Perfect pork chops

Most of my followers know that I like simple. I pride myself on posting some tasty concoctions that are super easy to make. I also use a lot of the same ingredients so people on a budget (like myself) don't have to buy a whole bunch of different things. These pork chops are no different. All you need is the pork, grapeseed oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, put the pork in a casserole dish, pour about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil over each pork chop, season with as much garlic powder, salt and pepper as you like, cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover dish, turn oven off and let them sit in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. Voila!  Perfect, tender, juicy, incredibly easy pork chops!

Sexy tuna... yes, you read that right!

This my friends is the sexiest tuna you will ever eat. It's simple, its sweet, it's sour, it's salty, it's healthy! All that makes it sexy ! Take 3 cans of tuna in water, drain and put into a bowl. Next chop up a small yellow onion and mix it in with the tuna. Add in one clove of garlic, about a half teaspoon of cumin, and a half teaspoon of parsley flakes. Mix thoroughly. In a pan heat up about a tablespoon of sesame oil on medium high heat. Once the oil is heated, add in your tuna. Let that cook for just a little bit while occasionally stirring. In a separate bowl mix together about a tablespoon of oyster sauce, a half teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of Bragg liquid aminos, 1 tablespoon of honey, and about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Pour the sauce into the pan and mix thoroughly. Let the tuna simmer in the sauce until it has absorbed most of it. Give it a final mix and serve!  There you have it!  Sexy tuna!

Roasted potatoes

Wash and cut up however many potatoes you want into chunks. I used russet. Put them into a roasting pan and drizzle with grapeseed oil. You can use olive or vegetable oil but I like grapeseed. Sprinkle on some salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper. Mix with a spoon until all the potatoes are thoroughly covered. Put the roasting pan into an oven preheated to 425 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Sauteed Dandelions!!!

It's free...it's healthy...it's tasty and fun for the kiddos!  My four year old daughter and I went into our backyard and gathered a bunch of dandelions, root and all. We washed them super good, gathering them into handfuls and rinsing and soaking them in a large bowl over and over until the water ran clear. Then, we clipped the flowers and roots off and sorted the roots out. I didn't use the roots this time, but they make a great coffee substitute from what I hear. It helps clean the liver.

After we had a huge bowl of dandelion greens and flowers, we took them inside and boiled them for about 15 minutes to get rid of a lot of the bitter flavor. I gave the pot likker to my mother who just had kidney removal surgery, because drinking dandelion pot likker is good for the kidneys and urinary tract.

After they were boiled, I put them in a pan with some melted butter and garlic and sauteed them. I added in some mushrooms, some onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar and VOILA! Free food!
Just make sure you don't gather dandelions near the road or in any areas where pesticides might be sprayed.

You can also make a shit ton of other things with dandelions! Check out this blog http://relache.hubpages.com/hub/Delicious-Dandelions

My new life :)

The smell of Dragon's blood. One of my favorite scents now, thanks to my life partner. It's scent is filling my bedroom now as I write my first post to this blog in FAR too long! I have no good excuses for not keeping up with this blog. I am a horrible blogger. lol
I just took a ritual bath for the first time in a long time. It made my cat go crazy for some reason. He tried to get in the tub with me. This is crazy behavior. My family needs financial blessings right now and I am trying to wash away anything icky on me before I do any type of spell crafting. We have gone through a dry spell recently and it's no fun!
My life has gotten quite interesting. We moved to a new rental house. It sits on 5 acres of land in the country and I am LOVING IT! The kitchen is also pretty huge, so for a kitchen witch, this is amazing! I am also super stoked to announce that I am the lead singer of an alt-metal band called Fallen Astray! We just started up about 2 months ago, so look for us when we put out our EP. So, that's it. No real good excuses for not writing. Just moving, being a mommy and a rock star. lol I am feeling really good about life right now, though. I know we will get out of the financial pit we are in right now. We always do. My partner is amazing like that. Other than that, life is great!

Samhain

The word Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") comes from the Gaelic "Samhuin". Samhain actually refers to the daylight portion of the holiday, on November 1st. You may have grown up celebrating Halloween at this time of year. This is why: By the beginning of the 8th century, the Catholic church decided to celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st. The mass which was said on All Saints Day was called Allhallowmass - the mass of all those who are hallowed. The night  before All Saints Day (or All Souls Day) naturally became known as "All Hallows Eve", and eventually morphed into what we call "Halloween".

Samhain is a celebration of the time of year where the veil between this world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. It's a time to respect our ancestors that have left before us to travel to the spirit world.
Many cultures celebrate similar holidays during this time of year; Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico and Ayamarka in Peru to name a couple.

Samhain begins at sundown on October 31st. There are several ways to celebrate Samhain. It is customary to light a candle for the "new year" as well as putting candles in your windows to guide spirits to your home. Many people leave out a "Feast of the Dead" so that the travelling spirits may favor them in the coming year. Most feasts consist of milk and cakes which they leave outside their door. Also, you can place a spot on your dinner table on Samhain Eve. Some witches use a chant at the beginning of their feast to welcome their ancestors. An example of a chant goes like this:


And so it is, we gather again, 
The feast of our dead to begin.
Our Ancients, our Ancestors we invite, Come!
And follow the setting of the sun.

Whom do we call? We call them by name
(Name your ancestor that you want to welcome.) 

The Ancients have come! Here with us stand
Where ever the country, where ever the land
They leave us not, to travel alone;
Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone!

Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be their Power!
Past ones and present-at this very hour!

Welcome within are the dead who are kin, 
Feast here with us and rest here within
Our hearth is your hearth and welcome to thee;
Old tales to tell and new visions to see!


Most people serve vegetables of the late harvest season for their feast, especially the ones that grow under the ground. Include Autumn squashes, pumpkins, turnips, onions, potatoes and carrots. Talk to your deceased friends and family as if they were there...because they are. Bobbing for apples is also a great tradition for Samhain. The water represents the Cauldron of Regeneration, in which ancient pagans were baptized while blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs. You can also practice divination to receive messages from the spirit world. You can even participate in a seance if you wish. Just remember to have someone experienced in performing seances there so you will be prepared for any negative forces that try to ruin the night. Seances are not for playing around. 

Whatever you do to honor this very special Sabbat, remember to do it safely. The veil is thin. Remember that. 

Into your arms

I have fallen

Fallen into your arms

Forsaken all others

I am yours

I was broken

Lost and confused

Mourning and weeping

The death of my youth

There was a darkness

Deep down inside

Secretly plotting

My fateful demise 

There in the shadows

You picked me up

Brushed off my back

Saw my soul through my eyes

You've given me strength

Strength to go on

Knowing you're there

Though the way is long

Hopeful and happy

I dance through my days

Since I have fallen

Fallen into your arms