Mountain Magic - Exploring my Roots

I grew up in the lower Appalachians, and my grandfather's people were what locals called Mountain People. Until I moved away for college and met others not from that area, I hadn't realized there were so many little differences. We use words that are not in the common dialects even within the South. Our lives were full of little practices and superstitions unique to our area.

Magic lived in the mountains. Everyone went to church on Sundays and thanked God for their blessings, but they thought nothing of going to wise women and seventh sons when someone was sick and the doctors hadn't been able to treat it. There were home remedies for all your ailments, and each family passed down their favorites from generation to generation. Grandmothers knew under which moon you should pick each plant. Herb and flower gardens were for more than just pretty bouquets and cooking. Little bowls of milk and honey were left on doorsteps for the wee folk. Coffee grounds in the bottom of cups were mysteries our grandmothers could solve. Mirrors were covered and the deathbed window was opened if someone passed in the house. Porch and nursery ceilings were haint blue. Dowsers looked for water when a new well needed to be drilled. We never plant cedar trees on our property or rock empty cradles. If I gift a blade of any sort, the recipient has to pay me a penny per blade to ward off bad luck. We didn't wash on New Years, and we always ate our greens, hog jowl, and black-eyed peas. Omens were everywhere.

I didn't realize that wasn't the norm because it was my life. I never thought of the wise women and men as witches or what they did as witchcraft until much later in my life. I doubt any of them thought of it that way. They were all God-fearing people, and they would have been horrified to be viewed that way. I see the connections now. I can see how the Druidic and Celt traditions brought to the Carolina mountains by our Scots ancestors mixed with those of the First People who were already there.

Mountain magic is practical and purposeful and humble. The people were poor people for the most part, and they made the most of everything they had. Practical magic was a resource too for healing the sick, blessing new marriages and homes, birthing babies, nurturing crops and livestock. The superstitions and customs blended so seamlessly that over generations most people became blind to what they really were. It was just the way things were in Appalachian life.

I wish I could go back and ask my great grandmothers and great-great grandmother who all lived to over 100 to share what they knew. It would have been a fascinating conversation.

Maker Monday: Home Cooking - Amana Colonies Sauerkraut Slaw Recipe

 

We first had this side dish when we were visiting The Colony Inn restaurant in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. It looks like sauerkraut with minced carrot in it, but it tastes more like a sweet coleslaw or vegetable relish. It's hard to describe.

Sadly, The Colony Inn has now closed its doors, but the Smokehouse and Meat store there in The Amana Colonies is still sharing print outs of the recipe for the sauerkraut slaw. Below I've included their original recipe as well as one I created using fresh ingredients rather than pre-prepared sauerkraut.

Amana Colonies Sauerkraut Salad from The Colony Inn (Original Recipe)

1 quart Amana Sauerkraut

1 cup Celery (diced)

1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper (diced)

1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper (diced)

1/2 cup Onion (diced)

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Salad Oil

Combine all ingredients. Chill several hours before serving.

If you prefer all fresh ingredients here is my take on the above recipe. I made a big batch of it a couple of summers ago, and I pressure canned the extra. It makes a fantastic pickled relish to go on hot dogs, tacos, or to accompany Indian dishes. It makes a refreshing Summer side all on its own anytime. You could switch out one of the pepper types for a jalapeno if you prefer a spicier mix. If you decide to pressure can your leftovers, I would suggest adding a bit of pickle crisp to the the mix to keep the vegetables slightly crunchy after canning.

Improvised Fresh Sauerkraut Slaw

3 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 bag of fresh cabbage slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot) or 1 small head of cabbage and 2 carrots (shredded)

1/2 cup diced celery

1⁄2onion, chopped (medium)

1⁄2 cup green bell pepper (diced)

1/2 cup red and orange sweet peppers (diced)

1⁄2 cup vegetable or olive oil

Mix slaw, celery, onion, and peppers together in a large bowl and set aside. 

Note: If you start with a whole cabbage and carrots, you may want to increase your amounts of liquids and seasonings to match depending on how much shredded vegetable they yield. You want enough mixture to evenly coat and pickle the vegetables. Keep in mind that it may look like a lot of vegetable at first, but the size will reduce as it sits overnight and the cabbage gives up some of its moisture.

Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Pour contents of sauce pan over vegetables and stir. Let set overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Stir a few times as it chills to ensure proper coverage and pickling.

Life Lessons and Retrospection

Seeing the life issues some of my friends and family are having to go through right now has made me rather introspective about my own past, good and bad. I've made big mistakes. I've been hurt horribly, and I know at times I've hurt others just as horribly both intentionally and on accident. I've taken some big risks, some of which paid off big for me and some not. I've made some great friends who have stuck around through thick and thin, and I've watched as people I thought were friends drifted out of my life without a backward glance.

