Vegan Witchery

No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of These Spells

[kitchencrone]

Herb Journal: Basil

Historical

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an herb cultivated globally and thus has significance to many cultures. The herb has a strong association with death–especially with the journey to the afterlife. Basil plays important roles in Hinduism as well as some Orthodox denominations.

Mythological

Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a manifestation of the goddess Lakshmi in Hinduism.

Medicinal

Basil has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. It is used in traditional medicine to treat digestive disorders.

Practical

Some gardeners plant basil as a companion to tomatoes to repel pests.

Magical

Basil is useful for spellwork involving money, love, protection, and exorcism. Ideas for use in the magical kitchen, home, and garden: when using fresh basil in cookery, always add it at the last minute, as heat quickly destroys the flavor; preserve fresh basil by making it into a pesto and freezing, or by freezing the leaves in olive oil, or by making it into a tincture by infusing the leaves into high-proof alcohol for several weeks; dried basil loses its flavor quickly, but is still useful for spellwork, such as burning basil to banish malevolent spirits; add basil to a purification bath to wash away negative energy; plant basil in your garden to attract prosperity.

Agricultural

Basil is an annual that may be cultivated in any USDA zone, but it thrives especially in climates where nighttime temperatures are over 60° F. It prefers warm weather but is somewhat prone to sunburn, so it is best grown in plenty of natural, indirect light. Basil is a thirsty plant that will wilt if it is not receiving enough water; fortunately, it revives quickly upon watering. Basil should be pruned frequently to avoid the formation of flowers.

To harvest basil, cut the stem back to just above the first set of leaves. Use or preserve your fresh basil promptly, as it goes off within a day or two.

[stormsandspells]

Some Kitchen Witchery

Whenever I make soup or any kind of dish that would include herbs, I use a mix of different herbs to not only make the dish taste good but by stirring (if it is liquid) clockwise to bring good karma and good luck to whoever eats it.

[dontlickdatoad]

When to Harvest from Medicinal Herbs

Roots: fall & spring since all the energy and goodness isn’t put into making leaves or flowers

Buds/Flowers: when they’re fully formed but haven’t yet bloomed

Leaves: not as cut and dry and roots or buds because there are so many variables. My rule of thumb is to pick them along the same guidelines as picking other greens to eat. You want them vibrant, little to no insect damage, and you want them to taste strong. For many plants this will be right before the plant is in full bloom but that is only a very loose guideline. Use your senses and you can’t go wrong!

[softwitchart]

My kitchen window is open. The smell of bread baking in the oven fills the whole house. Fall scented candles are flickering on my table. I am at peace with the world. 🖤

[hexe-hexe]

Kitchen Witch Cold Soothing Recipes - Honey Fermentation

As I find myself feeling the cold symptoms progressed by my seasonal allergies (coughing, sore throat), I figured I would share two recipes I use that help speed up the recovery process and soothe the unsavoury symptoms.

Honey Fermented Garlic

- 1 head of garlic

- raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised honey

- mason jar / jar with easily removed lid (glass!!)

Start out by peeling all of the cloves in the head of garlic, then gently bruising and busting them open with the flat side of a knife or the back of a pestle. Let them rest for around 5 minutes. Add to your jar, and add enough honey to just cover them.

As the honey and garlic sit, a fermentation will start and you will notice small bubbles forming, pressure in your jar, and that the honey becomes very very thin (as opposed to the natural thick viscosity). Flip and “bother” your jar every day and release pressure build up. I generally just keep a jar of fermenting garlic honey always, just adding more honey and garlic as I get low.

Both honey and garlic have incredible natural medicinal properties. Garlic is antibiotic in nature and has been used for numerous generations in medicine. Sulfurus compounds, one of which being allicin, are produced when the cloves are crushed or chopped - these are linked to biological well being and combatting sickness. Amongst other benefits, such as good cholesterol health and lowering your blood pressure naturally, garlic is just overall very good for you. Honey as well is antibiotic in nature, and offers a sweet soothing feeling to any raw throat.

Raw garlic on its own is very pungent and relatively unbearable to eat completely raw. Fermented garlic in honey completely loses its bite and gains a sweetness, making it a lot more bearable to consume. Either eat the garlic cloves directly or consume a tablespoon of the honey when your throat starts feeling sore and continue throughout your cold.

Honey Fermented Ginger

- one medium/large ginger root, peeled and cut into chunks

- raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised honey

- mason jar / jar with lid that is easily removed (glass!!)

Start by peeling and cutting the ginger into chunks before crushing it with the back end of a pestle to bruise and break up. Put into your jar and cover with enough honey to cover it. Follow the same agitation steps as previously noted in the honey fermented ginger recipe.

