It feels like every single year goes a little bit faster. The blinks get closer together. I blinked and it was spring. I blinked and it was midsummer. Another and now not only is it fall, but October is essentially over and Samhain is here. The holidays are approaching at a rate that would alarm even an Olympic sprinter. This year went faster than most of them because I feel like this year for me, has been packed with more monumental or life-altering changes & milestones than many of the recent years combined.

That sense of time speeding by in pockets might make me feel melancholy, but at the same time, this is the gateway to my favorite time of year. The shifting of seasons is always an interesting time, but autumn makes me feel such a specific way that it stands out in my memory every year. It’s something I try to savor.

I’ve tried to describe to several people over the years- and I don’t know if I’ll ever do it in a way that truly conveys the sense of wonder that I feel. Even spending most of my life in Phoenix, Arizona, a place that we jokes has 2 seasons: hot and dry cold; no snow, no changing colors and falling leaves, no spring bulbs. Just prickly trees, greens that still look brown, and pollen such a violent shade of yellow that you know its going to make you sneeze.

Don’t Blink

No matter where I have been in the country, October somehow brings this one specific day. You wake up and the air smells different. It doesn’t matter that 2 days before it was still 92 degrees outside, or the summer flowers were still in full bloom here in Washington. All of a sudden it’s crisp, the air somehow looks cleaner and less dusty; it’s not as heavy. Colors seem brighter, and sunshine looks less oppressive, more blue. All of a sudden there are more people outside in the park; telling you that even if it sounds goofy in a way, other people feel it too. We’re all somehow still running on the same primordial clock. That was always the morning that I knew Summer had said goodbye for the year.

Here in Washington, it’s a much easier thing to describe, because it’s such a visual change- and I treasure it even more. There are big crunchy orange and red leaves on the ground. I wake up to crows between the sleepy trees along the trail outside my apartment. The sunlight is extra sparkly on the mornings it’s out between the growing days of grey clouds and rain. All of a sudden, it smells like mulch and harvest. Its much different than Phoenix, but no less specific of a feeling.

There’s this anticipation in the air. The long hot days are over, and we’re entering a season of rest and closing. Of quiet evenings in warm homes, and soon of louder nights filled with laughter, family, and glittering lights. This is my favorite time of year. It’s the quiet deep breathe before I get to fill my cup with chaos, joy, family, and connection. I get to take quiet time for myself to rest before the big outpouring of myself over the holidays.

Tomorrow is Samhain again already. Given my current contemplative mood, I thought today would be a good day to discuss the history of Samhain and share some easy ways to celebrate at home- if you so choose.

A Festival of Fire:

Not be confused with Halloween, Samhain (pronounced sow-win) was originally a pagan festival celebrated by the Celts. Samhain was the most significant and largest of the Great Feast days and the most important of the four Fire Festivals; traditionally the only day of the year that the Hearth fire was allowed to go out while the final harvest was collected, before being relit as part of the communities celebration after being blessed by the Druids. It was a sacred time. Certain accounts even mention death sentences for people who violated rules or committed violent crimes during this time. Prayers were said, blessings given, cattle were sacrificed, and community bonfires were used to sanctify the Hearth’s for the upcoming year.

A Festival of Souls

Originally it was celebrated as the day that the veil between the physical world and the spirit world was at its thinnest, allowing more interaction with the beings of the otherworld. (Samhain – Celtic Origins, Rituals & Halloween | HISTORY)

Offerings were left outside of doors, villages, and fields for the Sidhe, to protect them and earn goodwill from anything crossing the barrier between worlds. People often wore animal or monster costumes so the fairies would not kidnap them.

During the middle ages, carvings on turnips and pumpkins were used to ward of fairies and other wicked beings. It was during this time that the “Dumb Supper” became a tradition. During which spirits were invited to dine with the family as a way to interact with ancestors and other deceased friends and relatives.

Christian Involvement in Samhain:

Over time, and through the rise of the Christian Church, Samhain traditions became intermingled with other Christian practices. First adapting to “All Saints and Martyrs” in the 5^th Century, and then as “All Hallows Eve”, “All Saints Day”, and “All Souls Day” in the 9^th century by Pope Gregory. Eventually, many of  Samhain’s practices and traditions became synonymous with the modern celebration of Halloween.

“The Farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past; the more we’ve come to need Halloween”

Paula Guran

That doesn’t mean that the original spirit of the festival isn’t still there. The growing season is over, the harvest is complete, the long nights are approaching. Now is a good time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year, and settle in for a rest, while blessing and protecting your home for the upcoming dark season.

Celebrating Samhain at home:

Just because most towns are no longer holding massive feasts and community bonfires- does not mean that you cannot acknowledge the significance of this time in the natural world. Samhain is not about devil worship, black magic, or the macabre and grotesque. It’s about harvest and celebrating the role that each season plays. It’s a time to honor those that are gone, with maybe just a smidge of the magical and mystical peaking through the thinning veil for those of us that are superstitious. Below are my favorite ways to have intentionality in savoring this time.

• Take a nature walk: you’ve probably seen me say this in any ‘celebratory’ holiday post. That’s because many of these holidays center around the changing of the seasons, and one of the best ways to experience that and appreciate it is to get out in it. See it, touch it, taste it, smell it. It was particularly easy for me this year, being in a new space with vibrant colors and so much to soak up.
  Make sure you aren’t glued to your phone while you’re out. Look at the leaves, or the clouds, or whatever it may be. Smell the crispness in the air. Let the wind sit on your face and focus on what right now feels like.

• Set up or refresh your altar: Yes there are the stereotypical symbols or Halloween, but so much more can go into the sacred space this season. Symbols have power. Skulls, ghosts, I tend to decorate with my favorite leaves that I’ve picked up on the aforementioned nature walk. allspice berries, broom, catnip, mountain ash berries, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, acorns, rosemary, sage, pine cones, and straw are also good symbols.
  Taylor tends to merge this a little bit with her appreciation of Dia De Los Muertos. She always puts up pictures of people we loved and lost, with a special focus on any recently significant losses. We light candles for each loved one and spend time talking about them together, honoring their part in our lives.

