Thank You All for the 20,000 Views

Wow, Again I can not believe the response to my blog..

I also want to apologize for being lax the last 7 months.. I have had so much physical work to do here on my property I have been just tired out... I have come a long way to completing projects outdoors and my list keeps getting shorter.. So that is good news for the new year.. Still some things to do and to finish, but that's OK--> I see light at the end of the tunnel .. I am not getting any younger, and I feel age creeping in to my bones with every month that passes so bear with me. :-=)

Many hugs to all

And Thanx

Bee

A Very Merry Christmas to All...

Silence in the woods today,
A cool crisp breeze blows the fall leaves away.

A sparkle in the the sky I see,
Then another floating right by me.
Tis the first snow of the year you see,
That leaves these woods a glow.

So the fairy's of the Fairy Knowel
can awake to fresh fallen snow.

BeeCharmer
Nov 2006

Blessed Be to All

Winter *~* Solstice

Holly leaves, fire shines bright.
Fur bows scent this most wonderful night.
Yule logs burn to renew the sun bright
Blessed be to all who partake in its light.

BeeCharmer 12/2006

Yule-Tide cake

How to Make a Yule Log

Begin by wrapping the log loosely with the ribbon. Leave enough space that you can insert your branches, cuttings and feathers under the ribbon. In our house, we place five feathers on our Yule log – one for each member of the family. Once you’ve gotten your branches and cuttings in place, begin gluing on the pine cones, cinnamon sticks and berries. Add as much or as little as you like. Remember to keep the hot glue gun away from small children.
Once you’ve decorated your Yule log, the question arises of what to do with it. For starters, use it as a centerpiece for your holiday table. A Yule log looks lovely on a table surrounded by candles and holiday greenery.
Another way to use your Yule log is to burn it as our ancestors did so many centuries ago. In our family, before we burn our log we each write down a wish on a piece of paper, and then insert it into the ribbons. It’s our wish for the upcoming year, and we keep it to ourselves in hopes that it will come true.
If you have a fireplace, you can certainly burn your Yule log in it, but we prefer to do ours outside. We have a fire pit in the back yard, and on the night of the winter solstice .

Yule log cake

The Yule log is a traditional feature of most winter solstice celebrations. In addition to making one you can burn in your fireplace, why not whip together a tasty chocolate one for dessert? This super-easy recipe uses a boxed cake mix as its base, and can be put together ahead of time for your Yule celebration dinner. Chill overnight for easy slicing the next day.

Ingredients:
• 1 box chocolate cake mix, along with ingredients as called for
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. instant coffee granules
• 1 stick butter
• 16 oz. semi-sweet baker's chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Spearmint leaf jelly candies
• Cinnamon red hots
• Mini marshmallows & chocolate kisses (optional)
Preparation:
Prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, pour the batter out onto the paper, and spread until it reaches the edges. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until cake is firm and springy - be sure you don't over bake it!
Allow cake to cool in pan for ten minutes, then invert it onto a cloth towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off the parchment paper. Roll the cake up inside the cloth towel, starting with one of the short sides. Let the rolled-up cake cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cake cools, mix up the filling. This particular blend is a coffee-flavored variety that I adapted from a tiramasu recipe, but you can replace the coffee with cocoa if you prefer more chocolate. Blend the whipping cream, powdered sugar and coffee granules together to form the filling. Chill until thick and firm. After the cake has completely cooled, gently unroll the cake from the towel. Remove the towel, and spread the filling over one side of the cake, stopping about a half inch from the edge. Roll the cake back up -- this should be easy, since it cooled in a rolled-up form. Place the cake on a serving platter and allow to chill for a couple of hours.
To make the frosting, melt the butter in a double boiler and then add the chocolate. Once the chocolate has all melted, stir in the heavy cream. Let the icing sit at room temperature until it's a little thick. Spread on the cake, covering the entire roll, and then drag a fork through the icing to create a bark-like appearance on your log.
Add a couple of spearmint leaves and red hots to form clusters of holly on the log. If you'd like to add "mushrooms" to your log, stick a toothpick through a miniature marshmallow, and then poke it into the flat side of a chocolate kiss. Snip off the pointy part of the kiss, and you'll have a small mushroom. Use the toothpick to stick these on top of your log.
If you're not going to serve immediately, wrap the cake in loose plastic and refrigerate overnight. Allow the cake to sit out for about an hour before slicing.

