Ingredients:
Dumplings:
200 g of rice flour
200 ml of hot water
Sauce:
100 ml water
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
70g sugar
1 tbsp corn starch

Directions:
Dumplings:
1.) Mix the rice flour and water together.
2.) Knead till dough is as tough as your earlobe.
3.) Fill a pan with water and heat up.
4.) Rip off bite sized pieces of the dough and steam them for 25 minutes
5.) Throw the balls into a bowl and mush together with a wetted wooden spoon.
6.) Knead the dough
7.) Roll out dough into a long stick shape.
8.) With a wetted knife, cut bite sized pieces off.
9.) roll the pieces into balls.
10.) wet skewers and apply an even amount of  dumplings to each.
11.) pour sauce over dumplings and enjoy.

Sauce:
1.) Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan.
2.) Simmer till thickened.
3.) Pour over dangos.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into about 3/4 inch pieces
1 negi, cut into about 3/4 inch pieces
Bamboo skewers (soaked in water to prevent burning)
For tare sauce (makes about 1/2 cup):
5 Tbsp soy sauce
5 Tbsp mirin
3 Tbsp sake
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp of sugar *adjust the amount to your preference
A slice of ginger (optional)
Recipe:
Mix sugar, sake, mirin, and soy sauce in a sauce pan and stir well.
Put a slice of fresh ginger, if preferred.
Bring to a boil on high heat and turn down the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened.
Stop the heat and set aside.
Thread chicken and negi on skewers alternatively.
Grill the skewered chicken and negi over hot coals until the surface of chicken turns white.
Brush the skewered chicken and negi with the sauce.
Grill until cooked through, brushing the sauce a couple of times.

Samhain Recipes

INCLUDED: Chocolate de Mexicanos | Granny McCoy's Pumpkin Pie | Colcannon | Wassail


Chocolate de Mexicanos
• 4 1/4 cups milk
• 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1 shot tequila

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. With a hand-held mixer or traditional molonillo (a wooden beater resembling a honey dipper), beat the mixture until it stops boiling and becomes slightly frothy. Stir in tequila. Serve immediately in mugs garnished with cinnamon sticks.

Serves 4


Granny McCoy's Pumpkin Pie
• 3 cups cooked pumpkin (canned is fine)
• 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 scant teaspoon salt
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 well-beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into two deep, unbaked pie shells. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the center clean.

Makes two nine-inch pies


Colcannon
• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups cabbage, cooked and chopped fine
• 1/2 cup butter (avoid corn oil margarines as they will not add the needed body and flavor)
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk or cream
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped fine and sauteed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Saute onions. Boil the potatoes and mash them (do not use artificial potato flakes). In a large pan place all of the ingredients except the cabbage and cook over low heat while blending them together. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped cabbage. The mixture will take on a pale green cast. Keep stirring occasionally until the mixture is warm enough to eat. Lastly, drop in a thimble, button, ring, and coin.* Stir well and serve.

*It was an old Irish tradition to hide these in it: a ring for a bride, a button for a bachelor, a thimble for a spinster, and a coin for wealth, or any other item which local custom decreed in keeping with the idea of the New Year as a time for divination. If you make colcannon with these little objects inside, please exercise caution against choking.

Serves 8


Wassail
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 baked apples, cut into small pieces
• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 quart ale
• 1 cup cooking sherry
• 1 cup Irish whiskey

Bring water and cream to a slow boil and remove from heat. Beat the egg whites well. Thoroughly mix in all the remaining ingredients except the alcohol. Allow this mixture to cool slightly -- enough so the heat from it will not crack your punch bowl. If you have a non-glass container for your wassail, you can skip the cooling process. Blend in the alcohol just before serving, and be sure to offer the traditional toast to the old apple tree before drinking.

Makes one large punch bowl

SOURCE: The Wiccan Garden, as taken from The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways by Edain McCoy and Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

She watched him walk across the beach, away from her towards the water. "You're engaged." she reminded herself.

Yet she couldn't help herself, she was always reminded of that night they spent together, that one passionate night. She had never felt this way about anyone before, even about the man she was marrying. She often spent nights questioning her love for him, she did love Ryan, he was truly the man for her, he was perfect, he had a good well paying job in the law firm, not to mention he was charming, handsome, and she loved him.
But he never made her heart race, and her mouth to become dry. Her internal flame never burned as brightly as it did when she was with Chance. She knew he was bad for her though, he floated in between jobs, gambled and drunk anything he ever earned.
Yet she could never shake the feeling she had when she was with him, wrapped in his arms she never felt as safe, those sun kissed arms she dreamt about each night.

