Witchy Woman Walking

Everywhere we turn someone is looking to influence our choices. It seems that new “experts” are emerging every minute. It feels impossible to make a decision without weighing the opinions of all the external forces. But what if these external forces are only serving to cloud our inner wisdom? What if instead we chose to be our own authority? What would your life look like if you were the one calling the shots? It’s time to trust your own intuition, find the magic in influencing yourself. 

What am I reading?
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780593874325
Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given
 https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781668067123

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa

What’s for dinner?
Super Versatile Bean Pesto
Ingredients:
Large handful or 2 of fresh basil
1 can white beans
Juice 2 lemons
Minced garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
8 olives w/ a little brine 
A few bread and butter pickles 
Salt and pepper 
Instructions: Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Season to taste. Spread on bread, use as a dip for veggies, or mix into pasta. Enjoy! 

Vegan Brookie
Brownie Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes, baked
3 tbsp cacao powder
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Cookie Ingredients:
1 tin chickpeas
6 medjool dates
1/4 cup peanut butter powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana
Pinch of salt
Optional choc chips
Ingredients:
1. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven until super soft and squishy. Peel the sweet potatoes and add to a bowl with the remaining brownie ingredients and mix together.
2. Add all the cookie ingredients to a food processor and blitz until it forms a cookie dough texture. Mix in optional chocolate chips.
3. Add the brownie batter to an oven safe dish, then add the cookie dough mixture to the top. Bake in the oven for 30-40 at 180 Celsius or 350 F. 
@broccoli_mum
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In the past couple of generations, there’s been a lot of talk about finding one’s passion. Many people find themselves dissatisfied with their work because it doesn’t feel passionate enough. This begs the question, should our choice of vocation be fueled by practicality, passion, or calling? What even is a calling? And do we all have one? In today’s conversation, we’ll endeavor to define the differences between what lights a person up and what provides a deeper service. We’ll explore one’s moral obligation, if any, to share the gifts they were divinely given. What were you uniquely designed to do?

What am I reading?
Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780369774026
Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781394235100

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Delete Ya by Djo

What’s for dinner? 
Spicy Canned Salmon Rice Bowl
Ingredients:
For the  Rice:1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice (or Basmati rice
1 ½ cups water
Pinch of salt

For the Spicy Salmon:2 cans high-quality canned salmon, drained 
3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (like Kewpie, or regular mayonnaise)
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

For the Bowl Assembly & Toppings:1 small cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
½ cup shelled edamame, cooked (frozen works great)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
½ avocado, sliced 
Nori seaweed snacks, crumbled

Instructions: 
Rinse the rice thoroughly. Cook according to instructions. 
While the rice is cooking, prepare the salmon. Open and thoroughly drain. 
Flake the drained salmon with a fork. 
Add the Japanese mayonnaise, Sriracha, soy sauce,  rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic.
Gently mix all the ingredients together until the salmon is well-coated and everything is combined.
Prep veggies for topping. 
Build your bowls. Enjoy! 

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Bites
Ingredients:
½ cup cashew butter
⅓ cup maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ cup crushed freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
In a medium bowl combine the cashew butter, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well. Add in the almond flour and coconut flour and stir until dough is formed. Stir in the crushed strawberries until well combined. 

Scoop into 1 inch balls and roll between palms to make smooth. Place in a glass container. makes 16-18 balls. 
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Love and grief connect us to one other, but grief is a topic most people prefer to avoid. When someone is grieving it seems impossible to find the words needed to comfort them. We rush past condolences for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. We are unwilling to simply sit alongside another and hold space for their pain. Most people are walking around with hearts full of grief that no one is willing to bear witness to, which makes the experience all the more lonely. And it’s not just the grief of death that we carry, it’s the grief that comes with life… Paths we didn’t take, opportunities that passed us by, dreams tucked away and forgotten, words we failed to speak, harms we’ve see done to others… to live is to grieve. If we can learn to hold space for grief, we open our hearts to love and live more fully and fiercely. In order to do this, we must give grief a seat at the table. Are you willing to pull out a chair? 

What am I reading?
The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber 
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781250369277
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis Weller
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781583949764

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
I’m on Your Side by Michael Franti 

What’s for dinner?
Pumpkin & Spinach Stuffed Tortillas 
Ingredients:
Package of tortillas
Can of pumpkin puree
Onion
Ground chicken, vegetarian ground “meat”, or beans - seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin, and garlic powder 
Jalapeño 
Fresh spinach
Cheddar cheese (caramelized onion cheddar is great!) or Mexican blend 
Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brown meat in skillet, season with salt pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Add jalapeños to taste. Add fresh spinach, sauté until wilted. Assemble tortillas with a layer of pumpkin puree, cheddar cheese, and meat mixture. Roll tortilla, place in baking dish. Once you’ve rolled all your tortillas, sprinkle with another layer of cheese. Bake until golden brown. Enjoy! 