Looking back on all those moments, I realize so much could have been avoided or at least the pain could have been lessened if I’d just learned to love and trust myself much earlier than I did. I was always looking for something that would make me better, make me into someone who people liked/loved, make me prettier, make me more successful, make me smarter. I was always looking for that something or someone on the outside, when I should have been looking within.

I had everything in me that I needed, but I’d been told so many times to the contrary that I never saw it. You’re ugly … you’re fat … you’re stupid … you’re never going to make anything of yourself. I let those voices become so loud and so insidious that I had no doubt they were telling the truth. They weren't even close to the truth. The people who said those things, they didn't even know me. Most of the people I didn't even like or want to know myself. On good days, I could tell myself that if they really knew me, they wouldn't say such hurtful words. The people who said those things to me who were close to me in my mind validated all the others though.

I’ve learned to be who makes me happy and not worry about anyone else. I don’t want to be a person anyone/everyone will love. I want to be who I’m meant to be. There are people in this world who I have been lucky enough to meet (and some I haven’t met yet I’m sure) who do or will love me just the way I am, because of who I am. If I had just learned that sooner, what unhappiness I could have spared myself and others. But then some of those hard times and trials have helped make me who I am, and right now I wouldn't want to be anyone else for all the world.

If I could share one thing with the people I love, it’s to love yourself, blemishes and flaws included, to learn from your mistakes and strive always to be someone you would be proud to know. Laugh, love, close your eyes and take that leap of faith from time to time. Maybe that’s all any of us can ask for in life … to be comfortable enough in our own skin to love ourselves and strong enough to trust we won’t be hurt when letting others in.

Sexy Poetry

The Colour of Love

Cold blade

Warm blood

Slice

Pain

Blood flows like water

Do you feel weak

It's almost like good sex

I feel released

Cut again

Cut deep

Cut harder

Please, God, let me stop screaming

Once, twice, more

Then I can sleep



Cacaphony

Clank, jingle …
Hisssss …
Slide.
POP,
Chuckle.
SLAP, moan.
Sigh.
SLAP … SMACK!
Yelp, whimper.
Arch, purr.
Grunt, WHAP.
Drag … shudder.
Caress, pinch.
SLAM, SLAP, SMACK!!
Moan …
Sob …
Beg.
WHAP, SLAP, Pat, Flick.
Scream ...
Caress, CUM!
Slither, jingle
Jangle, slide.
Smile.
Mine



Desire

Desire.
It speaks volumes without words.
It's in the curve of a hip,
the fullness of a breast,
the sweet softness of her lips.
It's in the indention of her navel,
the arch of her foot,
the feel of her black hair,
and the look in her eyes as she looks at me.
There's sensuality in every move she makes.
Even the way she breathes...
is sexy.
She is Sex.
Slow and steamy.
Fast and fierce.
Sweat-slicked skin
and silken folds.
Breathless sighs and honeyed words,
sleepless nights and dreamy eyes.
Desire.



Desire II

Score
Cut
Flow
Rip
Smear
Tear
Drip
Bleed

Feel

Laugh
Moan
Plead
Whimper
Sigh
Beg
Whisper
Scream

Hear

Arch
Flex
Thrust
Knead
Scratch
Grasp
Pull
Push

Take



Until I Bleed

Sometimes I want to scream my need.
My skin aches to be bruised,
trembles to be bitten,
burns to be used.

It's an uncontrolled fire,
raging to consume me,
that only pain can dampen.
It never goes out.
I'm always at the mercy of its flames.

Rage, claw, bite.
Don't hold anything back with me.
Mark me, beat me, fuck me ...
Don't stop until I bleed.

Sanguine Obsession

Let's talk ... Blood Fetishes. Who has one? I'm sure it is not just me. What is it about blood and blood letting that is so fascinating?

I first fell in love with the look of it and the symbolism behind it. I grew up watching vampire movies of all varieties. I loved the dance they portrayed. Some seduced and some simply took what they wanted. Some wanted love, and some simply craved the blood. I loved the sight of fangs penetrating flesh, blood dripping down the side of a neck or wrist, flowing out the corners of a vampire's mouth. I loved the sounds that they made while feeding and being fed on. I loved the inherent sexuality and power, the ferocity and the gentle sensuality. Watching vampire movies was my first love affair with the power exchange.

There is the power of the blood itself. Red, hot, gushing or sliding in small rivulets. Life and Death. Vitality in liquid form. Blood is life. Life is blood. Blood holds all the power, so if you can take or release the blood, you hold the power. That is fucking sexing.

