Halloween‘s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter, the end of the light and the beginning of darkness. It’s historical origin is the Celtic Feast of the Dead and the beginning of the new year. It is the day when the gates between the worlds open, and souls are allowed to walk amongst the living and visit their relatives.
For this day, I’ll share a couple of recipes.
Ingredients:
- green tea leaves
- dry mint leaves
- dry orange peeling
- honey
Instructions:
- Bring water to boil (a bit more than a cup per cup of tea). Once it’s boiling let cool a bit so the temperature gets down to about 85-95°C.
- Prepare a mix of green tea and dry mint leaves. Warm the teapot with hot water and discard this water. Add one teaspoon of leaves and a (1 x 1.5 cm.) piece of orange peel per cup of tea to the teapor, and cover with the hot water.
- Let the tea brew for 3 to 5 minutes for a nice relaxing tea.
- Serve hot, with honey for sweetening to taste.
Note: You can dry the orange peel yourself. Peel an orange trying to avoid the white skin as much as possible. Place the orange skin in a bowl, and the bowl in a cupboard, so it doesn’t have direct sunlight, the temperature is cool, and there is a certain air circulation (any kitchen cabinet is fine). Let the peel dry for at least a couple of weeks, or until it’s totally dry. And it’s ready to use!
Edited to add, as Lia says on her comment, that the orange peel can aslo be dried inside a jar with sugar. This way also, the sugar won’t form lumps because of humidity, and it’ll get a slight orange smell and taste.
And a tea isn’t a tea with something to eat. Be brit and serve cool cucumber bite-size sandwiches. Or go along with the Halloween pumpkin crazyness and bake these cookies:
Ingredients:
- 150gr sugar
- 150gr flour
- baking powder
- 4 eggs
- butter
- 1/2kg pumpkin
- raisins
- liquor
Instructions:
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and boil for 20 minutes. Drain very well, and mash the pulp. Mix well together with eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder.
- Meanwhile, soak the raisins with the liquor. Drain them and mix with the dough. Butter a cookie sheet, and put scoops of the dough. Bake until golden at 180C.
Have all a happy day. And all hallow’s eve. Don’t forget to put a candle on the windowsill so your ancestors don’t get lost!
Sade
Otra manera de secar la piel de naranja es meterla en un azucarero….y además evitas que el azúcar se apelmace…
Me encantan la mitologÃa celta, me ha encantado tu post!
Gracias Lia por el comentario. Como ves, he añadido tu truco a la entrada. Puede que siga poniendo información sobre mitologÃa celta de vez en cuando, a mà también me interesa mucho.
(Lia said: Another way of drying orange peel is putting it in a jar with sugar… also that way you avoid sugar getting lumpy. I love celtic mythology, loved your post!)
Thanks Lia for the comment. As you can see, I’ve added your tip to the entry. I might be posting more information about celtic mythology from time to time, since I’m also very interested in it.
it’s not only celtic – also Wicca : http://www.starr-realm.com/earthchild/sabbats.html
But wicca took it from celtic mythology, I’m more interested in the roots than in the probable desfigurations in modern times ;)
You may want to read “Las nieblas de Avalon” a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, it’s a very interesting view of Camelot’s story with a lot of information about celtic mythology.
Actually, there is more than one book from Marion Zimmer Bradley on that topic. You’ve got Mists of Avalon, Lady of Avalon, Ancestors of Avalon and Forests of Avalon. They’re all good books, and give an interesting view on celtic mythology and the stories surrounding King Arthur.
Can I borrow, Jan? I think I saw some of the books in your bookshelves :p And since I’m running out of books (for reading, not for uni) again… well…. you know :p
Mira lo que he encontrado por casualidad…una página sobre las festividades celtas:
http://www.janih.com/lady/sabbats/main.html#here