Freckles: The Happy Heathen

Letting Go

2012-02-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

LETTING GO TAKES LOVE
To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization I can’t control another.
To let go is not to enable, but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more.
Remember: The time to love is short.

(author unknown)

Mr. Z Makes Cowboy Pie

2012-02-06T21:13:00.001-05:00

Mr. Z and I were watching Unique Sweets on the Cooking channel a couple of nights ago and they visited a restaurant called Hill Country Chicken. They're signature pie is called the Cowboy Pie. This pie looked amazing - so amazing that I wanted to lick the TV. Bad idea. Mr. Z was the one who decided that he wanted to make it. So, he did.

Ingredients:
Prepared pie shells in either 3-inch or 9-inch sizes. Can be graham cracker, Oreo cookie, shortbread or pre-baked regular crust
2 cups favorite semi-sweet morsels
1 cup favorite butterscotch morsels
11/2 cups sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups pecans
1-2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

The How To:
Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together all filling ingredients until evenly distributed. Spoon into prepared crusts; either 3-inch or 9-inch.

Pat top of pie down with your fingers to make even and fill any holes.
Bake for about 10 minutes for little pies and 25 minutes for a 9-inch pie.
Let cool completely before serving.

This pie is a-maz-ing. I'm going to start calling it my PMS pie, cause it satisfies all those cravings, the sweet, the salty, the crunchy graham cracker crust. It's so good and I don't even care how many calories are in it. We ate it was and it was very gooey, but yummy. The second time we ate it, the top and middle had firmed up more and the condensed milk had made a crust on the top that is amazing. Seriously, you have to try this pie. It's awesome.

Try it!

-Freckles

I'll Be Okay

2012-02-01T17:24:00.000-05:00

I started writing yesterday. Took a couple of blank sheets of paper and poured my angry soul into them. I'm not done with them yet and I won't be done until I feel empty, hollow, and void of those feelings.

I went to put laundry away and I stopped in front of my altar, lit the candle that was gifted to us (it has the rune Gebo engraved in it). I stood there for a moment and watched the flame. Then I closed my eyes and just relaxed.

After a while I began to feel better. I said a little thank you to Sif, blew out the candle and went on my merry way. Since then, I've been feeling a lot better. I'm learning that harboring so much anger and hate isn't good for me. It makes me ill, makes me hurt, makes me moody. There's no reason for me to hang on to this anger. It's nothing but baggage.

If I continue to hold onto my hate, anger, and resentment for others it does nothing for me but weigh me down. I'm grateful for here and now. I have food in the fridge, a roof over my head, clothes to keep me warm, and a loving husband. I can't let little things impact me so much. I've forgiven those who needed to be forgiven and I let them go. Biggest of all, I've forgiven myself. Time to leave the baggage on the curb and start a new journey.

I've got to let go because there's no reason to hang on to it.

It's not attractive, being hateful and angry. That energy radiates out and it starts to affect everyone else around me.

I've got to let it go.

And soon, I'll be okay.

-Freckles

Freckles Makes Challah

2012-01-31T12:17:00.000-05:00

I looooove challah. It's one of my most favorite breads ever. It's so yummy. So, I decided to make my own, in honor of the coming holiday Candlemas.

I've never made bread outside of my bread maker, so for me this was a daunting, scary task. Activating yeast, proofing, kneading, and proofing again. It all has to go the right way or your bread won't rise. I tried it anyways.

Here we go!

You'll need:
3/4 C warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
3/4 tbsp yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 honey
1/4 veggie oil
1/2 tbsp salt (optional)
3 whole eggs
4 C flour, I used AP

Bubble yeasties!!!

I think my yeast really liked it's warm sugar bath. I've never seen yeast go this crazy before. It was kind of cool. Warm the water to the temp stated above, add you yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar. Mix a little bit and let it hang out for 10 to 15 minutes until you get some happy, bubbly yeast.

Move yeast mix into a mixing bowl and attach dough hook. Gradually add 2 eggs, 2 tbsp sugar, salt, honey, and veggie oil. Here's a tip, measure the oil before the honey. This makes getting the honey out of the measuring cup much easier. Mix all that together and then turn on your mixer. Gradually add the flour a little at a time. My dough ended up being too dry, so I added just a tiny amount of water to make it stick together.

Oil the inside of a large bowl and plop your dough right into it. I turned my oven to 170, as low as it would go, and let it warm up. If you have a warming feature on your oven, use that. After the oven warmed up, I covered the bowl (I used a glass one) with plastic wrap and set it in the oven. Set your timer for 60 minutes.

For whatever reason, my dough didn't proof. It may not have been warm enough in the oven. I'll try again eventually to see if I can get it to proof. Punch down the dough and then split it into 3 sections. Go ahead and get out your baking sheet ready and lightly oil it (or use a baking mat). Stretch out and roll each section into a long strand and then braid the strands together.

Take the left over egg and whisk it lightly in a separate bowl. Brush the egg over the bread. Place your braided loaf back in the over and let it proof again, this time for 35 to 35 minutes. My braid did get bigger during this proofing process. When time's up, take it out of the oven and brush again. Set your oven to 375 and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Viola! You have challah! This bread is great, very tasty too. I like to smear jam on it and eat it for breakfast or dessert. I hope you guys enjoy this one! I have conquered my fear of baking bread in an oven!

-Freckles

Heathen Among Pagans

2012-01-29T20:30:00.000-05:00

Last Friday I went back to Path of the Moon.

It was a big step for me, to go back that is. I've made a lot of enemies in the Pagan community because I'm loud mouthed, opinionated, and stubborn. Going back and facing my demons took a lot on my part, many people don't realize this.

Pegalish was directing the ritual that night, which was amazing by the way, but I'll get to that in a second. Before the ritual started an old friend of mine took a seat beside me and asked how I was doing. I jokingly said, "You want me to be honest?" He said yes and I told him about the depression. He listened attentively as I explained how coming back to the community was hard. He seemed to know what I was talking about. He pointed out that regardless of what kind of drama is happening, being in the company of other pagans can't be helped. I told him that I had burned a lot of bridges and I was beginning to realize that I was hasty in those decisions and that I regret what I did. Talking to him did make me feel better.

The ritual started and I hung back, sitting in front of the kitchen window, just watching. The thing is, my roots and beliefs are deep in my faith. I have a hard time working with others who don't follow the same path. Don't take that the wrong way, please. There are people who I love working with, as noted in my post about midsummer 2011. I love being around other pagans, regardless of their path.

I was watching Pegalish work her magic with the group, she's amazing with her ritual work. Her ritual was on pain, how to deal with it and how to grow from it. It was truly a beautiful ritual, very moving. I watched attentively, thinking about my own pain and anger that had built inside me. It's going to be a long process, removing this pain and anger, but I have the help and wisdom to start the process. Her ritual inspired me to start the process.

I wanted so much to be a part of the group, but I couldn't. The pain and anger I hold right now is a boiling pot of lava. It's something I need to deal with on my own. Being a heathen doesn't limit me in the pagan community, but sometimes I do feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. Instead of a pentagram, I wear a hammer. Instead of the green man, my god carries a hammer. I'm not into calling the quarters or drawing down the moon, but I still am awed by the beauty of the elements and the wonders of the moon. When I did my first public blot, I think I opened up a lot of eyes and dispelled a lot of fear that may have come with hearing the words heathen and Asatru. I hope to continue to do so.

That leads me to the next thing. I'm hosting a public rune workshop in May. Another huge step for me. I do have public speaking anxiety, but this is a lot more low key than a public ritual. I'm really looking forward to it.

All in all, I may stick out like a sore thumb, but that seems to be okay with the others. They don't seem to mind that I sit out during rituals. So, I'll work on rebuilding some of those bridges. I'll continue to work on being a better person, dealing with the pain and anger, and taking it one day at a time.

In frith,
Freckles

Growing Garlic

2012-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is another one of those random things that I found off Pinterest. I've used garlic for a long time and I prefer it fresh, straight from the bulb. It's really easy, little mess, little fuss.

All you do is crack one clove of garlic off the bulb. Pick a pot and fill it with dirt. Make a hole about 3 inches deep and drop your clove in. Cover it up and water it just a little bit. If you over water garlic it can rot, not something you really want to happen. We put our pot in a window that gets moderate sunlight. In a week's time we had a sprout.

Another week later and we had a much larger sprout...

One clove will turn into a bulb, which will in turn make its own cloves, up to 20 in a bulb. I'm really looking forward to seeing what will come of this experiment. If it turns out well, then I'll be planting some more.

Has anyone else started planting yet? What's going to be in your garden?

Happy planting!
-Freckles

Heathen + Depression = Baking

2012-01-25T11:06:00.001-05:00

I think I've found a way to draw me out of this shlump that I've gotten myself into. Some may have noticed that I've basically quit baking. Why is this? Mr. Z has gone on a diet, which limits his sugar intake, so that's one thing. The second is that I use to take my baked goods to work.... until they were criticized, under appreciated, and clearly not wanted anymore. I quit baking because I had no one who would eat what I made. Makes sense, yes? So, I quit baking and now I feel like shit. Yes, it makes sense.

And I drew this conclusion - I need to bake.

Why and how did I draw this conclusion?

Sif is considered a Goddess of the hearth. She is also the Goddess of wheat, commonly being depicted with wheat in her hands, standing in a wheat field, etc. When I'm in the kitchen, I'm happy. I'm content to the point that I'm relaxed.

I need to bake. I always feel like I'm doing something right when I bake.

So I baked an orange pound cake.

Terrible picture of the cake as I couldn't get a picture of it before Mr. Z ate half of it. I can't fault him though, it's very good. The only thing I don't like about this recipe is that it suppose to make 2 loaves. You can see, this is not a whole loaf. Next time, I'll just use 1 loaf pan instead of 2.

Nummy Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour 1 loaf pan
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar in a separate large bowl; beat in the eggs. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice. Add the milk. Add the flour mixture while whisking gently. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake in the preheated ovens until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the crown comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from pans and move to a cooling rack.
Whisk together the orange juice and 3/4 cup sugar until the sugar dissolves. Gently drizzle the mixture over the hot loaves. Allow the loaves to cool completely before serving.

I took the other loaf to work, one of the new stores I'm working at, and they really liked it. At least I have 1 store that will eat my baking and won't criticize it. Surprisingly, I feel much better. So when I'm down and out, I bake.

-Freckles

Dealing With It

2012-01-23T10:05:00.001-05:00

Laying in the bed, face first in my pillow. This is how I start my mornings now, trying to convince myself to get up and start the day. Usually, I don't have problems getting started in the morning.

I'm trying to deal with this depression. I'm trying to be a grown up and to set it aside, but let's be serious. Anyone who suffers from depression knows how hard it can be to shake those emotions. They're almost like a plague.

A friend of mine is into herbal therapy and when the worst of this mess started to creep in, I sent her a message. She's given me 2 tinctures to try out, one is chickweed and the other is passionflower. The chickweed is used for calming and the passionflower is a nervine. I'm going to start using them and see if they help. I have a feeling they will.

Things with work haven't gotten any better. I still face each day with a lop-sided smile and hope for the best. Some days are better than others.

Days like today, high in the low 40's, rainy and wet, are the hardest for me. I feel unmotivated to do anything. I'd much rather hide under my blanket, watching TV.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is just a really bad bought with Seasonal Affective Disorder. I hate January. If it were snowing, I think I'd be okay, but this constant cold, wet weather is nasty.

I felt bad for Mr. Z when I snapped at him last week. Usually I'm good about controlling my emotions, but I got overly mad about something stupid and ended up laying in bed the rest of the night.

Pegalish gave me a good suggestion, to try something to help ease the anger issues I've got brewing behind... well, previously closed doors. I'm going to start working on this project and then if it works, I'll share it here. Between her and Lady Herbs, I'm going to put my faith in myself to get through this. I feel incredibly blessed to have both of them helping me through this.

So, here I am, attempting to get back to a somewhat normal state. I still owe you guys a cake. I should get on that. How does strawberry sound? Maybe with some fresh cream frosting and filling? Yumm.

Love & Light,

Freckles

Potatoes Baked In Their Jackets

2012-01-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

This recipe is a really easy one and it's multi-purposeful. It goes with most anything!

Potatoes in their jackets are basically baked potatoes, but split open. You set the oven to 400 and set out a baking sheet, unless you're using bigger potatoes. I only had smaller ones on hand. Rinse and scrub the taters well and then pat them dry. Split them in half and place them on the tray, skin side down. Put them in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the tops are golden brown.

Going into the oven!

What they look like when they're done.

The book says you can use butter, sour cream, chives, or even yogurt to top them how you like. I ate them plain and Mr. Z ate them with some ketchup. They're rather good and the skin is crispier than a normal baked potato.

Enjoy!
-Chef Freckles

Random & Unexpected

2012-01-20T19:28:00.004-05:00

Lookie what I went and did. :)

Mad loving,

Freckles

Plushie Hearts

2012-01-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is a 2 part crafting post. Valentine's day is coming and I know lots of people who have dubbed it 'National Singles Awareness Day.' Hell, I use to be one of those people. Now, not so much. I don't mind V-Day and it gives me an excuse to be cute and crafty.

I decided to make a wreath for the month leading up to Valentine's day. It's a simple wreath, but has two parts to it, so we'll start with the plush hearts that are going to hang off the wreath. These are done in the same style as the gingerbread men I made for Christmas.

Start with felt. Go with pinks, red, and white. Anything that makes you think of Valentine's day. I picked out thread that was the same color of the pink in the middle.

Fold your felt sheet in half so that you get 2 of the same sized hearts. Using a cookie cutter, pattern or a template, get a nice big heart shape.

The outline of my cookie cutter.

Pin together the two hearts.

Following the same directions as the gingerbread men, sew the two pieces together, leaving a bit open so you can stuff in some batting. After you've added enough batting, sew the hole closed. Viola! Simple plush heart. You could also take these and add a little bit of lavender to make them into sachets. You could even fill them with rice, making them a bit smaller in size, and use them as hand warmers for the winter months.

I did simple decorations to my hearts, using the words 'Hugs,' 'Love,' and 'Kisses.' The look of the outside stitching is a look that's growing on me. It adds almost a rustic feel.

Stay tuned to see the other half of this crafting adventure, when I incorporate these hearts into a cute Valentine's day wreath.

-Freckles

Harry Potter Pork Chops

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

One of the first recipes that I made from my Harry Potter cookbook was pork chops. I picked his one first because, well, we had all the ingredients and I didn't have to go to the store.

My work station

It was a pretty simple recipe, double bread pork chops, fry in 1/4 inch of veggie oil and viola. Nothing exciting or overly impressing. They were really good though. It was the first time since Christmas that we had actually indulged in fried food. And I didn't burn the chops!

Look how tasty!

So there is recipe number 1 and it was a success. One down and many more to go!

-Chef Freckles

100th Follower!!

2012-01-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

Arrrriiiba!!

Cake for this weekend! Thanks everyone!!

Mad loving,
Freckles

100

2012-01-17T08:26:00.000-05:00

I just saw this morning that I have 99 people following my blog via Google reader. 400 posts and almost 3 years, this blog has evolved and grown.

As soon as I get 100 viewers, I'm baking ya'll a cake to celebrate.

I couldn't do it without you all. :)

<3 Freckles

Wooo, I got tagged.

