Comforting Chicken Stew For Lazy Days (Recipe)

Comforting Chicken Stew for Lazy Days (Recipe)

Nothing makes me feel better on a chilly day than coming home to a pot of long-simmering stew. With the colder seasons coming up, I wanted to share with you babes a lovely chicken stew that I hope brings you comfort <3

Ingredients:

4 and 1/2 cups chicken thighs (3 lbs) diced

Canola oil

3 TBSP butter

1 yellow onion finely chopped

1/3 cup flour

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 TBSP tomato paste

2 TSP thyme, fresh or dried

1/4 TSP sage, dried

4 cups chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)

2 TBSP cooking white wine (real wine is suitable, but use double the listed amount)

1 cup red potatoes, chopped into 1/2” pieces (not too small or they get too mushy)

1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, chopped 1/2" pieces

3 large carrots peeled and sliced

2 bay leaves

1 cup peas, frozen

1/2 cup heavy cream (to make the stew lighter, sub more chicken broth, half and half or just milk instead)

1 TBSP parsley, fresh and minced

Instructions:

Pat the chicken dry so that cooking brings out more caramelization and color, then season with salt and pepper to your liking

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Cook the chicken in batches, about 5 - 6 minutes, flipping occasionally until golden and cooked through

Heat the butter in the skillet and add the onions, cooking until softened and stirring occasionally (~6 - 8 minutes).

Add the flour and garlic, stir for 20 seconds and then add the tomato paste, thyme and sage, cooking until fragrant (~1 minute)

Slowly whisk in half of the chicken broth and the cooking wine, scraping up any bits from the chicken

Add the potatoes and carrots along with the remaining broth and cooking wine. Simmer with the lid on over medium-low heat for 10 minutes

Add all ingredients except the peas and cream into the slow cooker and cover. Cook for 4-5 hours

Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the peas and cream. Add the lid and cook for 5 more minutes

Serve with fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste

This stew is also good to be frozen for later. Make sure you let it cool completely, then put it in and air tight container or heavy duty freezer bag.

Witchcraft 101: Black Salt

BLACK SALT (also known as WITCH’S SALT) is used primarily for protection, banishing, and repelling.

Those uses aren’t exclusive—it has also been known to feature in baneful magics, and can be used in uncrossing rituals.

WAYS TO UTILISE BLACK SALT

To protect your property from negative spirits, people with ill-intent, unwanted visitors, and negative energy: sprinkle black salt around the perimeter of your property.

To both banish any residual icky energy that a person may have left in your home, and prevent them from returning: sprinkle black salt on the front step and sweep it away. If you’re feeling more traditional (and brave!) you can throw black salt at the back of someone that is leaving your home also.

To prevent nightmares: use in a sachet and keep beneath your pillow.

To repel negativity, unwanted visitors, and rumours/gossip: sprinkle generously across windowsills and doorways.

To cleanse your home and keep nasties from entering: add black salt to a floor wash and go ham on your floor. Focus especially on high traffic areas.

To undo a curse, hex, or other form of malignant magic that has been cast upon you: use in an uncrossing oil or powder. Learn more about uncrossing [here].

To alleviate any negative thoughts and feelings that you are carrying: add a pinch of black salt to your bath, or to an oil with a similar purpose that you anoint yourself with.

If you like my content and would like to help me keep providing free stuff for my gorgeous Ghoul Gang, you can tip your witch here: Paypal.

How to incorporate spirituality into your everyday life

Incorporating spirituality into everyday life can bring a sense of purpose, inner peace, and connectedness.

Here are some ways to do it:

1. **Mindfulness and Presence**: Practice being fully present in the moment. This can be through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to observe your surroundings.

2. **Gratitude Practice**: Reflect on and express gratitude for the blessings in your life. This can be done through journaling or simply taking a moment each day to acknowledge what you're thankful for.

3. **Acts of Kindness**: Perform acts of kindness towards others without expecting anything in return. This can be as simple as offering a kind word, helping someone in need, or volunteering your time.

4. **Reflective Practices**: Engage in activities like journaling, prayer, or contemplation to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This can help you gain insight and connect with your inner self.