• Host a Dumb Supper for yourself and your family: This meal is traditionally mostly silent, thus the name. Leave an empty place at your table to honor the deceased. Focus your meal on products of the harvest: dark grain breads, the darkest of summers berries, root vegetables, game meats, cider or wine. On this day the table is a sacred space. Before sitting down to eat, gather everyone for a prayer:

“Tonight we celebrate Samhain. It is the end of the harvest, the last days of summer, and the cold nights wait on the other side for us. The bounty of our labor, the abundance of the harvest, and the success of the hunt all lie before us. We thank the earth for all it has given us this season, and yet we look forward to winter, a time of sacred darkness.”

• Visit a cemetery: I know- this is where I lose some of you, or you think I’m going to tell you to perform seances in disrespectful places. Not so. But this is a time of honoring the dead. Now is a good time to visit graves of loved ones. If I was home, this would be the time I would go to my grandfather’s and grandmother’s memorial; or stop to chat with my Uncle Alois. Its another way to feel close to them and honor their memory. To let them know that I’m still thinking about them.
  Since I can’t be home this year I instead visited a local cemetery.
  There are two where I live, and the old historic one is no longer active and doesn’t get a lot of visitors. I spent some time walking rows and reading names, I can’t help but wonder who they were and what they were like. I like to lay flowers at some of the ones that catch my eye or feel right. I like to think that this way, they aren’t forgotten.
• Reflect: look back on your season of growing. Review Journals, planners, photographs, evidences of your growths this year. Look back on whatever goals you set yourself and assess how you faired. Meditate. When you are done introspecting- write down your thoughts and feelings about your experience.

• Clean and reset your hearth space: homes have certainly changed since everyone had a functional hearth. The concept remains the same. The hearth was the center of the home. A place of nourishment, gathering, and safety. The touchstone that grounded most families. When I did have a fireplace, this was the time I would deep clean it and pull it apart in preparation for winter use. If you don’t have a fireplace, it is still a good time to deep clean your kitchen. Spend some time caring for the space that nourishes you. On a practical note: you’ll thank me when the holidays roll around.
• Bonfires: Samhain was the greatest of the fire festivals. Go outside, light a fire- a firepit will do if a bonfire isn’t an option. Let the smell of woodsmoke seep into your skin and relax you. Let the heat from the fire keep away the growing snap in the air. Spend time welcoming the chillier evenings and long nights. This is a good time to meditate.

• Connect with your community: This might feel harder in the anti-social, demanding, fast-paced world we currently live in. But in times past, Samhain was an important time to connect with your community because everyone relied on everyone during the long winter months. Now is a good time to check in on friends and relatives and make sure they’re okay.
  Find a local organization to help- lots of communities will look for volunteers at this time of year to help with food and shelter for the homeless, or under privileged. There is a need for community now more than ever. Get out of your house- go to a fall festival or a pumpkin patch. Make new connections and friends in your community.

However you choose to celebrate, make sure you do so with intentionality. Focus on the feeling in your heart as this season closes. Take time to rest, recharge and prepare before the glitter and sparkle of the holidays suck us in for another grand finale. Take a minute to make sure your eyes are wide open before you blink and its spring again.

When black cats howl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween.

Happy Samhain!

Mikaela

Hey BUD-dies!

As Mikaela and I start to dig deeper into the topics of sustainability, food, and gardening something to consider is that while growing your own plants (edible or otherwise) is very fulfilling for your soul (and stomach) … it can be draining on the wallet. That is unless you know how to do so in a more (drumroll please) sustainable way.

One way to keep more green in your wallet but still grow the number of plants in your inventory is to explore different ways of propagation. To the casual and new to plant parenthood, this can seem like an intimidating word being flung around. I am here to tell you that it is easy-peasy.

In the case of plants, propagation literally just means reproduction by natural processes. Plants already want to reproduce so you are just helping things along and the biggest hurdle is knowing how your particular plant likes to get jiggy with it. So let’s go over a couple ways to propagate AND some basic categories of plants that are easily propagated by the different methods.

So let’s start with the biggest, most obvious way to propagate…

SEEDS

When a boy plant part (stigma) likes a girl plant part (pollen from an anther) and gets some help from a buddy (an insect, bat, bird, puff of wind, etc) they can make a seed. This is not a biology class so I am not going to dig further into this BUT I do want to bring up how this information may save you some money and what to beware of. So, to start I want to say there are multiple places you can get seeds and some pros and cons to each.

• Garden stores are a great place to get seeds and they are relatively cheap. You know they are fresher seeds and have a great chance of germinating (sprouting). The packaging is great because it will give you instructions and care as well. The negative is that you are still spending money AND usually they only have basic flowers and crops because they are catering to a majority.
• Online is a mixed bag… you have an insane variety, but you are going to spend more and it is tough in some cases to verify what you are getting (new seeds, old seeds, is it even the correct plant?). I have had some really great successes doing this though.
• Farmers markets have a couple options. Some vendors will actually sell seeds, but you can also just look for interesting fruits to eat and save/plant the seeds. Things to consider though are that you once again can’t really verify what a seed is or if it is any good until you are planting AND this applies to even ones coming out of a fruit. This is because members of the same species can cross pollinate. For example, pumpkin and winter squash are technically the same species so they can cross pollinate. They would still taste fine but their little seed babies would/could grow something weird. Let me tell you- I have STORIES about peppers because I was growing like 40 varieties at one point and they DEFINITLY cross pollinated.
• Save seeds from your food at home. This is staple and one of my favorite methods because you are not spending extra money and you can do so infinitely to continue your garden. The con here is that you are only going to get seeds from what you already have on hand so you are limited to what you are already growing or what you find at the grocery store (an let’s be honest the everyday gardener may not have the resources to grow some of those fancy, exotic, tropical fruits).

As for who and what can be propagated this way…. Anything with seeds! Fruits, bushes, flowers, veggies. Some are harder to actually harvest seeds from and you are better off just buying them unless you are really serious. I do not bother when it comes to herbs or flowers (though a lot will reseed themselves). Fruits (drupes, peppers, tomatoes, etc), melons, and guards are great ones to start with.

