pine smells beautiful under a grill or in a fire.

CLARIFICATION: Some people have pointed out that pine can be dangerous to burn due to the high quantities of resin in the wood. This is not untrue! Pine can produce larger quantities of creosote and smoke, due to the resin and tar in logs. However, unless you cook with an all-pine fire regularly, it is not likely to reach dangerous levels (which you wouldn’t anyway, because all-pine fires will make your food taste like a BUTT). I also specified that it should be outdoor flame, since in a wood stove it can cause dangerous buildup. Also, not a great idea to use exclusively pine wood in a fire, as it won’t burn as well/won’t taste great; it’s best when cut with oak. Since pine burns hot, I like to start my bonfire/grill with it, and then pile apple or cherry wood on for the actual cooking an hour later. A few good pine logs/handful of chips will burn well, smell great, and be largely harmless. So like most spell components, research well and use in moderation! 

TOBACCO: Substitute for any poisonous herb. NOT FOR CULINARY USE. It is worth mentioning only in the case that someone is adapting a non-edible spell or ritual into an edible recipe that includes a poisonous herb—NEVER bring toxic plants into the kitchen, at risk of cross-contamination, and instead substitute tobacco by burning a cigarette near the pot (or, if you don’t want that in the house, burning it outside and catching a little smoke in a bottle to bring in). Do not add ashes to the cooking, as they are also poisonous. Don’t let this anywhere near your mouth.

QUARTZ: Not exactly a cooking ingredient, but stones are often used in magic and it is possible to bring them into the kitchen. Clear quartz is a good substitute for any stone you may not have, as it cleanly amplifies energies. While I wouldn’t ever put stones IN something you intend to eat, if you insist on soaking a stone/crystal in liquid recipe ingredients (water, tea, milk, etc), use quartz or another safe stone; malachite, copper, and many other minerals become poisonous when introduced to liquid environments. Don’t put any stone in something acidic, like juice, unless you are POSITIVE it will 1. not erode, and 2. not poison you. Don’t put crystals or stones in overly hot or boiling water, as this could cause them to crack and explode. And if they DO, don’t eat anything with sharp little crystal bits in it! Seriously, treat small shattered crystals like you would glass shards.

Most of these substitute ingredients are entirely edible (or at least mostly harmless) in some form, so if you’re trying to adapt a nonedible spell to baking or cooking, consider using some of these subs in the place of less...digestible...spell components. There are usually plenty of other subs with the properties you need, but these steadfast six are not only reliable, but pretty easy to acquire!

[thiskitchenwitch]

I'm really excited about your blog!!! Good luck and best wishes!!

Thank you so much! I’m really excited too, honestly--I’ve been wanting to make something like this for a while and only just plucked up the courage.

[thiskitchenwitch]

Hello, and welcome to thiskitchenwitch—a cooking blog that focuses on herbs, folklore, recipes, and just about anything else that’ll fit in the pot. The title IS slightly misleading, as I am not quite a kitchen witch, but I AM a “sort-of-this, sort-of-that magically spiritual kitchen-using-type-person”. I’m just someone who knows a lot about cooking, magic, myths, and foraging, and noticed that there aren’t a lot of kitchen magic (or nonmagical herbalism) resources around here. Whether you’re merely interested in the medicinal benefits of herbs or intending to add a little supernatural oomph to your cooking, this blog should lend a helping hand!

We’ll be focusing mostly on recipes, with special posts about individual herbs/spices/flowers and their properties. The goal is to tell you straight up what does what (or what is mystically attributed to do what!), but also provide tasty starting points to putting those things together.  And since this is the first post, this is the best time to go over the basics! Good cooks will find this old hat, but many hopeful herbalists and kitchen witches may find a few tips helpful. I’m a poor student chef, so you’ll find most posts are written from that point of view.

Pantry Basics for Thrifty Witches:

Throw away that ramen—with a few pantry staples, a delicious soup or stew is never far away!

·       +  Potatoes! Cheap, filling, and delicious in so many ways, potatoes also make a wonderful ‘blank canvas’ to add your herbs and spices to. Potatoes don’t have a lot of magic properties, but they can be carved into poppets or engraved with sigils, and are included in a number of tradition Sabbat dishes (for those who celebrate).