2012-01-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

I usually don't do these things, but what the Hel. Vickie tagged me and now I get to fill out this random meme so you readers get to learn more about me. Sounds like fun, eh?

Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you have tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random things about me:

1. I can't sleep with socks on. That's pretty random.
2. I once burnt a pot of macaroni and cheese. I was 13 when it happened.
3. I love the feel of grass between my toes, but I'm allergic to grass.
4. I hate ham. I was traumatized by it as a child.
5. I swore I would never eat Brussel sprouts, then Pegalish made them for me and now I love them.
6. When I get migraines I smell weird foods, like peanut butter. The same thing happens to my mom.
7. I may act rough and tumble, but I love dressing up and going out with Mr. Z on a fancy date.
8. I've suffered from depression for a long time. I was clinically diagnosed when I was 15.
9. I'm learning how to sew, teaching myself
10. I have a weird obsession with trance music, particularly Armin Van Burnen, whom I adore.
11. I say I hate my job, but there are days when one person smiles at me the right way and my heart melts into a puddle of goo. Something about those little old men make me happy.

The 11 questions I've been asked to answer:
1. Who is your favorite author and why?
Oooo, this is a hard one. I have to pick just one? Aldous Huxley. I read Brave New World in my English 105 class my freshman year of collage. Something about this book tickled my fancy and since then I've eat up dystopian novels left and right. The idea of the perfect human race fascinates me and the way he paints that picture is intriguing and captivating. He was a forward thinker for his time and I admire that about him.

2. If you could meet anyone from history who would it be and why?
My grandfather on my mom's side. He was a neurologist for a big hospital in Winston Salem and a man of wonders. My mom and I cleaned out his study and she kept all his books. Among them are several 1st and 2nd edition books. We also found a perfectly pressed copy of a newspaper from the day after Lincoln was assassinated. Everyone tells me that he would have loved me and that I would have loved him. Even though he's gone, I still admire him. He had flaws and was imperfect, just like me.

3. Where is your favorite place?
On our back patio. I plan on spiffing it up a bit more when the weather warms up.

4. If you had to choose just one hobby, what would it be and why?
Baking. I love to bake. It relaxes me in a way that nothing else can. It soothes my soul and in a lot of ways I feel like I'm connecting to my Gods.

5. What is your secret addiction?
Being alone. I don't know if that's something you can be addicted to, but just being by myself is soothing, it's relaxing. It's something I get very little of.

6. Do you have an herb garden? What's in it?
I killed my herb garden. :( Everything died except for my rosemary. We plan on trying again this spring. We have cilantro, dill, parsley, and some other good stuff to try.

7. Who is your all time favorite musician/singer?
Right now it's Miranda Lambert because she's a kick ass singer.

8. If you could travel anyplace in the world, where would you go and why?
Disney world because I'm a child at heart and I really want to go!

9. What is your favorite scent for essential oil?
Another tough one. I like clean scents, so anything that has a linen smell, cotton.

10. If you had to give up one thing you use daily, what would it be and why?
TV. Honestly, I could probably do without it. I have several shows that I watch on a regular basis, but it occupies too much of my time. I could be reading.

11. On the weekends, if you have time, sleeping late or afternoon naps?
Sleeping late. Oh man, I feel great after I get 12+ hours of sleep.

11 Blogs that I'm tagging!
1. Suburban Chicken
2. The Coexist Cafe
3. A Geek Saga
4. Southern Fried Pagan
5. Adventures of a Pagan Parent
6. Wane Wyrds
7. Treegold & Beegold
8. Muse Mama
9. Cauldronwerx
10. Beneath the Raven Moon
11. Wandering Gypsie

My questions for you!
1. What's the first thing you would save from a fire and why?
2. You're a superhero for a day, what's your special ability?
3. How do you geek out (science, books, math, video games, etc?)
4. Harry Potter or Star Wars?
5. Your favorite comfort food and why?
6. What's one habit you wish you could kick?
7. Favorite holiday and why?
8. Toilet paper - up and over, or down? (lol, this is the biggest debate in our house)
9. What's your favorite sweet treat?
10. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? What's your favorite meal time and why?
11. What's you favorite inspirational quote?

Hope you guys don't hate me for this :D

<3 Freckles

Harry Potter Cookbook!

2012-01-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, I'm a die hard Pintrest addict. I'm working on 27 boards right now, one of them being my bucket list board. One of the things I found while working on my bucket list board was this pin...

I didn't even know this book existed! I was rather thrilled by it and ordered it from Amazon while it was on sale. It's a good sized cookbook, mainly with regional dishes from England and the surrounding areas. My only disappointment is that there isn't a single recipe for butterbeer. Boo, hiss! So my inner geek is rejoicing at combining two of my most favorite things in the world - Harry Potter and cooking.

The book is written by Dinah Bucholz, has 239 pages with an introduction and a few beginner techniques. There are over 150 recipes. I think one of the neat features about this book is that each of the recipes is a food that has been mentioned somewhere in the series. There are excerpts at the top of each page pointing these out.

My copy of the book

In the coming weeks look for recipes from the book. I do plan on cooking everything in this book. It may take me a while, but I want to do it. Where there is a will, there is a way.

-Chef Freckles

What Am I Doing?

2012-01-14T18:58:00.001-05:00

What am I doing?

This question has plagued me for the past month or so. Sometimes I feel like a zombie, just moving from one task to the next, but then I stop and think... what am I doing? And fair warning in advance, this is going to turn into a rant...maybe with cursing involved. ^.^

Since the end of the semester and the start of a new one, I've spent 15 hours or more in the past 3 days alone on school work. I get up at 8 o'clock every morning to make sure I have time to get my work done days before it's due. School work that will get me into nursing school. Nursing school that will get me into a real job. A real job with a real salary. Excuse me for going to school for another 4 years so that I can clear almost double of what the average person makes in a year. I'll tell you now, going to school is not doing anything.

I spend 40 hours a week putting in hard work in a place that I don't even like to work! I drive back and forth weekly, sometimes over 100 miles in one day just so I can make full time hours because my home store can't even offer me full time. Full time hours so that we don't have to live paycheck to paycheck, but we're doing that anyways. I get yelled at by customers who want their vicodin two weeks early, by crackheads who want their needles so they can shoot up drugs, by crazy people who tell me they can't pay a dollar and ten cents for their prescription. I deal with doctors who have their heads so far up their asses that they can't see the light of day. I deal with nurses who hate their own jobs so much that they want to take it out on me. Did I mention that my company was nice enough to pay for my national certification? However, I have yet to work with another pharmacist (other than the one who initially trained me) who will actually let me put my certification in use.

What else am I doing? Driving my therapist nuts. Being prescribed more medications because I can't seem to get a handle on my stress. Not to mention the chronic headaches that seem to be plaguing me; the depression that day in and day out seems to be consuming my life whole; the hate that seems to be eating at my soul. Oh, did I mention the biopsy from my lady doctor? Yea, how about worrying about that every single day since the doctor called and told me that it was abnormal? Yea, tell me I'm not doing anything. Oh, there's the slight chance that those cells that they biopsied could be harmful to me and my body.

So here's what I am doing. I'm busting my ass to make good grades. I'm working in a high stress environment for next to nothing. I'm coming home and making sure that my husband has eaten something healthy. I'm cleaning, taking out the dog, and somehow still managing to find time to make cookies and sleep at night. I'm worrying, I'm in pain, I'm attempting to deal with life.

And now, I've done the one thing I swore I would never do with this blog, turn it into a haven for me to have a release because no one else within a 20 mile radius wants to listen to me bitch and rant about what's wrong with my life. So whoever is reading this and thinking that I've lost my mind, you're probably right. Honestly, I don't want your sympathy and what I want even less is for you to tell me that your life is worse than mine.

Now... I'm going to go take a bubble bath.... like I promised myself I would.

This Crumbles My Cookie

2012-01-11T14:41:00.001-05:00

I was poking around on Facebook in between working on homework today and my friend Renee posted a video about this 14 year old girl who is boycotting the sale of Girl Scout cookies.

Wait, backup, you said boycotting the sale of Girl Scout cookies?! Who the hell would be stupid enough to do something like that and WHY would they want to do something like that? Well, here's the answer...

Seriously? This girl, or maybe her parents who put her up to this, must not know what it's like for transgender children and how hard it is for them to be accepted. She should put herself into the When boy scouts banned gays from being a part of troops, it was spread all over the news that the boy scouts were 'bad people' for not accepting gays. However, this girl says that the Girl Scouts don't require any proof of gender. Well, good for them and it's about damn time that someone let's those who don't fit in else where, fit in. Who is this 14 year old girl to say whether or not its okay for transgender children to be a part of Girl Scouts?

I worked for the Girl Scouts for one summer and attended their camp here in North Carolina for a number of summers before that. I have never worked nor lived among another group of people more accepting and more open to different beliefs than I did while working with them. To them it didn't matter that I was pagan. The other girls surely didn't seem to care.

This girl wants to argue that having transgendered girls as a part of troops is a danger and violates the Girl Scout's 'Ten Emerging Truth.' This girl explains that truth number 4 says that girls are free from being a part of co-ed groups. Last time I checked, usually which ever sex the transgender child identified with is the one that they're going to lean towards and the one that they will continue to identify with for the rest of their life. Just because a child has male body parts doesn't make her anymore less of a girl than she wants to be. If she wants to be a girl, well then she's a girl. That doesn't make a situation co-ed. If you think it does, well don't talk to me about it.

I don't want to get way off on this rant. Here's my final point - The Girl Scouts of America are a great organization to support. Keep supporting them. Buy their cookies and show that you stand against what this girl is saying against the LGBTQ community. If the GSA continues to support the LGBTQ community, then I will continue to support them. Besides, who can resist a Samoa? Certainly not this girl. It's like I told Renee - I'm gonna get my snack on and support the Girl Scouts. I applaud them for allowing transgenders to be a part of their program.

Stepping off my soapbox,
Freckles

My Unhealthy Fascination with Tangled

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Some may know how much I love the movie Tangled.
Like, really love it.

I'm not really sure why. Growing up, I wasn't really into the "real" Disney princesses. My favorite was Pocahontas, who is still not considered a Disney princess. I bought Tangled when it first came out on DVD. I didn't go see it in the movie theater because I was going to add it to my collection regardless. So, the first day I have it, I watch it.

And I fall in love with it!

And I've watched it at least 10 times since then.

Rapunzel is quirky. She's fun. She's not like the other princesses! She fights with a frying pan, but not just any frying pan... a cast iron skillet! How cool is that? Cast iron, baby! Yea. I need to get me one now so I can ward off intruders.

The story line isn't like the typical princess story line. The "prince" who actually isn't a prince, but in fact a thief doesn't rescue her from the tower. It turns into an adventure. A rather funny adventure. I think another one of the main reasons why I love Tangled so much is because Rapunzel reminds me a lot of myself. Her hair, for starters. My hair was almost to my bum before I whacked it off. Now it's back to my shoulders. Rapunzel makes me want to grow my hair back out to be long and beautiful.

Look at all that hair! It's beautiful. I miss my hair being long, I really do. I could braid it and put it up nicely. Now I just put it in a pony tail because it's not long enough to put into a braid.

I think out of all the Disney princess movies this takes the cake as the best one, in my opinion.

Not to mention, her side kick is really freaking cute. Who wouldn't want a chameleon as a pet? Pascal's just freaking awesome.

A majority of my Pintrest Disney = Love board is Tangled stuff. Go there and take a look for yourself. While you're there, if you decide you want to join, leave your e-mail address here and I'll send you an invite.

No more spoilers, so go watch the movie! It's great.

-Freckles

Sunday Musings

2012-01-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

Reporting from the couch, still sick, watching Glee.

I attempted to put Christmas away, but that lasted all of a few minutes before I fell into a coughing fit in the hall closet while trying to move giant rubbermaid bins around. Oh well, just have to wait for Mr. Z to do it.

I think the weather here is confusing me. It's been beautiful, 60 degrees, sunny. Usually it's snowing and cold this time of year. Thank you global warming....? Either way, it's nice. When I'm sick like this I like to air out the house to get the sick-ick out of it. It's nice, windows open with a slight draft. Miranda Lambert singing to me on Spotify.

Classes start back on Wednesday, but I don't have to drive this semester! Win!! I'm in an online experimental class for anatomy and physiology 2. There are only 15 people in the class. It should be interesting to say the least. I'll still be working, hopefully traveling while working. Just as long as I have time at night to do my class work, I'll be ok.

Welp, not much else to report from the home front. Hopefully I'll get to feeling better, back on my feet, and trying out some new recipes in the kitchen. Mr. Z and I have been bouncing around the idea of trying Weight Watchers, so we've been looking at dinner options.

Until then!
-Freckles

Right Now

2012-01-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

I was in the pharmacy, typical Wednesday night, when a man walks up to the counter.

He wanted to pick up a prescription for such-and-such person, but we hadn't even filled it. He hands the script to me and I asked him when he wanted to pick it up. His reponse, "Right now."

Uh.... you just handed me the script. How exactly does that work?

I tell him that it'll be between 15 and 20 minutes if he wants to wait. What does he do? He walks away.

I should be use to this by now, right? 3 years should have taught me something, right? My usual reaction would have been one of disgust, but I filled his script before his 15 minutes were up. He wasn't even there to pick it up. Instead of getting mad or upset about it, I smiled and told him that I hoped his kid felt better.

Right now is not an answer for when you want to pick up your prescription. In a little while is acceptable. As soon as possible, yea that can be used to if you're really sick or in pain. Right now is not an option.

People never stop amazing me, especially in the pharmacy.

Time for a PSA

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a moment to write out this lovely Public Service Announcement.

Some may have noticed that I've kind of derailed from the whole "Heathen" theme of my blog.

I have good reason for this, while it mostly was unintentional. I'm not going into details, nor am I going to point fingers, call names, or speak poorly of anyone or place blame.

I will say this; It does not matter who was present when I made my oath. When I spoke those words, the only things I was focused on was that golden haired Goddess who was beckoning me into her life. She has been my rock. In my dreams she has cradled my crying, cold soul. Though she is not material, she is the only thing keeping me firm and steady. It does not matter who was involved. A person does not need a group to make an oath so. My oath is with my Goddess and my Goddess only.

I have faith. I have virtue. I hold morals.

If you don't believe in these things, fine. However, don't be a hypocrite and say you believe these things and then you don't practice what you preach.

The oncoming aversion to those who practice or are involved in the same faith I am, was bound to happen for me. I removed myself from the "public" Heathen community. I do not want, nor do I need the drama life. This is the reason I have stepped back.

This choice has in no way shaken my faith. If anything, it has made me sad that it even had to happen to begin with. I'm learning that sometimes a step back is actually a step forward. For me this is a time to learn and grow. I've been on my own with this faith before and I'm sure I can do it again.

Will I miss the friendship? I sure will.
Will I miss the knowledge of others? I sure will.
Will I miss out on the gatherings, picnics, and blots? I sure will.

Is missing out on all this stuff worth loosing my sanity? It sure isn't.

So I leave you with an excerpt from the Havamal:
1. At every door-way,
ere one enters,
one should spy round,
one should pry round
for uncertain is the witting
that there be no foeman sitting,
within, before one on the floor

In frith,

Freckles

Oh no! The sickness!!

2012-01-05T09:21:00.001-05:00

I guess this is what I get for not taking my allergy medications on a regular basis.