So, before I leave this to talk about our next method, I just want to say that even in cases where you are spending money for seeds, it is still cheaper than buying a mature plant. From personal experience, always plant lots of seeds as well because even the most quality ones you get, only a certain percentage will germinate. I also want to point out that even weird crosses are fun.

CLONING

Mwahahahaha…. This is where you get to be the most holistic evil scientist ever…

Cloning sounds complicated and cool when talking to friends and family. In reality though, you are selectively picking parts of plants (sometimes from public settings) like a 5-year-old, ignoring your moms voice in the back of your mind saying, “don’t pick the flowers”, and then hording them in little containers everywhere around the house until they become new plants. Or that might just be me.

We have lots of options for how to clone! Taking cuttings, layering stems, dividing rhizomes or offsets, bud cuttings, and root cuttings to name a few. The hardest part is knowing what method words for your plant. If you know the type of plant you are propagating, it is easy enough to google propagation methods. If you took a piece of a plant out of your neighbor’s front yard under cover of darkness (who me?), you might not have an exact name for the plant but there are some indicators, and you will quickly get a feel for it.

I want to point out that the best time to try any of these methods are going to be during the growing season just like with planting seeds. You will get the best result this way BUT especially with indoor plants, you will still get varied success the rest of the year.

Like I said, there are a lot of options, and it would be a lot to cover all of them in any depth (plus there are different options and ways to tweak each general method) but let me give you an idea of what some of these options are.

Cuttings

This is one of my favorite methods and the first type of cloning I ever attempted. The root of the process is you are taking a cutting or trimming of a plant and roots will grow from it to form its own plant. I find that this is usually my go to with herbaceous, tropical plants. Vining plants in particular; I will find a node (bump where roots would come out, cut right before it, remove the lower leaves, dip the end in a rooting hormone (tons of garden places sell liquid or powdered hormone for this reason so they are encouraging my habits), and plant your new baby into a sterile seed sowing mix. You want to keep these guys in bright indirect light and a moist/humid environment (a cover works great) since they do not have roots to suck up water or nutrients easily yet. Some of my plants root so easily that I just stick them in a vase with water (no hormone or dirt or anything) and wait for roots to appear before I plant them. Pothos, fuschia, and impatiens are great examples of these.

Similar to that, some tropical plants that have long stems on their leaves can be propagated in the same way. Great example of this are African violets and Monstera’s (I do this with mines suckers or tiny offshoot leaves I do not want to take his energy).

If you know your plant species, I recommend a quick google search to see how difficult they are to do cuttings, how deep to plant, where to cut etc until you have a feel for it because there are some differences.

Layering

Once again, not complicated, but layering can be done 2 different ways. Compound layering can be done with anything flexible that you would do a cutting on (like a Pothos vine). You basically can plant (or layer soil over) portions of the vine where there are nodes and encourage root growth from those places and once roots have started, they can be cut apart and planted. You can also do Air layering where you purposefully damage parts of the outer layer of stems and then wrap damp moss/soil around that place, enclosing it with Aluminum foil until roots appear and the plant can be separated. Once again, this method may have slightly different requirements or processes depending on the type of plants, but this is the gist of it.

This is a little involved than taking cuttings BUT it isn’t hard by any means and has less chance of a cutting withering away since it is still getting nutrients from the parent plant. I have had good success using this process with roses in particular with the aid of some rooting hormones. My great uncle raised and bred new crosses of roses and did shows. I loved them and wanted a couple varieties, so this was one method we used to get clones with the most success. Just make sure that once you have roots and you cut your new baby off, you seal the new wood on your old parent plant (Elmers glue works great!) so you do not get pests or diseases in there!

Division

Division is exactly what it sounds like… dividing what is already there. We are only going to talk about 2 types of division.

The first is rhizomes. Some plants (like strawberries) can spread by branches along the ground growing roots into the soil. This can be on the surface but in the case of many plants it can also happen under the soil, and you will see -SURPRISE! – a new plant come up in the parents’ vicinity. You can easily dig up the rhizomes, divide the sections using your fingers (keep the pieces with roots AND leaves_ and replant the babies elsewhere.

Secondly, I will bring up offsets. Some plants like Aloe will have fully re-plantable pups grow around the base of a mother plant. These can be separated and repotted elsewhere. Other plants will need to be cut with a sharp knife to remove them but wait until they have already grown roots or else you may need to go through additional steps to help the babies root.

So you may have noticed I still had more types of propagation listed that I have not touched on. I am not going to get into them today but instead wanted to focus on those that are the easiest to start with and work with a wide variety of plants.

I hope this article knocked your stalks off!

Taylor

Ostara is behind us, and Easter is approaching quickly… so let’s talk eggs.

If you either celebrate Ostara or have read our post, you will know that painted eggs are often a part of the holiday. More likely though, you are aware of the Christian tradition of Easter Eggs. Right about now if you go into any grocery store across the United States, you can most likely find Easter egg dye kits front and center, just inside the door. I know growing up in a Catholic household, we looked forward to the family getting together and dipping hard boiled eggs into vinegar-based dyes.

Decorated eggs aren’t just limited to pastels, food dye, and Easter though. In cultures around the world, eggs have been seen as symbols of fertility, the circle of life, new life, un-hatched potential, hope and purity. Additionally, eggs are easy to come by and comparatively cheap (though it may not seem that way currently) which has made them a staple in households in one way or another around the world. By that logic, it really isn’t a surprise that decorating eggs is one of the oldest decorative arts and that humans have developed many different styles and traditions.

So lets talk about a couple different ways to play with this fun tradition and where they come from. I am going to focus more on traditional, can do at home egg decorating. That means that I am NOT going into the history of Faberge eggs or how to carve them out of stone. Instead, I want to talk about dying, painting, scratching, and (if you are a bit more motivated) engraving eggs.

