Mabon Blessings 2017…and Recipes!

Merry Meet friends and a very Blessed Mabon to you all!  I love that Autumn is finally here but….we are in the middle of a huge heatwave!  90* all week….ugh!  That is most definitely not normal for Ohio.  Oh, we’ve had some hot September days for sure, but a 10 day streak of 80’s and 90’s is not normal..and not fun…and not conducive to Fall activities lol.  Oh well, I’m still working on some Fall cleaning so I’m finding ways to celebrate the season anyway.  This too shall pass as they say 🙂

Hubby and I have started cleaning up our garden beds.  Cutting back spent flowers, harvesting the last of the tomatoes and herbs, and prepping soil where needed.  As I mentioned, I’m still working on organizing and purging drawers and closets.  I love getting rid of things no longer used. It just makes my house feel so much cleaner, allows air to move, and less clutter helps my mind as well.  I’ve decorated the house for the most part for Fall.  Still need mums and pumpkins but that will wait until weather cools down again.  And I LOVE going to the apple barn and the garden center for those things on a cool, blue sky day.  So I wait!

Today I started my day off with a walk in the grass around my yard, some time at my altar,  (which I’m sharing a picture of here)  lit candles and incense for healing and to honor the day, I plan on doing some baking later as well.  I like also to focus on balance in my Life on this day.  Mabon is the Autumn Equinox, when night and day are equal.  As I said in my last post, so many of us seem tilted, out of sorts, grumpy.  This has been me.  So tonight I will go under the Moon…the early crescent, and do a little ritual to help me find balance again in my life. I have found I’m starting to feel better simply by realizing I’m not feeling right and focusing on fixing it by meditating more, finding more quiet time, and practicing my Craft more!  It’s helped!

 

My altar, since this picture was taken, has apples sliced with honey and bread added, and a few items from nature…acorns, leaves, pods etc.  I always try to add bits of nature of from my walks to my altars.  Brings gifts from Mother Earth indoors 🙂

As promised, I’ve found a couple recipes to share with you.  One so simple and so good, the other…well it’s the best apple bread I’ve ever had and not overly hard to make either!

 

Apple Crostini

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped  (try Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith)

3 Tbs unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

French bread, sliced and toasted

Brie wedges

fresh chopped rosemary for garnish if you have it.

Preheat oven to 350*  Combine apples, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a pot over low heat.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until apples are soft and mash easily, but leave some apple chunks.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp.

Place French bread slices on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top each piece of bread with a small wedge of Brie cheese. Bake for about 5 mins to soften cheese.  The spoon apple mixture over cheese and sprinkle with rosemary.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

 

 

Praline Apple Bread

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

8 oz sour cream

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tb vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled apples

Preheat oven to 350*  Toast 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6-8 minutes, stirring occastionally; set aside.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer for 2 mins.  Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.  Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended.  Stir in apples and the toasted pecans.

Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9″x5″ loaf pan.  Sprinkle with remaining cup of pecans and press into batter.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour.  Cover with foil the last 10-15 minutes to keep from burning pecans.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

While cooling, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Pour over bread and let cool.

*also delicious to eat warm.

Delicious!!

 

I hope that you all give these recipes a try.  Oh and the bread, make extra..it goes fast! Also great to treat a neighbor, friend or family member with a loaf.  You’ll get rave reviews!

I hope that however you celebrate today, you spend some time focusing on yourself.  Try to find balance in your Life, even if just for a day, but you should really try to make it a priority. It’s a crazy, busy world for most of us these days and we need to take care of ourselves.  Prepare yourself for the dark days of Fall and Winter that are coming..much as Persephone did as she journeyed to the Underworld.  Build yourself a cozy cocoon, find things to do for yourself…learn something new, read those books you’ve not had time for, start a new project, spend more time with loved ones, and definitely find more time to yourself! Pamper yourself with long bathes, good meals, walks in nature and time under Grandmother Moon!  You’ll feel soooo much better!  This is advice I need myself and intend on taking!

Blessed Mabon dear readers! May Goddess Bless you this beautiful Autumn season!

 

“the air is different today
The wind sings with a new tone
Sighing of changes coming
The harvest is gathered, a flower, a nut
Some mead, and bread
A candle and a prayer
Returning the fruits in thanksgiving
To the grove and receiving it’s blessing again”
-Rhawk, Alban Elfed

 

Love and Blessings, Autumn