The dust mites have won again. My poor body is rebelling against their grossness. Stupid little bugs and their ability to break down into dust.
That dust collects on top of everything and I've been cleaning different pharmacies in the past few weeks. Whoops. Inhaling all that junk isn't good for me. The pile of tissues next to me proves that.

So, here I am, parked on the couch watching Contagion. Have I mentioned that this movie is awesome and I absolutely love watching it? Microbiology is fascinating. Perhaps not while I'm sick though. It can make one paranoid, but a bit of paranoia does a body well. Wash your hands!

I've got a crock pot of potato and broccoli soup warming, which should make me feel better.
And a box of Puffs Plus with lotion and aloe.
And a bag of Halls defense watermelon drops, which have no other affect that delivering me 200% of my daily vitamin C in take and help my scratchy throat.
And water. I'm sticking to my resolution thus far. Water is also key to thinning mucus, along with a box of Mucinex.
And a peanut butter and banana smoothie. Yumm.

Here's the recipe real quick:
10 oz milk
1 medium banana
2 tbsp peanut butter

Run through a blender and enjoy!

So I may not be feeling better right away, but I'll power through it. Hopefully I'll be better in a few days.

Everything I know, I learned From Country Songs

2012-01-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yea, I know that one reader in particular doesn't like country music, but hey, it's my blog. ;)

I was in the car jamming out to Miranda Lambert's song "Only Prettier" and there was a line that hit me like a ton of bricks and then made me laugh hysterically. Here are some of the lyrics, the bolded line is the one that struck me silly:

"Well I've been saved by the grace of Southern charm

I got a mouth like a sailor and your's is more like a Hallmark card

If you wanna pick a fight, I'm gonna have to say good night

I don't have to be hateful, I can just say 'bless your heart'

And even though I don't belong with your high life friends

Doesn't mean we don't get together and try to make amends

It's easier, can't you see? Let's agree to just disagree.

We don't have to like each other but it's sure fun to play pretend."

Then I got to thinking.... I'm just me. I'm wasn't put on this Earth to be or act like someone else. I'm a little country, I'm stubborn, I follow a religion that a majority of the people I know have never even heard of. I'm brash, eccentric, and I have a tendency to say what's on my mind. I don't need to wear makeup or style my hair to feel pretty. I wear my pearls with my boots and blue jeans. I'm not a fan of wine and would rather have a cocktail or a cold beer. I'm not here to impress anyone. Through outstanding country women artists I have respect for myself, I let no man speak down to me, and I learn the art of Southern Charm.

My best friend doesn't care about what I'm wearing or how I'm dressed. We pile into her car to go do whatever, both us singing at the top of our lungs and having a good time. I don't have to dress up to impress her. We go and have a good time.

There are other country songs, sung by women, that I find empowering and that reflect on how I feel about my life. Here are a couple of others;

"I wanted lace, I wanted pearls. To be a princess like the other girls. But life came hard to my front door and I grew up trying to even out the score. Tough. I ain't been nothing but tough. All my edges have always been rough, but Jesus loves me anyway. Oh, backbone, there ain't nothing with a woman that's got a little backbone." - Tough by Kelly Pickler

"Hell raisin sugar when the sun goes down, momma taught her how to rip up the town. Honey drippin' hunny from a hollar in Kentucky, gets ya flippin kinda trippy like a Mississippi hippie. She's a Kansas princess, crazy mother trucker, undercover lover. Thick southern draw, sexy swingin walk, brother she's all country." (my one exception to the women) She's Country by Jason Aldean

"Some people seem to think that I've changed, that I'm different than I was back then. But in my soul I know that I'm the same that I've really always been. Cause a Mississippi girl don't change her ways just cause everybody knows her name, ain't big headed from a little bit of fame." Mississippi Girl by Faith Hill

"When it's my turn to march up to glory, I'm gonna have one hell of a story. That's if he forgives me. Oh lord please forgive me. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. Need a little bit more of that sweet salvation. They may take me with my feet draggin' I'll fly away on a sin wagon." Sin Wagon by Dixie Chicks

Put on your big girl boots and deal with it.

A Post About 2012

2012-01-01T18:27:00.002-05:00

I don't believe in resolutions, most people don't keep them anyways, including me. I have, however, given some time to thinking about 2012 and what I want and need this year. Yes, this year is about me. Sounds selfish? Well, sorta yea. I've come to find that I get wrapped up in what's going on around me and forget to take care of myself.

So, some things I plan on doing to help me...

Stay away and out of the drama. Gods know how much crap I've dealt with in the last 2 months, much less the past year. If I hadn't been trying to help fix other people's problems or dwelling on how much I dislike someone or how they've wronged me, I should have been focusing on myself and my life. If people ask for my help, ok, but when friends abuse and neglect that help, then I need to remove myself from the situation. I'm getting a lot better at doing this. I'm almost 99% positive that if I had been focusing more on my life, I would have done much better on my finals for school.

Shut my mouth. This is another thing that I've been working on and so far I'm really doing well with refraining from saying stuff that I know could cause more drama or make me unhappy or miserable. Sure, there have been some nasty things I've said or done, but I don't regret them. I am going to be more careful about what I say and to whom I say it to. If I don't like something somebody says or does.... "Bless your heart." I can laugh about it on the inside.

Be nice to my body. I'm going to dry drinking at least 1 liter of water a day and to limit myself to 1 soda in the morning. Eat more fruit and stay on my weight watchers points plan. Avoid fried foods, except for that one in a blue moon KFC night with my BFF. I want to learn to make food that's healthy and good for my body, staying away from processed and choosing organic when possible. More bubble baths. One always needs a good bubble bath every now and again.

Do better in school. Going back to the whole focus on me, I need to focus on school. I need to get good grades so I can make a living. Pharm Z's not cutting it anymore. I have to focus and get good grades so I can get accepted into the upper level division.

I guess I could try and be a bit nicer to those people I don't like. This kind of goes back to the whole "shutting my mouth" bit. I can smile more, it'll get me much further in life. If it's not meant to be, then I'll just hop over the hurdle and move on. I do want to make more friends, but I need to extremely careful about who to trust. If it's anything I learned in 2011, it was who to trust. When I thought I could trust someone, boy was I wrong. So, be more selective.

I'm not going to end with saying that I hope 2012 is better than 2011, because I said that about 2011. 2011 was a great year. Not good, not bad, but great. I hope that 2012 is equally as good as 2011, but with less drama and more more girls night out and a happier me.

Recovering

2011-12-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

Why is it that after the holidays are over I feel like I have a holiday-hangover?

Ugh.

I've started putting all our gifts away, washing clothes, and just cleaning up the mess we've managed to make over the past week. I've cleaned the kitchen, sorted through stuff in the cabinets, and gotten things straightened out. I've got a grocery list going for the bulk items we'll need to get through the next couple of months.

I think the impending doom of winter weather plus the amount of rain we've gotten in the past 24 hours has made me a little stir crazy. Sitting here thinking about what needs to be done, errands that need to be run. I've been rearranging closets and sorting through things that need to go to Goodwill or need to be stored. It's making me a little batty.

Work has been nuts. I've been picking up hours at other pharmacies, traveling, and getting paid for the mileage. I'm still getting use to working 40 hours a week. Sometimes I'm in 2 different pharmacies in one day. Today has been my first day "off" since last Friday. I don't count the weekend because we were going, going, going for 2 days with little down time. It's nice to relax and take some time for myself, watch True Blood.

Hopefully our new years weekend will be uneventful. I'm fairly certain that I have to work new year's day. What a way to ring in 2012. Yea, I'm pretty boring. My mom gave me an electric fondue pot for Christmas, so maybe I'll make fondue and watch the ball drop with my honey. Oh and let's not forget the bottle of bubbly.

I hope I get out of this funk soon. Holiday-hangovers suck.

A New Tradition

2011-12-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

Last year my grandmother on my mom's side gave us a silver sleigh bell to commemorate our engagement. Like the straw goats and the dala horses, the silver bells were something I grew up with. My grandmother had several of them throughout her home. She gave my mom one from the year I was born as well as one from 2000. I was planning on getting another sleigh bell from this year, but someone beat me to it. It looks like we may have a new annual tradition forming. Here are some pictures...

They're made by a company called Wallace, which is owned by Lifetime Brands. The company specializes in silversmith and makes some amazing silver flatware.

This is last years ornament. Each year has a special design around the middle of the bell. 2010 has presents around it. 2011 has angels around it. Both a very pretty and they sound amazing. Crystal clear.

Hopefully this is a tradition that we can keep going. I love these things and each one has their own special memory attached to them. Of course, this year has a lot of special memories attached to it.

Glitter on the Inside Ornaments

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

One thing that drives me bonkers is glitter. I love looking at it, the glitz, the bling, the sparkle. However, I hate that it gets EVERYWHERE. It's been appropriately dubbed the herpes of art supplies. It never goes away. So I wanted to make ornaments with the glitter on the inside.

Supplies:
Plastic ornaments
glitter in different colors
Mod Podge
A funnel or a piece of paper that can be turned into a funnel
Colored Christmas ribbon

Start with plastic ornaments. I prefer plastic because I don't want them to break. They come in all shapes and sizes. Michael's had a pretty decent selection of them.

Pour a little bit of mod podge into the ornament. Roll it around all over the inside of the ornament and cover all areas. Dump out the extra mod podge. Using your funnel, pour in a good amount of glitter. Shake it all around the inside of the ornament so that it sticks well to the glue. Dump out the extra glitter. Leave the ornaments out to dry over night. You may have to move them around a bit, as the mod podge may move and settle, dragging the glitter with it.

When everything is all dry, use some colorful Christmas ribbon to hang your ornaments. We decided to hang ours in the window.

See? All the mess is kept on the inside of the ornament. Perfect!
5 more days till Christmas!!

Freckles Plays with Felt

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Felt is a new medium to me. I've never really used it before. I decided that I wanted to make some gingerbread men to go on the tree and I didn't have time to make any from scratch. So, I went with felt. After working with it I've found that it's really easy to use. I'm thinking about making more felt things, like trees and snowmen. This craft is super easy and super fun to do.

Materials:
Sewing Machine
Tan colored thread
2 sheets (8 x 10) tan, brown colored felt
Straight pins
Puffy paint in various colors
Scissors
Polyester stuffing
Plain white paper
Marker

First, you're going to need a template to use. If you have a cookie cutter that's big enough, just trace the outside of it onto the felt. If you don't have one, find a gingerbread outline online, print it and use that.

Pin your template to your felt.

Cut around the template and then unpin the template. Pin together your two pieces and them sew around the outside, but leave the head open. Do NOT turn your man inside out. You'll see why in just a minute.

Stuff your man full of polyester fill. Make him squishy and pack a little extra in there for his head.

Pin his head back together and sew it shut, even out the filling to make him even

Take a white puff paint and outline your gingerbread men, it covers up the stitching so you don't have to worry about how it looks. Clever, eh?

Let your frosted "cookies" dry over night and then decorate them however you want!

And there you have it. My little gingerbread people. Maybe next year I'll have more time to make real ones. At least I don't have to worry about Seymour trying to eat these.

Anyone else out there doing some fun crafts for the holiday season?

6 Days till Christmas!!

Freckles Perfects Her M&M Recipe

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I did it! I finally pulled off my perfect version of M&M cookies!! Just in time to use my red and green M&M's for Yule. Yippee!! They even got Mr. Z's stamp of approval. So now I share it with you.

Ingredients:
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1 C butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 C AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C M&M's

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the first 5 ingredients. After they are nice and uniform add in the next 3 ingredients. Gradually add the M&M's in. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silpmats. Spoon out a rounded teaspoon at a time. Bake in the over for 9 minutes. No more, no less. This is the perfect medium between soft, chewy, and not too hard.

Oh my Gods these are a-maz-ing! They went great with a big glass of milk. They are absolutely perfect. I'm so happy that I finally got it right and I didn't burn them!!

Yule cookie recipe number 2 is a success!

Done!

2011-12-14T14:45:00.001-05:00

This isn't a pre-written post. You guys should love me for even taking the time to write it.

I finished school with 2 B's and 2 C's. Wheee! I'm still waiting on final grades to be submitted so that I can see what my GPA is. I plan on busting a movie and making A's in both classes for the spring semester. I'm proud of myself for doing so well! Now I can relax....

Well, not really. Yesterday was doctor's appointments galore. My headaches have gotten worse, so my therapist decided to start me on something that should help. Friday I was out for a majority of the afternoon/evening with a migraine that basically left me unable to function on the couch. Then I went to my lady doctor for a biopsy, which was not fun and that left me in pain. Yesterday was kind of blah all around.

Good news though! I started loosing hours thanks to Pharm Z cutting back on tech hours. Last Saturday our tech trainer came in to help with inventory prep and asked me how I felt about floating. Hells yes! I get paid for mileage too. So this morning I drove to Chapel Hill for my first floating day. I'll be there tomorrow and Friday as well. I make more money in an hour in driving than I do while I'm actually there. :D Go me! This also means that I can go back to working full time. I'm rather excited about this. At least I'll have something to occupy my time when I'm not doing school work.

Are we ready for Christmas?! YES!!! 11 Day to the most wonderful time of the year! I'm really looking forward to food and family time. I could care less about the presents. My dad's making a standing rib roast on Christmas Eve and there's no telling what Mr. Z's mom will make for Christmas day. She's a fantastic cook.

So now I'm jetting off to my second half of the day, working at my home store till 9. Hope you lovely people have a fabulous day!

Freckles Makes Russian Tea Cookies

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

My mom use to make these cookies for me when I was a kid and I haven't had them in a really long time. I remember asking her to make them for me and she would always say no because they're so messy. So after several years without having them, I decided to make them myself. I consider them Yule cookies, as my mom only ever made them around Christmas.

Here's the recipe:
1 C butter
2 C flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C of almonds, slivered or pieces
1/4 C confectioners sugar, 3/4 C for dusting later

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together the butter and the confectioners sugar. Add the flour slowly until you get a shortbread-like consistency. Slowly add the almonds. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpmats. Chill batter for 1 hour. After batter is chilled roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and place onto baking sheets. Bake in the over for 9 to 10 minutes. Pour the 3/4 C of confectioners sugar onto a plate or in a pie dish (this makes it much easier to clean up). Let the balls rest for a minute or two and then roll them in the sugar. Let the first layer melt a bit and then roll them in the sugar again. Viola! Russian tea cookies.

They are pretty messy, so make sure to eat them over a napkin or a plate. I got powdered sugar all over the couch. :P

Look for more holiday cookies coming up in the next few days.

New Scentsy!!

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who sells Scentsy and she had a pretty good Black Friday deal so I decided to go ahead and order the Christmas stuff that I wanted. Merry Christmas to me!

I picked the Gingerbread one for a number of reasons. For one, it seems lately that I've become gingerbread obsessed. One of my crafts for the month is making felt gingerbread men and another is making real gingerbread men for ornaments. I wanted a warmer that wasn't specifically "Christmas." I can take this one out a few week before Thanksgiving and it not seem like Christmas over-kill.

I haven't had a chance to warm all of the fragrances yet, but we put Eskimo Kiss in last night and both of us really liked it.So from top left, moving right (and clockwise) - Eskimo Kiss, Midnight Fig, Whiteout, Festival of Trees, Sentimental Cider, Pima Cotton, and Silver Bells.

The house smells great. To me the sense of smell is the strongest and things that smell bad turn me off and make me gag. So having a house that smells warm and inviting is great. Do you have a favorite smell that reminds you of Christmas? For me it's egg nog and pine trees.

