Off the beaten path and away from the paved roads.
Distancing yourself from the cars, the noise, and the chaos.
Continuing on, past the meandering brook, where tadpoles swim about.
Over moss-covered rocky outcrops, where salamanders frolic about.

Journeying through tall majestic trees, as sunlight high overhead come filtering in on monarch wings both delicate and pure…

You are transported as the warm breeze greets your face in this forest oasis, Mid-Summer is upon you.

The longest day of the year, when light and life are readily abundant, is a time for celebration. The mighty Sun-God sheds his gifts on us, as his strength and glory are realized. The Green Man peers from his grassy throne as he winks to you, mirthfully, through a foliage adorned mask.

The Fae are playful, as even Shakespeare would write about. For us, we know this to be one of our sacred days – Litha. From June 20th to the 22nd, we celebrate Litha with fresh fruit and vegetables of our harvest. With honeysuckle, lily, rose, ivy, yarrow, daisies, and carnations we adore the sweet scents of our summer herbs and flowers. We invite Pan to our faerie ring with soft clouds of lemon, myrhh, wisteria, pine and rose incense. And as the sun finally sets, we ignite our oak bonfire as we dance the circle nine times round.

It is during this time that we reaffirm our vows to the Lord and Lady for all that they’ve blessed our lives with as we follow the ways of the old traditions. With cloven hooves, and the sound of playful pipes carried on the wind, Pan reminds us that love is in the air. We celebrate life with sweet mead, and cakes as we share ourselves and our lives with one another and our God and Goddess. I’ve provided my own recipe for cakes at Litha that can also be used at Lughnasadh or Lammas, in a couple months from now. Put on your Kitchen Witch Aprons, and invoke some tasty magick!

Candied Lavender Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Mead Frosting

Ingredients

· 2 sticks butter
· 1 C + 2 T sugar
· 2 C Flour
· 4 Eggs
· 1.5 C Applesauce (unsweetened)
· 1.5 t fresh cinnamon stick
· 1 C finely chopped apples (I used Fuji)
· Frosting Ingredients
· 1/4 C butter
· 2+ cups powdered sugar
· 3 T whole milk
· 2 T Mead

Cupcake Instructions

· Cream butter, sugar, flour and eggs in blender until very light in texture. Do not over-mix, though
· Stir in applesauce, cinnamon and apples slowly, so that it does not break. Do not over-mix, again.
· Fill cupcake wrappers.
· Bake at 350 for 25 min.

Frosting Instructions

· Beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
· Mix in whole milk and mead

Candied Lavender

· Get a clean, dry paintbrush with a fine tip, an egg-white, and some sugar.
· Gently wash fresh lavender blooms. My suggestion is using a spray bottle and a strainer as they are delicate.
· Allow to dry on paper towel.
· Dip paintbrush in egg-whites.
· Paint Each bloom of lavender.
· Sprinkle with sugar, lightly.
· After cupcakes come out of oven and cool, add frosting to cupcakes, then top with candied lavender.

Enjoy!