Yummy Wassail

Wassail was originally a word that meant to greet or salute someone -- groups would go out wassailing on cold evenings, and when they approached a door would be offered a mug of warm cider or ale. Over the years, the tradition evolved to include mixing eggs with alcohol and aspiring the crops to ensure fertility. While this recipe doesn't include eggs, it sure is good, and it makes your house smell beautiful for Yule.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 Gallon apple cider
• 2 C. cranberry juice
• 1/2 C honey
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 oranges
• Whole cloves
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• Allspice
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
• 1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)

Preparation:

Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.
Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.

Happy Christmas

Christmas is so very near,
I’m just in time to wish my friends dear,
A holiday with sparkling joy, and fairy hugs,
I wish peace to all with all my love.

Yuletide in the fairy garden

Hi All, I got my fairy garden deer up this past week.. I must say it is lovely to behold at night.. Yule will truly be bright and beautiful this year!! I also splurged and got the muti colored star lights for my windows this year I usually have white icicles lights but i just wanted color this year!! I am decorating the tree today while I watch the harry potter marathon on TV...

Happy Christmas!!

Happy ThanksGiving

More magical surprises at RavensWood

Byrum has done it again! Although I thought he had retired to his village in RootUnder for the winter seasonal festivities. Behold here he is working his magic to astound me with the most special surprises ever.. Magic mushrooms!!!

Sparkling fall leaves

Bee

The Matriarch

In your eyes I see your life story, As you wore it like a weight.
No longer will you need to carry us,
as you are free at last from these mortal binds.
Soar my dear grandmother, soar to the beauty that lies ahead for you..

I loved you so..

RIP

11-20-2009

Christmas is Near...

Hi to all, I had to have these very bright crystal deer silhouettes. I had to set them up in my living room.. I am going to put them on the rocks in my fairy garden it should light the area very nicely!! The Buck looks magical.... Hopefully it stops raining so I can prepare the spot for them.

Hugs Bee

Vladimir Grigoryevich Tretchikoff

Hi to all , I had to do a post on this artist... I was mesmerized by his vision.. Hubby found this vintage print at a yard sale. So I had to research the artist.. How interesting of a journey it was.. Title;

Chinese Girl

Vladimir Grigoryevich Tretchikoff

1913-2006

Although Tretchikoff spent his early years in China, this portrait was painted in Cape Town. The model is a member of the small Chinese community there. Possibly the best known of all Tretchikoff's paintings. Lithographs of this painting can be seen in all corners of the world. Artist’s Collection, 1950’s First Hand Tretchikoff Print. This print has been produced to the highest quality under the artist’s personal supervision and is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authentication.


To know his work is to understand an artist who became a phenomenon. A man who never compromised because he was being lead by an all-encompassing drive to do what he loved, to paint. Even in the face of adversity, he continued to pursue his passion, unashamedly.

Tretchikoff was a self-taught artist who painted realistic figures, portraits, still life and animals, with subjects often inspired by his early life in China and Malaysia, and later life in South Africa. Tretchikoff's work was immensely popular with the general public, but is often seen by art critics as the epitome of kitsch (indeed, he was nicknamed the "King of Kitsch"). He worked in oil, watercolour, ink, charcoal and pencil but is best known for his reproduction prints which sold worldwide in huge numbers. The reproductions were so popular that it was said Tretchikoff was second only to Picasso in his popularity

He quickly became famous in South Africa thanks to a book that collected his portraits of Oriental women and pictures of flowers, and held successful exhibitions in Cape Town and Johannesburg. His fame spread to the United States, where the Rosicrucians of San Jose invited him to launch an American tour. Around 19,000 people saw his show in Los Angeles and 51,000 in San Francisco. In Seattle, a rival show which included Picasso and Rothko sold fewer tickets, to Tretchikoff’s satisfaction. A million Americans finally saw his paintings, which then went on to Canada with equal success. This was followed by a large exhibition in 1961 at Harrods in London where he decided that the Harrod's art gallery was too small. He requested and was granted the privilege of having his exhibition in the ground-floor exhibition space. About 205,000[3] people attended the exhibition and one of his British admirers, Leslie Rigall, bought ten paintings and designed his new house in Windsor Great Park around them.