Ostrich Egg Engraving & Etching

So I realize that this is a bit of a stretch when it comes to being duplicatable at home BUT it is doable, on my list of projects to attempt, AND one of the most ancient forms of egg decorating so I absolutely had to include it. Dating back as far as 65,000 years ago it is believed that the hunter-gatherers of the Kalahari desert used Ostrich eggs for storing water. Archeologists have long known of decorated pieces of shells with designs that could be decorative or marks of individual owners. Over time this has evolved and become more detailed and decorative rather than utilitarian and today, a carved, engraved, or etched ostrich egg can be quite ornate and sell for hundreds of dollars.

I have done some research into different techniques. Etching seems fairly easy as you basically paint etching cream in the design or picture you wish, let it sit according to the creams’ instructions, and then rinse the egg. Engraving is a bit more technical but can be accomplished by using a fine engraving tip on a Dremel and then using a fine knife for detail work. Do I sense a future project?

Scratched Chicken Eggs

In the same family as Ostrich egg engraving, as early as the 4th century, we can see chicken eggs decorated by scratching designs into the shell in Worms, Germany. Yes- that is a real place and one of the oldest cities in northern Europe. Scratching designs into shells is still a fun way to decorate, a bit more accessible than engraving Ostrich eggs, and just different enough from the classic dyed easter eggs that you can feel fancy showing them off to your friends. Brown hen eggs can be scratched right away to reveal white designs or white ones can be dyed and then scratched. This can be done a variety of ways and you can use a needle, nail, awl, Xacto knife, razor blade, Dremel, engraver… you get the point. Manual tools are easier to control depth and shading but electric tools such as a Dremel will speed

things up. Simple dot and stripe patterns are an easy starting point (pun intended) and floral motifs are classic.

Dyed Chicken Eggs

Drum roll please…. Let’s say it all together now. DYED EGGS. When I was researching I found dyed eggs in a lot of different cultures and for a lot of different occasions. Easter gets talked about a lot because Christianity is widespread with a large number of practitioners, but dyed eggs have been around a lot longer than Christianity. The original dyed egg can be traced back, once again to the ancient, decorated Ostrich eggs of Africa where they were dyed red with ochre. It is theorized that this practice may have traveled from Africa with the movement of our ancestors up into Eurasia and then Europe.

Let’s talk about a couple more current examples though. Similar to the red Ostrich eggs, hen eggs were dyed red and displayed on alters for Nowruz (on the vernal equinox) in ancient Persia and this tradition can still be seen in various Persian and Turkish faiths though the color palate has expanded. Judaism has a similar tradition where, for Passover, they display a pure white roast egg on their sedar plate. Pagans traditionally would dye and paint eggs to give as gifts when celebrating the Spring equinox. The exact origin of Easter eggs is a bit murky but common theories are that the Jewish Passover egg or the Pagan gift eggs were then adopted by Mesopotamian Orthodox Christians and dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Are you seeing a trend yet? Regardless of the true origin, this red egg is what later became the Easter egg that we currently enjoy in many colors.

Originally the dyes were made from plants and what was found in nature but eventually as new colors were desired and created, many toxic fabric dyes were used. Obviously, there is more known about the harm involved and it is no longer recommended. Science has progressed and you can easily get food friendly dyes readily from the grocery store OR for more natural colors and a traditional feel you can play with the following kitchen bits and plants from the garden:

The list goes on! There are so many natural dyes and adjusting how long they are in the dyes, how long dyes are boiled, and even if the eggs are washed or not can affect the colors. Experiment a little or a lot! A good step by step process on how to make and use the dye can be googled easy but a good one I have used is HERE. You can also play with patterns by wrapping rubber bands around eggs before dying or using wax to protect the shell from dye in patterns. In northern Britain and Scandinavia, impressions of leaves and flowers are made by affixing them against the egg, wrapping them in onion skins and then boiling the eggs. This is easily replicated by wrapping the egg and leaf or flower in panty hose and dyeing the egg however you want.

Wax Resist (Pysanky)

This is technically still dying eggs, but I felt it needed to separated into its own category. The is advanced dying. Simple in concept but precise and very time consuming.

Originally dating back to pre-Christian times, pysanky has become a Ukrainian Easter tradition. They often show complex geometric, floral, and even lace designs and are made using the wax resist method. A design is drawn on the egg in wax using a type of stylus called a kistka. The egg is then dipped into a dye, dried and a new layer of wax is drawn on and the egg is then dyed again. This process is repeated in layers starting with the lightest dyes and ending with the darkest being applied. If you are interested in trying your hand at this amazing art style, I was able to locate a booklet through the Library of Congress from the American Folklife Center that details the process and gives a great starting point (find it HERE).

Painted Eggs

Painted eggs are as old as dyed eggs and honestly pretty much the same historically BUT painting instead of dying means you can use different techniques and, in my experience, get a lot more detailed without the technical know how for something like . The sky is the limit when it comes to colors AND if it is for décor only (not being eaten), you are not limited by the type of paint. I personally like acrylics because they are affordable and very easy to work with even for beginners.

This is just scratching (lol) the surface when it comes to decorated eggs though. What about 3D art or paper machete? Could you use a pyrography tool on lower heat settings? New ideas and techniques are always popping up online and working on projects always gets me inspired to try new things. So, experiment and create something new. Let us know if you have any ideas or send them to us on our Instagram. We want to hear from you, and I am always looking for a new technique to try out myself!

Happy creating,

Taylor

I know in my previous post about Ostara I had mentioned a recipe for some sourdough rosemary rolls…. 

Today is the day. Rosemary, to me, is one of the best herbs in the world, I think everybody should have some in their garden. It smells amazing, is relatively hardy (you can even grow it in the arid zone that is the Arizona I grew up in). It has a laundry list of medicinal benefits that I will get to at a different time because I could wax poetic about Rosemary and all its uses for a while, and I will, trust me. But for today we will stick to just the culinary aspect and some of its symbolism in Ostara celebrations.  

Traditionally, Rosemary has actually been used in a wide variety or celebrations and traditions throughout time, and while many other herbs and flowers have greater relevance specifically to Ostara, it is one of my favorites to work with because almost anybody can get their hand on it and from a cooking standpoint it flavor is deep and its uses are endless. In regard to Ostara, Rosemary symbolizes purification and ingenuity. This is the time of year to refresh, welcome in new energy and air and be receptive to changes around you. That requires you to first declutter and purify your space. You have to make room for new things before you can fit them into your life.  

