Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup unhulled raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup fresly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, crushed

In a blender in batches or in a food processor puree the basil with the sunflower seeds, the oil, the Parmesan, the butter, the garlic, and salt to taste. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and lay plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent discoloration. The pesto keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

To use the pesto: For every pound of dried pasta cooking in a kettle of boiling salted water, stir together in a heated serving bowl 3/4 cup pesto and 2/3 cup hot pasta cooking water. When the pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander, add it to the pesto mixture, and toss the mixture with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a
tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture
on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up.
It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.

Courtesy of the Old Farmer’s Almanac online newsletter

What You Need:

Rubbing Alcohol
Flowers - nice smelling
a small glass bottle with a tight fitting cap
or a cork

What you do:

1. Chop up the flowers and leaves into tiny pieces.*
2. Put the flower pieces into your bottle.
3. Add rubbing alcohol until it is almost completely full (leave room for the cap or cork)
4. Put on the bottle top and let the perfume sit for two weeks.
5. Strain to remove the flower pieces.
6. If the perfume is not strong enough, let it age one more week. If it still isn’t strong
enough, add new plant pieces and repeat steps 4-6.
7. Label your perfume bottle and wear your new scent to attract a friendly Djinn.

*Fragrant flower suggestions ~ lavender, rose, mint, jasmine, gardenia, lilac

(Source Unknown)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-cup sugar
1-tablespoon poppy seed
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

For topping:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, 1/2-cup sugar, poppy seed, lemon peel, baking powder and salt.

In another medium bowl combine egg, milk and oil. Add all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes in preheated 375-degree oven. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin cups. Dip tops of muffins into melted butter then in the 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve warm.

Makes 12.

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
Grated peel of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream butter, sugar, lemon peel, milk, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon juice.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Add to batter and mix until just blended.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into 12 greased muffin-pan cups. Sprinkle with a mixture of nuts, sugar and nutmeg.
Bake at 375*F 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.

1 doz

4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 pkg. yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 tsp. allspice
2 cups warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup currants
1/2 cup candied peel

ICING:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbs. milk

Add yeast to sweetened milk let sit 5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter, then eggs, then milk. Stir in currants and candied peel. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Spray 24 medium/large muffin cups, fill 2/3 full. Spray tops with butter spray, cover and let rise until almost double, about 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375o. bake for about 20 minutes, until browned. Cool on rack until warm. Combine sugar and milk until smooth, spoon into piping bag.

Pipe Celtic crosses on top. Or cut across buns with bolline.

These cakes are traditional treats at the Vernal Equinox. The equilateral solar cross on top predates Christianity and represents the minor Sabbats; the solstices and the equinoxes

source:unknown