Kitchen

Our Lord and Lady, I call out your name
make earth as it is in the kitchen
provide us the skills to make family meals
so the children may smile
as I chop, stir, and bake I promise to celebrate
nature at its best while the family eats and rests....

These are some of my personal favorite recipes. I have listed them here to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. The rest of this section will be up in the near future.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Short Bread Cookies
Estimated Times:
Est. preparation time: 40 min.
Est. cooking time: 7 min.
Est. refrigerating time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softned
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Add flour; reduce speed to low. Beat, scraping bowl often, until mixture leaves side of bowl and forms a smooth, soft dough (2 to 5 minutes).

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 6x2-inch round log. Wrap each log in plastic food wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375°. Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets.

Stir together sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll warm cookies in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Cooking Tips:
Marbled Slice & Bake Cookies: Omit cinnamon. Melt two (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate or 1/3 cup semi-sweet real chocolate chips in 1-quart saucepan over low heat; cool 5 minutes. Prepare dough as directed above. Remove half of dough from mixer bowl; set aside. To remaining dough in mixer bowl, add cooled, melted chocolate. Beat at low speed just until mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Divide plain and chocolate doughs into 2 pieces each. Shape each piece into 6-inch log. Press and mold together 1 plain and 1 chocolate log to create marbled effect. Shape marbled dough into 6-inch log. Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough. Wrap each log in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Slice and bake as directed above. Roll warm cookies in 1/2 cup sugar.

Yields: 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Pork Chops and Spaghetti
Estimated Times:
Est. preparation time: 6 min.
Est. cooking time: 1 hr, 28 min.

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 pound spaghetti

Directions:
In a large skillet brown pork chops on both sides. Add crushed garlic clove, chopped onion, and chopped green bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, seasoned salt, pepper, brown sugar, and vinegar. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add broken uncooked spaghetti. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if necessary to prevent sticking.

Yields: 4

Chicken Cacciatore
Estimated Times:
Est. preparation time: 25 min.
Est. cooking time: 45 min.

Ingredients:
6 chicken legs
6 chicken thighs
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 (16-oz.) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
Lightly brown chicken in hot oil over medium heat in large skillet about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Drain excess oil and return chicken to skillet. Combine tomatoes, water, oregano, salt and pepper in small bowl; mix well. Pour tomato mixture over chicken. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Serve over pasta or rice and garnish with parsley, if desired.

Yields: 6

Almound Cresent cakes
Estimated time:
Est. preparation time: 10 min.
Est. cooking time: 20 min.
Estimated refridgerating time: 1 hr, 45 min.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup finely ground almonds
3 drops almond extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg yolk

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add the butter, honey, and egg yolk. Mix together well. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the regfridgerator.
When ready, pinch off pieces of the dough (about the size of plums) and shape them into cresents. Pre-heat oven to 325. Place the cresents on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake for approximently 20 minutes.

Yeilds: 12 cresent cakes

Country-Witch EggNog
Estimated time:
Est. preparation time: 5 min.
Est. cooking time: 13 min.

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider
3 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons brandy

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large cauldron or pot and cook over medium heat for 13 minutes. Pour the hot eggnog into mugs and top each serving with fresh whipped cream (if desired).

Yeilds: 2 quarts

Ritual Mead
Estimated time:
Est. preparation time: 10 min.
Est. cooking time: 1 hr, 30 min.
Est. refridgerating time: 24 hrs

Ingredients:
2 1/2 gallons water (preferably fresh rainwater blessed)
1 cup meadsweet herb
1 cup woodruff sprigs
1 cup heather flowers
3 cloves
1 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup barley malt
1 oz. brewer's yeast

Directions:
Pour the water into a large cauldron or kettle. Bring to a boil and add the meadowsweet herb, woodruff springs, heather flowers, and cloves. Boil for one hour and then add the honey, brown sugar, and barley malt. Stir thirteen times in a clockwise direction and then remove from heat.Strain through a cheesecloth and allow the mead to cool to room temperature. Stir in the brewer's yeast. Cover with a clean towel and let it stand for one day and one night. Strain again, bottle, and then store in a cool place until ready to serve.

Note: These recipes came from my-meals.com and The Wicca Spellbook by Gerina Dunwich.