·       +  Onions AND garlic. Nothing will improve a savory dish more than a judicious application of both. Many-layered onions are a symbol of protection (and the skins can be used to make natural yellow dyes!), and garlic is similarly known for its purifying and warding qualities.

·       +  Oil. Infuse your herbs in a hot pan with oil, and never know bland food again! Vegetable oil is another pleasingly blank food item that soaks the attributes of whatever it is paired with; other oils, such as sesame, olive, or peanut, can have a tastily subtle effect of both the flavors and properties of your dish!

·      +   Flour. Doesn’t this belong in the baking category, you ask? Nope! Combined with hot oil, flour can thicken soups and sauces as a tasty roux, and serve as a basic breading. Wheat is a symbol of fertility and wealth.

·       +  Eggs! One of the cheapest sources of protein, eggs have endless uses. A multicultural symbol of life, eggs can also be used for divination, and the shells are good spell/ritual components.

·       +  Salt and, of course, spices! While salt and pepper should always be first on your list, further spices are absolutely necessary. Not only is food boring without them, but you can hardly practice herbal remedies or kitchen witchery without! A few good starter spices are peppercorns, rosemary, garlic powder (easier application than whole cloves, sometimes), cinnamon, ginger, clove, and perhaps vanilla extract if you plan to bake. Further additions can be made as needed. More detailed spice posts to follow!

·        + Cheese. Ok, maybe not so magic, but life without cheese is not a life I want to live. Vegans: at least get yourselves some cashews and look up how to make a vegan cashew cheese sauce. PLEASE.

I would also suggest rice, beans, milk, carrots, and some other cheap staples to start off with, if you have a few extra pennies to rub together. Especially the beans. I’m vegetarian, and I can tell you for a fact that you can LIVE off of those delicious things. Build the rest of your pantry around dishes you want to create!

On Kitchen Altars:

Whether or not you want to cleanse or consecrate a kitchen space, or create a kitchen altar, is up to you. Even those interested in non-magical herbal cooking may find the idea appealing, however, as the acts of cleaning, organizing, and decorating—spiritual or not—are a great way to get comfortable in your space. Those who live in apartments or dorm housing may find this especially beneficial as their living (and cooking) arrangements change over time. Setting up an altar in the kitchen is just like setting one up elsewhere in the home, though it may be fun to tweak it slightly (wooden spoon for a wand, chef’s knife for an athame, salt shakers for your earth element, teapot for water/a chalice…endless possibilities!).

I will admit I am very casual about preparing my space, and do not bother at all when I’m cooking at home. The home atmosphere may already be filled with good vibes and feel comfortable, and if that is the case, don’t worry about doing things ‘properly’. If you are new to the home, though, or just feel uncomfortable with the kitchen, here are some ideas—pick whichever feels most fulfilling to you!

·       +  Light a few candles (White, yellow, and red might be best suited for this) and quietly organize the space. Cleaning or setting up tools can become meditative, so long as you keep your mind to the task at hand and don’t start stressing out about other things going on in your life. This is also a good way to prepare for an individual recipe, as you set up and measure out each individual component before beginning.

·       +  Ask your patron to bless the area, as you would ask for their aid in any other matter. If you have no patron, or don’t feel they are much connected to the area, instead focus on the elements and how they come to harmony here: warm, scented air, cooking fire, boiling water, hot rock and metal.

·       +  Set up a kitchen god or guardian. The act of making and perhaps consecrating a small protective doll or statue is both fun and relaxing, and you’ll have positive memories of that creation every time you start cooking. Alternately, acquire one from a place you love, or ask a loved one to pick one for you if you’d rather not make your own.

·       +  There’s always the option to bless or purify your favorite way! Every path and person is different, so whether you wash your floor with storm water or line crystals on your stovetop, the only thing that matters is that you feel good about working there in the end.

Other suggested starter tasks: label and date everything (especially herbs) and pre-prepare certain ingredients (chopping vegetables and putting them in tupperware for tomorrow, chop onions, etc.) so it’s easier to start a soup than grab takeout on the way home. Write out a cheat-sheet of herbs and their uses so you can improvise on the fly. And get excited—cooking your own food (magic or not!!) is one of the most rewarding skills you can have!