Tag: seasonal
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Soul Cakes for Hallowtide
“Upon the second day of this Month, on which is commemorated The Feast of All Souls, it hath been a Custom, time out of mind, for good People to set on a Table-Board a high heap of Soul-Cakes, lying one upon another, like to the Shew-Bread in the Bible. “They were in form about the…
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Kail-torches for All Hallows’ Eve
Then, first an’ foremost, thro’ the kail,Their stocks maun a’ be sought ance; They steek their een, and grape an’ waleFor muckle anes, an’ straught anes.Poor hav’rel Will fell aff the drift,An’ wandered thro’ the bow-kail,An’ pou’t for want o’ better shiftA runt was like a sow-tailSae bow’t that night. Robert Burns, “Halloween“ Although pumpkin…
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Autumnal Grape Soda
A herald of Autumn days, Concord grapes make for a bright, refreshing soda – perfect for spells of warmer weather during the early fall. Concord grapes were developed in Concord, Massachusetts, and they’re usually harvested from September to late October. Here on our farm in the Pacific Northwest, we just harvested the rest of our…
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Marymas Rosewater Cakelets
In September, near the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many rose bushes here in the Pacific Northwest have another bloom. Since Mary is so intertwined with roses, a whimsical rosewater delicacy is such a fitting way to “taste” the beauty of this holiday! “The brightness of the sun is upon thy…
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Bartlemas “flayed” leather bracelets
When celebrating feasts in the liturgical calendar, I love trying to find crafts that can somehow teach us about the story we’re walking through. Memory is so tied to the tangible, after all. In thinking about a craft for Bartlemas, I wasn’t quite sure where to go – St. Bartholomew’s martyrdom was famously grisly: he…
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Bartlemas Gazpacho
This refreshing, summertime gazpacho (a cold soup) is made of watermelon and fresh vegetables. It’s inspired by the St. Bartholomew’s Day watermelon festival in Rome! Watermelon season is at its height this time of year, so it’s a fitting way to weave together the growing season with the liturgical calendar. It’s a really simple recipe,…
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Madonna of the Peaches Soda
Inspired by the role of peaches in iconography and to accompany my Madonna of the Peaches reflections and art, here’s a recipe for peach soda! The Marian month of August is also the time of year when peaches are plentiful. This stone fruit appears occasionally in iconography, usually being featured in paintings of Mary &…
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Rushbearing for the domestic church
Historically, churches and other buildings had hard, cold dirt floors. To provide some warmth and comfort to parishioners in a time before pews were used, rushes (Acorus calamus), mixed with aromatic flowers & herbs, were strewn on the church floor. The flowers added both a fresh, wonderful scent, as well as some natural insect-repellent. This…
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Carrot Sunday
On the Sunday before Michaelmas – known as ‘Domhnach Curran’, or ‘Carrot Sunday’ – Hebridean women would head to the fields to pull carrots, hoping for a lucky two-pronged root. If the soil were soft enough, they could easily pull the carrots – but, if the soil were hard, a three-pronged mattock was used to…
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Dragon Blackberry Pie
Blackberries are a big part of Michaelmas tradition. According to legend, St. Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven on Michaelmas (originally, this legend was attached to Old Michaelmas – which was on October 10th). Lucifer landed in a blackberry bramble, and being so angered by the prickles, he spat on them – so, it became…
Hearthstone Fables 