Category Archives: Imbolc/Candlemas

The basic recipe comes via my grandfather’s go to book on bread making. Edith Adams Bread Book! “Edith Adams was a Vancouver Sun (Newspaper) institution for three quarters of a century (in Vancouver, Canada), an institution because she never really existed in the flesh. Edith was our apocryphal homemaker. The invention of an editor in […]

Nesting and hibernating can be part of cold winter days. A time to catch up on the reading/movie list or binge watch what there has been no time for over the last few months…..and it is awards season. This snack, with all the toppings you might find on a baked potato includes dairy, always an […]

This post was intended to coincide with Hat Day and Hobby Month As you can see it worked better as a tea cozy. But more on that at another time. For today a quick snack for those that like things sweet and spicy. Actually quite appropriate if you are into watching awards shows or if […]

Probably the most well know tradition of Imbolc is spring cleaning. It can sound a little funny to be thinking about spring in January but this is how it happens. In North America season changes are connected to the equinoxes and solstices, spring starts on the vernal equinox, somewhere around March 20/21. Imbolc has a […]

This is a totally unintended quick and cheeky post. No beautiful “how to” pictures as the work was going on after dark and that rarely makes a digital camera happy. Using leftovers is an active theme for this time in the wheel of the year. Firstly there would have been the question of how long […]

Leek and potato soup is a perfect choice for an Imbolc dinner. It is made from winter vegetables that would have been stored from last years harvest and fresh cream from newly lactating cows. New chives may not have their heads above ground but thyme and parsley may be available as would bay leaves, having […]

One of the things that I appreciate about the Wheel of the Year is that although there are suggested dates for celebrating the turning of the wheel, the important aspect is that it match what is happening on the earth wherever you live. Just as groundhogs recognize the fluidity of the transition from winter to […]

I try to post recipes that do not require a trip to the store for non standard equipment as the first step. In this case, a substitute might be a mini muffin or tart tin that would allow you to make doughnut holes. Unless the plan is to make more than two or three batches […]

There is an underlying concept in Imbolc that shows itself again in the preparations for Lent. Spring cleaning includes the process of going through “stuff” and sorting out what is needed and still useful and what is not. Going through the fridge probably brings up an assortment of containers pushed off to the side, some […]

The reason that milk and soft cheese is so much a part of Imbolc (also known as Brigid’s Day) is that farms with sheep and cows were busy with new little ones, meaning their moms had milk to give, both for their babies and the household. Fresh milk meant, fresh butter and fresh cheese and […]