Here's to hoping your December is thus far holly and jolly.

Staying Green This Holiday Season

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, I remember waking up on Christmas morning and tearing through the wrapping paper to get to the toy on the inside. All that paper would be wadded up and stuffed into a trash bag, then taken out to the street to be picked up by the garbage men. It would then go sit in a landfill. When I was a teenager I began to wonder why we spent so much money on bows, name tags, special tape, ribbons, and wrapping paper. Why spend so much money for it to just end up in the garbage? Doesn't really make sense to me, does it?

Being green during the holiday season may seem like it would be hard and time consuming, but it's really not. If you follow a few simple steps you can save yourself money and help the planet at the same time.

1. Recycle.
If you're using wrapping paper find some that is recyclable or use the newspaper. I take all my scrap pieces and put them into our recycling bin. When I was a kid, my dad would use a bunch of the wrapping paper to make a fire in the fire place. If the wrapping paper you're using hasn't been ripped apart, then fold it back up and save it for next year. If you're wrapping your gifts and you have excess paper save it for later, don't just throw it away. If you're unsure if your wrapping paper is recyclable, then just use newspaper.

2. Avoid using wrapping paper all together
Use bags instead. Bags can be reused again and again. They're more durable than wrapping paper. You can even use big black trash bags to wrap big stuff in. Put a big ol' red bow on it to make it look festive. If you use tissue paper then you can fold it back up and reuse it for next year. Tissue paper has a lot of other good uses. It is also biodegradable, as long as it doesn't have glitter or special ink on it. If you don't want to buy tissue paper then you can use the news paper.

3. Skip bows
Bows can be very costly and they just end up in the trash. If you do want your package to look nice, then opt for a wired ribbon that can be reused.

4. Skip name stickers
I've started hand drawing names on wrapping paper instead of spending money on sheets of name stickers that seem to get lost anyways.

5. Reuse
If you wrap things inside of boxes, then keep the boxes for later use. If I've ordered something online then just wrap it in the boxed it was shipped in. There's no need to go get another box or bag when you already have one that can be used. Try and ignore the temptation of going out and buying more stuff.

6. Buy a fake tree.
Real trees are expensive and a pain to keep up with. Skip the stress of remembering to water it every day and just get a fake tree. It's better for the environment in the long run. If you're strapped on cash, wait till after Christmas when all the trees go 50% off.

And don't forget not to stress. The holiday season is so hectic and stressful that we can easily loose ourselves in all the chaos. Remember to take a step back and breathe.

Jul blessings!

Freckles Makes Buffalo Chicken Wraps

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

I needed a quick dinner fix last night, so I threw together this recipe and it turned out wonderfully.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
1 TBSP oil
1 TBSP butter
1/4 C hot sauce - I use Franks because it's our favorite
2 TBSPs sour cream
Shredded lettuce
Low fat cheese - optional

Directions:
Melt butter and oil together in a nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and cook till there's no pink, about 10 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, drain it really well. Move into a larger bowl and cover with hot sauce. Coat well. If the sauce is too spicy then add a little bit of sour cream to cool it off. I lightly smeared sour cream over half of the tortilla, then added the cheese, lettuce, and chicken. Tuck you ends in and then roll it up. Super easy, right?

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It's super tasty!

The Story of the Yule Goat

2011-12-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

Since becoming Heathen, I've been learning a lot more about Scandinavian countries and their traditions as far as the holidays go. Growing up, I recall my grandmother hanging a few strings of Norwegian flags on the tree. They weren't very big, she used them a lot like garland. Another thing I remember is the peculiar straw goat that use to sit in the middle of the dining room table during Christmas. I never knew what it was, just always associated it with Christmas. There was also an orange horse looking thing and some small, hand painted pots.

Until recently, I never knew what these things were. Upon asking a friend of mine, named Corbie, did I learn about the Jul Boc (Boc, Bukk, Buck, Bock, etc.). He enlightened me as to what this figure was and I started doing my research.

Goats are most commonly associated with Thor. Perhaps this is why I have such an affinity for goats to begin with. Thor's two goats, commonly known as Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, pulled Thor's chariot through the sky and at the end of every day he would slaughter the goats. The Gods would feast upon the meat and the following day Thor would bring his four hoofed friends back to life with the mighty Mjollnir.

In Scandinavian countries it is said that the Jul Boc is burned, symbolic of the slaughter of Thor's goats. Now it is common to find people spending a bit more on Christmas dinners, so it is my guess (and I can't find anywhere to confirm this) that the ribbon may represent the blood shed by the goat. It's also guesstimated that the goat at one point delivered gifts to children, but was later replaced by Saint Nick.

The picture above is the largest goat found in the world. Every year a new goat is constructed in Gävle, Sweden. The goat has a rather low survival rate, as many people like to burn it down or vandalize it in some way.

When my grandmother moved out of her house, my mom received the Jul Boc, the flags, the pots, and the Dala horses. She can't part with one, so she bought me a goat made out of jute. I'm quite happy with him and even wrapped some red ribbon around him. However, I will not be setting him on fire. I just think it's fun to find a way to incorporate my Gods into Yule this year. Maybe next year I'll find another goat like the one I have now so that I can have a pair, just like Thor's.

The Christmas Pickle

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

There is one tradition that has been a part of my family for a long time. I can't even recall a time we've never had a Christmas in which the grandkids weren't fighting to get to the glass pickle. Some of you are now scratching your head or maybe you bought a Christmas pickle of your own without realizing that there's a great story that goes along with it.

The old German legend goes a little something like this; Adults would hang a pickle ornament after all the other ornaments were hung. The pickle would usually be hidden deep in the tree and the first child to find the pickle in the morning would get an extra special gift from St. Nick. If it's a group of adults looking for the pickle, legend says that the first adult who finds it has good luck for a year.

However, this pickle legend may not actually be a German tradition. According to about.com, this legend may actually be a myth. Pickle ornaments are made and sold in Germany, but this author says that they have never encountered anyone who lives in Germany who practices this tradition. The author points out that Christmas is a little bit different in Germany than it is in America, but who's to say that an American somewhere didn't change the traditional timing of the pickle to better suit the American version of Christmas.

Whether it was a hungry solider who took the tradition to Germany or the tradition originated in America, it's still a fun tradition to follow. I was out looking for ornaments and found a pickle for our tree at Target. It's now hanging somewhere on our tree. This is a tradition that will continue in our family.

Our new pickle

Are there any Christmas or Yule traditions that you or your family like to do every year?

Getting Into the Holiday Season

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Even though my life is a whirlwind of stress right now, we've managed to get our Yule decorations up. Mr. Z has been playing the beta release of the new Star Wars game, so I turned our cozy living room into a Yule time wonderland. I'm rather pleased with my tree decorating skills.

Our happy little tree. When Mr. Z and I first started dating, the only ornaments he had were the ones his mom gave him. I went out to Target with one of my friends and got a tube of shatter proof, multi-colored, ornaments and a pink duck. Now the tree has a little more flair with a small stamp of me.

Mr. Z's mom gave us his nutcracker collection, so we've added them to our Yule table this year. I also got 2 new clay deer. Side trip - the woman who makes the reindeer I have is local and every year that my mom and I go to the big craft show, I get a new one. So now I have 3 deer and my mom got us the newly wed deer set. The crafter's facebook page is here: Hooper Mill Mountain Pottery. Her prices are very fair and her work is great. I have one reindeer from her that has big red lips and a red boa, but she's at my mom's house.

The other side of the table with more nutcrackers, another reindeer, and my Jul Bukk. I haven't been successful in finding a traditional, straw Jul Bukk (Bukk, Boc, Buck they have a number of different spellings), so when I saw this one at the craft fair I had to get it. I just need to wrap some red ribbon around him and he'll be perfect.

And I hung up lights along the banister and around the top of the hall. This was kind of a spur of the moment idea, but it turned out well. It adds a very warming touch to the entry way. Oh look, Seymour's in the picture. It must have been dinner time.

Has anyone else started decorating for Christmas yet?

Freckles Makes Lettuce Tacos

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Did we all survive Thanksgiving, the turkey, and black friday? Some of us are still in recovery. This is an idea that I came up with on a whim the other night. Mr. Z and I tried it out and it was awesome. It's something we will definitely be doing again.

You can use ground turkey or ground beef if you're turkey-ed out. If you want to go the healthier route, go with the turkey. If you have a meat grinder, take whats left of the meat you have and grind it up.

Make your tacos like usual, but avoid the taco shells. Instead, get a big head of lettuce. I used iceberg in my experiment. Make sure you have a large piece of lettuce. Wash it off and pat it dry. You're going to want to get all that excess water off it.

Lay our your "shells" on a plate and add your filling. Make sure your filling is really well drained. Just in case your lettuce rips open, you don't want all those juices running down your arm. Top your taco as you like an enjoy! A much healthier alternative to the ordinary taco shell which has carbs and a load of evil sodium.

Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving! Get ready for the Yule time count down!!
-Freckles

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Freckles - Mr. Z, Mrs. Z, and Seymour! Hope all of you wonderful people out there have a fantastic day and enjoy all the Earth's bounty. If you're working today, just thinking of getting home and spending time with friends, family, or your four legged babies.

And to all of you brave people waking up at the crack of dawn to battle the crowds - stay safe!

Freckles Makes Heavenly Cranberry Sauce

2011-11-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

I love cranberries. They're tasty and super healthy for you. One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce. It has so many more uses than just accompanying a turkey on T-Day. I like to use my left over sauce over vanilla ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream takes over the sharp tang of the cranberries and it is so good! You can also throw this mix into a blender with some ice and yogurt and make a healthy on the go smoothie.

So here's my time honored recipe for cranberry sauce.

Take 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar and bring it to a boil. Once you get a good boil, add 1 bag of cranberries. You can use frozen or fresh, it doesn't really make a difference.

Wait till the berries start to pop. You'll see them start to break down and the skin will actually pop open and let all those good juices out. Make sure to keep stirring so that everything gets incorporated well. Once the berries start popping, add the zest and juice of 1 orange. You can use whatever kind of orange you like. The navel oranges just happen to be on sale at the grocery store that day, so that's what I used.

Stir everything together and let it hang out. Let it cool off a bit before transferring it to another container. If you like your sauce a bit thinner, like I do, wait till the mix is completely cool before putting it into a food processor. Give it a couple of spins in the food processor until you get the consistency you like.

Yumm! It keeps for a couple of weeks, if you want to keep it longer put it in a freezer bag or a plastic container and stick it in your freezer until you want to enjoy it. Mr. Z and I have eaten ours on ice cream almost every night since I made it.

What's your favorite food dish during Thanksgiving? Mine is for sure cranberry sauce!

Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!

-Freckles

We Have Mead!

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. Z has decided he wants to try his hand at making mead. He went to the local home brew store and got some of the stuff we needed in order to start brewing. Honey, yeast, gallon jugs, stoppers, and airlocks were all acquired and next thing I knew we had mead bubbling on our table.

After we racked the first batch and split it up into 2 1/2 gallon containers, we went out and got some more containers. Now we have 2 1/2 gallon containers and 3 1 gallon containers, all full and bubbling away happily.

This is our Joe's mead. It's got cinnamon, a tiny bit of nutmeg, oranges, and raisins in it. This is one of the most basic meads that's out there, but it's really tasty. I've tried this mead at a friend's house and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now we have 1 new batch going, just plain honey, 1 batch of apple and cinnamon (hopefully ready by Yule), and 1 batch of hard cider. I cannot wait until they're ready. Yummy!!!

Has anyone else tried their hand at home brewing or mead making?Got any good recipes to share?
HAIL!!~Freckles

Disney Movie Update

2011-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's not even on my list because it's impossible to find, but I found it. I own a copy of Song of the South on DVD. The image is grainy, but I don't care. The story is fantastic. It's been so long since I've seen it. Watching it again was like reliving my childhood. Squeee!!!

Freckles Makes Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

During this fantastic season it's good to fill your tummy with warm, inviting foods. For pagan people it's also about sharing those warm inviting foods with loved ones passed. In Beltane rites and during Ostara it isn't uncommon to see people offering honey or lemon cakes to their God/desses. During the fall and when the veil is thinnest is no different. When making breads or cakes to offer to the Gods and ancestors, use the flavors of the season. For Autumn use maple, brown sugars, cinnamon, pumpkin, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. There's also nuts of all kinds, cranberries, and winter squashes. My favorite, of course, is pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups canned pumpkin puree (2 Cans)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil - I used 3 containers of applesauce
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground gloves - cut back to 1/4 tsp as I'm not too found of cloves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

This is enough for 3 good sized loaves. This is the kind of bread that I used for my oath. I didn't get a picture of this bread, except for the one of it on the altar. It's fantastic stuff.

Happy Baking!-Freckles

An Interactive Post

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

I wrote a while back that I've started listening to country music and said that the explanation behind it would need its own post, so here it is. So, break out your head phones and take a listen to why this kind of music has changed me so much.

I told my therapist not to laugh. She quirked her eyebrow at me and told me to say whatever it was I had to say. I told her I had been listening to country music and that I felt better. I felt lighter, happier. I didn't feel stressed out or anxious. And I've gotten over my fear of driving thanks to country music. She gave a little chuckle and we talked about why this kind of music in particular has had this kind of impact on me.

I grew up with country music. A lot of songs remind me of my teenage years, when I hung out with the rednecks at school. Oh, yea, you didn't know I was a Southern Belle? Well, sometimes I can be. ;)

This first song, with the exception of a couple of lyrics, describes me and how I was in high school. I miss this kind of me, crazy, not giving a damn about anything, kind, courteous to my elders. I give you Jason Aldean - She's Country:

Makes me wanna get up and dance. Yeehaw!!
That song cures most of my bad moods. There's nothing in this world like turning the radio up and belting it while driving 65 miles an hour down interstate 40. One thing I find about a lot of country songs with how empowering they are to me. Kelly Pickler has a song out called 'Tough' that gives me a backbone. It reminds me that I'm a strong woman and no one can knock me down.

There are song about love, short love, real love, long love. There are songs about fighting for love that will make you cry. There are songs about heartbreak. One thing that I find country music lacks is the aggressive, suggestive nature that a lot of the top 40 songs have. These songs are about real life, not about going out to the club with your bros, drinking, and passing out in some girl's bed. It's not about bitches and ho's.
Here's a song called 'Crazy Girl' by the Eli Young Band that reminds me of Mr. Z every single time I hear it. He's dealt with all of my crazy up and down moods, yet he still loves me.

Songs about family always choke me up. This song, by Collin Raye called 'If You Get There Before I Do' always reminds me of my grandparents and it makes me cry. No top 40 song makes me reflect on my past like that. This is the same guy who sang 'Butterfly Kisses.'

And I'll leave you with this one. This is the song that was playing when I danced with my father at the wedding. The lyrics drive straight to my heart, down to the depths of my soul and this song breaks me. I can't listen to this song anymore without thinking about my dad and how much he means to me. Every body in that room was crying while we danced, including me.

-Freckles

Too Early to Think About Christmas?

2011-11-06T18:03:00.003-05:00

Mr. Z and I went to Outback for dinner on Saturday night. We had a coupon and I'm a steak kind of girl, so we went and had a good time. When we got there I was looking at their drink menu and saw a flyer for their new gingerbread martini. Ok, you've got my attention, now I want one. So, I got one.