Baking bread is also one the more traditional ways to celebrate Ostara, and in my personal opinion almost everything is better with cheese…. therefore: Bread + Rosemary + Cheese = Mozzarella Stuffed Rosemary Sourdough Pretzel Rolls! I know it looks like there are a lot of steps, but I broke it into tiny bite sized pieces for ease of reading and doing. It’s not hard, I promise.  

You can either buy a sourdough starter online (I know you can find decent ones on Esty), or you can make your own with a little advance prep, it’s much easier than it sounds. Check out our post on how to make sourdough starter Here. 

Now let’s get to it!  

Instructions: 

1. Combine warm water, sugar and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or regular large bowl if doing by hand). let sit 3-4 minutes until starter has had a chance to breathe.  
2. Add approximately 4 cups of flour and salt and mix on medium speed for approximately 10 minutes. If by hand approximately 15 minutes. mixing is extremely important because this is where your gluten develops. dough should be smooth and satiny to the touch, moist but not sticky; and definitely not dry. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl gently. If your dough is too sticky, continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time, allowing a minute or two of mixing between each addition. Dough should pass the window test. For bread basics and tips click Here. 
3. Once your bread has gotten close to this ideal texture, add your rosemary and butter and knead an added 3-4 minutes until butter has been fully absorbed (butter inhibits gluten production so you do not want to add it too early). 
4. Tip dough into a clean, oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a warm area of your house and let rest until dough has doubled in size (roughly 1- 1.5 hours)  
5. Place your shredded mozz in the freezer (If you are using fresh mozz you will want to tear it into relatively small pieces first). 
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; and set aside. 
7.  Add water and baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil. 
8. Divide dough into 8 equal rounds. 
9. Roll each round out into a 16″ rope. 
10. Roll each rope out so it’s 4 inches wide. 
11. Remove cheese from freezer. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese filling evenly along the rope. 
12. Tightly roll the dough back into rope being careful to pinch the edges together. 
13. Make a U shape with each rope of dough, holding the ends. 
14. Cross the ends over each other, pinching ends onto the bottom of the dough. you now have a pretzel!  
15. Place pretzels – one at a time – into the boiling cooking liquid. Cook for 30 seconds each. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drip back into the pot before transferring to prepared baking sheet. It is important to not crowd your pot- take your time with this step. calm and clean are your friends. 
16. Once all pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops of each with egg wash. 
17. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. 
18. In a small bowl combine the rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Brush the top of each pretzel with melted butter, then sprinkle on topping. Eat at once! 

Now go make a mess! Have fun! Change the toppings, switch out the cheese if you want, take pictures, share them with friends.  

All the best,  

Mikaela  

Good evening! (Or at least it’s evening for me).

In our previous post about Ostara we touched on one of my absolute favorite things to do: Take a floral milk bath. They are relaxing, fun, and a great way to give yourself some classy spa time on a budget. Self-care is important, especially in finding balance. Remember: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking a little bit of time every week to decompress and recharge yourself is so important to your overall health and effectiveness. There are all sorts of tiny things you can do to fulfill this need for yourself, but if I’m taking extra care with myself, or at certain time of the year (i.e. Ostara) this is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It is ridiculously easy to do, and a relaxing way to add mindfulness to your life. 

Managing stress is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Stress can also lead to higher risk of stroke and heart attack. It may not seem like a cool or dramatic way to take care of yourself, but stress management is more important now than ever in today’s perpetually fast paced world. Baths in general to me are a good way to help me slow down because it’s all about the process, the soak; the whole point is to slow down and focus on doing nothing except being.  

A few quick tips to add to the experience: 

• Get yourself some candles: Even the dingiest room looks like a palace in candlelight. Turn your lights off and light some candles. If you have scented ones, great. But scentless dollar tree ones work just fine. If you are going the scented route, I try to stay on season. It helps focus your energy (i.e. Ostara= florals like primrose or jasmine, dogwood, rosewood, and vervain. Incense works great too to add to your ambiance if you go the dollar store unscented candle route.  
• Grab a glass: of something, anything. Some ladies like wine, and that works. Honestly for me though, I like my water really hot so I tend to stick to cold beverages to avoid light-headedness and accidents. If I really need to relax, then sure, a glass of red will do. But nothing is worse than putting all this prep work in, getting in the tub, and deciding you’re thirsty. Water, Juice, whatever it may be- you’ll thank me later. 
• Music: this is a tip especially if you live with roommates or in a loud place. It’s hard to relax, unwind, or meditate when you can hear your roommate’s comedy tv show, or the dryer thumping down the hall, or your siblings or spouse shouting. Again, this comes down to personal musical preference but some of my favorite ambiance music includes Celtic instrumentals & nature soundtracks if I want things that have no words. Another personal favorite is to turn on some Etta James or Andrea Bocelli if I’m feeling up to vocals.  
• Find a space heater: This one isn’t a necessity at all, just a preference. It can still very much be chilly in March, and while the bath feels great, eventually I must get out… to a frigid bathroom. The best way to avoid this is to turn an oscillating space heater on to a low setting. Helps take the edge off.  

Let’s Begin.

To make this floral soaking milk bath you will need: 

• Several Bowls 
• 1 Cup Oats (not quick oats) 
• 1 Tbsp carrier oil of choice (I prefer jojoba) 
• ½ Cup Celtic Sea Salt 
• 1 Tbsp Dried Nettle herb 
• 2 Drops jasmine essential oils 
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil 
• 2 Tbsp native spring flowers (I like chamomile, primroses, or cornflowers) 
• Cotton bags (small). 

To make:  

1. Clear your workspace, focusing on your intentions as you do so. Try to stay relaxed and comfortable. 

2. In a medium bowl combine Sea Salt and Oats. 

3. In a separate small bowl, combine essential oils with carrier oil. Add this to the oat/salt mixture. It is important to mix this thoroughly to avoid the risk of skin irritation. 

4. Add your remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.  

5. Fill clean cotton bags and cinch tightly.  

To use:  

1. Let your cotton bag soak in hot bathwater for 5 minutes. Remember, this is all about the process. Take your time drawing your bath and getting the temperature where you want it.  

