Tag Archives: recipes

Snuggling Under the Snowy Blanket.

Wow! on the Thundersnowstorm last night, eh?!!  So beautiful.

It was nice to get some snow dumped on us that will necessitate burrowing in for at least a day.  I’ve been sort of craving just this sort of event, in the midst of all the current chaos swirling here. A little time off with SnowBuddahMind.


I woke yesterday with an insane craving for S-C-O-N-E-S. Yes m’am, scones.  Baked good of the Gods.  I wanted just a bit of any sort, but had a particular yearning for those amazing Maple Oat Nut Scones that they used to sell at Starbucks many the years ago.  So after a hard road seeking maple extract, I tried not one but TWO recipes.  What else is a lady to do when she stumbles on the “Starbucks Recipe” and also the “Better Than Starbucks Recipe”?  I mean really!  How would you ever know which ones were really better?

So here are the contenders–

“Starbucks” on the left and “the scones that were  just a little too uppity for their pastry britches” on the right.

Cocoa votes for the snobbery scones.  The plain old ‘”starbucks” clones won with the rest of the family.  The “better-thans” were just a little too sweet and way buttery to count as honest scones for me.  The first recipe’s glaze was less rich also, and didn’t drown out the beautiful crumbly music of the scone.  Juuuust right.  So, give them a try, if you like that sort of thing.  They are monsterous-delish.

Lucky for all of the interwebs, there is a  Scone recipe challenge in full swing over at the Bakelady‘s lovely blog.  Wobble on over and get yer scone on!

In life, things are a bit calmer.  Chloe thinks she might just be feeling a bit better as a result of some further medication tweaking. Dr A. doubled the vasoconstrictor Tuesday night and  reduced the nightmare-bearing beta.   She swears she’s going to  move around a bit more today and give it a testing-out.  She is looking  a bit more lively up there– making a GIANT origami lotusflower last night.  Like, a couple of  feet across sort of giant.  I ask stupid motherish questions like “Um, what are you going to DO with that when it’s finished?” She responds in kind– “Um, Stuff.”  Harrumph.

Lil stomped delightfully through the cusp of EIGHT years, and is now happy headmistress of a Playmobil Adventurer’s Academy.  Birth-day was also full of MonsterDolls and fae architecture. And a few nice books.   She’s one happy lump of kid.

Today looks like a good fibery-frolicksome sort of day to me.  I’m fixing to knit some and spin a spell as well.  I’ll give you a peek later.

What are you all up to on this fine day?

xo Dawn

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Yummi Yogi Tea

There’s something I want to share with you. The secret recipe for my addiction. I love tea. Love it. There is a very special tea, which I suppose could be classified as a Chai, that you drink at the conclusion of Kundalini Yoga classes. The recipe is of the Great Yogi Bhajan. It is my favorite tea in the cosmos. I know that my sisters want this- and thought I should put it in a place where it can be easily found… It will always be in the pages to the side as well so that you don’t have to sift through the wordpile to find it. Enjoy. It’s delicious hot or cold, and will keep you happy.

As a note– I sometimes change the mix to suit specific things…add fenugreek and/or dill. And tumeric since my knees have become so kvetchy. It’s good. It makes your house smell delicious! When it is finished you just pour it through a strainer and enjoy.

(Thanks to Alexia for giving me the gift of this tea and yoga.)

Yogi Tea

Make at least 4 cups of Yogi Tea at a time. It’s a good idea to make large batches at a time, and store it in the refrigerator without milk; then add milk when you want to drink it. It can stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week.

For ONE cup, the measurements are:
10 oz. water
3 whole cloves
4 whole green cardamom pods (cracked open is best)
4 whole black peppercorns
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 slice ginger root
1/4 tsp. black tea (optional)
1/4 cup milk

Boil the spices for 10-15 minutes, with the top on the pot(just leave it open a crack to let a little of the steam out). Add black tea and steep for 2 minutes. Add milk, then bring to a boil. Remove immediately from the stove, and strain. Add honey to taste.

For 2 quarts use:
20 cardamom pods
20 peppercorns
15 cloves
5 or more slices of ginger root

1 tbs. black tea

Boil at least 30 minutes. Add 1 qt of milk.
Yogi Tea is also available in pre-mixed packages, and in tea bags. (See References for address of Ancient Healing Ways.) Yogi Bhajan says about Yogi Tea: “If you take a really a good amount of Yogi Tea, it will keep your liver very well. It is said to help the liver. And when we started in the sixties, people who had drug habits, who couldn’t even move, we put them on Yogi Tea.” Yogi Tea is actually a combination of foods. It is a tonic to the nervous system. It can help to balance your system when you are feeling out of balance. It has been used often as a remedy and preventative measure for colds, flu and diseases of the mucous membranes. Black pepper is a blood purifier. Cardamom is for the colon. Together they support the brain cells. Cloves help support the nervous system. Cinnamon is good for the bones. Ginger helps strengthen the nervous system and is very good if you have a cold, flu, physical weakness. It can help women when they are experiencing menstrual discomfort, such as cramps or PMS symptoms. You can try making Yogi Tea with extra ginger when you are feeling a cold or the flu coming on. If a man takes a cup of Yogi Tea after intercourse, it can help to replenish his body. In addition, Yogi Tea diluted with milk, can be very helpful to a child who is experiencing the pains of teething.