This mixture will also get very thin, exhibit bubbles, and produce considerable pressure while fermenting as ginger is very active. I generally also just keep a jar of this mixture going year round, adding more as necessary.

Ginger is not only good for colds - it has anti inflammatory properties (headaches, muscle soreness, arthritis, etc) and aids in nausea treatment, as well as promoting good heart and circulatory system health.

Ginger is a little easier to consume raw, but still has a considerable bite - fermenting in honey mellows the strong flavour and softens it a touch, enough to be eaten out of the jar. I like adding a tablespoon or two of the ginger honey to my hot tea (or just mixing it into boiling water and consuming that) as it helps soothe the throat. Follow the same suggestions for consumption as the honey fermented garlic, or get creative with your consumption.

Both of these recipes are are really easy, and I find they help considerably in bringing me back to my full healthy glory.

Blessed be my witch friends ✨

[softwitchart]

One of my favorite bread recipes. 🖤

Flour

Corn meal

Milk

Vegetable/canola/whatever kind of oil you prefer

Salt

Pinch of black pepper

Rosemary to taste

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown on top.

I like to stir in my ingredients clockwise to bring good intent into my baking. I just focus on pouring all of my love into it, so that whosever eats it will be happy and satisfied. ☺️

[veganwitchery]

This is such a cute yummy little recipe. For breads I really prefer to sub oatmilk to keep that grain-dough flavor but any non-dairy milk will work fine here 💖

[flowers-frogs-torches]

Fall Spice Flavored Syrup

So fall is almost here, and so begins the parade of pumpkin spiced things.

I wanted some easy magic that I could have incorporate into my daily routine, while also enjoying the season of spiced hot beverages.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup brown sugar (or sugar of your choice)

1 cup water

2 tsp ground nutmeg (feel free to use the cheap preground stuff)

2 inch stick cinnamon

5 whole cloves (or ¼ tsp ground clove if that’s all you have)

I half star anise

½ tsp sea salt

Fillable tea bag or tea ball

Magic Correspondences

Nutmeg - properity in the coming harvest

Cinnamon - increasing spiritual and psychic powers

Clove - purification

Star Anise - increasing psychic powers

Sea salt - the good old purifier

Add sugar and water to pan. Stir. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Add nutmeg, cloves, and star anise to tea bag. Add spice bag and cinnamon stick to pan and boil one additional minute. Remove from heat. Stir in sea salt. Pour everything into a heat safe container, like a glass Mason jar. Use a small plate to cover it, and let it all steep until fully cooled. Remove spices and transfer to container of your choice.

Use to sweeten your coffee to taste and charge it with some intent. I also like to add a splash of milk. Feel free to interchange other fall spices to your taste or intent.

Happy Fall everyone! 🍁🍂🍁

[theazuerhushateveningstarrise]

A honey and peach Ceylon tea cake I made up last night as part of my monthly full moon ritual and offering, my own personal recipe

[veganwitchery]

These are stunning!

[kitchencrone]

Tomato Basil Soup

A classic soup to take advantage of the late summer harvest.

Ingredients

5 lbs. fresh tomatoes

2c. vegetable or chicken stock

salt & pepper to taste

¼ c. butter

½ c. half & half

generous handful fresh basil, shredded

Methods

Blanch the tomatoes by placing them in a large pot or heatproof bowl and pouring boiling water over them. When the skins begin to split, transfer them to an ice bath and discard the boiling water. Pull the skins off the tomatoes and discard or save for another purpose.

Puree the tomatoes with stock, salt, and pepper, leaving the tomatoes a bit chunky. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.

Add butter to soup, melt. Add half & half and basil. Heat it back up, but don’t let it boil. Remove from heat and serve.

The bread is homemade oatmeal bread, which I made following this recipe by Tumblr user estfortis.

Notes

Basil and tomatoes both have properties of prosperity, protection, and love. Milk has nurturing properties, and butter soothes troubled relationships. This recipe is a good one to make to restore harmony among your loved ones and to protect from future strife. Stir clockwise if you wish to invoke those properties, and counterclockwise to dispel negativity and tension. As always, ground yourself before you begin, and focus your intent as you work.

[veganwitchery]

I love when alternatives to animal products are listed in the recipe and this sounds so good 💖

[estfortis]

Ok my loves. You all seemed very into my oatmeal bread recipe so let me share the loaf I’m working on today. It’s a very simple no-knead bread that takes time only because you ignore it for 6+ hours after mixing it together. In fact, I like to make the dough in the evening and then bake it the next day. The best thing about it, though, is how forgiving it is. I have forgotten twice in a row to do the second rise and it still came out delicious, if a bit dense and tiny.

