Russian New year

Russia has been an unintentional theme this week….

It started with a package that arrived in the mail from my friend Nao filled with goodies and a small bag of Russian tea called Chaga, which is a mushroom that grows on Birch trees that was first discovered in Russia. Folklore said that when the local peasants who could not afford black tea they drank Chaga and swore that it boosted the immune system and prevented cancer. Later when studies were done, it  was found that it was in fact good for treating patients for cancer and at shrinking tumors!

Since I have been fighting a head cold, my favorite thing to do is to brew up a spicy pot full of ginger and other herbs, but since I always have to drink one caffeinated cup of black tea a day I decided to make a strong gingery pot of “Chaga Chai”!

All I can say is this is delicious in a cup, and I am starting to feel better!

Later that day an e-mail came in from one of my favorite cooking blogs with a Russian Cake called Apple Sharlotka, made with apples and sounding divine. Oh and today is January 7th the Russian New year, as I have mentioned here before Russia is dear to my heart for my great Grandfather and grandmother came here from Romania, which at the time was a part of Russia and still steeped in many of the same traditions.

And so, as I write this post, the house is lingering with of the smell of baking apples, and the gingery pot of brew I have been drinking all day, the kids tummies are full of cake, and I am feeling cozy and cared for. Oh and today, January 7th is the Russian New Year–Happy New Year Russia!!

Perhaps I can start the New year all over again, yes I think that sounds perfect!

Here is the recipe of the best, most simple, creamy, sweet and divine apple cake I have ever baked–seriously, it has no baking powder or soda which is surprising, but it works due to the eggs.

Russian Apple Sharlotka

 

 

Sweet Inspiration-The Honey Month

I am so excited to share this unexpected but sweet honey inspiration that came to me a couple of months ago when I quite by accident came across the most delectable book called The Honey Month by Amal El- Mohtar. I have been waiting to share it here for awhile now, because you see, I simply had to buy two copies, one for me, and one for my beekeeping sister Nao as a solstice gift. Now that she finally has it in her hands, I can share it here too!

This book is a delectable as it sounds. The author was given vials of honey from around the world and sets out to taste each one, writing poetically about her experience of the sight, smell and taste of each one, and then including a story after. The result is a tasty, luxurious journey well worth the cost of her book.

Beware though, you may find yourself craving honey, a cup of steamy tea, and a hunk of fresh french bread!

It was published by Papaveria Press,  and is beautifully illustrated by Oliver Hunter who also does a lot of illustrating for the stunningly inspirational Goblin Fruit, a quarterly online poetry journal, which is co-edited by Amal, and an inspiration in itself.

Here is a small “taste” of what you will find inside the pages….

Day 15~ Hungarian Forest Honey

Color: A cloudy orange-yellow, which, in the first light I held it to, made me think of extra virgin olive oil. In the current light, more of an apple cider.

Smell: Hay, brown sugar, molasses. I held this vial in hot water for about a minute because it was too crystallized to draw enough out on the wand; prior to heating I thought it smelled a bit resinous, but I can’t find a trace of that now.

Taste: Brown sugar- cookies! No aftertaste-elusive, it makes an appearance on request, then vanishes when you aren’t paying attention.  Also taste of dark raisins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I lost a ring in the forest once.

It was a silver ring, plain as rain, and I loved it. It had been a Christmas gift from a  dear friend of our family, and I always wore it on the middle finger of my right hand. I was a small girl then, dazzled by the snow on the dark green leaves, dazzled by the pink on my sisters cheeks. It was rare for us to see it, living in the south as we did, y the sea. But winter in the mountains, where the cedars crowded the slopes like a curious audience, was something else altogether.

{The rest of the story is in the book}

Of which you can buy copies here:

Papaveria Press

Amazon

 

Lingering……

Tonight we celebrate the coming of the new year, the changing over of the Julian calendar, the flip of a page and the change of a date, tomorrow it will be 2012.

But today, yes today, I think I shall linger a little longer, at home tucked in with the woolen shawl from my beloved, and perhaps bother the family a little bit more with my my wonky Boudran playing, which was another wonderful  gift!

This Yule was an abundant one filled with loads of family time, wonkey and wonderful gifts from the kids and and sacred gifts coming from dear friends who know me so well…

Perhaps I will sit over a cup of tea and nibble on Solstice fudge from Zubin..

and, read from the pages of a most thoughtful gift from my dear friend Stacelynn

and then there was the Solstice package from my sweet witch friend Sarah, filled with soaps, handmade healing balm, incense and sacred anointing oils… oh the fun I could have with those today!

I think I just might be able to fit it all in, to linger and reflect on this past year, for it has been an abundant one, filled with love and for which I am extremely grateful!

Yes lingering is decidedly what the day calls for…..