16Feb 2022 by catbird No Comments
Snow Moon Simmer Pot

Snow Moon Simmer Pot

Full Moon, Snow Moon, Winter Portfolio
Tonight is the full snow moon and February is the snowiest month where I live. I keep making simmer pots for most of the winter because I live in an old house with radiator heat and it gets so dry. I shift away from citrus and holiday scents after December and focus more on cleaning the air. Lately I’ve started being intentional about the water I use- snow, ice rainwater. The spices are cinnamon cloves and thyme— all of which fight germs and bacteria when aerosolized (I read a fascinating study about this) and bay leaves with intentions written on them. I also included some sage for cleansing. Feels just right for a snowy full moon night.
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15Feb 2022 by catbird No Comments
Sugar on Snow

Sugar on Snow

Midwinter, Recipes, Snow Moon, Winter Portfolio
February is when tree sap starts to travel back up tree trunks, meaning that it's time to make maple syrup! The best days below freezing at night but warmer and sunny during the day. I live in the most southernly part of the US where you can still tap trees and make maple syrup. I tap both maple and black walnut most years and every so often we make some sugar on snow. We usually use store bought maple syrup for the sugar on snow- the syrup we make is too precious! The sugar in this case refers to the maple- it's just cooked until it's at softball stage and then allowed to set up quickly on the cold snow. Simple yet magical! A perfect way to celebrate Midwinter and…
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30Jan 2022 by catbird No Comments
Midwinter Cleaning. Of Children.

Midwinter Cleaning. Of Children.

Bath & Body, Craft Project, Midwinter, Play
Historians disagree on the origin of colloquialism “spring cleaning, '' but there is some evidence to support that it was originally a Midwinter tradition, not a spring one. The season’s association with the hearth and preparing for spring make sense. Many historical traditions reference cleaning out the old year at Midwinter. Consequently, this is a great time of year to craft cleaning products, soap and bath bombs. We naturally spend more time inside in the deep of winter, so it makes sense to turn our attention to cleaning out our physical spaces and ourselves. The kids and I try to make at least 1 new soap each year and they are much more inclined to use said soap because they make it and it's special. We also love to make…
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27Jan 2022 by catbird 1 Comment
Making Butter with Kids

Making Butter with Kids

Midwinter, Play, Recipes
Midwinter is the time of year that ewes traditionally started lambing, so for Western Europeans in ancient times it was the return of milk to their diet. It’s hard for us to really understand that these days, but there is something very comforting about creamy, milky dishes this time of year. February is also usually the month that our hens start laying again which is always very exciting. As I’m writing this I’m thinking we should really plan some sort of mini celebration to mark the occasion! I don’t do lactose so I don’t really dive deeply into the milk and cream elements of this holiday, but my kids love to make butter. Mason Jar Butter Making Making butter in a mason jar is stupid easy and strangely satisfying. We…
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06Jan 2022 by catbird 5 Comments
Focaccia della Befana

Focaccia della Befana

Twelfth Night, Winter Portfolio
January 6th is Befana in Italy, also known as Epiphany, Twelfth Night or Three Kings day in various cultures. Befana is a winter witch who brings treats for children and sweeps away the old year. I kind of love that throughout christianization Italians have stubbornly held on to their winter witch. Like most holidays Befana/ Epiphany predates the current Christian celebration and marks the end of the liminal time between Christmas and New Years. I like having that end marked in some way, this always feels like such a weird time of year for me. Focaccia della Belfana Despite being called focaccia, this is an enriched bread with milk eggs and butter. It’s a little sweet, but not overly so. I use a gluten free brioche recipe, but you can…
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