So- the recipe!

3 c flour, either all purpose or bread flour. I haven’t tried mixing in any whole wheat or anything, though i’m sure you could. It might take a little tweaking of the water content, but otherwise I suspect you’d proceed as written.

1 packet of yeast (or about 1 to 1 ½ tsp)

2 tsp salt (any kind but fine not coarse. I like RealSalt or fine sea salt but whatever you usually use should work. I used pink Himalayan salt from a grinder once and it was great.)

1 ¼ water or perhaps more depending on what flour you use. All purpose will absorb less water than bread flour, and as I mentioned above, whole grain will probably absorb even more.

Mix it all together until you have a shaggy dough. Then cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and ignore it for the better part of a day.

About an hour before you’re ready to bake, carefully tip it out of the bowl onto a floured towel (smooth weave NOT the fuzzy terry kind) or parchment/ wax paper. IT WILL STICK to the bowl so gently loosen it using a rubber spatula. Try not to press the air out of the dough. It will certainly fall a bit, that’s inevitable, but try to preserve as much of that rise as you can.

Carefully shape the dough into a ball and then let it rest on the towel or paper for an hour. Preheat your oven to 450F. Before the oven is hot, put your pot in. The easiest thing to use is a Dutch oven, but not everyone has one of those. You can use any oven safe pot with a lid (make sure there are no plastic or rubber handles!) Or even cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil. The lid is the important part since it keeps the moisture in.

After the dough has rested and re-risen a bit and the oven and pot are hot, carefully take the pot out and tip the dough into it. Slash the top if you want but I often forget this step. Replace the lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes to give it that beautiful golden top.

Carefully remove from the pot and let cool on a rack. For best texture, wait until it’s cool before cutting into it!

This is my favorite bread for avocado toast, but my witch babies like it with butter and that homemade currant jam.

All that’s left of the loaf I baked yesterday

[unofficialchronicle]

ACORN BREAD

Ingredients:

- 1 cup acorn meal - 1 cup flour - 2 tbsp baking powder - ½ tsp salt - 3 tbsp sugar - 1 egg, beaten - 1 cup milk - 3 tbsp oil

 Steps:

1) Heat an oven to 400 degrees (F). As you wait, grease a loaf pan and sift together the dry ingredients.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Either in a stand mixer or with your arms, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a thick batter is formed.

3) Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes!

Chef’s Note: If you can’t find acorn meal, or otherwise don’t wish to order it online, it is possible to make your own! 

Recipe From: [email protected]

[veganwitchery]

For subs for this recipe I would swap the egg for apple sauce and then use almond or cashew milk which will bring even more nutty good flavor 💖

[lavendergrimoire]

The peach:

Correspondences: Divination (their wood is often used to make wands or to give as offerings / Love (they are considered an aphrodisiac)

Beauty: They are often used in eye creams to rid of dark circles. The Vitamin C in them also helps replenish and keep skin healthy.

[kitchenwitchkatherine]

Welcoming the Autumn by baking part 1. Apple Muffins

So this is my first (hopefully not the only one) post to participate in @madamehearthwitch ‘s Let’s Summon Autumn with Pie prompt. I was craving for something sweet today and wanted it to include apples, and decided on apple muffins. (It’s not pie, but it’s autumn-y, so in my book that counts.) Besides, I just moved into a new apartment, and it just doesn’t feel like home until I’ve baked.

While grating the apples I was musing on the fact that to me they represent sweet, gentle love, and how for the longest time I’ve yearned for a relationship, to love and to be loved. Then I remembered once again that in order to be in a healthy relationship I should learn to love myself first. I have to fall in love with myself first if I ever wish to expect love from someone else, let alone be able to return their affection. It’s been an ongoing process for a while now, but I felt like a gentle magical nudge toward the right direction couldn’t hurt. So the muffins sorta ended up becoming a self-love spell for me: butter and flour to give body to my magic, sugar to sweeten my feelings towards myself, eggs to represent to new period in my life full of possibilities of success, apples and spices to bring love into my life in all its forms and baking powder to work as a catalyst and charge the spell as the muffins rise in the oven.

Ingredients:

200 g butter or margarine 1½ dl cane sugar 3 eggs 2 dl grated apple 4 dl flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger

(Note: I actually used only ½ tsp of cinnamon and ginger, but found the end result lacking in flavor, so next time I’d use a full tsp of each.)

