Witchy Woman Walking

Community is a deeply important aspect of human life. It’s not a specific place exactly, it’s more of a shared space of belonging. We might find community in our local neighborhoods or even virtually across continents. What matters is that there is a common purpose within the group, something that brings everyone together through a shared need. Over the past 2.5 years, this podcast has built a community of lovely witchy people spanning across 141 countries. In an effort to build this circle more fully, there will soon be an invitation to gather in a new way, stay tuned! As we take in the sounds of summer, consider the communities in your life. Are they meeting your current needs? Or is it time to expand further? 

What am I reading?
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780593798430
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780525559856

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking
What’s playing on repeat?
Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order

What’s for dinner?
Cucumber Sushi Boats 
Ingredients:
4 oz salmon filet
Salt & pepper
2 tsp avocado oil 
1 tbsp coconut amino
1 tsp lime juice
1 large cucumber
¼ cup cooked rice or cooked cauliflower rice
¼ avocado, diced
1 tbsp spicy mayo
green onion, chopped
Instructions:
Pat the salmon dry and slice the salmon into small cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the avocado oil in a pan over medium heat and add the salmon. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Add the coconut aminos and lime juice at the end and stir to scrape up any stuck pieces of salmon on the bottom of the pan, and coat the salmon. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Wash the cucumber well, slice off the ends, and slice it in half vertically. Scoop out the inside of the cucumber until the cucumber is fully hollowed out.
Assemble the boats by filling with rice, then topping with salmon, avocado, spicy mayo, and green onion. Serve fresh.
https://unboundwellness.com/salmon-cucumber-boats/

Protein Banana Pudding
1 cup plain Greek yogurt(or blended cottage cheese)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 banana, sliced
Graham crackers
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, protein powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
In a cup, bowl, or meal prep container, layer the yogurt mixture with sliced banana and graham crackers. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best taste
Serve cold and enjoy!
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The summer solstice is here! This is a time of abundance, fertility, and joy. And yet, many people forgo the experience of joy, thinking that pleasure must wait until later, when they’re a “better” version of themselves. But what if later never comes? Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us; therefore, we must embrace joy in the now. To do this, we must become fully embodied humans, using all of our senses to tap into the soul living within. Enjoy the meal, take the swim, dance with abandon; it’s in these simple, mundane, miraculous moments when we truly know happiness. As we walk toward the summer solstice, accept the invitation to choose joy today. You deserve it just as you are. 

What am I reading?
The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780778310907
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780316399272

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Boys Don’t Cry by the Cure 

What’s for dinner? 
Solo Snack Board
Choose a soft spreadable cheese option and a hard cheese 
 Choose 1–2 cured meat options. Prosciutto, spicy Calabrese salami, or rolled deli turkey work perfectly in small portions. Or plant-based options like tofu or tempeh 
Add 1–2 handfuls of crisp produce. Try  apple slices, carrots, cucumbers, or bell pepper strips. Berries are another wonderful addition. 
 Include 1–2 kinds of crackers or crusty bread.
 Bring it all together with a small scoop of savory or sweet dip, such as hummus, honey, tzatziki, or a dab of spicy mustard.
 Finish the board with a few salted nuts, pickles, olives, or a square of dark chocolate. 
Prebiotic Mocktail
Ingredients: 
1 can poppi Strawberry Lemon Probiotic Soda
3 strawberries, chopped
3 mint leaves
Juice of half a lemon 
Ice
Instructions: 
In a tall glass, add strawberries, mint, honey, and lemon juice and muddle. 
Fill glass with ice and top with poppi Strawberry Lemon Probiotic Soda.
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How do you start your day? Be honest… Do you greet the day with intention? Or does chaos reign each morning? It’s no secret that many of us have aren’t morning people, we’d rather hit the snooze button a few (dozen!) times than develop a morning routine. Some of us habitually reach for our phones before we’ve barely opened our eyes. Unfortunately, our reluctant waking may set us up for a less magical day and a less restful night. By creating a morning ritual infused with feminine energy, we give our parasympathetic nervous systems an opportunity to enter a rest & digest cycle. As we journey through the late spring woods, consider how you might revamp your own morning rituals. 

What am I reading?
The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781400349098
The Anatomy of Awakening: The Five Hidden Codes to Activate Self Healing, Unlock Your Higher Consciousness and Live Your Divine Destiny by Dr. Sue Morter
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781401998608

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore 

What’s for dinner?
Lentil Salad
Ingredients:
For the salad
1 1/2 cups dry green lentils or 4 1/2 cups cooked/canned
5 cups water
1 medium english cucumber, diced
1 cup diced small red onion
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta, optional I used Violife vegan feta
3-4 cups arugula or baby spinach, optional
For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons agave
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
few shakes ground black pepper
Instructions:
Add the lentils and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water so they stop cooking and cool fast. Add them to a large bowl.