Cinnamon Sore Throat Tea
Ingredients:
1 cinnamon stick (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 slice fresh ginger
1 tea bag (chamomile or herbal)
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a gentle boil. Add the cinnamon stick and ginger slice, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 5–7 minutes so the cinnamon and ginger flavors infuse the water fully.
Take the saucepan off the heat and discard the cinnamon stick and ginger slice to prevent bitterness while maintaining the infused flavor.
If you choose to use a tea bag, steep it in the hot cinnamon water for 3–5 minutes until the tea develops a rich flavor.
Stir in the honey and fresh lemon juice until fully dissolved.
Pour your prepared cinnamon sore throat tea into a mug. Enjoy!
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Our world is full of light and dark. There are times when it feels like the darkness is threatening to overtake. One only needs to glance at the daily news to determine that humans are capable of unimaginable cruelty. It can be hard to believe in the power of love when so much hate persists. So what do we do? How do we hold onto hope and faith in humanity when the rage burns so intensely? This is a question we must all ponder for ourselves. Resistance can take many forms. As we sit by the fire, consider what your part is to play? 

What am I reading?
The Fellowship librarians & Dragons by J. Penner
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781464248603
Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love by Tori Dunlap
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9780063260269

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Brighter Day by Michael Franti 

What’s for dinner? 
Lemon Ricotta Pasta w/ Spinach
Ingredients:
1/2 lb pasta 
1 cup whole-milk ricotta 
8 oz fresh baby spinach, washed 
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
3 lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. 

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with 1/4 tsp of salt and a good pinch of pepper.

Stir until well combined.

In the last minute of the pasta's cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then and add spinach to the pot. Stir well and push the leaves down to submerge them in water. 

After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the same pot.

Add the ricotta sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed.

Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!

https://theclevermeal.com/10-minute-lemon-ricotta-pasta-with-spinach/#recipe

Peanut Butter Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter stirred
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch sea salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips to a food processor and process until well-combined and a thick dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Form round discs out of the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 12 minutes, depending on how soft or crispy you like your cookies.
Allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
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Imbolc has arrived! Even if you’re buried under snow right now, spring is undoubtedly working its magic underground. This is a perfect time to tend to the corners in your life that have gotten out of hand over the winter. Save the big house cleansing for spring, in this moment, it’s the smaller spaces that call for your attention. Perhaps you have a closet that desperately needs organizing, a desk overflowing with papers, an altar gathering dust, or a pile of craft supplies threatening to take over an entire room. Look for the space that’s feeling cluttered or stagnant. If you find that this corner is draining your energy, take this opportunity to tend to it. When the energy inside our homes is restored, we are much better equipped to meet life’s needs outside our door. A little tending goes a long way. 

What am I reading?
The Witching moon Manor by Stacy Sivinski
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781668058411
The Green Wiccan spell Book by Silja 
Sil-ya
https://bookshop.org/a/111301/9781782497851

https://bookshop.org/shop/witchywomanwalking

What’s playing on repeat?
Raised by Wolves by The Interrupters  

What’s for dinner?
Mediterranean Chickpea Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 rib celery 
1 leek optional
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups vegetable broth or more to taste
2 15 oz cans chickpeas 
1½ pounds potatoes peeled and diced 
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes 
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste + red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons grated parmesan or crumbled feta - optional
Instructions:
Chop 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 rib celery, and 2 cloves garlic.

Sauté them in a large pot or Dutch oven with 1 leek in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil oil for 5–10 minutes until soft.
Stir in 2 tablespoon tomato paste and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary. Cook 1 minute to coat the vegetables and deepen flavor.
Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cans chickpeas, 1½ pounds potatoes and 1 can crushed tomatoes. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 20–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Serve with crusty bread or cooked grains. For extra flavor, top each bowl with grated parmesan or crumbled feta before serving.

Chickpea Brownies
2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1½ cups peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter)
⅔ cup pure maple syrup
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder + 1 tspbaking soda
6 tbsp milk of choice
1 cup chocolate chips (plus extra for topping)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment.
Blend chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla until silky smooth (2-3 minutes).
Add cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda; blend 45-60 seconds.
Fold in chocolate chips by hand. Pour into pan, smooth, and top with extra chips.
Bake 30-35 minutes; edges set, center slightly soft. Cool completely before slicing.

https://wholesomeforks.com/double-fudge-chickpea-brownies-protein-packed-fudgy-af/print/943/
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