1. Cream together butter and sugar.

2. Add in eggs one at a time and whisk until smooth. I used an electric handmixer.

3. Add the grated apples and the dry ingredients. Mix until a batter is formed.

4. Divide the batter into muffin mold and bake in 225 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes.

[veganwitchery]

Because the apple in this dish makes it pretty sticky, two flax eggs will bind it no problem so we can avoid animal products 💖

[hexe-hexe]

Peach Compote - Kitchen Witchin’

Peaches are in season, and my housemate brought home dozens from his home state of New York. We could not possibly eat that many in their short cupboard shelf / refrigerator shelf life, so I made peach compote. Peaches are one of my favourite late summer early fall treats that are just as delicious raw as they are in cobblers, salsas, pies, what have you!

This is a very warm and lovely recipe, which I closely associate with spending time with my family or my boyfriend and the closeness of our relationships. Not only is it delicious with a customisable sweetness, it boasts many magical effects.

Peach Compote

- approximately 6-7 peaches (love, fertility)

- half of a lemon (cleansing)

- approximately 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar

- 4 whole cloves (luck, prosperity, friendships)

- 1 small chunk of whole cinnamon (warmth, comfort, love, happiness)

- half of a star anise pod (feminine health, lust)

Start out by peeling and roughly chopping the peaches before adding to a medium sized stainless steel pot. Add in the juice of half a lemon, the brown sugar, and the half of the star anise pod (do not crush). To release the oils and “rejuvenate” the cinnamon and cloves, I gently toast them in a dry stainless steel pan until they are super fragrant. Grind them into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle before adding to the pot of peaches.

Cook over a medium flame until most of the liquid produced has become thickened and the peaches are tender. I like to gently mash the peaches with a metal handheld potato masher to make a very chunky applesauce texture. Jar accordingly, or use right away and store in the refrigerator. This recipe made about a pint of compote.

Enjoy, and blessed be, friends ✨🍑

[witchofapollo]

SMALL WITCHY THINGS YOU CAN DO AROUND THE HOUSE

Put a small ward on the door and windows 

Visualize the energy you are getting when eating food or ingesting caffeine

Put a glamour on your make-up and brush

Put a glamour on your closet for the clothes inside

Put a small bowl/plate with rose quartz, amethyst, and quartz crystal on your sink counter

Make every shower a “cleansing” for yourself and every bath a gentle recharging

Hang a sigil somewhere in your kitchen to ensure delicious food

Spend a few minutes talking to your plants

Meditate for at least 5 minutes a day

If you do sage cleansings, mix the leftover ashes and sea salt together in a container to keep for if you need a quick protection

Charm your necklace for protection and recharge it once a week

Charm your shoes to ensure that you will make it to where you are going

Add some of y'all’s small things y’all do around the house

[mossytreeelf-blog]

Herbs you can grow indoors.

Made this list for my fellow witchies who like their kitchen to be full of the green stuff :

Basil : like lots of sun and warmth. More difficult to grow in the winter months

Bay : needs plenty of sun and fresh air.

Chives : needs at least 6 hours of sun and plenty of water.

Dill : prefers slightly acidic soil, needs plenty of sunlight, doesn’t need too much water.

Lemongrass : My personal favorite as you don’t plant it in soil. Grow in a couple of inches of water. Easiest to grow.

Mint : needs plenty of water and needs to be placed in an area with indirect light. Harvest frequently.

Oregano : does not deal well with cold and drastic temperature changes could kill it.

Parsley : Doesn’t require too much light or maintenance, but is a slow grower.

Rosemary : needs 6 - 8 hours of strong, direct sunlight. Only water when the top layer of soil feels dry. Needs good ventilation. A bit trickier to grow.

Sage : Needs plenty of sun. 

Thyme : Needs 6 - 8 hours of sunlight a day and maybe even supplemental light.

[prickingofthumbs]

Ostara Honey Cake

This will be my first Ostara so I’ve been putting together my recipes for the event. The following recipe is a dairy and egg free cake with a hint of honey; a simple recipe I’ve modified. It can even be gluten free if you substitute a gluten free all purpose flour (I personally like Bob’s Mill) Perfect desert for the sabbat! It’s simple, not overly sweet, and I’ll be putting a light lemon glaze on top, but it would be wonderful plain. A perfect finish to bring in Spring/Summer.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup honey, warmed 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oil 2 cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 – 9 inch round cake pans then dust with flour. Warm honey in 10 second intervals in microwave until it moves around bowl like a liquid (DO NOT let it boil) Add the flour, sugar, honey, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Add the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix with a whisk until well-blended. Do not over beat. It will still turn out even if there are a few small lumps. Divide the batter between the 2 greased cake pans. Bake on a middle rack of oven for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before frosting, dust with powdered sugar, or dive in while warm with a fork. Mmm, tasty!🐰🐥🐏🍰