Welcome to my Summer Solstice page. As part of my Kitchen Witchery class, I offer up suggested menu plans, decorating ideas and tips for tablescaping. Here are a few for Midsummer/Litha.
Midsummer/Litha/Summer Solstice typically falls on June 21st, and is considered the official start of summer. It is at this time that we celebrate the Sun and the God. It is also a good time for trying to make contact with Fairies, and is one of the times when the veil is thin, making it a good time for divination. There are many things you can do to decorate for your celebration and/or ritual. Some of these ideas can be as simple as using decorative bowls full of fruit. You can even use oranges as candle holders by simply slicing off a thin section for the bottom to make it stable, then slicing off the top and cutting out a section in which to place a taper candle. You can use metallic plates and/or utensils to represent the God aspect. Fresh cut flowers are another option for decoration, especially roses, sunflowers, or any other flowers that are currently in bloom.
One menu plan suggestion would be to do a BBQ, and maybe using the following dishes:
BBQ BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat)
Corn on the cob
Summer Fruit Tray with Honey-Yogurt Sauce
Tea Poached Fruit
Honey Lemonade
These are just a few things that you can do to celebrate this holiday.
Please leave a comment if you use any of these ideas, and let me know how they turned out. I always love to hear feed back.
Blessed Be!
Fried Honey Cakes (aka: Fairy Cakes)
This is a recipe that we used to make for the kids when they were younger. It was always fun for the kids to think that if we left a few out, it would lure the Fairies out of hiding. I included this recipe in my Midsummer/Litha Kitchen Witchery class.
You will need:
1/2 cup sweet white wine
1 egg
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tps salt
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1/8 tsp nutmeg
oil for frying
Instructions:
Beat the wine and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand for 30 minutes. Combine the honey and nutmeg in a small bowl, and set aside for later. Heat 1/2" of oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tbs at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Drizzle with honey, or dip into honey, and enjoy.
Makes: 1 1/2 dozen
Magical attributes: Kinship with the Fairy world
Celebrations: May Day, Lammas, Day of the Dryads and Midsummer
Note: I found this recipe in A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook by Patricia Telesco. I highly recommend this book.
Serendipity Cookies
This has been a favorite for years. I love making these. This recipe was included in my Midsummer/Litha Kitchen Witchery class.
You will need:
Crust:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick softened)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Topping:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. For the crust, beat the butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla in medium bowl. Mix in the flour and salt. Pat the dough into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. To prepare topping, mix the eggs, brown sugar, coconut, pecans, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread onto the hot crust. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar.
Makes: 32 bars
Variations: For romance or prosperity, add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the topping.
Magical Attributes: Luck, love, joy, diversity and prosperity.
Celebrations: May Day, Yule, Summer Solstice, Aloha Week
Note: I originally found this recipe in A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook by Patricia Telesco. I highly recommend this book. I still use my original copy.
Fresh Honey Lemonade with Lavender
This recipe is quickly becoming a favorite. Everyone enjoyed it for the Midsummer/Litha Kitchen Witchery class.
You will need:
5 lemons
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup boiling water
4 cups of ice water
1-2 tbs of dried lavender buds
Instructions:
Wash lemons, cut them in half, and juice them. Strain out any seeds, and set aside the juice. In a large bowl, place the used lemon halves, add sugar, and mix, making sure the lemons are evenly coated with sugar. Drizzle with honey. Allow to stand for 30 minutes (any longer and the lemonade will turn out bitter). Pour the boiling water over the peels and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Add the reserved lemon juice and ice water, and stir well. Add sugar or water to taste. You may leave the lemon peels in if it is to be served right away, or remove them if it will be served later. Add in the lavender.
Makes approximately 48 oz. or more, depending on how strong you like it.
Celebrations: Midsummer/Litha, Lammas, all summer celebrations
Note: When I made this for the class, I made exactly to the recipe, doubling it to make sure there was plenty for everyone. We did have to add more water, as it was very, very sweet. lol.
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