Looks amazing, right? It sure is!

Me enjoying said martini.
After drinking it all, I told Mr. Z that we needed to learn how to make them. So I found the recipe!
Gingerbread Martini:1 ounce vodka1 ounce Bailey's Irish Cream1/2 ounce Kahlua 1/2 ounce Monin gingerbread syrup1/2 scoop vanilla ice cream, partly meltedWhipped creamGingerbread cookies
Mix top 5 ingredients with ice in a shaker. Rim edge of glass with water and use smashed up cookies to rim the glass. Strain mix into glass, add whipped topping and garnish.
Viola!
48 Days till Christmas!!!!
-Freckles

An Oath Fit for a Goddess

2011-11-03T21:46:00.003-04:00

It started with an idea. The idea grew into something more, the need to bind myself to the service of the Goddess who has taken such a huge role in my life lately. I figured she knew my loyalty was with her, but I felt I need to take it a step further to seal that trust firmly in place. So, I made my oath.

My Goddess is the golden haired Sif. She's Thor's wife. She's most known from the story where Loki cut of Sif's hair and he was made, by Thor, to find her a replacement. Loki turned to the dwarves and they made her hair of the finest strands of gold. That's the short version of the story.

So, it started with a fire (and a pyro maniac) and a beautiful altar.

I was excited about the mead, obviously.

Jeff did the intro to the blot, then called me up to make my oath. The gold colored ring lying on my Sif doll is the Kindred's oath ring. Jeff made his oath on it, I made mine on it. When the Kindred hits a year, we will all oath on it. My oath was simple, short, to the point. I had a hard time walking through it because all I could see in my mind was her standing in a field of golden wheat, smiling. She knew my oath before it even came out of my mouth. She knows my intentions already without me having to speak them. I put my trust in her and now I am her friend.

I offered a full horn of mead and half of a loaf of pumpkin bread.

Time with the Kindred heals all wounds, though some of these wounds remains scars, it still helps the healing process. Good food, good friends. It's the best kind of medicine. I felt reborn in a lot of ways after the night was over. Since then I've felt rather disjointed, disconnected in a lot of ways. There are more reasons as to why, but I'm not ready to share them yet.

To the Wolves of Helgafell, my love. Without you guys I'd be a tumbleweed on the wind. You keep me strong and steady. My distant family.

Hail Sif, golden haired beauty!

In frith,

Freckles

30 Days of Thanks

2011-11-02T12:49:00.003-04:00

I love November, everything about it, minus the cold. It's a time of reflection, of being thankful for friends, family, loved ones. A friend of mine is doing this on Facebook, so I decided I want to do this here. Feel free to join in, it's not too late!

Day 1 -I am thankful for my family. This is a given. My family has been so supportive of me, even through my bad decisions. I love my parents dearly. They've done so much for me. Words can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for them, my mother especially. I'm one of those "have a problem? Call mom." kind of girls.

Day 2 - My husband. He's the best. I don't know how I managed to get such a great guy. I love him to the moon and back. He's my soul mate and my best friend. I'd be lost without him.

So there are the first 2 days. Check back every now and then for more of what I'm thankful for.

-Freckles

Happy Samhain

2011-10-31T12:41:00.002-04:00

Happy Samhain to all my pagan friends, from your neighborhood heathen.

Not much going on in the Z household today. I have to work and we forgot to pick up a bag of candy, so Mr. Z won't be handing out candy unless we can finding something to give out. I've got a crock pot full of chili going right now. We did, however, carve our pumpkin last night. Going and picking a pumpkin is a tradition that started with my dad. I plan on continuing that tradition until I'm old and gray. Here are some pictures of our pumpkin this year.

Guts! I fish out the seeds and roast them. Yummy!

Setting the template.

Halloween we can have.

Master Yoda lives!!!

Yea, we're pretty damn dorky.

In other news - I made my oath to Sif on Saturday night. It was witnessed by members of the kindred, including the one who we thought wouldn't make it, but I'm glad he was there. There will be a much longer post detailing the events of the evening.

Remember to leave a little goody out for your ancestors and keep them in your thoughts and prayers tonight.

In frith,

A Little Life

2011-10-25T10:29:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a life update and I think I'm a little over due for it. So here we go...

Mr. Z and I have been married for almost 2 months. I've finally managed to get my name changed on all the important papers with the exception of my passport. It's such a pain to get your name changed. I had to wait for a day off both school and work before I had the chance to do it. Now that it's all done there are a couple of more things I have to do now like change my name at school, the bank, etc. It's never ending.

Speaking of school, things are going well. I'm passing anatomy and physiology at the speed of light. This is probably because I find the subject rather interesting. They've changed the nursing prerequisite courses, so it looks like I may have to apply later to the program than I expected. I'm working on it, working harder than I've worked before, to get that degree.

Things on the work front are... meh. I'm trying not to turn this into a negative post, so I won't go into why things are 'meh' at work right now. I'll just say that I'm starting to look for another job, one that will help me pay for school and hopefully get my foot in the door at a major hospital.

I got my new iPhone after much hassle and stress with AT&T. After our new contract is up, we'll be leaving to go to a different company. I preordered my phone on the 8th, the day after the phones were available for preorder. The guy at the store who took my order told me I would have it the following Wednesday. Needless to say, it was not there on that day or the next week. My phone was put on back order with a time line of 21 to 28 days delivery. At that rate I would have it by Thanksgiving. Gee, thanks AT&T. So I called the Apple store, spoke with a really nice man, and confirmed that they had my phone in stock. The problem was getting AT&T to cancel my preorder. I had to flex some muscle and even got kind of mean with the manager at the store, but they canceled it. The manager was not happy about loosing commission on the sale, which I understand, but you promised me my phone over 2 weeks ago and I still haven't gotten it. Mr. Z and I went into the Apple store and ~~angels sang upon our entrance~~ I stood in awe and amaze. That place is so awesome! We got my phone!!! I'm a very happy girl now.

We're going to my friend's house on Saturday to celebrate the Samhain season. She's cooking a turkey with a whole bunch of fixings. I volunteered to bring stuffing! I'm planning on making my oath to Sif on that night, which an entirely different post in itself, so look out for that soon. I'm really looking forward to relaxing and hanging out with my friends. It's long over due.

Well friends, I hope you enjoy your incoming weekend and have a happy Thor's day!

A Week of Remembrance

2011-10-23T13:12:00.004-04:00

This is my grandmother Anne. I never knew her. She wasn't the most honorable person in the world, but she's still a part of my family tree. My aunt gave me her nursing ring when I started school this fall. My grandmother was a nurse you see, so she's become a lot of inspiration for me. When I'm feeling down about nursing school, I look at her ring and smile.

Though I never met her, I wish I could. In memory - Grandma Anne.

Ancestor Worship

2011-10-21T08:48:00.001-04:00

Hello to all to all the people who have come to read my blog from Lyn's 'The Real Witches of Halloween.' I'll be candid and rather honest for a moment, I was very skeptical about even joining this blog party, but I did with a little nudge from some of my blogger friends. I hope that you will take away something new and exciting from this post.

I classify myself as a Heathen, someone who follows the old Norse Gods. Some of you may know this religion as Asatru. Asatru and those who practice is are very devoted and focused on their ancestors as well as the Gods. A lot of people in the Heathen community call this ancestor worship. Why are our ancestors so important? Well, there are a number of reasons, but one of the most prominent is that our ancestors are a direct line to the Gods. In most all religions the Gods created the human race. In Heathenry, the Gods were responsible for the human race. Not only did they create them, but they were integrated among them. Stories reference the Gods moving among the people in Midgard and helping them or even coupling with them. The Eddas refer to the children of the Gods becoming great heroes and kings of the land.

Odin, who is considered like the King of the Norse Gods, is commonly called the Allfather. He is father of us all. In many of the Eddas, readers will find that Odin shows up in places that are least expected. Many heathens believe that it's the blood of the Gods that runs through the people of Scandinavia, Germany, and other Northern European countries. So it's easy to see why ancestor worship is a major part of our day to day lives.

It's common to find pictures of deceased loved ones on altars throughout a Heathen home. Some Heathens prefer to keep their altars simple, a picture of a lost loved one and a candle. Some build smaller altars with a picture of their God/dess of choice and perhaps a picture of a very close, lost, loved one. Others choose to do larger displays, hanging photographs on a wall, turning a hutch or a bookshelf into a place to pay respects to ones long gone. Mr. Z and I live in a town house, so we don't have much room, but here are a couple of pictures that my dear friend Jeff let me use. These are his altars that he has setup in his home.

It's traditional to offer mead, ale or even beer to the ancestors and the Gods. During a blot, the Norse version of ritual work, there are 3 rounds in which the horn of ale is passed around the circle. The first goes to the Gods, the second to the ancestors, and then the third is usually open. As the horn is passed around the circle, an offering is made into a well (usually a bowl of some kind) that is later taken and poured into the earth as an offering.

This is just one of many ways that we can keep our ancestors in our thoughts daily. It's important to remember where we came from and to keep our loved ones close. We learn from them, whether bad or good, and we grow from it. Do you keep your ancestors in your ritual work? If so, how do you choose to honor them?

In frith,

Freckles Makes Halloween Lanterns

2011-10-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

There's going to be a lot of pictures in this post, so I'm sorry for slow upload times. All you need is some mason jars, lids, a string of white Christmas lights, different colored tissue paper, mod podge, and black construction paper.

Start by brushing just a little bit of mod podge over the first jar. Carefully start to wrap the paper around the first part of the glue mix.

As you work around the jar, adding small sections of glue and then putting the tissue paper over it, you'll have to fold the paper around the top of the jar, where the lip is.

You'll want the paper to be smooth all the way around. Don't about getting it super flat with no bubbles because you'll rip the tissue paper and that's a bad thing. The crinkles add a bit of texture that looks pretty cool on these.

Now flip the jar upside down and cut off the extra stuff. You can save it for later use if you want.

Fold the left over ends down and cover it in mod podge so that it sticks really well.

Now let them dry. You don't want to mess with them until they completely dry. The tissue paper is very weak and will tear with even the tiniest amount of force or pressure.

In the meantime, make your lids. If you don't want to do this part, you can use those cheap flameless candle votives that they have all over the place these days. You'll need a pair of sharpy kitchen sheers. Through just the top piece of the lid, cut a slit and then cut out a triangle big enough for the light string to fit through. Be careful though, the metal pieces can cut you and are really sharp.

Decide on what kind of faces you want to make and then using the black construction paper, cut them out. I went with Frankenstein, a pumpkin, and a ghost. Have fun with this part. Make all ghosts or all pumpkins, vary it up and play with color combinations for the tissue paper.

Glue the faces onto their designated jars, let them dry a little bit and then enjoy!

Winter Nights

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Winter Nights (Winter's Night, Winternights) or Vetrnætr, as it is commonly known in Old Norse, is considered one of the most important holidays among those who practice Asatru. Typically during this holiday kindreds or individuals will preform a dísablót. Dís means lady in Old Norse, so having a dísablót during Winter Nights is having a blót focused on the women in our lives. The blót was used to offer sacrifices or vessels to the Gods, particularly Freya, to ensure that next year's harvest is a good one.

Winter's Night is about the Dísir, our female ancestors. Think of mother's, grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts, great aunts, etc. Think about women who have empowered you over the years during this time. During this festival/ time of the year it is important to remember our ancestors. Out ancestors shouldn't be seen as a part of our past, but as an extension of who we are and as examples of how we might live our lives.

There's no definitive date for Winter Nights, but it usually lasts two days in the middle of October. It's considered the start of Winter. I've only come across one source that says it's on October 31st, all the others I've found say that it's in the middle of October. In Essential Asatru by Diana Paxson, she says that Winter's Night is usually held between October 3rd through the 17th. Not to be confused with Winter Finding, which is a completely different celebration and usually celebrated on the equinox in September.

In thinking about altar ideas for this special occasion I would suggest placing pictures of female ancestors as well as pictures of Freya and any other Goddess who feels special to you. Since coming to Asatru, I've found that simple altars make me rather happy. I'd go with a white candle or maybe an orange candle. I would also include a piece of amber as it's commonly associated with Freya and with the vikings in general (not to mention it's really pretty). It's not uncommon for people to have offering vessels on their altars. Whether it's a small bowl, a drinking horn, or a plastic container from your kitchen, almost anything that can hold both solids and liquids can be used as a vessel. You can make your offerings into the vessel and then take it outside later or you can pour them directly into the earth.

I'm looking forward to my first Winter's Night with the new Kindred. I'll be sure to post and let you all know how it goes.

Freckles Makes a Pumpkin Roll

2011-10-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

First I want to say how shocked and surprised I was at how easy this was to make. I've always been scared to ever even attempt making yule logs or any other kind of roll. The biggest concern is trying not to break the cake part of the roll when you're rolling it up, but I did it!

The recipe is from allrecipes, but was found on Pintrest.

Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 can of pumpkin
3/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 C chopped walnuts - optional

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 C confectioners sugar (and some extra for dusting)
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSPs butter, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan (this is a cookie pan, by the way. I went looking for a glass one, like a normal cake pan. Dur!) and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Side view

Top view.... stupid crack in the cake

I don't think I rolled it tight enough, as you can tell from the picture above. Also, the picture on the website had the filling much thicker. This was all that I got out of the recipe they gave. I'll double it next time... that or figure out some way to roll it tighter, but then you have to worry about breaking it. Oh well. Maybe next time! At least I learned a few things from this trial run.

1. I love pumpkin.... in EVERYTHING
2. I need to stop doubting myself when it comes to my baking skillz.
3. I have baking skillz. And they are mad skillz.

Enjoy!

A Day Out

2011-10-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

Mr. Z and I have been talking about how much we wanted to go to the farmer's market. The one that's in the same city we live in is huge. There are vendors from all over North Carolina and Virginia. Early this week we decided we would go today.

The weather was perfect. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We walked around, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. There were a lot of people there. The market have 4-5 large, open buildings that are comprised of 20-25 stalls or sections for the vendors. We saw everything from bison meat to home grown vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The vendors were very nice and most of them would give us a couple of dollars off of their original asking price.

We managed to find some goodies. Check them out!

Stripey pumpkin that I'm going to put on my altar

Pablano peppers that I'm going to stuff

Jona gold apples, got 1/2 a peck and I think I'm going to turn them into a strudel

Mr. Z has been wanting a Japanese maple for a long time, so he got an early birthday present

Of course we came home with a pumpkin!

It was a fantastic day out. We had a lot of fun and we're looking forward to going back again soon.

Freckles Makes Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

2011-10-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is another recipe that I found on Pintrest. Really, that site it addictive. It's hard to stop or even go one day without visiting! I want to go to Micheal's and start hoarding crafting supplies. Anyways... on to the recipe.

This is a great scrub and reminds me of fall when I open it up and smell it.

Here's what you'll need:
2 Cups Brown Sugar (I used light brown)
1 Cup sugar
2 TBSP pumpkin pie spice (remember to make your own!)
1 Cup Vegetable Oil + extra to thin (you can use any other kind of carrier oil that doesn't have a strong odor)

I realized after I added the sugar that I needed a bigger bowl. Whoopsie!

Everything all in the bowl, ready to be mixed. I used a fork to kind of stir and mash everything together. You don't want to get any big lumps in the mix. If it's too thick, add a little oil at a time until you get your desired consistency.

