 The Harvest Festivals have always been my favorites! Lughnasad is traditionally known as the first fruits harvest, as our fields and gardens burst with the bounty of Mother Earth. Most gardens are at the peak of production, stimulated to produce even more because of constant harvesting. I love to be able to walk to the kitchen garden and pick a tomato fresh from the vine or help myself to peppers or sugar snap peas, knowing there is more to come. Typically, this is a time to share with others. I am always giving away excess produce around this time. If you don't have a garden of your own, then definitely try local farmer's markets. The produce is always much fresher and less expensive plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting local farmers. The supermarkets get enough of our money! Your kids will have a great time helping you choose what to purchase and honestly, half the fun is taking it home and washing the dirt off of it! Spike and Scout really enjoy sitting around with me, snapping green beans and talking about their day. Green beans are very easy to blanche and freeze, as well, so buy a big lot, get some freezer bags, turn on favorite music or just sit and talk with your children as you work. There's a real sense of history and tradition in this activity. To blanche the beans, snap off the ends and then add to boiling, lightly salted water for 3-5 minutes. Immediately run cold water over them to stop the cooking process and allow to cool thoroughly. Then just pop them into freezer bags and store for up to 6 months. Every time you have them for dinner, remind your child how much they helped.
 Lughnasad is also known as Lammas, which means "loaf mass", as it is also considered the grain harvest. I prefer not to use Lammas, as it is the Christianized name of this celebration but I do agree that celebrating the grain harvest is appropriate for the time of year. Remembering that the Sun is now declining and days are getting shorter, the traditional bread baking of this time of year symbolizes hope and rebirth for as the light begins to wane we know it will surely rise again. Bake a loaf of bread, either from scratch or from a boxed kit. Who cares, so long as the children gather around and help you need the dough. Tell them to put lots of loving thoughts into the dough as they work it. When the bread is finished, stand in a circle and break off a piece. Put a small piece in the mouth of the person next to you and say "May you never go hungry" and then pass them the bread so they can bless their neighbor in the same way. If any of the smaller piece is left over, scatter it outside as an offering to Mother Earth for her generous gifts.
Explain to your child that the God is the God of the grain and is sacrificing himself so that we might have a bountiful harvest. The tradition of the Wicker Man is symbolic of the God's sacrifice. For a safe and easy child-friendly version of the Wiccer Man, draw a rough human outline on paper. You can always find rolls of rattan at craft stores or use pieces of straw. Allow your child to glue the pieces to the figure. Give the Wiccer Man a place of honor on your altar or mantle or even refrigerator for a few days. You could even form a parade, holding him high in the air and marching around. Under very careful supervision, burn the Wiccer Man on the eve of Lughnasad, explaining to your child that even as the Sun is waning and the fields are being harvested, the Light will be reborn at Yule, returning to the Earth to ensure a bountiful harvest for next year. This is the time of year for enjoying the good things and for being thankful for the blessings in our lives. Have impromptu picnics or catch lightening bugs and revel in the simple joy of being together. It's also a time to share with others as the earth has shared with us. If you go berry picking or pick up fruits such as blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or peaches at the farmer's market, make freezer jams and give away as gifts, along with a few mini loaves of bread. You could put these into a basket along with bunches of dried herbs, such as chamomile, lemon balm or basil, and the excess tomatoes or peppers you most likely have lying around! Add a starter for Amish Friendship Bread, too. Easy Strawberry Freezer JamIngredients: Directions:
Combine strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Allow to sit for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The sugar will begin to draw the liquid out of the berries. Combine pectin and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir the pectin into the strawberry-sugar mixture, and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Pour into wide-mouth freezer jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Adjust caps, and let stand until set, but no more than 24 hours. Freeze. Makes about 5 half pints. Thaw out in the refrigerator. Once thawed, it will last for about a month in the fridge. You could substitute the same amount of blackberries or raspberries or a combination of the three for triple berry jam. Or try peaches! Just make sure to use powdered pectin and not liquid, as the recipe call for to make sure your jam will set up. Amish Friendship BreadTakes 10 days to make so it would make a good ongoing project leading up the Sabbat. Allow your child to be in charge of adding the ingredients and stirring.) Ingredients
Day 1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water Next mix together 1cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk. Then add this to the yeast mixture - stir. Cover the bowl and store at room temperature.
Days 2 to 4 - Stir.
Day 5 - Add to the mixture 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of sugar and stir.
Days 6 to 9 - Stir.
Day 10 - Add to the mixture 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour. Stir together. Next pour 1 cup into 4 plastic containers, these are now used as starters for the next time you make Amish Friendship Bread. Give 2 away to friends and keep 2 for yourself. To complete the recipe combine the remainder of the Amish mix with vegetable oil, eggs, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1-1/4 teaspoons of baking powder, and the teaspoon of vanilla. Mix together. Pour the mixture in 2 greased loaf tins. Bake at 350 degrees F(175 degrees C) for 50-60 minutes. Turn out of baking tins and allow to cool. Blackberry cobbler.If you have decided to go berry picking, then try this great recipe for blackberry cobbler. 2 tablespoons Cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 4 cups blackberries, picked over, rinsed & drained 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, cold, cut in small pieces 1/4 cup boiling water
In a large bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries; combine gently. Transfer to a cast iron skillet, about 8-inch. In a bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir the mixture until it just forms a dough.
Bring the blackberry mixture to a boil, stirring. Drop spoonfuls of the dough carefully onto the boiling mixture, like making dumplings. Cover a baking sheet with foil paper and place skillet onto baking sheet. This will prevent messy spillage and ensure easy clean-up. Bake the cobbler in the middle of a preheated 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
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