Excerpted From The Master’s Touch, by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., pg 308

Here’s the Yogi’s specific tea for joint health.

It is very yummy too.

Golden Milk

1/8 tsp turmeric
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. almond oil (cold pressed)
8 oz (1 cup) whole dairy milk
honey to taste
Optional: seeds of 4 cardamom pods (boil with turmeric)

Boil turmeric in water for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the milk and almond oil and bring to a boil. When the milk is boiling, turn off the heat. Add the turmeric mixture to the milk and serve with honey to taste. The turmeric should completely surrender to the water. The cardamom seeds may be cooked with the turmeric for added flavor, but they are optional. The oil provides lubrication and energy to the system, while turmeric makes the bones and joints more flexible.

If desired, add sweetener (honey or maple syrup) to taste. You can also make it frothy by putting it in the blender – use the lowest setting. Drink warm. It’s a great bedtime drink.


Excerpted From The Grace of God Manual and Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power, Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., pg 28
This one has always eluded me… but in case you are feeling hardcore. :)
wings in the armpits.
Trinity Root Healing Drink

1 medium onion
1-3 inches ginger root, peeled & sliced thin
1/2 bulb garlic, peeled
1 quart milk, preferably goat milk
1 tsp. turmeric

Finely chop 1 onion, peel & slice the ginger, and peel the garlic. Place these into a pressure cooker along with the milk. Bring to full pressure and cook for five minutes. Cool off pressure cooker and strain the milk into an iron frying pan. Simmer the milk for 15 minutes. Strain and serve.

Note: If a pressure cooker is not available, the same mixture can be made in a crock pot overnight. Just add some extra water, and cook on low. In the morning, strain and serve.

Yogi Bhajan’s comments on this drink: “I drink it every morning. In the goat’s milk we boil onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric at night on a slow fire, and next morning I drink a glass of it. Within minutes you will feel a change. You know how you will feel? Like wings have sprung from your armpits. That’s how you feel. The time has come that you must start taking care of yourself. Medical costs have gone so high, you don’t want to be sick. These are preventive things. These are very good things.”


Excerpted From The Master’s Touch, by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., pg 314
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The work of life.

Today was take your poppet to work day.    The preference was to go with  Papa to his job at JHU in the City and in the excitement of the Hospital and hubub.  Jimmy had a really long day today, so instead the girls settled for a day as Mama.  They totally cracked me up by coming downstairs dressed as me in their MD Sheep & Wool t-shirts and my necklaces.  Rosie doozied her look up a bit with high heeled sandals.  Natch.

We started with a list.  The inescapable and utterly compulsive list-making habit I rely on and indulge in as Chief Mama.

We looked at the calendar for any “big stuff” and added some other ingredients.  Here is what we came up with as a wish-list of accomplishments for the day–  We added things that they would like to get done themselves under kidstuff.  Next we spoke about prioritizing,multitasking and taking care of yourself in the mix as well.  The things circled were their choices for “most important 3 things.”

It was a LOT to hope for.  And it did not include the unexpected events that always creep in.  Here is what DID get done at the end of the day.  it was a really good experience for them I think to learn about making a plan and trying to stick to it and figure out how to get what you need to done.  It was good for me to stop and take inventory of the things that actually DID get done in a day.  A lot of times it can feel like nothing really gets accomplished– and well sometimes it doesn’t– but I think it is often more than you think you did!  It was also good to have their wisdom in building in breaks– ” I am SICK of this, I want to GO SOMEWHERE to work!” Rosie said.  Then she decided that a nice break jumping around outside would happy her up.  And it did.

Here is today’s list– minus the walk and harp practice which also happened.  Plus some more spinning and carding!

Here is the marvelous crepe recipe and accompanying instructional film the girls used to make our lunch.  It was awesome in thatlittle-mama kitchen.  I did hear one call the other “Count Jerkula” in the process though… sigh.

Lastly, here is a bit from the EARTH movie yesterday.  It was gorgeous, and amazing, and joyful and sad.  A really great tribute and activity for Earth Day.  Here was one of my favorite parts:

We’re getting so close to MD Sheep and Wool now!  Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Cloverhill blog to see who’s going to be at their booth.  So many wonderful fiber folks!  I can’t wait!  I’ll update you some yarn and fiber pics tomorrow– and don’t forget to keep those knock knock jokes coming for the giveaway!

sweet dreams!

Dawn

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Foolish food.

meatcakes

Rosie was really sad at the prospect of cupcakes with no ACTUAL sugar involved.  She was also not a big fan of meatloaf in a weird shape.  A different child from the one who LOVED meatloaf cake last year.  What’a a mama to do?

She ate it though… just to get to the doughnut-desert on the other side.  Poor poppet.

I have spent hours at the drum carder this week and will have lots of beautiful fiber batts for sale at MD Sheep and Wool as well as online.  I’ll get some snaps of them in the next day or so and give you a peek.  I have been dreaming of the garden whilst making them and ended up with some very botanically influenced little lovelies.

Oh, Hey!– I am reading a book from my best girlfriend next door and it is well making up for the 2 disappointments last week.  It’s The Lace Reader.  It’s hard to put it down at night. :)   Here are the amazon tags to tempt you–

Anything that is tagged with both “harbinger of doom” and “madapple” needs a read!  I’m here on goodreads in case you want a book- friend :)

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Button Cake

This happened while I was napping today.  What do you think happens to you if you eat the Coraline cake?

I’m scared.

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