Package it up in an air tight container. None of my mason jars are clean, so I have to wait to put it into a nicer container. This makes a lot of scrub, so put some into a couple of smaller containers, tie it with an orange bow and surprise someone with a little fall gift.

Hope you're enjoying fall so far!

Freckles Makes an Apple Braid

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Apples are back in season! And what a great way to kick off the month of October - with an apple braid. This recipe is a combination of recipes that I found, apple braid and easy apple strudel. Neither of which I followed to a T. I used the first to teach myself how to braid, but the second one helps you with the puff pastry part. I made my own filling.

What you'll need:
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.
2 sheets puff pastry
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Cubes of butter - 8 to 10 small cubes
1 egg
Small amount of water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and set out puff pastry to thaw. It usually takes between 30 to 45 minutes for them to thaw.

Peel, core and slice apples and put into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Coat well and set aside.

Rather than going out and buying an apple corer, I used my cupcake corer. It worked just as well. I'd like to think that Alton Brown would be proud of me not buying a unitasker and all. I slice the apples in half after peeling them.

Then use the cupcake corer on the outside stem and end and then on the inside seed part. Twist just a little bit and give the core a little push and out the core pops! Piece of cake....well, apple.

Dust counter with flour and roll out pastry dough. Make it wide enough to accommodate the filling, but not so thin that the filling comes spilling out. If you have a silpat then I highly recommend using it. If you don't have one, spend the 15-20 dollars to get one. It saves to much time and effort and you'll never use aluminum foil again. Lay the puff pastry onto baking sheet and then spoon in the filling, using a slotted spoon. All the juices may look good, but don't add them. They make the dough too soggy and it doesn't puff the way it should. Not to mention all the sugar turns into a sticky nightmare. Have fun scraping that off your baking sheet.

Take the second sheet of puff pastry and lay it out on your floured counter top. Try to roll it out into as much of a rectangular shape as you can get it. Using a pizza rolled/cutter make thin long strips, about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Before you start laying the strips down chop up a couple pats of butter and scatter them over the apple mix. Roll the side of the bottom piece of pastry, careful not to rip it, but create and edge around the filling. Using the guide from the link about, start laying down the strips of pastry and create a lattice-work pattern.

Take the egg and crack it into a small bowl. Add just a little bit of water. Mix the two together and using a pastry brush cover the top and side of the pastry with the egg wash.

The egg wash make it shiny and pretty when the pastry starts to brown. When you're all done, put your masterpiece in the over for 30 to 35 minutes. Pastry will turn golden brown and will puff up when done.

Not very pretty, but it tastes amazing. Let it cool if you like or serve it warm with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Happy October!!

Halloween Gone Heathen Style

2011-10-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

I joined up to be a part of a Halloween blog hop party hosted by The Whimsical Cottage called The 2011 Countdown to Hallowe'en. Since then I've seen a lot of other blogger's posting about other fun-filled Halloween themed blogging parties. Last year I was still new to the whole bogging thing and I was way too shy to join. So this year I wanted to represent! Yet as I started reading other blog posts I found myself becoming rather depressed. Halloween and Samhain isn't something that's practiced by most Heathens or people who are Asatru, but to me Halloween is the best holiday of the year.

So... I approached a group of women that I don't even know, but I like them and trust their judgment. I asked them how they felt about a Heathen being part of a Halloween/Samhain blog party, especially one labeled for 'wtiches.' See my dilemma? I don't classify myself as a witch anymore, so I feel kind of out of place in this big ol' blog-o-sphere. What did my wise female friends tell me? TO HELL WITH IT!!

So... Freckles is busting out with...

From now until October 31st, Freckles: The Happy Heathen will be participating in a couple of different blog hops and parties. Anyone who disapproves of it, well they don't have to read about it now do they? Look for fun crafts, reflections on the Fall season, certain Halloween touches done with a Heathen flair, and of course some tasty recipes!

Happy Haunting!

Freckles Makes Zucchini Crisps

2011-09-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

I love zucchini and I really dislike that it goes out of season at the end of summer. To me it's the perfect all around vegetable. They are so versatile and can be made in so many different ways and still taste good. This recipe is fairly easy. Mix up everything, bread the zucchini slices and put them in the oven to crisp.

You guys have to try this recipe. It turned out so good and I was really happy! These would go great with just about any meal. We had these when I made the creamy potato and broccoli soup.

Preheat your oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the aluminum with PAM or some other cooking non-stick spray.

Get together your ingredients:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb of zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 tablespoon olive oil


You don't need a very big bowl

Make sure to mash up the clumps of cheese

Slice up your zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds. Put them into a bowl or a shallow dish and cover them with the olive oil. Make sure to coat them really well. Dip the slices into the dry mix and make sure to press the dry mix into the rounds. Arrange them on the baking sheet.

All set and ready to go into the oven

Yumm!!!

Bake for 23 to 30 minutes until golden brown. You can serve them with marinara sauce or just eat them like they are. This is a great alternative to deep fried zucchini, which I use to love as a kid. These are a much healthier alternative.

An Awesome Find

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

On a whim I went to the local Goodwill store to see if they had any fall/winter clothes worth buying. I was poking around through the homegoods section and came across this little beauty:

Don't know if you can really see it, but there's the Pyrex stamp on the bottom

It's tacky. I put it down, walked around some more and then picked it back up and stuck it in my buggie. It came home with me. Mr. Z thinks I'm crazy. When I was growing up my mom had one of the big blue Pyrex bowls that had the farmer and his wife on it. I think it had balloons or flowers on it. It's on of the most fond memories I have of my childhood - that mixing bowl was used in all of our baking expeditions. I learned how to make cookies in that bowl. So now, I have my own retro (circa 1982ish) Pyrex bowl now and I couldn't be any happier.

Stacy from Inspired By Life has suggested I use it as an offering bowl to Sif. Perfect! I think she's a genius.

Until next time!

Freckles Makes Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup

2011-09-20T09:50:00.001-04:00

I found this recipe for Baked Potato Soup on Pintrest, but when I started looking at this recipe I realized that there was no flavor and really, there isn't. The only flavors in this soup are onion, garlic, and parsley and when you add those into a giant pot of soup, you don't really get much flavor after the potatoes are added. I did some modifications to this recipe to make it taste better and to cut some calories. I hope you enjoy it.

Add bacon, crisp it up really well. Don't skimp, use the good stuff

Pull the bacon out and set aside for later use.

Add a stick of unsalted butter, a diced onion, and 4 cloves of garlic

Melt the butter and cook the onions until they're soft

Add 4 coups of low sodium, no fat chicken stock

Add about 6 small/medium potatoes, be sure to cut them up to about the same size.

Bring this up to a boil, drop it to a simmer, cover it and let it go for 30 minutes or until taters are tender.

Enjoy a cold beer while you wait ;)

Once the potatoes are tender, add two heads of broccoli.

Break out the immersion blender and go to town. It kind of looks like split pea soup.

Add 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk, blend again

Add the bacon back to the pot.

Spoon into your favorite bowl, add a little cheese and a few green onions

I had a lot of this left over so I put it into a container a container and put it in the freezer for later this winter. This turned out really, really well and it was super tasty. I added just a bit of salt and a bit of pepper. So yummy!

Freckles vs The Halloween Lamps - Part 2

2011-09-17T12:00:00.001-04:00

After making my batch of mod podge, I decided it was time to test out my idea for fixing my glass block lamps. I was sitting there, staring at my first attempt and realized that I needed some kind of filter over the glass so you couldn't see the black strings of the cords.

I chose to stick with the 100 lights string. For one thing they're cheaper by a couple of dollars. They were 3 dollars a box at Target. Can't really beat that, can you?

So here's what I did. I covered the block, on just one side, in mod podge really well and then I took a piece of white tissue paper and covered the face of the block. I then brushed on another layer of mod podge over the top of the tissue paper and let it dry for an hour or so. After they're dried a bit tear off the excess tissue paper carefully and then seal the edges down to the glass with some more of the mod podge.

This is what they looked like after they were dry

The difference is amazing! I was so happy with the outcome!

Instead of using vinyl lettering, which can be expensive, I used Microsoft Word, my printer, and a sharpie marker. A sheet of black construction paper would be great also. I cut out the individual letters of the words "Trick or Treat" and then made my pumpkin face.

Viola!

They look so much better!!

So over all cost for the entire project was about 40 dollars. The drill bit was the most expensive thing and the blocks were about 5 dollars a piece, lights were 3, mod podge was 79 cents, tissue paper was stuff I had left over from last year. So yea, I think this was a great idea that after some tinkering I finally got it right!

There are a lot of other cool things you can do with this project. Look for some more glass block crafts closer to Christmas.

Freckles Makes Mode Podge for Cheaps

2011-09-16T13:07:00.000-04:00

Mode Podge comes in handy all the time. It's a multipurpose craft item that costs a lot. I think a smaller container of it is around 5 to 6 dollars. Sure, it lasts a long time, but I made Mode Podge for 79 cents. You heard me right! Just 79 cents.

Get a jar - mason jar, decorative jar, anything that has a lid and is plastic or glass. Get a container of plain ol' Elmer's glue. I managed to get a bottle (100 mls) for 79 cents at Target. Yay Target!! Now dump that glue into your container of choice. Add about the same amount of water to the container so you have a 50% to 50% ratio of glue and water.

SHAKE IT UP!!!
Mr. Z liked watching me do my shaking dance while I was making this in the kitchen. ;)

After shaking it'll come out looking like this. There's about 200 mls in this jar.

This is more than enough to keep me out of trouble for a while. I've got some ideas brewing in my head for some fantastic holiday crafts.

Freckles vs Halloween Lamps - Round 1

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

I have recently become a member of Pintrest. This little website has a simple concept - find things you like and pin them into your boards. You can categorize your boards how ever you like and people can comment on them. It's pretty neat.

With Halloween coming up I started looking at Halloween crafts. One of the ideas I came across was taking those big glass blocks, drilling a hole in them, and threading orange lights into it. I pretty much followed the design that was on the site I found.

List of stuff to get:
2 glass blocks (Home Depot does not stock these, so go to Lowes)
Black paper (I used fabric paint, thinking it would work. Wrong!)
String of lights (I used 100, which was a mistake as they are all bunched up and the light doesn't look very good in the blocks. Go with 30 or 50 if you can find them)
Glass drill bit - Please, please, please read up on glass drilling before you jump head first into doing this. Drilling glass can be very dangerous if not done correctly or with the right precautions. Remember to always wear eye protection!


Too much black cording, you can't see the letters very well.

So Mr. Z drilled out a hole in the back of each one. I then threaded the lights into the back of the cubes. This is a very long process with 100 lights. It took me about 2 hours to both blocks. I went ahead and did the face for the pumpkin one and the letters for the other. Big mistake, but I think I know a way to fix it. Here's are the rest of the pictures and my disappointment with how they turned out.

Can't even read it :(

You can kind of see the face.... kind of.

Crafting FAIL


With the lights on you can't see anything (please excuse my toilet)

Even up close it's hard to read.

I feel like all my hard work was in vain. However, I do think I can fix this in a way that doesn't involve me pulling the lights out of the blocks. Stay tuned for Part 2 of Freckles vs. Halloween Lamps.

The Shield

2011-09-11T16:06:00.000-04:00

I was gifted this as a wedding gift from my good friend Chris at Heathen Eye View. I suppose I should tell you this is. This is a viking shield. The front of it is made according to historical documentation, grave findings, etc. There are traditional colors, black and red being two of them. My color at the wedding was red. Chris painted the hammer in gold and added the knot work at the bottom of it. This whole thing was made by hand.


Hanging up above my nightstand - please excuse the junk

From a kind of side view

The boss, the middle piece, was hammered out of steel and was bolted to the wood. There's a hole underneath it where the hand goes. On the back (I should have taken pictures) there are 3 steel rods holding the wood in place. The one that runs down the middle has a hand grip on it.

Shields served one purpose all around - to protect whoever was behind it. This shield, hopefully, will never have a sword hitting it or arrows trying to pierce through it. However, it does serve as a kind of defense for me. Having a daily reminder, whether it's my altar or the hammer on my necklace, I know that I am protected by the Gods and my ancestors. Sure, they won't stop a bullet or keep crazy intruders out of the house, but this shield is kind of like a security blanket to me. I'm glad that Mr. Z finally got around to putting it up on the wall for me.

Hew wood in wind, sail the seas in a breeze,
woo a maid in the dark, -- for day's eyes are many, --
work a ship for its gliding, a shield for its shelter,
a sword for its striking, a maid for her kiss

~ Havamal 81

The Altar that Love Built

2011-09-10T13:57:00.000-04:00

I've always been a firm believer that the altar is the center point of a home. That has kind of shifted since I spend so much time in the kitchen. When Mr. Z and I got married, my dad gave me an old nightstand that belong to his parents. It's hand made out of some kind of old planks or maybe some kind of wood from pallets. I was very happy when he offered to let us have it for an altar.

This altar isn't setup exactly the way it was at the wedding. I should see if someone got a picture of the wedding altar so that you guys can see how our officiants set it up for us. I moved our altar into our bedroom, where it fits in rather nicely.

You can see my bouquet on the right, my sweetgrass basket (I got it in Charleston, SC) filled with amber, a rose quartz heart and a piece of agate (not normal agate, I can't remember the name of this specific kind). In the back are my two Goddess dolls, Frigga on the left and Sif on the right. In front of them is the daisy I wore in my hair on the day of the wedding. In front of the daisy is our elemental vase (more on that in a minute). To the right of the vase is the smudging stick that was used to cleanse the ceremony space. Mr. Z's boutonniere is in front of a red Gebo candle that was gifted to us and our handfasting cords are around the candle.

Full sized view. I like the little drawer for storage.

The elemental vase was one of my favorite parts of the ceremony. Here's how it went:

Bless this couple with the communication of air (pour in yellow beads)

Bless their lives with the prosperity of earth (pour in green beads)

Bless their union with the passion of fire (pour in red beads)

Bless their bond with the renewal of water (pour in blue beads)

Bless this family with the endowment of Spirit (pour in purple beads)

I decided to use seed beads. They were pretty, cheap, and will last a long time.

Side view of our handfasting cords

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Freckles Makes Pumpkin Pizzelles

2011-09-06T18:27:00.000-04:00

I decided to get a little creative on my day off. We've finished off the first batch of pizelles I made and I took some to my parents as well. When Mr. Z and I went to the grocery store this morning I made sure to pick up a couple of extra cans of pumpkin puree. I knew right off the bat that one thing I wanted to make was pumpkin pizzelles.

This recipe comes completely and totally from my mind. Things may be changed to suit your own tastes, same with all recipes.

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1/2 C butter (melted, then cooled)
2 tso baking powder
1 3/4 C flour (and 2-3 tbsps for later use)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 can of pumpkin
Clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste

Directions:
Mix eggs and sugar together well.
Add vanilla, butter, and pumpkin.
Sift flour and baking powder together and add to batter a scoop at a time until well incorporated. If batter is too sticky, keep adding some more flour until it's not so sticky. Add clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Preheat pizzelle press and drop 1 rounded tsp (or more, depending on size of press). Wait till steam stops, roughly 30 to 40 seconds and then remove cookie from press.

They taste like pumpkin pie smooshed into a cookie. I think mixing together the left over pumpkin into vanilla icecream would make a fantastic addition to these cookies. They're the perfect fall kickoff!

