Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

Grapefruit may seem like an unusual choice for an Imbolc post. Many of our cherished traditions are based on local European weather patterns and the symbolism that has grown through the centuries. Exploration and population expansion has brought new foods into the Wheel of the Year as the intention has always been to use what […]

Traditionally this was a time of tightening belts and for many, after the festive season, it might still be today. Needing to be careful as there is little to eat beyond what has been preserved through the year can feel familiar if Covid-19 had an effect on income and/or expenses last year. I am lucky […]

2021 started with the loss of about 10 pictures from several posts I was preparing for January (several for this recipe). May that be the only hiccup as we get back on track. There was a need to use up two small butternut squash last weekend. They had been all alone and forgotten in the […]

Folding paper shapes is an ancient craft. In Japan it is called Origami and there are hundreds of figures that can be made from a single piece of Kami paper. A popular shape is the crane and the accompanying legend is that if someone folds 1,000 orizuru (cranes) they will be granted a wish. In […]

I was pleased to find a creative outlet for container soy wax while making the Butterbeer candles last month and thought I might take it a step further for some fun fall and winter candles that would make cute gifts for the appropriate person. The glass cups were happened upon in a dollar store last […]

Mincemeat has an interesting history, a bit of which we will get to in a moment. I thought though that I would start with the pears as this mincemeat has no meat in the recipe. I first came across a pear mincemeat recipe in a Ball recipe book at least two decades ago. It was […]

Time for some Harry Potter candle making fun? Let’s begin by saying that it may take some tweaking on your part because the supplies I use are not necessarily the ones you will be able to get near your location. If you would like to connect directly with Wicks and Wax in Burnaby, British Columbia, […]

I am back for round two. I still have no idea what button I pushed that deleted the entire post and left me with one lonely “t”. My hope is that in the end what gets created now will be a better post. Sour cherries have a very limited season. They are generally ripe mid […]

A quick no bake favourite with a full bodied twist, perfect for a java lover. Rice Krispies Treats were created by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day in 1939 at the Kellogg Company home economics department as a fund raiser for Camp Fire Girls. They are a simple project for kids to put together, with a […]

Beltane is about honouring life. All around you there are signs of abundant fertility. Beltane is the place between the fullnesses of spring and summer, where possibilities are sparked and conception happens. Heiros Gamos, the sacred union of Earth and Sky is celebrated.  Bees pollinate flowers so fruit can be harvested throughout the remaining agricultural […]