5. **Connect with Nature**: Spend time in nature, appreciating its beauty and serenity. This can foster a sense of awe and wonder, helping you feel more connected to the universe.

6. **Engage in Spiritual Study**: Read books, attend lectures, or participate in discussions related to spirituality and personal growth. This can help deepen your understanding and provide new perspectives.

7. **Cultivate Compassion**: Practice compassion and empathy towards yourself and others. Understand that we all have our struggles and challenges.

8. **Set Intentions**: Begin your day with a clear intention, whether it's to be more patient, kind, or focused. This can guide your actions and help you stay aligned with your spiritual goals.

9. **Practice Forgiveness**: Let go of resentment and practice forgiveness, both towards others and yourself. This can free you from negative emotions and promote inner peace.

10. **Engage in Rituals**: Create personal rituals or routines that hold meaning for you. This could be a morning ritual, a bedtime routine, or any practice that helps you feel more grounded.

11. **Community and Connection**: Seek out like-minded individuals or groups who share your spiritual beliefs and values. Connecting with others can provide support and a sense of belonging.

12. **Live in Alignment with Your Values**: Strive to live in a way that aligns with your spiritual beliefs and values. This might involve making conscious choices about your actions, relationships, and lifestyle.

Remember that spirituality is a deeply personal journey, and what resonates with one person may be different for another. It's important to explore and find practices that feel authentic and meaningful to you.

Beef Stew Recipe - Potion of Fortitude

Whether it's been an exhausting week, a frigid winter's day, or just a stressful time, few things are more comforting than a hearty bowl of stew. I make this beef stew for myself whenever I need a true pick-me-up or when I'm preparing for an in-depth magical working. It provides lasting energy, warmth, and strength.

Plus, this recipe is scalable - make a ton and freeze it to enjoy for weeks or just make a little bit for one meal. The measurements below are approximate; measure with your heart.

Ingredients:

Chuck roast, cut to half-inch cubes (you can get pre-chunked stew meat, which is what I typically get)

Flour, enough to coat the beef

Salt and Pepper (about 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper), for seasoning the beef coating

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Onion, diced

2 Large Potatoes, peeled and cut into half-inch to one-inch cubes

2 Carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

5-6 Cloves of Garlic, finely diced

4 cups Beef Broth

Herbs of your choice, such as: Sage, Thyme, Marjoram, Celery Seed, Bay, Chili Flakes

Additional veggies of your choice, such as: Parsnips, Turnips, Bok Choy

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Mix together your flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss the beef chunks in the mixture to coat. This will create a nice brown crispiness on the outside.

In your stew pot, sauté your flour-coated beef until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add more oil to your pot and cook your onion until translucent. If you don't mind soft carrots in your stew, add them now and cook until just starting to soften and brown. (Note: I often leave the carrots until after the potatoes are nearly cooked through because I don't like the texture of fully-cooked carrots.)

Once your onions are translucent and your carrots have started to soften/brown, toss in your butter and scrape the bottom of the pot. You want to get all those beautiful, delicious brown bits back into the mixture. You can add a little water if you need help loosening the bits.

Add your garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Put your beef back into the pot (along with any drippings from the plate/bowl you placed it in). Pour your broth over everything and give it all a good stir.

Toss your potatoes into the pot. Bring it all to a boil and reduce your heat to let it simmer.

Add your herbs and spices. I recommend salt, pepper, sage, thyme, celery seed (or salt), and bay. If you like it spicy, you can throw in a bit of chili powder or flakes.

Simmer for at least one hour or until your potatoes are soft and your beef becomes tender, stirring occasionally.

If your stew isn't thick enough by the time your potatoes are done, you can make a cornstarch slurry by combining one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. Pour the slurry into the stew and let it cook until thickened to your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty bread, veggie side dishes, or whatever else you like.

Optional magic you can include:

As mentioned above, I often use this recipe to bolster or replenish my energy before or after an intense magical working. It also works for physical exertions - I made this for a group of my partner's friends while they were moving heavy furniture to a new apartment, and it gave them all the energy to move everything in one night!

This stew has an intense comforting effect. If someone I know has been working hard, stressing out, or hasn't been feeding themselves properly, I'll make this for them to help them remember to take care of themselves. It's rejuvenating, hearty, and full of love.

