Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

I'm an Auntie!

October 10, 2014

It's official: I'm an auntie! My adorable little niece came into this world early today and I couldn't be happier! I promise to share all my excitement and thoughts on my new role as auntie soon! In the meantime, I'd love to hear your advice: what makes a good auntie?

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Autumn Harvest Tea Blend

October 9, 2014

Who doesn't love a hot cup of tea on a chilly fall day? There's nothing like wearing your favorite fall sweater, snuggling under a nice knit blanket, and sinking into a good book over a fat mug of tea. Or let's not forget the pleasures of a refreshing brew to start your work day, as you breathe in the crisp air, enjoy the gorgeous fall foliage, and take that first sip of goodness.

My particular favorite hug-in-a-cup this time of year is my Autumn Harvest Blend, full of the rich spices you associate with the season and the gentle sweetness of apple bits and chamomile. I love this fruit and herb combo because of chamomile's apple-like fragrance pairs nicely with the earthiness of dried apples. The rose hips add another dash of fruitiness and host of nutrients.

Ingredients:

1 cup chamomile

1/2 cup dried apple bits

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

1/4 cup dried ginger

1/8 cup dried rose hip bits

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Store in a mason jar in a cool dry place. To use, add one heaping tablespoon of blend to 8 ounces hot water and steep for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Health properties of ingredients:

Apple: contains vitamins A,C, some B and potassium; good source of fiber.

Chamomile: anti-inflammatory; sedative; skin softening; all around body soother.

Cinnamon: antiseptic, aids digestion, calms nervous system, anti-inflammatory.

Ginger: soothes stomach pain; anti-inflammatory; aids digestion.

Rose hips: anti-aging; contains vitamins A, D, B, C, E, and K, iron, calcium, zinc, and other vital nutrients; promotes healing and boosts energy; antibacterial.

On the Blood Moon Eclipse

October 8, 2014

The blood moon.

Symbol of the abundance we draw towards ourselves. Harbinger of the final harvest before the hush of winter overtakes us.

The lunar eclipse.

You cast into darkness that which was once filled with light, not to dim our sight but to reveal the things we bury in shadow.

Together you create supercharged healing, an extraordinary revelation for those willing to listen; your alignment on this harvest season is a gift, a reminder of the blood that makes us, the life that sustains us, the spirits that guide us.

Awash in the red glow of your light, I draw abundance to me; I call life and love and creativity into my home; I open myself to you, blood moon, to cleanse me of my tiredness and recharge my soul. I bathe in your blood light to better feel the strong bones and sinewy flesh and soft skin that makes me, well me--that make me human.

Apple Crisp Overnight Oats

October 7, 2014

Cinnamon and apples are pretty much right up there with pumpkins for evoking autumnal goodness. This time of year I can't get enough of apples and cinnamon--I find a way to use them for everything from cocktails to my breakfast, to a quick snack and even dinner!

The best part about this recipe here is that while it may conjure up the flavors of an apple pie--apples cooked in sugar and ghee, topped with nutty oats and spices--it is healthier for you. I sometimes use homemade granola to finish off this meal and give it the additional crunch that a crisp offers.

Ingredients:

1 cup multi-grain oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk

4 apples, chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon ghee

1/2 cup granola (optional)

In a saucepan, heat ghee until melted and then throw in chopped apples. Allow to cook on low until softened and lightly browned, about ten minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and all of the brown sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, until sugar has coated apples. Set aside to cool.

Mix all dry ingredients (including remaining cinnamon) except the granola together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. Then begin to add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly, until thoroughly mixed. Finally, stir in cooked apples. Divide mixture evenly between 4 mason jars and let sit overnight in fridge. Top each mason jar meal with 1/8 cup of granola before serving (optional). Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Rethinking Everyday Magic in October!

October 6, 2014

Speaking of celebrating my one-year anniversary with this amazing and super easy subscription contest in which you can win a fabulous prize, there are some other great things going on in the realm of Enchantment Learning & Living. Not only can you continue to enjoy plenty more recipes and musing on the good life, but you can also enjoy a month of special Halloween themed blog posts in honor of the things that go bump in the night.

I've spent a lot of time on my blog talking about everyday magic--it's a central part of my writing--but with Halloween just around the corner, I began to wonder about the darker aspects of that energy. This type of magic is about more than just synchronicity and hobbit wisdom (as great as those things are); there is an equally important shadow side, if you will, to enchanted living. What about the proverbial vampires and zombies we encounter in our day? What about hexes and nightmares? These too are a part of everyday magic--as are their antidotes.

You may have seen me moving in this direction already with posts like Descending into the Underworld and the Curse of Normalcy. These too are about the darker aspects of everyday enchantment; this shadow side is not necessarily 'evil', but the realm of hidden desires, wants, fears, potentials that make up who we are; the waiting-to-be revealed wisdom just beyond the reach of our consciousness; and the violence that emerges when we cease to be true to ourselves. There is a certain amount of chills and thrills to be expected when venturing into the unknown shadow realm. It can be just as frightening as dueling with daily demons for all its ability to offer us insight into ourselves, our lives--or perhaps because it has so much potential to reveal our limitless ability to grow and change.