2. Squeeze gently to release oat milk and essential oils more effectively.  

3. The cotton, potpourri filled bag can also be used as an exfoliating scrub. Focus on dry ares for extra moisture. 

4. Bags can be emptied, washed, dryed and reused.  

Twist your hair up out of the way, grab a hand towel as a pillow & Soak. Enjoy the aromas, breathe deep, meditate and just let it all go. Whatever is bothering you, whatever bad thing happened today, however hard the winter was- let it go. Take a few minutes genuinely for yourself, get out when you feel like it, and not before. Wrap up in a soft robe or big fluffy towel. Take the time to treat your body by applying lotion or an oil, you deserve it. Flush the negative and the weight down the drain with your bathwater and close your ceremony by rinsing your tub and blowing out your candles.  

You just completed a mindful self-care ritual. Super simple. Not nearly as hocus-pocus as a lot of people will try to make it sound. You can also always play with the florals/ oils as well (try cedarwood or tonka bean in the winter- you’ll thank me later).  

The hardest thing with this is to be intentional. To slow down, focus on what you are doing, let nothing rush you, and don’t multi-task. Put down your phone. You can live without instagram or facebook or even a paper book for forty-five minutes. You are focusing on you. I get it, I love to read too, but that’s not the purpose here.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

Creating and Caring For Sourdough Bread Starters

Okay, now that we’ve gone over bread basics 101 you will notice in the upcoming weeks that I have a particular love of sourdoughs (If you missed that episode, you can find it here). I love sourdough for a number of reasons. To quote Shakespeare and a cult classic at the same time…

1. They taste delicious- I will never sacrifice flavor if I can avoid it. It is richer, deeper, and smoother than any other bread. 
2. Sourdough starter is a legacy opportunity, and we know I’m all about food traditions. You can inherit it from a family member or start a new tradition. The older the starter, the better the flavor and it will continue to get better with time. My favorite sourdough starter was a birthday gift from my sister, and she got it from a woman whose family has had the same one for 90 years. One of my chef instructors had had his for 45 years since HE was in culinary school. 
3. It has a lower glycemic index than most breads- the fermentation depletes much of the starch which means less of a blood sugar spike.  
4. It is easier on gluten sensitive people. Due to the long fermentation time, much of the gluten protein is broken down into amino acids before you eating.  
5. more good bacteria and acid. Lactobacillus is the bacteria found in sourdough bread in large amounts, this leads to higher amounts of lactic acid, which reduces the amount of phytic acid in your gut.  
6. fewer preservatives- this applies to all sourdoughs, but even more so if you are making it at home. Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, which naturally prevents the growth of mold. It naturally preserves itself, meaning that toxic preservatives are not required to make it last. So, it won’t go bad nearly as quickly.  
7. It’s more nutrient dense than other breads. Sourdough bread has a mix of iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. Compared to other breads, sourdough retains many of the original nutrients that are processed out of other kinds of bread. 
8. Sourdough can be used to make just about any type of bread PLUS some. Yes, there is the traditional “San Francisco style sourdough” but anything can be made with sourdough starter. whole wheat, multigrain, brioche, Pulla, PANCAKES, WAFFLES, crackers, bagels. Fermenting dough is the oldest style of leavening bread in the world. It is so versatile.  
9. It is one of the most cost effective ways to make bread. You don’t even need yeast to do it. You CAN jump start starter with dry yeast if you’re in a hurry, but its technically not necessary. It super easy to care for and even easier to start. 
10. There are so many variations on sourdough. You can start with the old school flour and water method, but I know people that feed them with apple cider, and one lady that feeds hers with a tiny bit of molasses in addition to her flour and water to further increase the flavor. and further than that- I find the process fascinating. The ONLY place in the world that you can get true San Francisco sourdough- is in San Francisco. Why? because yeast is a living organism- its regional. Even if you buy a San Francisco originating sourdough, it will slowly over time grow into something else, changing the flavor in nuanced ways. If you start yours from scratch with no added yeast, it will cultivate from the air with the local variant of yeast. That means that in one way or another your bread will be a little bit different than everybody else’s in the world.  

So, now that I have you hooked on the idea of sourdough, lets go over how to start one, and the basics for caring for them. Its probably the easiest thing I’ll ever teach you.  

All you need is an airtight crock or container, flour, and water. But I’ll put notes in here if you’re in a hurry and want to speed up your colony. Most crocks/ containers can be bought anywhere you just want to make sure it has a good seal. I believe my sister bought mine from WIlliams-Sonoma. The one I gave to my father I found at target. It also another thing that is easy to thrift from goodwill. I prefer stone wear myself, but ceramic will also work just fine. How big it will depend entirely on how much you want. I like to keep 4-5 cups on hand, but you can even do smaller batches like my dad who keeps 2-3. Just bear in mind you either have to store it in your fridge or in a cool dry place, so just make sure you have room for whatever container you choose.  

let’s dive in to the two easiest methods: 

Air cultivation:

This takes the longest, but this is the world’s original method for making bread. Mix equal parts flour and water, pour into your chosen container. Seal. Let’s sit at room temperature for two days. Feed equal parts flour and water every two days for 10 days. Once you reach the 10 day mark you can shift your starter to the fridge if you choose. If you store it in the fridge, you can feed it once a week. If you are storing it at room temperature you will need to feed it roughly every three days.  

Jump start:

The exact same thing as above but add 2 tsps. of active dry yeast to the warm water and let bloom for 5 minutes before you add your flour. This starter can be ready to use within 12 hours, and then fed like normal.  