His famous Chinese Girl, a 1950 painting featuring an Eastern model with blue-green skin, is one of the best selling prints of all time. Prints of the painting became widespread during the 1960s and 1970s, and the painting was featured in various plays and television programmes: the original set of Alfie, with a drawn moustache in one episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus and an episode of Doctor Who.

Other popular paintings of oriental figures were Miss Wong and Balinese Girl. He said of British prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Markova, who sat for The Dying Swan, that she was his most stimulating sitter.

The treats and things that glow in the night

Hi to all, Well with the moon was almost full. Samhain was truly a beautiful eve... A bit of rain but not much, the moon played tag with the clouds and made for a wonderful evening... No ghost hunting... But I will on the full moon...

Sparkling sugar cookies..

Bee

Blessed be to all this Samhain

The moons a-glow, with golden rings. The night is still, but the raven’s wing. The winds are chilled in the quest of spring. The cauldron swells with fog to mark twilight. Let the balefires burn in celebration this Samhain night. By BeeCharmer Oct 2

Classic Horror Movies

Hi to all, I am doing a tribute to the classic horror film in this blog entry.

Four of "MY" favorites anyway..

Do you remember these...??

Creature from the Black Lagoon;
Release date ; 5 March 1954

Director: Jack Arnold

Plot; A scientific expedition traveling up the Amazon River encounter a dangerous humanoid amphibious fish creature

Richard Denning ... Dr. Mark Williams

Richard Carlson ... Dr. David Reed

Julie Adams ... Kay Lawrence (as Julia Adams)

Antonio Moreno ... Carl Maia

Nestor Paiva ... Captain Lucas

Whit Bissell ... Dr. Edwin Thompson

THEM;

Director: Gordon Douglas
19 June 1954
Nominated for Oscar

Plot ; The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.

James Whitmore ... Ben Peterson, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon ... James Arness ... Robert Graham, Onslow Stevens ... Sean McClory ... Chris Drake ... Sandy Descher ... Mary Alan Hokanson ... Don Shelton ... Fess Parker

Bride of Frankenstein;
Director: James Whale

Release Date ; 22 April 1935

Plot; Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein (goaded by an even madder scientist) builds his monster a mate.

Boris Karloff; the monster

Elsa Lanchester; the bride

The Invisable Man;

Director:James Whale

H.G. Wells (novel)
A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

Claude rains; The Invisable man

Gloria Stuart; Flora Cranley

Crows & Ravens

The Raven, is a bird which appears in world mythology as a soothsayer, an omen of death and as a creator and cleanser, taking away all that was decayed. Full of intelligence, cunning, and playfulness, the Raven was seen as a guardian among the tribes of North America, a creature whose far-seeing eye saw past, present, and future all at once. For the Algonquin peoples, Crow was the bringer of grains and beans. In the Ghost Dances, which are danced to solicit the help of their ancestors, Crow is a primary spirit messenger.Ravens & Crows have an intricate and detailed history in Celtic lore and legend. The Irish battle goddesses, Morrigan, and Badbh, regularly took the shape of crows, and both crows and ravens were their allies and companions.



In Scottish folklore, the Crow is said to have 27 different cries (a magical 3 times 9), each of which relates to a different event. These oracular cries can foretell the coming of important guests, an impending loss or death, or the coming of good fortune, a complete body of lore was built up from listening to the varied calls of the crows, which has the ability to mimic many kinds of sounds as well as to communicate with its own kind. When there is a molmacha (flock of crows), all crying together, it is said that no one but the most wise seer in the land can understand their words.



