We Are The Pagan Kitchen

Our blog covers a lot of territory, with ideas and input from the discussions we have had within our circle.

We offer our thoughts on Paganism, Energy, Nature, Magic, and Witchcraft and how they affect our daily lives.

We believe the Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself.

It is the essence which binds all things together. 

Braised Short Ribs

We often make these Braised Short Ribs, they are so delicious, we wanted to share the recipe with you.


INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cooking oil

10 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 cup baby carrots

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

6 sprigs fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine

4 cups beef stock

INSTRUCTIONS

1.

Season the beef with the peppercorns. Coat the beef with the flour. 

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an oven-safe 8-quart saucepot over medium- high heat. 

Add the beef and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s well browned on both sides. 

Remove the beef from the saucepot. Pour off any fat.

2.

Heat the remaining oil in the saucepot over medium heat. 

Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned, stirring often. 

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. 

Stir in the wine and stock and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the saucepot. 

Cover the saucepot. 

Bake at 350°F for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. 

Skim the fat from the surface of the stock mixture.

3.

Transfer the beef to a serving platter. 

Heat the stock mixture in the saucepot over medium heat to a boil. 

Cook until the mixture is reduced to 1 quart. 

Remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaves. 

Serve the beef and gravy over hot noodles or mashed potatoes.

We Are Back At The Kitchen Table

The Winter Solstice is just days away and Christmas right after that, then the New Year.

We are back at the kitchen table, preparing for all the holiday activities.

Hope things are going smooth for you as well.

Full Moon At The Pagan Kitchen

We just took this photo during our crystal ritual...

The Pagan Kitchen Posts

Our Full Moon Ritual

The Pagan Kitchen full moon ritual is simple yet an effective way to celebrate all the energy during this time.

Straight out of Merlin we hear, "The Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men."

Magic is about focusing your intentions and using the energy within yourself and within nature to help you achieve a goal.

We honor the magic of the earth, the moon and stars, inviting the energy to be with us.

We offer our sincere gratitude.

That's how we open all our rituals.

With our Pagan Kitchen Circle gathered together we surround ourselves with the elements of the earth.

Earth

We use the setting of our herb garden to represent the earth.

Indoors, you could use salt to represent the earth.

Salt has, since ancient times, carried deep cultural and symbolic meaning.

Fire

Weather permitting we start around a bonfire – Always candles, everywhere.

Air

Air takes many forms, we enjoy the night air, it's simple and fresh.

Water

With its soothing sounds of flowing water, our water fountain brings stress relief and relaxation to our ritual.

The purpose of the full moon ritual is to release what no longer serves you at a time when the energetic vibrations are most intense.

We have our ritual in a quiet place where we feel positive and peaceful. 

We all write down the things in our lives that we need to let go.

Next we charge our crystals.

Before you put your crystals under the full moon it's a great idea to clean them first.

Smudging is a great way of clearing crystals and stones of unwanted energy. 

Lght your smudging materials and fan them gently to smolder and give off smoke. Now pass your stone several times through the smoke of burning cedar, sage, sweetgrass, or incense.  

When you are finished, take a moment to thank the crystals.

After the cleansing the energy of a full moon is perfect to charge your crystals.

A full moon is the brightest and it is the most effective way to cast off what is no longer serving you  – and your crystals.

Crystals absorb energy, just as you do. Your crystals will absorb the energy of their immediate environment, and if they are frequently handled or used for healing practice, they will need to be cleansed of that energy too.

Set your crystals out. Lay your crystals out on a natural surface. 

This gives an earthing effect, just like grounding your own body.

The ideal time to put them out is just after sunset. 

Pull them in the next morning before the sun rises.

Charge your crystals with your intentions.

Close the ritual.

I'm a Proud Pagan, but it took time

 

A heartfelt revelation from a young lady in our circle who was living a secret.

We have no comments to make, her letter speaks for itself.

Here's what she wrote and read to all of us at our last Full Moon ritual:

'For quite awhile now I’ve felt like the outcast. 

It wasn’t until lately that I felt I had real friends or even real genuine people around who really cared. 

Regardless of how hard I tried, I had to hide that I was a Pagan because of my desire to be liked and validated.

I pretended to be be like all my non Pagan friends, I even laughed when they made fun of the things I secretly believed in.

I stopped wearing my crystal so no one would ask questions, I came to our gatherings in secret so no one would find out.

But it was tearing me up inside, I thought I wanted to be accepted, to belong to the popular crowd, but it was standing in the way of the most important relationship, the one with myself.

The most reassuring feeling came over me, to stop living trying to impress people who would never accept me for who I really am.

I was tired of living a lie, I'm a Pagan and I'm proud of that.

I put my crystal back on, after charging it during the last full moon and now I want to find my way back to who and what I am.

While I appreciate all the support I receive here, I need to stand on my own two feet, life is about self empowerment and I cannot  progress if I look for approval from the world.

My "friends" don't invite me to join them anymore, I'm okay with that, I'm a proud outcast.

Besides I have people here who understand me and love me, and I'm learning to love myself.

From now on, when I join our circle I do so with no secrets, I'm happy and proud."

Pagan Kitchen Playlist

If you are looking for Pagan music, be assured, it's out there.

We asked the Pagan Kitchen circle who they currently have on their playlists.

This is only a sample of the music our group is listening to right now, we know there's a lot more, but for now, here's a short list, it's diverse, just like our circle.

Our Little Duck Family

Every spring our adopted mom and dad ducks show up, take residence here at the Pagan Kitchen, until their ducklings are old enough.

This morning mom took her kids out for a stroll.

How wonderful to watch nature in action.

The Full Moon Event Menu

Okay, we have people asking what our full menu will be this Saturday at our Full Moon event.

We appreciate what Mother Nature provides and we want to enjoy good food, good people and engage in wonderful conversation before the ritual actually begins later in the evening.

So, here's the menu for Saturday:

Rotisserie Chicken

Braised Short Ribs

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baked Butternut Squash 

Roasted Garlic Potatoes 
Garden Vegetables 

Spinach Salad 

Fresh Baked Crescent Rolls & Butter 

Homemade Apple Pie

Homemade Peach Pie