Sometimes the most terrifying thing in life--and the most empowering--is recognizing our full potential. So join me for this monthly meditation on the shadow realm for a more well-rounded insight on everyday magic!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

October 5, 2014

Who doesn't love pumpkin everything this time of year? Okay, I actually know a (very) few people who don't, but that means there is more of this delectable squash for the rest of us! Now that the days are cooler, I relish waking up in the morning to these tasty pumpkin overnight oats. They chase away the chill of autumn and leave me feeling full and indulgent at the same time.

Ingredients:

1 cup multi-grain oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 can pumpkin puree

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. Then begin to add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly, until thoroughly mixed. Divide mixture evenly between 4 mason jars and let sit overnight in fridge. You can top with Greek yogurt and a dusting of cinnamon if desired. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

One Year Anniversary Subscription Contest

October 4, 2014

Wow! I can hardly believe it but is was one year ago today that I started this blogging adventure (see how it all started here). And to think a few short months after that, I committed to a year of daily blogging. Nine months along on that road and I can't believe what an inspiring journey it's been! One of My favorite things about this project is the fact that I get to carve out time every day to simply reflect and enjoy the life lessons and simple pleasures that make up my life. It has also been a treat to share this journey with you readers and hear your stories.

To celebrate this wondrous milestone, I'm hosting a subscription contest! Here's how it works: simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email into the space provided at the end of this post or click here to enter your email address to be eligible for a gift card to amazon.com.

The 50th subscriber will receive a $15 amazon.com gift card. The grand prize of a $25 gift card will be for the 100th email subscriber! They can use this card to indulge in some simple pleasures that make their everyday life just a little more magical. I'll be announcing the winners at the end of this month.

It's as simple as that!

Why not spread the word while you're at it? Tell your friends, your family, your colleagues, your pets, your spirit guides and anyone else you can think of to enter the contest for a chance to win an amazon.com gift card. It seems to me the best way to celebrate everyday magic is to spread the love...with a champagne bubble bath as a distance second, of course!

Apple Cider Margarita

October 3, 2014

Oh yes, I went there. And I went one step further and published this with just enough time for you to get the ingredients for your weekend cocktail! This margarita came about last Friday when I found myself in need of one, but with not enough limes to do the job; I only had 1/2 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice, to be exact.

Cut to me eyeing my newly purchased jug of local apple cider. A plot was hatched. Why couldn't I take the autumnal bliss that is cider and marry it with my traditional Friday night margarita? I did just that and was rewarded with a wonderfully smokey (from the tequila), tangy (from the lime and cider) sweet (from the apples and triple sec) concoction. I'm addicted. But there's only one way to see if you will be too--try it out!

Ingredients:

1.5 oz tequila

1/2 oz triple sec (optional)

3 oz fresh apple cider

1/2 oz lime juice

ice

Combine all ingredients in a glass and stir until combined. Serves one. Drink immediately. Better yet, double the recipe and invite a friend over to enjoy this blissful fall cocktail on your porch!

Want more liquid autumn? Try my Cinnamon Apple Cocktail.

On Yes's, No's, & Maybe's

October 2, 2014

This week has got me thinking about the boundaries we set in our lives (the no's), the things we choose to let into our lives (the yeses), and the things that we are okay to be happily ambivalent about (the maybes).

It seems to me life is a delicate balance between these three things. Without the no's we are forever beholden to a people-pleasing version of ourselves that leaves us an empty husk of who we could really be; without the yes's we can't let in the good people that make up part of our soul-filling intimate bonds or the impromptu adventures with them that come our way. The maybe's are perhaps more mercurial in their meaning, forever inviting us to see the possibility--and changeability--of a situation.

However you are feeling this week--full of no's, yes's, maybe's, or a little bit of each, I leave you with a few short essays on the power of these three little words:

On Being an Expert

October 1, 2014

As you walk the path of your day, there are many things demanding your attention, many groups wanting your commitment, many places hoping to pull you away from your home. Each one of them wants your promise that you will give yourself over to their cause, their creed, their life and in so doing giving up a little of yourself one drop at a time, fuel to their collective hunger.

And yet you resist the temptation to give yourself over to these things, groups, places. You save your role as Expert for just one thing. In everything else, you are an Amateur. To turn away from the noise and busyness of those demanding voices and grabbing hands and simply devote yourself to your own craft, that is the true art of the Expert.

You could count all the years, months, days you've been a teacher, listing all the lessons you've learned and doled out. But that would only be your professional expertise. Or you could explain how you work at your writing desk every day, courting words as your fingertips gently kissed your keyboard. But these words are not just the click-clack of typing nor the splash of ink on paper; they are moments lived, felt, reflected upon. You could go further still and unfurl the many years you've been a yogini (much longer than you've been a teacher) like you would your practice mat. But that would only show you so many sun salutations and a few breathing exercises.

These pieces, all of them, only dance around the heart of your Expertise. They are the threads that make up the fabric of you, fibers that weave together to form your ever evolving mastery of just one thing: Listening.

That ephemeral magic just beyond the border of too much noise and activity, too little inward reflection--and too little of what makes you smile. It eludes the masses but waits patiently for those willing to cultivate its wisdom. To listen is to tune out the white noise and become aware of the beating of your own heart, the rustle of fabric on skin as your chest rises and falls with each breath. The whispering leaves above your head. The hush of your surroundings. The almost imperceptible voice inside you that grows in strength only when you tune out the world and tune into you.

That is Listening. That is your magic, your well of inspiration. And that is what you choose to be an Expert at--open ears and open heart.