The raven is also the subject of a most famous poem that has lived through the ages..

The Raven
Poem by Edgar Allen Poe (1845)



Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more."
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed
he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no
craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown
before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and
door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or
devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or
devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked,
upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my
door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the
floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!

Halloween Decorations

Hi to All, Well the decorations are up up an shinning in the night.. Capt. Jack is twirling in the breeze... My pumpkin crop await their speeedy change to Jack-o-lanterns .... All that is left is a few table decorations and I am ready for the special night.. Hoping for a bon fire this year --> Weather permitting??? Been really wet and windy here at Ravenswood..

Samhain Treats

Well here is somethingto put in your cauldron's to cook up for the festivities on Samhain..

Although there's no eye of nute, werewolf hair, or vampire teeth, needless to say these are a couple of my favorites for the special night.. I may have posted one or two of these before, but I really like these recipes--> they were easy and good ....

Please enjoy

BEE- Witchen Bee

Spirited Cheese Stuffed Apples

1- 3oz package softened cream cheese

4 medium apples

1 1/3oz Cheddar Cheese( finely shredded)

1 tablespoon dry white wine

Beat together both cheeses and the wine, with an electric or rotary mixer, until smooth. Core the apples and hollow out, leaving apple shells about 1/2 inch thick. Fill the apples with the cheese mixture and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut apples into 8 wedges.


Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Ball

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. solid pack pumpkin

1/2 c. pineapple preserves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 pretzel rod, broken in half

Decorations: Dark rye bread, red pepper, black olive slices, parsley sprigs
Assorted crackers
Beat cheeses, pumpkin, preserves and spices in a medium bowl until smooth. Cover; refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until cheese is firm enough to shape. Shape mixture into a round pumpkin; place on serving plate. Using knife, score vertical lines down pumpkin. Place pretzel rod in top for stem. Cut 2 small triangles for the eyes. Small triangle of red pepper for nose. Slice olives slices in half for the mouth. Cover loosely; refrigerate until serving time. Serve with crackers.


Mulled wine

(Want to make this a kid's Halloween recipe for the kiddos at your party? Skip the sugar and replace the wine with the same amount of apple cider. )

Ingredients:

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. granulated sugar

2 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 orange, peel and juice

1 bottle (750 mL) dry red wine

Instructions:

1. in a pot (or crockpot) combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and orange juice.
2. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the orange peel and wine.
4. Let sit warming over low heat at least 30 minutes before serving.
5. Don't allow it to boil or you'll cook the alcohol away.
6. Serve in warm mugs, garnished with a cinnamon stick and orange slice, if desired.

Remembrance Cookies

These cookies can be made on Hallow's Eve. They can be shaped like people and the herb rosemary is added to the dough as a symbol of remembrance. Some of the cookies are eaten while telling stories or attributes of special ancestors, reminding us that we still have access to their strengths--or perhaps a predisposition to their weaknesses. The rest of the cookies are left outside by a bonfire as an offering. This can be a solemn ritual, but it need not be.

Ingredients for the cookies:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine (softened)

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

1 t. almond extract

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

1 1/2 T. chopped rosemary

Heat oven 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, almond extract, and rosemary until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture. Beat until dough forms and refrigerate for three hours. Divide dough into halves. Roll out one portion to 3/16 of an inch on a floured surface. Cut out with gingerbread women or men cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat rolling and cutting with second portion. Bake for 5-7 minutes.


PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP

Ingredients:

1 small cooking pumpkin
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or to taste)
Salt to taste
Directions:
Soak cashews in water to cover for several hours. This step is optional, but helps them blend better. Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and bake cut side down at 350 degrees F until very tender (45 minutes to one hour). Scrape pumpkin from the peel and puree in a blender, with any juices, in batches. Put pureed pumpkin into your soup pot. Blend cashews in blender until smooth and add to the pumpkin puree. Rinse the blender with a little water and add to the pot. Add a little more water if it’s too thick. Add ginger and salt to taste and heat gently for a few minutes to blend the flavors.


