Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

A very simple melt and pour soy candle and some creative family time, a fun way to celebrate the harvest. The colours of Mabon tend towards warm reds, oranges, yellow, gold and brown with some green thrown in for good measure. I often think of grapes this time of year and so I personally add […]

Summer Pudding is an English recipe I have wanted to try for decades. It is perfect for Lammas as it combines two of the sacred foods of the season, bread and fruit. In Britain, pudding is used as a term to denote all kinds of desserts. It can be, but is not necessarily, a thickened, […]

July is Blueberry Month and the 11th is Blueberry Muffin Day so what better post than a recipe for….wait for it….Blueberry Muffins! Blueberries, through their Irish kissing cousins, the bilberry, are also associated with Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year. Wild bilberries would be collected by young people as they […]

Fresh violet blossoms may be a thing of the past for this year but wild violet leaves are another “Gift from the Garden”. Two years ago I dried some leaves and then let them infuse a small jar of avocado oil. The jar disappeared into the back of the “medicine”cupboard and I recently went searching […]

A simple craft for spring, both Mother’s Day and Beltane. Your candles can be smartly modern or cozily old fashioned by your choice of container. Check out the local dollar stores and see what is easily available. Be sure to also look at containers that have tops and can be reused to hold spices, buttons […]

Garlic Day was April 19th and I didn’t get this post completed in time but this nut spread is still a tasty addition to your treasure chest of recipes. It is easy to double the mix for special occasions and guests but in this house, with only two people, these amounts work well for us. […]

The first of the chives are ready in my garden and along with a few warmer days, this quick and easy appetizer will be perfect while enjoying some time in the sun. Don’t turn away if you are not a fan of bacon because leaving it out and upping the nuts and fresh herbs is […]

Spring spinach is here and so is a birthday celebration. A savoury pinwheel bun sounded like a nice addition to a weekend brunch, especially for someone not especially into sweets. This recipe is based on the classic 90 minute cinnamon bun version. The dough rests once for 10 minutes and then again for 30 minutes […]

There are two different types of floral infused vinegars that often garner oohs and aahs due to their unusual colour, for something edible. They are wild violet blossoms and chive flowers and they will both be available soon, if they are not blooming already. Violets are available in my part of the world, depending on […]

Last month I posted an Imbolc red lentil seed bread based on a Turkish recipe. It is a lovely option with dill being a flavour filled part of the mixture. This version is a more middle of the road choice that goes well with everything from peanut butter to salami. Red lentils require a little […]