More Imbolc Recipes & Activities (Patreon)

Here are some more recipes (with ingredients and steps included) plus more activities to do for Imbolc if you’re not sure what you want to do! What activities do you want to do? And what recipes do you want to make?

Imbolc is the celebration of the actual observance of the Sun’s return. It is related to the Quickening: the moment when a mother first feels the new baby inside her. Associated with pregnancy, especially that of livestock and one way we honor this with the consumption of dairy.

Recipes:

Imbolc is associated with late winter foods, dairy and cream foods as well as sweets. In the morning, it’s customary to have Candlemas pancakes or crepes, or an egg omelet with late winter vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms, kale or spinach. Some beverages include mulled cider, mulled wine, herbal tea made of the herbs listed in the correspondence and even late season wine like a Beaujolais. Below are some recipes of items that I make for Imbolc.

Almond Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted dates

1 cup uncooked brown rice

4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup toasted, chopped slivered almonds

Instructions:

Place dates in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup boiling water over them. Let soak 15 minutes, then transfer dates and water to a blender and puree until smooth to make a date syrup. Meanwhile, bring rice and almond milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is cooked and has absorbed most of the almond milk, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir date syrup, raisins, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon and almonds into rice. This can be served warm, or you can chill it for two hours and serve cold. Both are equally delicious.

Optional: Swipe almond milk for low-fat milk if you prefer, but almond milk makes this tastier.

Herbed Pearl Onions

Ingredients:

1 Package frozen pearl onions or a fresh bundle

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

If frozen, blanche pearl onions to remove the skins and sautée with butter until tender. Add dried herbs and stir in. Serve with fresh basil or rosemary sprig.

Optional:

Consider making this dish with brussel sprouts as well, or white potatoes. Simply swipe olive oil or another high quality oil such as sunflower or safflower for an easy vegan adaptation.

Crescent Cakes

Ingredients:

11/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup finely ground almonds

3 drops almond extract

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg yolk

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add the butter, honey, egg yolk and mix together well. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then chill for 11/2 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. When ready, pinch off pieces of the dough (about the size of plums) and shape them into crescents. Place the crescents on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.

The recipe yields about one dozen crescent cakes.

Honey Cake

Ingredients:

1 Orange (Juice and Rind)

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Lemon (Juice and Rind)

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Cloves

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Cup Black Coffee

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Soda

5 Cups Flour

1 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Oil

4 Eggs

Instructions:

Boil coffee, honey, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and then allow to cool. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil and lemon juice & rind. In a third container, combine dry ingredients. Add coffee mixture to egg mixture first and then dry ingredient mixture until all are well blended. Pour mixture into a greased/floured 9" x 12" pan and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F about an hour and 10 minutes.

Imbolc Moon Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks/220 grams) butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups (185 grams) flour

1 1/2 cups (340 grams) ground walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint extract

Icing

2 cups (445 grams) sifted confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy and light. Mix the lemon peel, salt, flour, and walnuts in a bowl. In increments, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix until well blended. Cover and chill thoroughly for at least 2 hours.

When the dough is chilled, roll it to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.25 centimeters), and cut with a crescent moon cookie cutter. If you can't find a crescent moon cookie cutter, you can use a circular cookie cutter and cut a curved line in the middle, then roll the excess dough from the cookies and repeat.

Place the cookies 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

After baking, allow the cookies to stand for 5 minutes. Spread the icing over tops of cookies while they are warm.

To make the icing, combine the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and water, mixing until well blended. Thin the icing with additional drops of water if the glaze is too thick.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Lemon-Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter or stick margarine, softened

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/9 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° .

Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 teaspoon flour. Set aside.

Beat granulated sugar and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add egg whites and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon rind and vanilla. Lightly spoon 1 2/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center conies out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Poke holes in top of cake using a skewer. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; brush over warm cake. Cool completely.

Yield: 12 servings

Baked Potato Soup

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large baking potato, peeled and finely diced

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Toppings:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup green onions

1/2 cup bacon bits

Instructions:

Heat chicken stock and milk in large saucepan over medium-high heat to almost boiling (do not boil as milk will scorch.) Remove from heat and set aside. Reduce heat to low. In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes to cook flour and make a roux. Gradually add milk mixture to roux, pouring in a slow steady stream while stirring vigorously to blend and eliminate lumps. Add bay leaves, pepper, diced potato, and salt. Continue to simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and soup thickens. Lightly mash potatoes in soup, and stir to blend well. Pour soup into ovenproof soup crocks and top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onion, and bacon bits. Bake in the oven to melt cheese. This makes 4 cups and serves 2 to 4 people.

Imbolc Activities

Activities can be a fun way to introduce tradition and ritual into our lives. These are especially fun to do with children, but my adult friends and housemates have always found pleasure in Imbolc activities.

Protection

Making a symbol of protection is fun. The only thing I’ve read is that you need to use three ears of corn symbolizing the maiden, mother and crone, the three aspects of the Goddess. You can choose to paint the symbol of Imbolc on a burlap scrap and post it outside on your front door until the Spring Equinox (Ostara).

In many magical traditions, workings can be done to ensure protection of home, property, and people. In fact, protection magic is one of the oldest and most popular purposes for magical spellwork. The use of protection spells has been documented back to the times of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, and is found in magical belief systems from all over the world. There are a number of simple ways you can do protection workings using items you probably already have around your house.

Make an Onion Braid

This is a simple protection charm to hang in your home to protect those who live there. Braiding is a very relaxing and magical way to spend an evening, and by braiding your onions, you can prepare them for winter storage – basically, you're accomplishing the magical and the mundane all in one shot. To do this, you'll need a bunch of onions with the green tops still attached, and about four feet of heavy twine. Begin folding the twine in half, and tying a knot near the end, creating a loop. Lay the twine on a flat surface and place an onion upside down so that the greens of the onion form a third "string", along with the two free ends of the twine.