Savory Samhain Butters

Autumn Butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup whipping cream1 cup butter, softened

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread onto your favorite muffins, quick bread, sweet crackers, or drop a dollop onto morning pancakes.

Cinnamon Butter

2 sticks butter1/2 cup brown sugar1 tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve over sweet bread, muffins, or morning waffles. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

4 tbsp canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp freshly grated or dried nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator up to three weeks.
* 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for cloves, ginger and nutmeg.


Creativity bread..

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup applesauce
3 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup raisins
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 350° oven
for forty five to fifty minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the middle of the loaf comes clean.


Golden Herb Rolls

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1/4 cup water

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 package quick-rising yeast

2 teaspoons dried savory leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed, crushed

1 cup canned pumpkin4

eggs, divided

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 20 to 24 muffin cups.

Combine milk, butter and water in small saucepan; heat until butter is melted. If necessary, cool to 120º F. to 130º F. Combine 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast, savory, salt, thyme and dill in large mixer bowl. Add milk mixture and pumpkin; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in 3 eggs and remaining flour. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place for 10 minutes or until doubled. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 1/2 to 3/4 full. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place for 30 to 40 minutes or until doubled. Beat remaining egg and brush on top of rolls; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans; serve warm or cool on wire rack.

The Cauldron

"The cauldron or pot symbolizes cyclical time and the lunar calendar.This is because the cauldron represents the womb of rebirth. It has been called Soma by the Hindus, Red Claret by the Celts, and Greal by the Welsh Bards.

The Goddess and her cauldron is the center of all feminine power and every female group. Spiritual transformation can only come through Her cauldron, or belly-womb. Ancient tradition says that only women can tap into the great power of the cauldron, for only women are made in the image of the Goddess with her all-renewing womb of rebirth and transformation. This tradition remains in the figure of the witch and her cauldron. The cauldron is also the repository of inspiration and magic, as seen in Cerridwen's cauldron which was sought by the Bards. The Goddess has long been considered to be the source of inspiration and the Mistress of Magic. When a true initiation takes place, the initiate willingly descends into the cauldron, she is often filled with ecstatic emotions when she returns to her present state. She may sing, play music, dance, prophesy, see visions, or become creative in poetry and prose. In short, she is filled with Goddess spirit and inspiration, the type of power that only comes from the sacred cauldron. Such Bards as Taliesin stated that they regularly "drank"from the cauldron to promote their creativity and divine inspiration.

Sparkling Cauldron's

B.

The Scarecrow

Even if you do not have a corn field a homemade scarecrow can be quite fashionable and eye-catching. Choose bold colors and set up a display with corn stalks and bales of hay. Get creative, get the kids involved, use your imagination and make a scary scarecrow! The more menacing he looks, the more of a conversation piece he will be.

Supply Idea's for Your Homemade Scarecrow

· Long-sleeved shirt ( button up is good)
· Old pair of pants or jeans - preferably with patches
· Old pair of socks or boots
· Gardening gloves
· Straw hat
· Plenty of baling twine or string
· Safety pins
· A pillowcase or pumpkin for the head ( how about a old Halloween mask stuffed?)
· Fiberfill, newspapers, rags, or straw for stuffing
· Pencil, paint and markers for face
· Stakes (optional)

Assembly

To assemble your scarecrow, firmly tie the ends of the pants and sleeves on the shirt and stuff them with your choice of stuffing. Stuff the socks and gloves and tie on the ends. Fasten the socks (or boots) and gloves to the pants and shirt on the inside with safety pins (or bent paper clips.) Tuck the shirt into the pants.
If you're using a pumpkin for the head, it's best to carve it into a jack-o-lantern to take off some of the weight. It will take some wire to fasten it. A pillowcase works better and is far easier to attach to the body. Use a pencil and draw on the face. Follow up with the paint and markers to give him facial features. Then stuff the pillowcase and fasten it to the body with safety pins.
Top off your scarecrow with a hat. A straw hat gives it a classic look. Fasten the hat firmly so it doesn't blow off on windy days.
You can sit your scarecrow on the bales, or prop him up against them. wire him to a pole. Consider attaching him to some stakes with a hammer and nails to have him in an upright position.
Now, give your scarecrow a name and enjoy. When the season is over, store him in a dry place for next Fall.( or whats left of him<---)

Have fun &

Sparkling ScareCrows

Bee

Bee -----Witchen; Am I a Winner?