General sourdough tips: 

• Remember that if you are baking with sourdough and you store yours in the fridge you will need to let it come up to room temperature before you use it. cold yeast is slow yeast. 
• If you are going to make sourdough but need to feed your starter as well, feed your starter the day BEFORE and not right before or you will heavily dilute the sour flavor. best practice is actually to feed after you use it to replenish what you have used.  
• If you ever need to alter the texture of your starter (got too thick, got too runny for your preference) you can easily adjust the texture by going a little heavier on the flour or water at feeding time. If you prefer a spongier starter as opposed to a liquidy one, that’s totally fine- both make great bread. Over time you will find what works for you. 
• Sourdough breads take longer to rise than “active yeasts” all good things take time. go by size, not by time. let your doughs double at their own pace instead of assuming since your timer went off its good to go. again, I stress bread is a relationship. you don’t set a time limit on good sex, so don’t time how long it takes your dough to rise.  
• Name your sourdough starter- this is technically a superstition thing, but it is tradition. And whilst some traditions are stupid and archaic, this one is near and dear to my heart. This is the most basic form of magic: Intention setting. doing something with purpose and care and then allowing that intention to manifest. You are fostering a relationship with a living thing. You care for it, and it gives you sustenance. you want a good, happy, healthy, THRIVING starter. Naming things is one of the oldest human instincts. It gives things purpose, power, personality, and on a psychological level you are more likely to take care of something if you have taken the care to give it a name. Name your starter. Mine is Gus. Gus is cute, Gus is tasty, Gus is growing because I care for Gus. You see where I am going with this?  

I hope this helps you start a new adventure. Once you learn the basics you can start additional starters and begin playing with feeder flavors. Please, share your journey! Feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions or want to share. I will be using sourdough starter in many of our bread recipe’s going forward; but don’t feel like that will exclude you from trying things if you aren’t ready to commit to a sourdough baby. Remember you can always start your sourdough colony per batch the night before and still have the recipe come together even if some of the flavor depth is missing. 

All the best, 

Mikaela 

So let us start with the basics. The sky and space have always held a lot of humans’ attention. It is mysterious, expansive, and mostly unexplored. Ancient cultures observed it for both practical (when to plant crops) and religious purposes (oh no! the gods are angry and flooding our fields!). To many of the ancient civilizations, it is not an over exaggeration to say that they believed much of their life and the events of the natural world around them were determined by the gods. Many cultures believed that the gods lived in the sky/space or were in fact the planets like in the case of the Sumerians. This led them to watching the sky and stars to find meaning. They relied on it to determine when to hunt, plant, get married etc.  

No matter if you believe in the spiritual or if you are a person of science, we can all agree that to an extent there is some validity to their methods. Obviously, our calendars are a bit different, and our gardening schedule is no longer based on our father sitting outside, looking at the stars and telling us it is time to plant the turnips. Modern science has progressed, and we can predict and make more sense of weather, movement of celestial objects, etc without attributing everything to a god. On the other hand, the sky and the celestial bodies do influence earth and the world around us. For example, the moon controls tide in the ocean and can be linked to changes in people’s moods.  

Astrology vs Astronomy vs Physics

Despite our development of modern science, people are still fascinated by the sky and how it influences our lives. Based on this, we were forced to split the study of the sky/space into more rational, calculated fields of Astronomy and Physics vs the philosophical/psychological/interpretational study of Astrology.  

• Astrology [əˈsträləjē]; NOUN; The study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. 

• Astronomy [əˈstränəmē]; NOUN; The branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. 

• Physics [ˈfiziks]; NOUN; The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics, distinguished from that of chemistry and biology, includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. 

We all need a starting point…

I used to believe that Astrology was- and I quote- “froo froo woo woo hippy shit”. All I knew was that it had to do with Zodiac signs and horoscopes. As I have done more research over the years and admittedly loosened up a lot to alternative beliefs outside what I was raised with, I have also realized that it is much deeper and more involved than teenage girls looking up if they are compatible with their crush. That said, it can be confusing when terms start being thrown at you like sun/moon sign, ascendant, ruling planets, hemispheres, and houses around.  

What houses? Hogwarts houses?  

Never fear though! I am going to break down what they all mean and how they are found. Maybe you are honestly looking for another way to look at your personality and strengths and weaknesses and you are just starting your exploration into astrology.  Or maybe you think it is just froo froo woo woo hippy shit and are just curious. Maybe your ex broke up with you because “you are a scorpio” and you are trying to decipher what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks she was yelling about in the bar at 2 am. Either way, let us start with the most obvious, cookie cutter, pieces. The bread and butter of Astrology if you may.  

First things first…

First, I would say to use a free natal chart calculator online. A natal chart is an astrology birth chart and a cosmic map showing all the planets placement and movement around the sun in relation to where you were born. Because it is down to the minute and specific to the place of your birth, it is unique to everyone. I have used several and even cross checked them for accuracy. The following two are favorites. The first has a ton of different options if you are more experienced and want to tweak some different things or pull a non-standard chart. The second site (my favorite) is great for beginners, straight to the point, and even gives a description of what it all means.  

Free Charts & Data – Astrodienst 

Free Astrology Birth Chart Report (cafeastrology.com) 

Co – Star: Hyper-Personalized, Real-Time Horoscopes (costarastrology.com)– This is a phone app

Both Mikaela and I have looked up meanings and interpretations and pulled information from quite a few places online and from our bookshelf. To really understand the chart, it is always best to look in multiple places. Part of it will also come from experience. That being said, the point of the astrology posts I will be putting out is to break down some of that info in small bite sized pieces so you have to do less digging around.

In the next few Astrology posts, you will see Mikaela and I use ourselves as examples and as we build on this info we will continue to delve into our own natal charts, what the pieces mean to us and then how that can be applied to various parts of our world. I would encourage you to do the same.  I know that some cultures do not believe this information should be shared as people can use that knowledge against you so, please only share if you are comfortable.

Remember! This is supposed to be fun. It is a tool and very much up for interpretation. It is also going to mean vastly different things for and to everyone. We want to hear from you! What do you think this all means to you and what did it say?

Happy Charting! 

Taylor 

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

10 Tips, Tricks, & Rules

FIRST, lets discuss why thrifting should be a part of your life.

I won’t get super to into why we (as in Mikaela and I) thrift right now as Mikaela is also posting on this topic (see her Upcycling… There are no downsides) BUT I just want to list out a couple reasons that I love it:

• It is more eco friendly and cuts down on waste.
• I save money in my wallet.
• It is inspiring and a bit of a thrill to get a great find.
• I know that (in the case of some consignment or thrifting stores) I am contributing to a charity or organization that needs support.

