Thread: Imbolc/Candlemass?

I think I will have hubby make his meatball/Italian sausage mac and cheese casserole while I quietly crochet a tiny Brighid wheel, and lite a small candle……. isn’t tomorrow her feast day? Need to go double check.

(Did find a site that told of several different rituals that can be done for Imbolc will have to go check them out!)

Just checked what Colcannon? is and will def. have hubby make that for Feb 2nd’s dinner!
that sounds wonderful~
Brightest Blessings..

Do you have a pattern for the crochet Brighid wheel? I’ve only ever seen embroidery patterns. And colcannon is delicious. I”ll type up the instructions for my version, (which tastes the best) and post them tomorrow, but for now, here are links to my colcannon board and my Candlemas board on Pinterest for inspiration.

HG’s Colcannon recipe
1 small head Savoy cabbage (or regular cabbage)
2 or 3 large Maine Potatoes (This is IMPORTANT. Try to get the round white ones, called Eastern or Maine Potatoes.)
1 stick butter, divided
1/3 to 1/2 cup of ½ and ½ or heavy cream
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
Nutmeg or mace
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, bring a pot of water to a boil. (Leave the water about an inch from the top, or about an inch and a half to avoid splashing when adding the potatoes.) Peel potatoes, remove the eyes, and coarsely chop into medium sized chunks. When water is boiling, add to pot, and boil until when the pointed tip of a knife goes all the way through the center. Drain in a colander, and set aside.
Remove outer leaves of the cabbage, and chop in half. Remove the core, and discard. Cut the cabbage into fourths, then eighths, and then those pieces into finer pieces. (Think coleslaw size.) If you have a box grater, that might come in handy here.
In a large pot, melt 2 TBSP butter. When melted, add the caraway seeds, and stir till fragrant. Turn the heat down to LOW, to avoid burning. (Trust me on this one!) Add cabbage, and stir frequently until slightly wilted. Turn off heat when green, and slightly wilted. Taste a piece to make sure it is not too crunchy. When done, remove from heat and set aside.
Put potatoes back into the pot that had the water in it. Add heavy cream, and butter, and mash to your liking. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg or mace for flavoring, and season with salt and pepper. Add the wilted cabbage, and stir to combine, over low heat to make sure everything is still hot. If you want to be traditional, after putting the colcannon in a serving dish, take about ¼ stick of butter, and melt in the microwave. Make a well in the center of the colcannon, and pour the melted butter in the well, and serve hot.






Some Recipe Notes
DO NOT USE INSTANT MASHED POTATOES to make colcannon. I repeat, DO NOT USE INSTANT MASHED POTATOES. Instant mashed potatoes are from the Devil. If you use instant mashed potatoes to make colcannon it will have the texture of the Elmer’s white paste everyone used eat in kindergarten.
If you can, try to use Maine potatoes for this recipe. I will admit that I am biased towards Maine potatoes: my father’s family is from what we call Potato County in this state. My dad grew up picking potatoes to earn money for school clothes and supplies. I am also the niece of a potato farmer. Maine potatoes are the BEST. New potatoes would probably also work.
Do not use too much caraway in this recipe, it will give the colcannon a funny flavor, and overpower the dish. It’s more of an accent for the cabbage.
You can add steamed kale, finely chopped leeks, and scallions to the colcannon. I haven’t experimented with that, but I would assume that the kale would have to be steamed before sauteing it with the cabbage, to break down the texture, and make it less crunchy.

I cant wait to try it! I will get hubby to make it this weekend…. (he does all the cooking and stuff) this is one I don’t think his mom ever made so it will be nice to try potatoes in a new way.

I did find a crocheted "Brigid’s Wheel" but it was for a crocheted square like to go into a afghan but they really did it all rather in a complicated way it seemed at least to me. I will post the sites addie but I’m still going to play around and try to make something that I could fit (or hang) on a altar without having to clear it off to do so (like if it was a altar CLOTH) here it is:
http://jprescottcrochet.blogspot.com…ss-square.html

Maybe in a complete afghan all with witchy stuff squares would it look ok but it was not what I was looking for at all. Although… wonder what it would look like in finer thread and hook like doily size? hmmm maybe.. off to look a bit more and maybe experiment. Tell my what you think of their Brigid Cross… and if you like it. Have a great Saint Agnes day! (off to do div. by fire~)

This year I’m going to try running a ritual (eek! Haven’t done one since I was 15) and I’ve got lots of activities planned. Candlemaking, divination, spells to hone crafts.

So far the menu is overnight oatmeal for breakfast, homemade bread and potato leek soup for lunch, and pork and Welsh onion cake for dinner. Pinwheel cookies and sugared violet cupcakes for dessert and offerings.

I’m getting excited now!

Originally Posted by October

This year I’m going to try running a ritual (eek! Haven’t done one since I was 15) and I’ve got lots of activities planned. Candlemaking, divination, spells to hone crafts.

So far the menu is overnight oatmeal for breakfast, homemade bread and potato leek soup for lunch, and pork and Welsh onion cake for dinner. Pinwheel cookies and sugared violet cupcakes for dessert and offerings.

I’m getting excited now!

Nice! Good luck with the ritual. Your food sounds tasty! I’m probably just going to be saying prayers, mostly a fire blessing over the wood stove when I add wood in, and say the lessons appointed for her in the Daily Office, and perhaps this liturgy.

The ritual went well! Everyone seemed to really enjoy it!PhotoGrid_1454457526396.jpg
We did flower face painting in honour of Blodeuwedd
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This was my altar set up
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Food: oatcakes with leeks and bacon, cheese, and salmon terrine; welsh rarebit; cauliflower and leek soup
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Our crafts in honour of Brigid and the Cailleach

I love the pictures of the crafts! Especially the cloak thing for the American Girl doll! I made colcannon mac and cheese, which made a TON, so my boyfriend and coworkers ate good for a week.
A picture from my noon prayers:

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(Also, sorry for my late reply, I forgot my password, and then school has kept me busy!)