She shuck her head "snap out of it Lilly, your fooling yourself"
But her eyes were still fixated on him as he sanded the wood of the boat. The only thing he seemed to care about was that boat, he had told her that it kept his mind at peace while he worked on it. She watched as his body was draped over the hull, his shaggy jet black hair, still wet from his morning swim in the sea, sparkled in the sun light. Yet all she could think about was running her fingers through it, as he kissed her neck.

Her head was spinning she needed to get away, get these thoughts out of her head. She got up from the rock that she was on and started walking, her head buzzed, her bare feet marched on the hot sand unsure of their destination. It was too late when Lilly realised the direction that she was going, she froze, she was mid turn when he caught her by the wrist. Lilly was too slow, he pulled her close to him, her hand rested upon his bare chest, she could feel his heart beat. "Off so soon sweetheart?" He asked his voice was slow and deep. Lilly looked up into his emerald green eyes, and she was lost in them, as if the pupils held a thousand secrets, each one never to be spoken.
"I..I" she began to mumble, but he stopped her, he placed his finger on her lips and hushed her. She couldn't breathe.

A crooked smiled formed on the side of his lips, "you couldn't stay away could you sweetie?" She begin to fight it, pushing herself away from him, but he still held her "don't flatter yourself Chance, it's a public beach I can be here if I want!"
He nodded "yes I know that, but there are three more beaches closer to your house, why this one?" She couldn't answer, he was right.
"How's Ryan? Still working in the city?" He asked. Her face burned. "Yes" she replied dryly "oh not up for a chat today are we honey?" He mocked. She tried pulled herself free "let me go Chance" "as you wish" he realised his grip and she fell flat on her behind. He crouched down, offering her his hand,but she declined it and pushed herself up, she pushed by him brushing the sand of her.
She began walking quick but he stayed beside her, until finally stepping in her path. "Lilly stop" He said "no" and she marched on. He placed his hands on her shoulders stoping her. "Just tell me one thing, and I'll leave you in peace" " what!" She shouted.
He took a deep breath "why did you come here?" He asked gently  "I don't know" she replied forcing back the tears. "Is it what happened that night?" She remained silent. He sighed "Lilly I've never felt that way about anyone before, I love you" she looked at him blankly. The tears were coming she could feel them, she pushed by him, this time he didn't stop her. He didn't follow her.

As she walked he shouted to her "you are going to have to make a choice you know! You can't have both, your only hurting yourself. It's me or him!" And with that final comment, the tears began to fall and she started running, she didn't know were she was going she just needed to get away. But before she made it to the end of the beach she turned around, and through her tear filled eyes she seen Chance still standing in the same place she left him.

soap- clean
bubble- thin

sun- hot
light- white

set- card
back- past

fire- hurt
arm- help

star- bright
fish- depth

tad- tiny
pole- tall

never- definite
mind- thought

up- high
set- pair

snow- cold
bird- flight

There is a place
I will never go
But I seem
To visit
Quite briefly
Every time
I close my eyes

It is a place
Where I can
Never ever go
But I always
Can create it
Because it lives
Within
My open mind

Will you join
Me someday
In this place
Where I can
Still not visit
Because
I wish to see
You standing there
Next to me

On what you see, not heard

She said no, he said yes,
He pushed her down, she held her breath.

Now she spends her nights fear.
Trying to be strong, trying to hold back the tears.

Left hurt, left in pain, 
But she's the only one she blames.

Even though he did this, she'll never say a word.
Not a single one spoken, not a single one heard.

She could scream at the top of her voice, yet no one will care.
And now she's left with these many scars to bear.

And when she closes her eyes at night, it's his face that she will see.
She can never forget that image, and spends her life in regret.

Yet she will never feel loved again, she will always feel unclean,
She will never forget that night, it will never be unseen.

Sometimes I have to laugh at the things you do, but darling I'm not laughing with you, darling it's at you.

The way you act is plain stupid, actually like yourself.

I don't mean to be mean, but when it comes to you, it's something I just can't help.

Lies and rumours you have spread about me, have just been over the top, not that I really give a damn about your simple thoughts.

But when it comes to my friends, honey that's a different story, and  believe me if you hurt them, you will be truly sorry.

But just remember this, and it's the last thing I will say, what goes around comes around, and one day you will pay.