Create Your Holiday Magic

Holidays are always special, and they delight the senses with food and fragrances. Those scents are magical in many ways, and we often reminiscence over an earlier time when we smell them. The following recipes may bring back some of those memories and fill your home and soul with good energies, well-being and a cheerful state of mind. If you enjoy these, please stop my page where I will be posting more. http://www.oranum.com/psychics/AlyciaRose/

Calming Peppermint Tea

Holidays can sometimes be stressful, so sit down and spoil yourself with this relaxing tea to soothe your nerves – and your stomach. Be sure to add real honey!

1 part peppermint leaves

1 part lemon-balm leaves

1 part catnip leaves

Use 1 teaspoon of the mixture per cup of boiling water, soak it in a tea ball for 10 minutes, strain.

Magical Mulled Coffee

Nothing is as wonderful first thing in the morning as a cup of this spicy brew! Instead of chemical flavored coffees, you can make your own by adding spices and extracts to the grounds before you brew.

To a 12 cup coffee maker add the following to the ground coffee:
1 tsp vanilla extract (for love and money)
3 tsp cinnamon (for prosperity and vitality)
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg (for clarity of mind)
a few whole cloves (for energy and strength)

Brew as your regular morning coffee, hit the button!

Baked Apples with Spiced Crisp

Easier than slicing apples for a pie or regular crisp, this is a variation on an old favorite. Apples are are the symbolic fruits of health, peace, and love – perfect to cook for the holidays.

6 good large apples – Cortland, Fuji, or another big type apple

1 cup cider or apple juice
1 cup cider or apple juice

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oat

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Set oven at 325 degrees. Core the apples and cut off the tops to make them flat, be careful not to pierce the bottoms as fluid might leak out. Combine all other ingredients except for the cider. Place the apples in casserole dish and pour the4 cider into the dish. Fill each cored apple with the crisp mixture, covering the tops generously as well. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, leaving the last 10 minutes uncovered. Serve with vanilla or caramel ice cream, of course.

Yuletide Potpourri!

Potpourri can fill a home with the fragrance of an old-fashioned holiday without chemicals. Nothing is as appealing as natural scents. This potpourri changes the energy of your home to one of warmth and light – chasing away the cold and darkness of winter.

2 cups dried rose petals and buds (for love in the home)

4 cups dried orange peel (for blessing)

1 cups dried lemon peel (for cleansing and warding against negativity)
1/2 cup dried pomegranate slices, chopped (for abundance)

9 cinnamon sticks, snapped into smaller pieces (for warmth and prosperity)

1/4 cup whole cloves (for energizing)

1/2 cup dried pine needles (for purifying and protecting)

21 allspice berries (for luck and success)

21 juniper berries (for purification)

Mix together in and then keep in airtight sealed jars until you’re ready to use. Place a packet of silica gel per pound of stored potpourri. Fill mason jars and tie the lids with fabric, ribbon, plus an instruction card, and you will have a lovely magical colorful gifts to share your magic with others! !

This potpourri can be placed in decorative bowls uncovered, it is not only pretty and colorful but also smells wonderful. You can also simmer the potpourri in a pot. Just bring water to a boil, add the potpourri and then simmer on the lowest heat, being careful to top up the water as needed.

Peaceful Holy Night Sachet

Sewn into a dream pillow, these calming and protective herbs can grant a peaceful sleep for children and adults alike. They make wonderful gifts, and can be sewn into decorative fabrics for the holiday.