Using the two free lengths of twine and the onion stem, form a tight braid. Repeat this until the onion is securely in place. Repeat the process with the rest of your onions, braiding them in and out between the other stems and the two strands of twine. As you do so, focus your intent. Onions are magically linked to protective magic, so you can braid the onions and recite an incantation linking them to whatever sort of protection you feel you need. Some sample incantations might be:

For protection of a home:

Onions wrapped around a braid,

This charm for my home I have made,

Keep negative energy away from me,

As I will, so it shall be.

For protection of a person:

Layers and layers of onion skin,

Layers of safety for those within,

Layers to make all harm stay out,

Keep (name) safe, without a doubt.

Imbolc 3-card spread

Weather Divination is especially popular at this time, think about the Groundhog who surfaces to see or not see his shadow. Other forms of weather divination include examining pine cones to see if they are closed or open. If they are closed, wet weather is coming and open means dry weather. Traditional forms of divination are also particularly stronger in the winter, especially near a new or full moon. Try this tarot spread I developed for Imbolc.

1-What am I holding unto that needs to be cleansed, renewed or released?

2-How do I need to cleanse, renew or release this?

3-After this is complete, what can I expect from this renewal?

Sowing Intentions

Perhaps my favorite of the activities that I’ve developed is a sowing of intentions. And it’s very easy. Take a pot of soil and seeds (I use a white flower), sow them and think a lot about what you want to manifest in your life. What needs to change? What do you want to grow? What do you need more of in your life? What do you want to work on? Set those intentions as your sowing and say a prayer over it afterward. Place it in the windowsill and water often. Watch your intention grow and look for changes in your own life. Remember to care for the plant! Don’t neglect it…if you do neglect, maybe you should journal about that!

Other Activites:

Receiving Blessings: leaving a meal outside, or pieces of clothing as it is said that Bridgit walks the earth at night and having an offering or something to catch her spirit will bless the home.

Cleaning: now is a good time to clear out old branches and twigs from Yule or even dead plants that you have. Also, eat the food you’ve been storing for winter over the next 6-weeks to make room for spring and summer fresh food crops.

Bonfire: cleansing, purifying and warming, a symbol of fire and of this holiday.

Write a Poem: Bridgit is the Goddess of Poetry, write a poem about the season or Goddess. See mine below.

Dream Pillows: make a dream pillow using dried herbs such as lavender, mugwort, or sage and leave it under your pillow.

Take a Walk: notice the signs of life around you, animals and birds, buds on the trees…or the lack thereof.

Gardening: plant seed starts and clean and consecrate your gardening tools for prepare for early sowing.

Make butter: who does that anymore? You’d be extra cool.

Make Brighid’s bed, a corn husk doll or the popular Brigid’s Cross, as seen above with the Dalai Lama.

Correspondences:

Taken from popular blogger Kris Bradley

Colors: White, silver, pale yellow

Symbols of the season: Candles, brides, grain dollies, burrowing animals, ewes, Brighid’s cross, priapic wands, brooms

Items for your altar or for decorating: Pictures or statues of the goddess, white clothes, white candles, white ribbons, Brede’s bed, white flowers or the first flowers of the season, lamps, silver candles, silver candlesticks, silver bowls, melted snow in a bottle, pictures or statues of the god, representations of animals of the season

Animals: Bears, eagle, groundhogs, owls, ravens, sheep, snakes, stags, also dragons, firebirds, phoenix

Stones: Amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, onyx, ruby, turquoise

Incense: Basil, bay, benzoin, cinnamon, myrrh, vanilla, violet

Herbs: Angelica, basil, bay, benzoin, heather, myrrh, rowan, dill

Traditional foods: Cheese, recipes using sour cream or marscapone, yogurt, curries, fish, white meat, dishes containing onions, peppers and/or garlic, spiced wine, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, muffins, scones, rice pudding, poppy seeds, poultry, foods or breads containing raisins, herbal teas

Deities: Virgin or maiden goddesses, the Goddess as a child, Brigid, Aradia, Athena, Gaia, Ianna Februa, Hestia, Gods of fire, the God as a young man or child, love or fertility gods, Pan, Aengus Og, Eros, Februus, Faunus,

Imbolc spell work: Purity, growth and renewal, new beginnings, purification, household cleansing rituals, rejuvenation, spells for good luck, fertility spells, re-consecration, weather divination

Tarot card: The Star

Poetry

Brigit is the Goddess of poetry also and likes to see poetry written about her or the season or any themes talked about above. Below is a poem I wrote in 2010, titled Bridget, based on a meditation I had while in the bath tub, full of fresh basil. (Try that!)

Bridget

Bridget

crone of wise

daughter of joy

woman of strength

must you be so coy?

you take me through the celtic grass

and fly above until we pass

into a circular grove of trees

I sit in front of the Goddess on my knees

emotions high, the thanks I give

she smiles and speaks, and the wisdom I shall live

Bridget

in the sun, we laugh in the meadow

three seeds I lay, I breathe, I sow

my intentions are clear and i manifest

just before she can rest

birth is given to a beautiful son of lamb

I am ready and willing

Bridgit

here I am.

Traditional Imbolc Proverb

“The serpent will come from the hole

On the brown Day of Bride,

Though there should be three feet of snow

On the flat surface of the ground.”

What are you favorite Imbolc activities and recipes? Let me know by clicking on the contact page.

Good luck and Blessed Imbolc to you and your family!

Source:

https://jaysenpluto.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/merry-imbolc/amp/

http://recipesforapagansoul.weebly.com/imbolc-feb-2.html