Chop the cucumber, red onion, red pepper and parsley and add them to the bowl with the lentils.

Whisk all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake until well combined.

Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables and stir everything together. Stir in the feta, if using, and serve over a bed of arugula or baby spinach, if desired. You can also simply mix the greens into the salad. Enjoy! 

Watermelon Salad W/ Feta & Mint
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ minced garlic clove 
¼ teaspoon salt
For the salad:
5 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup diced cucumber
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
⅓ cup crumbled feta
1 avocado, cubed
⅓ cup torn fresh mint or basil leaves
½ jalapeño or serrano pepper, thinly sliced, optional
Sprinkle sea salt
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At the end of the weekend, do you find yourself asking, “Where did the time go?!” Does an endless list of tasks leave you feeling like all you do is work? What if we could reframe the way we spend our time and view it through the lens of self-care? There’s no denying that laundry and meal prep can seem like drudgery, but these tasks are also necessary to be fully functioning and independent humans. Caring for oneself often involves unglamorous work, but it can be sacred if we shift our perspective. We can also find the magic in short increments of time by meeting them with intention. As we listen to the morning birds, consider how you might reframe your relationship with the clock. 

What am I reading?
The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781496748300

Magick for All Seasons by Marla Brooks
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781578638505
https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
I Touch Myself by the Divinyls 

What’s for dinner?
Roasted Brussels Sprout Kale Salad 
Ingredients:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
Head kale, trimmed and chopped
1-2 avocados, diced
1 lb sausage of choice
Pickled onions 
Goat cheese,  crumbled 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 lemons, juiced 
Garlic, minced 
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt & pepper 
Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Thinly slice sprouts, dice sausage, add to parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until browned. Wash and chop kale, add to bowl with whisked olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, and mustard. Massage kale until fully coated. Top with pickled onions, roasted sprouts, sausage, and goat cheese. Toss, season to taste, and enjoy! 

Frozen Greek Yogurt Bites
Ingredients: 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice
2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon avocado oil or coconut oil
sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until creamy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the Greek yogurt mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet at a time until all the mixture is used. To make it easier, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.  Place the bites in the freezer for about 4 hours.

Once the Greek yogurt bites are frozen, add the chocolate chips and avocado oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate chips by heating in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring well in between, until it's fully melted. 

Dip the frozen Greek yogurt bites in the melted chocolate until they are coated in chocolate. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the chocolate coating. Enjoy!
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Something happens when we get older, it often happens subtly and without warning… one day, without meaning to, we put down the things that once made us feel alive. This happens because we have a lack of time or a shortage of funds, we convince ourselves that other things are more deserving of our attention. Life becomes a series of tasks to complete… work, bills, caretaking, responsibilities… wash, rinse, repeat. Our bodies and souls suffer from a life lived in our minds alone. It’s time to rediscover the things that we once loved. We must pull the old passions out of the drawer, dust them off, and remember what it felt like to lose oneself to time and to truly be in flow. As we stroll through the forest, take a moment to reflect on the things you’ve left behind, it’s time to reclaim them!

What am I reading?
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780063468023
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780143127741
https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
LABOUR by Paris Paloma 

Green Goddess Beans 
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil 
3 garlic cloves finely chopped or mashed to a paste
2 cans of cannellini beans (14 oz cans) drained & rinsed
1 bunch kale (12 oz bunch) leaves stripped & finely shredded
2 cups vegetable stock 
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 sprig of rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes or to taste
1 lemon zest & juice
salt & pepper, to taste
1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese
3⁄4 cup Greek yogurt (or dairy-free alternative) 
Sourdough or ciabatta 
Instructions:
Heat oil in a pan over medium-heat and sauté garlic.
Add beans and kale and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove any liquid.
Transfer half of the bean mixture and half of the stock to a blender and process until smooth.
Stir thyme, rosemary, chili flakes and remaining stock through the skillet of beans.
Return blended beans back to the skillet, add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in most of the cheese and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes
Remove from heat, mix in lemon juice and adjust seasoning. 
Swirl yogurt through so it is half mixed in.
Top with remaining cheese, and serve with toasted bread.

Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup packed baby spinach
½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
½ small very ripe banana
¼ cup frozen mango chunks
¼ cup frozen pineapple chunks
½ tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions:
Combine 2 cups spinach, 1 cup almond milk, 1 banana, ½ cup frozen mango, ½ cup frozen pineapple and 1 tablespoon chia seeds in a blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a large glass and serve immediately.
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