But this is only if I am thrifting the right way! I can still spend way too much, waste a bunch, and have buyers’ remorse if I don’t go into it with the right mindset and rules for myself. I have a couple things that I must put limiters on myself about or else I can get out of control. So, with that in mind, I have a couple things I have learned and some rules that may help you in your thrifting journey.

Tips, Tricks and Rules

1- Know your stores.

This seems obvious but know what stores you want to check out. I thrift enough that I know which are favorites for different things. I have one I know will always have amazing clothes, one I go to if I am looking for art supplies and tchotchkes, and even a favorite for furniture. Something else to consider is that a lot of stock is determined by the neighborhoods around the store because when people donate, they go to a close location. So, if I want to look for nice business suits, it seems reasonable to go to a thrift store either specializing in what I am looking for OR go to a thrift store in a neighborhood where I might find people who work in offices and wear suits. Call it profiling but it works. This isn’t perfect but it has upped my chances when I am looking for something specific.

2- Know what you already have.

Again, something that seems simple, but I used to not take this into consideration. When I know what I have in my closet, what books I own, and what art supplies I already have, it helps me narrow down what I should buy and what would be a duplicate. It is a horrible feeling when you buy something and realize you have 3 of it already because you keep forgetting. I am not saying make a list of everything you own (although I do on some things). All I am saying is if it is a planned outing, maybe just take a brief peek in your closet or your Sterlite tubs of yarn/fabric to refamiliarize yourself with what you have in order try and cut down on those accidental duplicates.

3- Have a list but be flexible.

Speaking of lists… there are a few things I like to keep list of for when I go thrifting. I love collecting and am also an avid reader. Thrifting is an amazing way to find missing pieces of collectables or a book you may not have a copy of, but it is hard to remember that in the heat of the moment. I keep a list of missing pieces on my phone OR for several collections I have a list of what I already own- depends on what is easiest. This way I can make sure I stroll through books and have a solid idea of what I am looking for (no questioning if I was missing #4 or #5 in hard cover of this series). I also know that I am avoiding duplicates in more expensive pieces (have you ever spent $120 on a piece for a collection and then gotten home to find out you bought the wrong one? Trust me when I say 10/10 would not recommend that frustration). On a different note, if you have that list handy already, it makes for a good Xmas list to send your mom so that she doesn’t yell at you for not knowing what you want.

I also take a list of generally what I am looking for on a specific trip. Pieces to alter for a costume? Things to turn into a multimedia art project? Outfit basics? A new bookshelf? It gives me a basic place to start.

That being said, DO NOT BE SO MARRIED TO THAT LIST THAT YOU MISS OUT ON A GEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!!!!

4- Grab everything that interests you and do not be fooled by looks.

This doesn’t mean BUY everything that looks interesting. If you do that then it will defeat the purpose of this being more cost effective. Trust me when I say you will find a lot of interesting things. I do put anything I find even vaguely cool in my cart though. There is no back stock when buying second hand. What is there right now may be gone in 10 minutes so I may not be able to change my mind and go back BUT I can always whittle down and put things back.

Here are some things I look at/for in different categories:

• Clothes– I look for things that have interesting patterns or cuts. I also look at solid basics that can go with literally everything. At this point I usually pick up items that I am not even sure if I will like or are not necessarily my usual style. When I try them on, I often find pieces that surprise me- in good AND bad ways. Plus, it is fun to play dress up. On a separate note though, do not grab it just because it is a brand because it could be fake and/or it will just sit in the back of your closet because you do not really love IT- just the status of the brand.

• Books– These I put in my cart on less of a whim. By the time it’s in that sucker… I am half in love with the book after having read a synopsis. If I am honest, there is no whittling unless I am tight on money. Sue me. I can spend hours sifting through books. A trip to the VNSA book sale in Arizona is a whole day affair.

• Household Goods/Knick Knicks– With this section I do the obvious and pick up items that look cool or I could use BUT I will also pick up items that I think I could upcycle into something else. A chalkboard could be turned into a clock. Some of those super ugly statues and toys can be painted into something else. A lot of my Xmas decorations are literally from me finding ugly things at Goodwill and breathing some new life into them with acrylics. Look at shapes and what they are made of. If you are in the electronics section, that clock may not work but can you pull it apart for pieces for a steampunk or cyberpunk project (or a repair on another clock if that is your thing). The sky is the limit so do not be boxed in by what it looks like at that moment!

5- Be realistic about the quality and how much work you are willing to put into what you are purchasing.

So, this has been a tough pill be me to swallow sometimes. I have to ask myself some tough questions to reign me in back to earth when I get extravagant thrifting dreams. Ask yourself these questions:

• What kind of shape is this in and what kind of work will I need to put into it?
• How much time/money am I willing to pour into it?
• Do I have something similar?
• Is this a want or need?
• I love this now, but will I actually wear/use it?

6- Dress Appropriately.

You dress appropriately for going out on the town or to work or to a party. Why would this be different? Stick to something that slips on and off easy for trying on clothes (no laces or buttons). Stick to separates so if you want to try a shirt on, you do not need to worry about only being half dressed to show a friend outside the room. I also like to make sure my makeup is done. That way you know how the clothes fit your aesthetic AND how you feel/how you dress tend to correlate so if you have makeup on and are feeling yourself, you are more likely to feel good in what you are trying/ get items that make you feel/look good.

7- Give yourself some rules.

These will be different for everyone but what I like to do is pinpoint a couple places that I tend to go crazy in and find ways to limit myself. For example, if I buy a jacket, when I get home, I have to pick one to get rid of (I have a jacket problem).

8- Clean it immediately.

You do not know where your purchase has been or who has been trying it on. Make sure you are being safe and cleaning your purchases before you use them (especially now-a-days).

9- Haggle if you can.

Some places allow you to haggle or ask for a lower price. Ask! Just remember to be polite about it.

10- Have fun.

Remember at the end of the day that this is supposed to be fun! This are tips, not hard law. Go play and figure out what works for you!

Happy Hunting!

Taylor