Updates

Hey, I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been busy with friends and I started college last Monday. I hope to start making a few things in the coming weeks. Maybe find a recipe for Mabon and maybe make a clay jack 'o lantern for Samhain. I'll try to keep up to date and add things as I do them.
Blessed Be

Facing The Darkness

Earlier this week, I read a blog post from another Witch. She was saying that she doesn't like be labeled as Wiccan, because she casts dark spells; i.e. vengeance spells, hexes and curses. And while I have been tempted to use dark magick, I feel that it wouldn't be right for me. Like it might be the best form of magick for some people, but I feel that healing and protection spells are the thing for me. I guess it varies from Witch to Witch.
But people say that magick is neutral and the darkness and light are the human aspects of spells. And the darkness is stronger in some people. And I know that the darkness is strong in me, because I'm tempted to use dark magick sometimes.
Tell me what you think about using dark spells.
And I'm not going to lie, if my mom ever found my BOS and saw that I had a curse or hex in there, I wouldn't be able to pass Wicca off as a nice, non-violent religion. (She might even send me off to a Catholic church camp!, it's scary because I'm not Catholic)

Book Of Fortunes

 I got this book for $1 at Michael's about a year ago. I was going to use it for a BOS, and I still might, it's pretty thick. But I've decided to use the first half of the book for collecting fortunes from fortune cookies.

You can't really see the fortunes, because of the scotch tape I used to tape them to the paper. I think I might start writing the date of the fortune next to it. I want to fill the first half of the book, but it might take a while because I rarely eat Chinese food.

Maneki Neko

This is Maneki Neko! I made him out of polymer clay, and I used acrylic paint to add his face and toe marks. The characters on the golden tablet mean good luck, or good fortune. (Or it should, I found it on the internet!)

Boline

This is my Boline. It used to be black, but I used acrylic paint to make it white. It's just a cheap pocket knife,that I've used to cut and gather herbs.
I hope the paint doesn't peel off when I hold it; but it more than likely will.

This is my Athame. It's a not-so-cheap pocket knife that my dad gave me when he came back from Iraq for the second time. I keep it with me where-ever I go, it makes me feel safe. I haven't had a chance to use them in a ritual yet, but I hope to soon.

Blackberry Pie/Reese's peanut butter cupcakes

 How to make: 1 chocolate cake mix, 1 package of small Reese's cups
Peanut Butter Frosting: 1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3Tbsp milk, or as needed
2 cups powdered sugar

mix butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar and when it starts to get thick add milk 1 Tbsp at a time.
beat until fluffy and thick.

Arial veiw

 Oregon Blackberry Pie - serves 8
1 quart blackberries
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp lemon juice

If you mix the sugar and berries the night before, it will make a nice syrup for the filling.
I used a crisco pie crust recipe for the bottom crust and a butter pie crust for the lattice top.
I covered the top with an egg wash of egg and water. Sprinkled with sugar and a little nutmeg.

Arial view.

Cooking

I've been hanging out with friends on the weekends, and almost every time I have made a dessert to have. I've made apple dew-mplings, oatmeal raspberry jam bars, Mexican Wedding cookies, and I helped make beef roast (which is super easy to make if you have a crock pot)
Well, this weekend we are going to have a birthday party for one of the guys, and I'm making him a blackberry latticework pie. This will be my first real berry pie, as well as my first lattice work pie; and I'm very excited. I'll take pictures and post them afterwards.
But anyway, I had a realization as I was baking the other day. I feel more in-tune with The Goddess and Myself when I'm cooking. And, I do practice witchcraft, but I can't really celebrate the Esbats or Sabbats in my home. So when I'm cooking, I recite chants in my head, and think about how The Goddess makes me feel. Cooking is just another form of creating; something Women are naturally good at. :)
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/apple_dumplings/

http://weewarrens.blogspot.com/2011/05/our-cinco-de-mayo-treat-mexican-wedding.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/delicious-raspberry-oatmeal-cookie-bars/detail.aspx