5 Kitchen Tips for the Modern Witch
Here are a few tried and true tips that help get us through a busy week. Whether you incorporate one or all of these into your daily rituals, we find preparing meals is less stressful and with the help of our plant allies they come together with an extra touch of magic.
1. YOU ARE MAGIC and your intentions bring energy to every single thing you do. It is the secret sauce in every witch's meal. If its your intention to nourish yourself, then the food you buy, the meals your prepare and the way you eat will all reflect the intention you put into it. A quote that stuck with me from the Tassajara Bread Book was, ''Love is not only the most important ingredient: it is the only ingredient that really matters.'' So sprinkle that love you have for your magical self all over your little breakfast kitchari bowl, your flower salad and that perfect summer peach.
2. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS is a little mantra I tell myself. This helps me remember that doing a few simple things the day or so before will make a HUGE difference on the day of. For example, when I come home from the farmer's market on Sunday morning, instead of just throwing everything in the fridge, I prep my veggies for the week ahead---wash and strip kale leaves, chop broccoli and carrots for roasting, dice onions, etc. This little weekend ritual has saved me so much stress during the week and makes nourishing breakfasts, lunches or dinners come together in less than 30 minutes. Seriously.
3. SOAK IT. SPROUT IT. WE'RE ALL ABOUT IT because these simple practices ensure we're able to digest ancient grains, that everything we eat with grains is also digested and it lessens the cook time while intensifying their sweet nourishing flavor. Soaking + sprouting grains, nuts and legumes is another 'set yourself up for success' moment that takes less than 10 seconds to do. Set a reminder on your phone if you have to so that after dinner, when your cleaning up, to put some rice or mung beans in a bowl with a little acv or lemon juice and let them soak overnight. I also find that this ritual helps me plan what I'm going to eat for the next day or so. A real life saver when you come home 'hangry' and the last thing you want to do is think about, "what's for dinner?"
4. WHERE MY HERBS AT? Ask yourself this question when making anything. Can you find a way to sneak herbs into 1 meal, 2 meals, 3 meals a day? This can happen a lot easier when you prep a few herbal foods on the weekend. Need some inspiration? Check out our wild pesto, spring vinegar, power powder balls or luna chai recipes. Practicing folk herbalism (or any other healing modality for that matter) shows us that taking tinctures is great in acute situations, but vibrant health comes from a foundation in eating whole foods and local plants.
The wild herbs that pop up during each season are nature's gifts for our bodies natural healing rhythms. Just look at how dandelion and chickweed offer us liver and lymph support as we come out of the sluggish winter. Not long after, lemon balm and mint spring up to share their soothing and cooling properties with us all summer. If you can't find a way to get herbs in your food then commit to doing over-night infusions or making a quart of tea to drink. Not only will you be hydrated, you'll be sipping on vitamins and minerals all day!
5. GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE that everyone around you can feel. Admit it. You just feel good when you're grateful. The world doesn't seem so big and scary. You shift your perception and start to take notice of all the little wonderful things that make your life magical. There's something special about taking a few moments to thank any food that you're about to eat. Thank the Earth for growing it, the farmer that tended it and the person who made your meal. Notice if you feel even a little more grounded as you take your first bite.
I'll never forget when a friend of ours told us how she was doing a 'gratitude diet.' She allowed herself to eat whatever she wanted, not counting carbs or anything like that. She just ate what she wanted without any pressure but, before each meal she would stop and take a moment to give thanks. Within a few days, multiple people she ran into said to her, "Wow! You look great! You're skin is glowing and you just look good." She wasn't doing anything different other than being intentional about showing gratitude for what she ate, no matter what it was. Try it for yourself. Did anything begin to shift? What did you notice?
We hope these tips add a touch of magic to your week and help your feel better about getting into nourishing routines. If you need a little extra support getting your 'kitchen witch on' or want someone to take the guess work out of dinner, we'd love to connect with you during a FREE herbal meal plan consultation.