A Brief Reflection

2011-09-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

I survived the wedding, which is one of my goals off my 30 before 30! I did better than I thought. I had a tissue in my pocket (yea, I had pockets in my wedding dress because my dress rocked). Right before my dad lead me out to the courtyard I got a little teary eyed. I was shaking more than anything. When I got up to the altar, I looked at the sky and said a little prayer to Thor and my hands quit shaking.

For those who didn't know, Mr. Z and I went with a traditional 6 cord handfasting. We had so many people tell us that they loved the ceremony and that they thought it was so fresh and unique. It made me happy to know that our families and our friends supported us in our decision not to have a "traditional" wedding.

Everyone who told me that the day would go by in a blur was right. I remember bits and pieces, some of them I will never forget and some of them I already have. So I leave you with a picture of me and my daddy, until I get a bit more time to give you guys a more in depth account about what happened. Hopefully I'll get some more pictures too!

- The 'new' Mrs. Z ;)

Freckles Makes Pizzelles!!

2011-08-30T09:34:00.000-04:00

I was first introduced to these fantastically flat cookies during one of the POTMC's Winternight's festivals a couple of years ago. They were so tasty. Not overwhelmingly sweet, not packed full of flavor, but just right. When I first tried them, I wasn't aware that the woman who made them (whom everyone at the UU Church has dubbed Momma Gnome) had put anise in them. I've never been a fan of licorice, but these were really, really good!

I started exploring the world of pizzelles and found out that they originated in Italy and have a lot of uses. They're a multifunctional cookie!

I was pissed off last night. A lot of things are going wrong with work and wedding stuff and I was cranky, so I decided to bake. I picked up some star anise at the Indian store last time I went, so I threw a couple of pods into my mortal and beat the snot out of them. That made me feel a lot better. After they were thoroughly pounded, I ran the mashed up powder through my sifter to get the smaller bits out from the bigger pieces. A little anise has a lot of flavor, so keep that in mind if you want to do a traditional pizzelle.

I had put a pizzelle iron on our registry, but Mr. Z's mom let me borrow hers. Now let me tell you something. This pizzelle iron is as old as me, if not older. It's scary. It has few safety features too. Here's a picture of my setup:

On to the recipe!!

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
3 1/2 C flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 C butter, melted and then cooled
Anise (you can use powder or oil, add to taste)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the melted margarine and anise. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir in gradually. Dough will be sticky.
Preheat your pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto the iron. Close and cook for about 90 seconds, or until steam stops coming out of the iron. Carefully remove and cool. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature.

Halfway through my first one, I realized the cookie was burning, so I pulled it off and had to scrape out the grooves in the iron so that other cookies would stop sticking. I had a panic moment and called my dear friend who runs the blog Magick in the Kitchen and we figured out how to get the cookies to stop sticking.

The mess

Yea, I cleaned for 30 minutes after I was done making these

Things finally started moving a bit more and I started playing with the cookies while they were still warm and made 2 taco shaped ones. You can fill these with ice cream, any kind of whipping cream or custard, or your favorite fruit and yogurt. If you ever get the chance to try these, then do!

Next up... a twist on the classic pizzelle - reader's request. What flavor pizzelles would you like me to try and make?

Surviving One Day at a Time

2011-08-27T16:25:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that this time next week I'll be getting ready for our wedding rehearsal. The past 9 months seems just like a blur. It's amazing to look back to December and remember Mr. Z opening that little red box and him asking me to be his wife. It still makes me all giddy inside.

School is going better than I had expected. I suppose part of it going so smoothly is planning on my own part. I think my mindset has changed about school, so now I'm more focused. I have a goal, a career at the end of this long haul that will make all the hard worth worth the while.

I managed to get a sinus infection on Monday night. I'm so worn down from school and the stress of the wedding that my body couldn't take it anymore. The dust mites one. I was smart enough to get my butt into a doctor's office and I'm on antibiotics and things are already clearing up gradually.

I'm sure once I get the swing of school and a new work schedule, I'll go back to cooking and baking as much as time allows me to. I miss being in the kitchen so much.

There's a lot to do, so I better get to it. One week from now I'll be a married woman ;)

Oh, and just an interesting tidbit, I'm getting my conceal to carry license. Yes, I'm going to learn how to shoot a gun. So much for being deathly afraid of them.

The Kitchen That Love Built

2011-08-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It's the warmth of the oven and the stove, the time and energy that's put into the food that's prepared there. It's were things are dirtied and then clean. It also happens to be the place where the best conversations happen.

Most of my readers know that I love to cook and bake. I think I missed my calling, seriously. I would be happy working in a bakery, learning how to make bread, cookies, cakes, everything under the sun. The kitchen is where the heart of our house is and it's there that we spend a majority of our time. I have a rather small, but growing recipe collection. Some of them were handed down to me from my mom and some were found online or in magazines.

My mom came up with the brilliant idea of having a recipe party for my bridal shower. Each of my guests were given a couple of blank recipe cards and asked to bring them or send them back if possible. I accumulated a bunch of recipes today that I can't wait to try out! My mom and dad gifted me with a gorgeous laser cut wooden recipe box.

This one will be in the family for a long, long time and I'm really looking forward to filling it up with great recipes that I can pass on to generations yet to come. If you have a recipe that you'd like me to add to my recipe box, send it to me at frecklesgrrl (at) gmail (dot) come.

When the Stress Level Shoots Through the Roof

2011-08-18T13:32:00.000-04:00

Last night was time to register for classes... classes which start on Monday. I was all set, had my pin number and my courses all picked out. I just waited patiently for midnight to roll around and it would all be over.

Ha! What a joke.

I couldn't register for classes due to some error. One of my friends told me to tell myself that it was just a problem they were having with their servers. Around 1 am I gave up trying. In a fit of crying, troubled breathing, I realized I was having a full out panic attack. My thought process is a weird one. I think what scares me most is the whole not getting the ball rolling on school. I don't want to wait any longer to get back into classes and closer to my career goal.

Pharm Z is to blame for this. The company is hemorrhaging money. They've cut the pharmacy tech hours nearly in half. People are struggling to get enough hours to keep their insurance coverage. I've been working the front end in order to get a few extra hours. The economy sucks and we can tell by how much pressure the higher ups are putting on us and the pharmacists. We have to take some Pharm Z certification exam and I was told by the woman who is running the "classes" for the "certification" that if I don't take the exam by August 31st, that I won't have a job on September 1st. I got so mad that I cut her off and hung up. I have school to worry about. I'm planning a wedding. Don't threaten my job because I don't have time to take this damn test. I don't understand why it's so important anyways. I'm nationally certified with the board of pharmacy.

I don't want to be stuck in this dead end job forever. I want to get the hell out. As much as I enjoy being around the people I work this, I don't want to stay there and I'm looking forward to the day that I can write my resignation and start a real career. I want to move out of this tiny townhouse and into a real house. I want to start my life now and it's frustrating to no end having to deal with incompetent morons in order to get there.

Lucky for me I have a therapist who understands this... and she drugs me well. So, no complaints. As long as I can cope with the problems, I'll face them as they come. I just need September 3rd to hurry up and get here because I'm tired of all this stress.

*sigh*

Halloween Crafting on a Budget

2011-08-17T12:17:00.000-04:00

I, like most other Pagans I know, am on the edge of my seat for the months of August and September to pass by as quickly as possible. Why? Because October brings promise of cooler nights, hearty stews, warm loaves of bread, heavy, rich pies, and pumpkin. It also brings around our most sacred holiday. It doesn't matter which branch of Paganism, but All Hallows Eve is by far one of the best nights of the year.

I'm itching for fall to get here. I miss my black leather boots, my jeans, and my sweaters. I miss stick-to-your-ribs food. I miss my crockpot! I miss the fall decorations.

This brings me to crafting for Halloween on a budget. Last year I managed to snag some last minute clearance deals from Micheal's. They included 2 black butterflies with glittery wings, 2 boxes of 9 Halloween colored ornaments (the little ones that you would hang on a small Christmas tree), and a box of really nice cookie cutters. I waited for the Fall selection to return to our local crafts store. I picked up a grapevine wreath that was priced at 4.99, had a couple of coupons and got it for 2 dollars and some change. With my trusty hot glue gun I set to work!

All finished gluing the ornaments and butterflies on.

Hanging up on the front door.

The butterflies have clips on them. I plan on taking them off the wreath for storage.

I love how some of the ornaments look like they're nestled in the wreath.

I spent all of 5 dollars on this wreath and I love it! It's not too gaudy, at least to me it's not, but it's perfect for Halloween and the month of October. Now just get through the waiting game!

Freckles Makes Lime Cookies

2011-08-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

These cookies are fantastic. They're light, sweet with a bit of sour, and perfect for any hot summer day.

Fresh Lime Cookies

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the 2 teaspoons of lime juice with the milk, let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the lime zest and milk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, blend into the creamed mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, stir together the remaining lime juice and sugar. Brush onto cooled cookies.

When you first bite into one of these cookies it feels like a sugar cookie. That's the best way to describe the consistency and texture. Light, airy sugar cookies. The lime puts a little pep in these cookies, but they're so good. I think they might be good with a light dusting of confectioners sugar. If you don't like bitter or sour cookies/foods, then the sugar dusting would be great.

I used a teaspoon to measure out the cookies. I ended up with around 40 cookies using a teaspoon. They sold really well at the bake sale. I was rather impressed with myself.

If you like limes, be sure to try this recipe out!

A Random Update... I'm Not Dead

2011-08-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

Work has been crazy.

The wedding has been crazy.

School makes me want to scream and pull my hair out and it hasn't even started yet.

I'm alive. I just sat down with all the pictures from the past 2 weeks and pasted them into my scrapbook. I can't cut a straight line. Scrabooking and I were no meant to be, but at least I have a place to keep all these happy memories.

Last Saturday was Mr. Z's tool shower. His best man's mother threw it and it was a lot of fun. Mr. Z has been gifted a complete master bathroom overhaul by my dad, but the agreement came with stipulations. Mr. Z has to do all the demolition first. ;) Hehe. My dad gave him a bunch of demo tools, including a sledge hammer. Is my man a Thor's man possibly? *swoon*

Last Friday my mum and I met with the fantastic wedding coordinator at place where we're getting married. No offense to you people out there in blogger land, but there are people I don't want at the wedding, so location and time are not currently being disclosed on the interwebs. Steve, the coordinator, soothed my frazzled little nerves. The guy has 3,000 weddings under his belt, so I trust him that things will go smoothly. There are only a few more things that need to be done, one of them will be finished tomorrow.

One cool thing is that I found an awesome table for our altar. My mom and I cruised all over town to a bunch of different Goodwills and consignment shops and found nothing worthy of being an altar table. She thought of an idea and when we got home, we found a side table in the upstairs part of the garage. Apparently it has been in the family for some time and was all hand carved. It needs a little loving. A good wash and a good waxing to bring back it's original luster and shine. I'm really excited about it.

When I'm at work I find myself daydreaming a lot during down time. The full moon's here again and Mercury's in retrograde till the 27th. [Insert me shaking my fist here.] Frigg's on my mind and I'm sure she will be till the wedding is over. Just have to keep my eyes on the end of the tunnel and make sure my anxiety meds are filled.

Hopefully my next post will not be another week away. I do have something that I would like for my readers to do, but I need to get some stuff together to do it. And I also need to finish a review. Oh goodness.

Have a good night!

Frigga

2011-08-08T19:02:00.000-04:00

I had a custom piece done by Kelli at Dancing Goddess Dolls. This time it was a Frigga doll to sit on our altar and on the remembrance table during the reception. I had a hard time visualizing what I wanted. I did a lot of research on Frigga, things that were associated with her, colors, symbols, etc. Most of these I pulled from the Eddas and sagas. I thought of the sky, soft blue clouds that were said to be woven by her. The love she shared for her husband, Odin. The keys that she carried and the symbolism they carried. I posted a lot about the symbolism of Frigg before, but putting those ideas into a piece of artwork was hard for me.

Kelli and I bounced ideas off each other for a little while and then we finalized the plans for the doll. Here's the final product:

The special set of keys that Kelli made for her


We went with a light blue for the sky. This fabric is beautiful!

She sparkles in the light.

I'm simply thrilled to have her. She's the touch that I was looking for on the altar. Now the altar is coming together more in my mind. I love it.

26 Days!!

Wedding - Out of Town Guests

2011-08-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

I have no idea where I came across this idea, but I think it's a fantastic idea. Out of town guests usually feel lost. They don't know the area and they're not going to go out an explore on their own. You're a busy bride and sometimes you don't have time during the wedding week to give your guests the insight they might need.

Go to the visitors center and get some brochures. They're free and the guides there will help you with anything you could possibly need. Got kids coming? They can find the nearest zoo or aquarium. Having a wedding on the beach? They can tell you all the local attractions within a 50 mile radius. The visitors center is a wealth of information and it's all for free! Take advantage of it. We picked up lots of different flyers, maps, brochures for local dining and attractions.

Another thing that I wanted to include were some kind of refreshments. What's local to Winston Salem? Moravian cookies!! So we wandered over to Dewey's bakery (the best place to get Moravian cookies besides Old Salem) and found that they had small half size tins that were fairly inexpensive. We decided to get one for each guest and 2 big ones for Mr. Z's uncle who is flying all the way from Switzerland (eeee!!!) so that he had some to take back with him. I also though of water. Apparently Le Blue water is bottled in North Carolina, so we got a case of them and put a couple bottles in each bag. What a great idea, right?

The note that I wrote out on the index card

We got the bags from Party City (roughly 75 cents a bag), tissue paper (dollar store hollar!), and some ribbon. I hand wrote notes on index cards, hole punched them, and tied them onto the bags. Now our guests have a way to learn about the city and to refresh themselves from long plane trips or drives.

Spot had to come help too... and so did Daisy.

Spot in a box - the best amusement for the afternoon!

Freckles Makes Cheddar Poofs

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

My cheddar puffs turned out much better than my Parmesan poofs! However, my picture did not.

Lots of poofs!!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt, grated cheese and butter or margarine in a bowl and mix until well combined. Add water a little bit at a time to make a very stiff dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pieces of the dough into just slightly thicker than pencil shaped sticks. Cut sticks into 4 to 5 inch lengths. Arrange the pieces on the baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 minutes or until browned.

These things are so yummy! They're like and the perfect snack. They'd good straight out of the oven or keep them in a cookie jar or a ziploc bag for future use.

Altar Ideas -The Candle

2011-08-04T10:00:00.001-04:00

One thing I want to have for the ceremony part of our wedding is an altar. Most all weddings have some kind of altar whether its a Christian wedding or a Pagan one. Obviously I'm going to have a Pagan altar, but coming up with the components of what I want to go onto that table.

One thing I knew for sure I wanted to have on the altar was a candle of some sort. I started looking at unity candles, but neither of us want to do a unity portion of the ceremony because the handfasting *is* the unity part of the ceremony. I was looking around online and the unity candles I saw were very simple and easy to make. Hey, I can do that! So I did and this was the finished product.

I like it. I had to get creative while making the 'z' so I printed one out and sort of traced over it. I used black fabric pain to fill it in. I'm going back gradually to try and sharpen up the edges. This is a piece that will remain on the altar once we get back to our house after the ceremony. Now to think of some other components. Pondering...

29 Days!

Finished Handfasting Cords

2011-08-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

I went to Micheal's and found some silver stars to add to the ends of the handfasting cords. They came 10 to a pack, so I bought two packs.