Depending on the herbs you choose to include, this could also be a powerful protection spell. Especially in the cold months, I use this as a protective ward against the cold exhaustion that pulls at the body and mind.

Pop a bit of chili in this spell to both speed up its effects and cast out negativity! Nothing clears the sinuses like a nose full of spice, and nothing clears the body of bad vibes like a good dose of chili flake.

Like many of my spell recipes, this one is most effective when it's shared. Give a bowl to your friends, your family, your neighbors, whoever. It makes a wonderful offering to house spirits or ancestors.

If you make this recipe, please let me know your thoughts! And if you enjoy this or my other posts, please consider dropping a couple dollars in my Ko-Fi tip jar!

Happy cooking, witches! 🍲

moon into aries

the VERY waxing, practically full moon now crosses into the sign of its complete fullness. the agitation, impulsivity, hotheaded passion increase, so proceed with care and caution. accidents tend to be more likely under this influence, as well as unexpected arguments, so if you need to cool off alone for a while be sure to do so!

Tropical vs Sidereal Signs : How They Tie Into The Stereotypes

Hey guys! I've noticed that each zodiac sign has traits relating to the sign before it and I think this is what ties the two together and why our sidereal signs can feel so relatable/make more sense, and more importantly, why all of the zodiac signs have the stereotypes that they do.

If you really look at it, it feels like the signs are a lot like the signs before it but learning the core lessons of the sign before it.

Also if you're wondering, this applies to all your placements, but especially your top 3, mainly your Sun and Moon sign.

Aries (Pisces)

Aries has a lot of energy and many goals they plan to accomplish because Pisces is a dreamer and has many hopes and wishes, but rarely acts on them.

Taurus (Aries)

Taurus is very grounded, sure of themselves, and takes their time because Aries is direct and knows what they want, but rushes too quickly to complete things without a foolproof plan.

Gemini (Taurus)

Gemini is very flighty, cunning, and flexible because Taurus is rational and wants the best, but isn't willing to step out their comfort zone.

Cancer (Gemini)

Cancer is sympathetic and emotionally intelligent because Gemini is communicative, experimental and clever when in regards to other people but is too quick to move on.

Leo (Cancer)

Leo is charismatic, reactive, and bold because Cancer is sensitive and reads between the lines, but is burdened with their and others emotions, leading them to shelter their hearts.

Virgo (Leo)

Virgo is prestine, self preservative, and expects nothing short of perfection because Leo is lavish and expects the best but only when it relates to them personally.

Libra (Virgo)

Libra is diplomatic, charming and negotiable because Virgo is modest, down to earth and systematic but can be picky about other's methods or ideas.

Scorpio (Libra)

Scorpio is inquisitive and secretive yet persistant in their affairs because Libra is a chaser and likes to indulge in their desires but may lessen their resolve at the slighest inconvenience.

Sagittarius (Scorpio)

Sagittarius is open minded, adventurous and enterprising because Scorpio is punctual, intuitive and likes to investigate but holds on to negative feelings for a very long time.

Capricorn (Sagittarius)

Capricorn is ambitious and tactical in their work because Sagittarius is genuine and enterprising in their endeavors but doesn't usually finish what they start.

Aquarius (Capricorn)

Aquarius is a visionary and eccentric because Capricorn is a planner and completes their tasks with vigor but rarely thinks outside of the box.

Pisces (Aquarius)

Pisces is shrewd and serene, going with the flow of everything because Aquarius is a humanitarian and wants what's best for the people, but can be self righteous and bias in how they achieve this.

Heyy, I'M SORRYYY, I know I know, I was gone like forever! I've just been on a haitus for awhile because I just had burnout, I didn't have a lot of motivation but I'm coming back!

I'm taking it slow as I come back. I already have a couple drafts. I think you guys will really like what I have in store! :D

More art of my OC/Persona! Man, we need a new word for that 😭😭 Maybeeee, Ocsona? I dunno but he's literally both for me.

Check out @indorphyyn for more of my art

Anyways, stay tuned for my next post! If you guys have any ideas or anything you'd like to see more of in the future, let me know in the comments or asks. I'd love to hear your guys' ideas!