HApPy hAlLoWeEn OR I should say HaPpY--> early<-- hAlLoWeEn

These are a few recent photo's I had hubby take for a photo contest I am entered in..
Was this ever a blast.. Does my love for classic movies show in these???

I must say the hat does make the witch and the one I am sporting is a Kirks Folly original. I purchased it two years ago from their website. http://www.kirksfolly.com/ .

The hat is fantastic *~* I love it.. Being the gardener that I am I picked this hat, as it was called the "Enchanted Garden hat". They currently have witch hats available for purchase, new designs, and just as fab as this hat..

Bugs & Hiss's

Bee

Dark Shadows + Depp = Fantastic!!

Dark Shadows is a Gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis, who tells of a dream he had in which a girl takes a long train ride to visit a large mansion. It was considered daring (and unprecedented in daytime television) when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began.
The series became hugely popular when, a year into its run, vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, appeared. In addition to vampires, Dark Shadows featured werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel (both into the past and into the future), and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles and, as actors came and went, some characters were played by several actors. Major writers in addition to Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, who created the character of Barnabas Collins, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.







Dark Shadows now considered somewhat of a camp classic, it continues to enjoy intense cult status among its followers. Director Tim Burton and Madonna have both gone on record as fans of the series. As a child Johnny Depp was so obsessed with Barnabas Collins that he wanted to be him. In fact, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are collaborating yet again to bring this series back to life. Johnny Depp will play the lead role of Barnabas. It will be director Tim Burton's next project and eighth collaboration with Depp.
We'll find out when Burton and Depp team up for the big-screen adaptation of "Dark Shadows. Burton confirmed when he presented footage from "Alice in Wonderland" to a capacity crowd at Comic-Con's cavernous Hall H. He said "Dark Shadows" would be his next project, "if I ever finish this one here."





Before Lestat, Angel, and Edward Cullen, there was Barnabas Collins, a 175-year-old vampire who stalked the town of Collinsport, Maine pining for his lost love. Originally, the character of Barnabas, played by Jonathan Frid, was only intended for a 13-week story arc on "Dark Shadows," but he caused such a sensation with viewers he became the lead character for the next four years. The show spawned two movies in the early '70s, a revived series in 1991, and a pilot that was not picked up for series in 2004.
Depp would play Barnabas, a role that has been a lifelong dream. Depp has said he loved the show as a child: "I was obsessed with Barnabas Collins. I have photographs of me holding Barnabas Collins posters when I was five or six." Depp has been pursuing the movie adaptation for years, buying the remake rights through his production company, Infinitum-Nihil.
Burton has also spoken about his fascination with the original show. He told the Los Angeles Times, "It had the weirdest vibe to it. I'm sort of intrigued about that vibe." He also spoke about the recent influx of vampire movies: "It's like any great fable or fairytale, it's got a power to it... There's something symbolic about it that touches people in different ways."
While both Depp and Burton seem excited to start work on what will be their eighth collaboration, production might have to wait until after Depp finishes work on the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.


So it may be a while before Depp bares his fangs as a vampire. If "Dark Shadows" also hits theaters in 2011, it could be up against the final "Twilight" film, "Breaking Dawn." But if it's delayed another year, audiences might be over their bloodsucker addiction. Still, it seems that if anyone can create a dark, atmospheric, and entrancing vampire tale, it would be Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.

This news coming is just in time for Halloween!!

Barnabas will be quickened once more!!

Sparkling bat wings

Bee