And then there is the physicality of the blood. I love to see blood well on the surface of the skin. I love the smell of it and the taste of it. I love the feel of it as I dip my fingers in the pool and and swirl them outward in round graceful loops or sharp, heavy lines. I love the colors of fresh blood. I love the color of it once it has dried.

There's a primal urge to release the blood or to give it to one who deserves it. It's a gift. If they are strong enough to demand it and take it for themselves all the better. Sex and blood, fear and lust, power and submission ... it all blends together. Not a lot of people I know share my fascination, but there have been a few. Get the right people together, and the experience can be spectacular.

Maker Monday: Fast, Healthy, and Flavorful Breakfast Ideas - Protein Tubs

I saw the video below on Facebook showing how to use Greek yogurt and protein powder to make  breakfast bowls. I am not much on breakfast. I'm not awake enough most weekday mornings to appreciate a good breakfast, and if I am not going to have a good breakfast I'd rather skip it. And let's be honest, for a lot of us, the extra half hour of sleep we can exchange for the time it would take to prepare and eat breakfast is worth skipping the meal. I usually toss a protein bar or an apple or banana in my bag and head to work.


When I saw this video, I instantly thought it was a great idea. I have tried so many different brands and flavors of meal replacement shakes. Some of the pre-mixed ones are okay, but they are really expensive. The cost is lower if you just buy the powder and add your own liquid, but the consistency is just awful. No matter how thoroughly or long I mix the powder into the water or milk, it seems to be both watery and clump. The powder settles to the bottom so that occasionally you will get a big mushy clump of protein powder with barely flavored milk/water. It is not pleasant. I like the idea of an almost instant meal, but the texture inconsistencies get me every time.

So, when I saw that they mix the protein powder into plain Greek yogurt, I saw that this very well might solve my texture issue while helping me create a very fast, flavorful, healthy breakfast alternative. Last night I decided to put together a couple just to try. I already had some slim fast breakfast shake mix in my cupboard, and I picked up some fresh  yogurt on our grocery trip earlier in the day (I love plain yogurt on pretty much anything you would normally use sour cream or Miracle Whip).

Once the scoop of protein shake mix is added to a cup of Greek yogurt and mixed well, the yogurt has a very fluffy, whipped texture. It's almost like a dense chocolate mousse. I really like the extra tang that the yogurt adds to the flavor too. I have never liked any of the flavors of protein shakes other than chocolate for drinking, but I could see really enjoying vanilla, strawberry, or caramel as a yogurt/mousse flavor. I slice two to three strawberries to go with each serving and stored them in my Rubbermaid Takealong containers that have the removable trays to keep the fruit from getting soggy. I think I might try some almond slivers, granola, or maybe some dried fruit as mix-ins for some later in the week.

Maker Monday: Fast, Healthy, and Flavorful Breakfast Ideas - Nordic Stone Age Snack Bars

 

I really like the convenience of being able to grab a granola or protein bar, stash it in my purse, and go to work or to the park or wherever I am headed. Some are acceptable meal replacements, and some are very enjoyable snacks. Almost all of them have more sugar than I can for or are so dry and flavorless I might as well be eating cardboard. And so very many of them are peanut butter flavored. I like peanut butter a lot, but I do not care for peanut butter flavorings at all.

I have occasionally made my own granola, but I had never attempted to make my own snack bars. I saw a video cross my feed on Facebook describing a homemade bread loaf made from seeds and nuts. I watched the video (posted below) and thought it looked like a great idea for a lower sugar, flavorful alternative snack.




I did decide pretty quickly that I thought I would prefer this in a more easily portable bar or square format. So, instead of putting the whole mix in a loaf pan, I split it into two 8x8 stoneware dishes.

For my snack bars I included:

• 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds 
• 1 cup raw chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup brown flax seeds
• 1/2 cup golden flax seeds
• 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 Tbsp. clover honey
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 olive oil
• 5 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl and then half between two 8x8 lightly greased baking dishes. I cooked my bars at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. They turned out crisp along the edges and chewy in the middle. I cut one pan into small granola bar size, and I cut the other pan into small squares like I would brownies.

They are chewy and crunchy at the same time, very flavorful, and filling. Next time I might try adding a touch of cinnamon or ginger to the mix just to punch the flavor a bit. I think oats would also be a nice addition. The original recipe did not call for the dried fruits or honey, but I wanted a hint of sweetness without adding too  much. The dried fruits also add some varied texture to the bars as well. I packaged them up into snack bags and popped them in the breadbox so that they will be easy to snag in the mornings on our way to work.