I worked for a couple of days to get them in the right places, sealed off the edges of the ribbon with a little bit of heat to prevent fraying and I was done with another thing on my list of things to do.

All tied together.

Up close view

The stars added a little bit of weight, which is what I was thinking that it was missing. Now they feel more solid, a little bit more sturdy. They're got a little heft behind them. So there's a big ol' check mark beside that task!

30 Days to go!!

Laguz In Glass

2011-08-02T17:13:00.001-04:00

I have fallen in love with Etsy. I love the idea of supporting artists and buying handmade goods. I support local, American artists. While poking around one day I came across M. Sotherden and her lovely glass designs. Molly is a very, very talented glass artisan. Her work is extraordinary. A lot of her work has a lot of Pagan flare to it. I stumbled onto her store page during a search for jewelry that incorporated runes. There I found a listing for a Wunjo (the joy rune) dichroic glass necklace.

I thought about it for a while and then decided to send her a message to see if I could have a custom piece made. This was back when Laguz and I first started our love affair. Within a couple hours I had commissioned her to make me a pendant.

A couple weeks passed and I got the e-mail I had been waiting on. I sent in payment and then my pendant was on it's way to me. I got it last night and haven't taken it off since I got home from work last night.

It's very light weight, comfy to wear.

It sparkles in the sun.

Thanks again Molly for the beautiful piece of work!

Freckles Makes Scotch Eggs

2011-08-02T09:18:00.001-04:00

Back in May I went to the Celtic Festival with my mom and some good friends. There I was introduced to a fabulous little treat called a Scotch Egg. I had never heard of them before, but my friend Peg told me they were sausage wrapped eggs of goodness. She let me try one and I was hooked!

My only problem with Scotch eggs is that they are typically fried - pan or deep - which kind of makes me not want to eat them. Sure, deep fried anything is good, but not when I have to fit into a wedding dress in a few weeks. I looked around online, but no one offered another way to make Scotch eggs. Lucky for me, my friend Becky over at Magick in the Kitchen found and made a recipe that calls for baking rather than frying!

So here is Becky's version of Scotch Eggs.

Ingredients!
6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
2 standard rolls of sausage (I used Jimmy Dean "Regular" sausage for the flavor)
Bread crumbs
1 egg -uncooked

Directions:
Divide sausage into 6 equal portions. On a lightly breadcrumb-sprinkled surface, pat out each portion to about 1/8 in thickness. Wrap portions completely around each of the hard boiled eggs, pressing edges together to seal.
Set wrapped eggs in a pan and place in fridge for an hour.
Dip sausage-coated eggs in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs. Place on baking tray and bake in preheated 400 degree oven until lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Serve with spicy mustard

The Line Up

Ready to go into the oven!

The smell so good!!!


This one split open, but it still tasted good!

Yummy!

Mr. Z ate one, but he's not fond of hard boiled eggs. I ate 2 because I'm a glutton for punishment. These are so good though. It's like a guilt pleasure. Sooooo tasty!

Freckles Makes Purple Waffles

2011-08-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

I'm still enjoying the summer fruits and I've come up with another waffle recipe that will rock your socks off. We're sticking with the classic waffle recipe as the base.

For this one, just like the blueberry waffles, either omit the sugar or sub in Splenda.

Mix everything like usual, but this time add a pint of blueberries and a pint of blackberries. Talk about antioxidant overload!

Purple!

Once again, immersion blender! I can't begin to say how helpful having one of those things is. I simply love mine and it gets used on a semi-regular basis.

These waffles are amazing. The blueberries and blackberries go really well with each other. One thing I was worried about what the seeds from the blackberries, but I couldn't feel them when I ate the first waffle. I can only imagine how fun this would be to make with kids. Who doesn't like food that's colored?!

It's okay, you guys can start calling me the Waffle Heathen ;)

A Ritual With Sisters

2011-07-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

This is just a reflection post, more for my own recollection, but feel free to read and enjoy.

Today was the last ritual for Path of the Moon Collective. For unforseen reasons, things that can't be avoided, finances, yada, yada, the organizers are no longer aloud to hold PotMC at the Universal Unitarian church anymore. The location has changed and it all around sucks.

Fire of the Sacred Grove preformed the last ritual for PotMC. The riutal was... well, hot. We had a break from the heat, if you want to call it that, but it wasn't quite as hot as it had been in previous days. The ritual was Peg (our fearless leader), Karen, and me. While we were setting up I made the comment that we each represent a cycle of the Goddess. How funny!

Peg brought everyone in with drumming and chanting, roughly 30 or so people comprised the circle. She welcomed them, told them that we would be doing the last ritual, and then we went on our merry way. I was in charge of grounding and centering. I did a rather..err...fast... version of the world tree meditation. In all fairness it was hot and I was nervous. The rest of the ritual flowed smoothly. The one thing I love about working with Peg and Karen is that our energies mesh well. Even in the middle of a serious ritual we can giggle at our mistakes and then pick right back up where we left off.

Something changed in me with this ritual. I think it had something to do with the fact that it was just us women folk. That was the most involved, the most connected, I've been in a non-heathen ritual in a looooong time. I think I've finally gotten to the point where I'm comfortable with worshiping a non-specific deity and not feeling guilty about it. After this ritual I took a piece of the lemon cake I brought and offered it to the Old Gods. The funny thing is that it started to thunder right as things were wrapping up. Hullo Thor. Nice to see that you've decided to see what's going on.

One thing I've started to look at is that there is a serious lack of heathen women. Yes, I've met some via Facebook and one lovely woman through a mutual friend. Yet, I feel that feminine absence still. I think it may be that whole woman-woman bonding thing that I'm finally getting use to and I miss it when I'm away from the two of them for a long time. With Peg and Karen I get that. They're both strong, powerful women and I think it's a positive environment to be around. I feel lucky to have them as part of my life.

So it was a good day, great ritual, fantastic people and oh... I baked some cookies and the cheese poofs... all sold out! People actually like my baking! Hooray!

Goodnight blogger land.

Freckles Makes Parmesan Puffs

2011-07-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've been baking a lot for an upcoming event that I'll be vendoring at. One of the first things I made kind of disappointed me, but I think I know a way to modify it.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese - modify to 2 cups
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
Add 1 tsp baking powder

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Add the flour, salt and cayenne; mix well. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface; roll each portion into an 18-in. x 3-in. rectangle. Cut into 3-in. x 1/2-in. strips.
Place 1-in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets; brush with milk. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Butter and cheese ready to be mixed

Ready to go in the oven!

I didn't get a picture of the finished product because they didn't live up to my expectations. For on thing, I was using a teaspoon and I only got 24 rounds out of the entire batter. And they weren't very poofy. So I may have to save this recipe for a later date and try to fix it to be better.

To Oath

2011-07-27T15:05:00.000-04:00

An oath... this is something I've been thinking about for a couple of weeks now. Perhaps it's the wedding that has me in such a mind set. Who knows? Regardless, I've been thinking about oaths a lot lately.

An oath to a Heathen is like swearing on the bible to a Christian. An oath is an unbreakable promise... kind of like a pinky swear with a back lash if you don't follow through. For a Heathen or any person of an Asatru mind, an oath is a very serious thing. Oaths can be made to Gods, they can be made to someone else, they can be made to something else. When you make an oath you are doing so in front of yourself, witnesses, and the Gods.

A good example is oathing to a kindred. If you oath to a kindred you are swearing to become a part of that kindred. You're promising to be a good kindred member, to be a good part of the community, and to abide by whatever laws or rules the kindred may uphold or keep. You are bound by your oath to the kindred and your oath to the Gods. Typically a member of a kindred oaths on a metal ring of some kind. Some kindreds have them forged specially for this kind of occasion.

To break an oath is like sinning. You've broken a promise that you've made to your kinsmen and to your Gods. You may be shunned, unforgiven, loose your friends. Any number of things could happen if you don't follow through with your oath. Your reputation could be ruined. Your word is ruined and the people who once trusted you may not trust you anymore. If you make a personal oath, say loosing weight, and you don't follow through with your oath, then you may make a point to say that if you don't follow through with your oath that something must be given in it's place. For a friend of mine it was loose weight or become vegetarian for a year.

Thinking about the wedding, I see myself making an oath. On that day when I stand before my future husband, reciting those words as the cords are wrapped around ours hands before the Gods and our loved ones, I will be making an oath. A verbal one, yes, but a silent one also. My oath to be a good, loving wife to my wonderful husband; to one day be a loving, caring mother to our future children; to be everything that the women before me. An oath to the Gods on the rings that I will wear that I will never desert my husband, that I will be loyal till the day I die. There is no going back. Divorce is not an option and it never will be. To make that oath, that ultimate sacrifice means everything to me. To me, a heathen woman does not cheat on their husband. They don't lie or steal. They are dedicated, but not bound, to their husband.

There's more on the subject of marriage and oaths, but it's a slippery slope that I won't get on to. Marriage is a sacred institution and when I marry Mr. Z it's for life. An oath is for life. Think of it that way. Oath's are no joke, which is why it takes people a long time to even consider making an oath.

Freckles Misses Fall

2011-07-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

I miss Fall.

That's really all there is to it. As much as I enjoy the summer sunshine, I do not enjoy this heat or the humidity. I miss the crisp fall air, the changing of the leaves from green to red, yellow, and orange. I miss the food the most. Heavy, hearty stews; desserts baked with pumpkin. I miss the cool air, sweaters, my jeans, and my boots. It's far too hot for them now.

I've broken out my fall baking magazine that I bought last year and I vow to get a copy of this year's too. I miss my crockpot. I miss the crisp, cool air. I miss warm (pumpkin spice) coffee in the morning.

I miss school as well. While I'm growing ever frustrated with WSSU and their lack of initiative, I'm remaining positive and strong. I feel like a little kid, first day of kindergarten.

C'mon Fall, hurry up and get here.

Freckles Makes Her Own Chicken Stock

2011-07-26T09:30:00.001-04:00

Making chicken stock is something I've been wanting to do for a long time now. The stuff that comes out of the cans or the cardboard boxes are loaded with preservatives and a ton of salt. Mr. Z's parents brought us a rotisserie chicken for dinner one night. He picked all the good meat off of it and left the carcass for me to use.

The following morning I started my adventure in teaching myself how to make stock.

First things first. Stock pot. Put the carcass in the pot.

Add enough water to cover the carcass. It will vary for each pot.

Go ahead and turn the heat on to medium high, it takes a while to get to a rolling boil.

Chop up an onion, add it in.

Chop up a carrot, add it in.

Smash a garlic clove, add it in. I didn't chop the garlic because I didn't want the taste of garlic to overwhelm the chicken flavor.

Chop up some celery, add it in. I used 3 stalks cut into 2-3 inch pieces.

Parsley is your friend. Add some too.

Bay leaves! I added 2.

Bring pot to a boil. Then drop it like it's hot, down to a simmer.

Go do something for 4 hours....

Turn the heat off, let the pot cool a bit. Skim off any grease or fat that may form at the top.

Get a fine mesh strainer and a large container.

Make sure to strain out all the good stuff!

My leftovers... may an offering to the trash God.

I used Mr. Z's old Hillshire farm containers to freeze my stock in. They worked perfectly!

Each one holds 2 1/2 to 3 cups of stock.

When you're ready to use them, just run the container under some hot water to loosen it up, then put your stock into a pot over medium heat until it melts. The possibilities are endless! I'm sure I'm going to turn some of these into chicken soup come winter. Yumm! If you're not a fan of chicken or you're a vegetarian you can follow the same steps, but omit the carcass. Enjoy!\

When True Blood Gets It Right

2011-07-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

On episode 4 of season 4 of True blood (last weekend's episode), there's a part where Eric is found by Sookie and Alcide swimming in a pond/lake thing. Sookie yells at Eric for him to get out of the water.

Eric: Sookie! Where have you been? Come, come play with me it's wonderful here. I am Aegir, god of the sea and you are Ran my sea goddess.
Sookie: There's big gators in there you crazy viking. Get on out and let's go home before one of them chomps off your you know what.
Eric: Leave the sun to the water? Nope. I'll just kill them all. Gators, krukodiler!Show yourselves! Cowards!

I had a fan girl moment after I heard those lines.It just amused me to know end. At least HBO got the reference right. I hope there are so more Norse references in True Blood!

You Know Your Future Husband Loves You...

2011-07-21T18:58:00.000-04:00

Mr. Z got me the most amazing anniversary gift.

They came all the way from Germany! Mr. Z found them on Etsy and the seller is Albae, who has other Heathen types of jewelry that I've been oggling over. I was so happy when he gave them to me last night! They're comfortable, lightweight, and stunning. They got perfectly with my hammer necklace.
I'm so lucky that I found a man like him. I'm so lucky that I get to marry him. <3

Freckles Makes Her Own Spices

2011-07-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

This is something I've been wanting to do for a while. Spice blends are over priced and you don't get much for what you pay for. I've started looking at making my own seasonings. If you recall, I made taco seasoning which I altered to our tastes, likes, and dislikes. It turned out really well. So here are a couple more spice mixes that are simple and easy to make.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground allspice
Scant pinch of cloves (if you desire, some people don't like cloves)

Mix ingredients in small bowl, store in an air tight container. Use pumpkin pie spice in pumpkin pies (dur!), pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, or any other fall time favorite desserts or snacks. Add a little to some vanilla ice cream to create a new family favorite. Yumm!

Cayenne

Cajun Seasoning
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt

Mix together in a small bowl, store in an airtight container. You can put this on anything - steaks, chicken, shrimp. If you're vegetarian add some to a bowl of squash and zucchini and fry it in a frying pan.

Oregano

Italian Seasoning
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage

Mix in a food processor to desired consistency, store in an air tight container. You can use this one in bread (my person favorite), spaghetti, lasagna, any kind of Italian dishes. I've used this one on sauteed vegetables, on grilled chicken, and on steaks. I'd consider this one and all around good seasoning to have on hand as it's very versatile.

Allspice, also called Jamaican Pepper

Jerk Seasoning
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Jerk seasoning is great on the grill. Most commonly it's used on grilled chicken. Mix these ingredients up and store in an airtight container. When ready to use, coat whatever you want to use it on in olive oil and then rub seasoning on.

Home Again, Home Again

2011-07-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

We came back from the beach today. I'm a little burned, but mostly tanned. I have a ton of pictures and few little odds and ends goodies. I'm exhausted, but I felt like posting anyways. We went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this afternoon as well, which could be aiding to the tiredness. I enjoyed the movie over all. The epilogue was just weird, but it was weird in the book too, so that's ok. There were a couple of scenes that made me go, "wtf?" I liked it. A nice way to end Harry Potter. Now to wait till the box set comes out.

I feel like I've cleared my headspace. Last night I sat down at the computer and typed out a list of things I have to do before the wedding. The list isn't long and I keep adding things to it, but I can physically see what goals I have to achieve. I also threw school stuff on there as well since it was also bogging my mind down.

I've given up on hopes of getting more hours at work. It's just something we'll have to push through and deal with. Hopefully come August and September things will pick back up and we'll get more hours. I will not let money depress me. If anything it will push me to be even more of a penny pincher and maybe open up my own etsy shop. I have a few ideas rolling around in my brain, I just have to put them in actions.

Being proactive. That's what I'm going to try to do from now on. And now I'm going to be proactive and go to bed. Good night blogger land.