pointy hat
at Frosted Petunias, is hosting a gathering of witches for a a tea party under a Halloween moon to celebrate and to remember!
"I invite you (The Witches Tea Party Under a Halloween Moon is open to all active bloggers, because the more the merrier the make merry!) to create a tea party to express and honor the witch in all of you. Whether you are an artful witch, a whimsical witch or a magickal witch (and yes you can be all). Your tea party can be fun and playful, sacred and soulful, hauntingly spooky or simply beautiful," she joyfully offered. Without a moment's hesitation, I accepted!]
It was a dark and stormy night...But first and nextly comes right out from me a teensy tinsy gust of outloud merriment, because a thrill that starts at my topnot travels to the toe~tippies of
Can you be anything but happy when you're wearing striped socks?my striped sockinged feet,
then back again and twice more,
as I remember
a dear Funny Papers friend
typewriting on his rooftop
and me realizing his passion for launching yet another of many novels with this, canonical phrase "borrowed" from Victorian purple proser, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, opening his story in such an intriguing way. Eversincely, I have entertained the thought of some day making temporary use of Snoopy's eternal opener to unfold a tale of my own. Today be that dream come true!
It was a dark and stormy night... sort of.
*nervously struggling with a Truth~Be~Told on the verge of being confessed out of avoidability (as I will not sleep ever again if I do not spill!)*
Gemmama says, "To cut bread in an uneven manner is a sign that you have have been telling a lie." At this moment I am glad my grandmother is not present to hand me the serrated knife. For it is true: a fib I cannot tell (and get away with it). White deceits do not become me, and dark BIG lies neither do I wear well. They, inparticular, are oversize garments on me, whose disacorded darts are liked to misguided "shoots" of firework.
Thus, the Truth~Be~Told: even though this story's unfurl found its beginning late, late yesterday, it happened beneath showy, twinkling stars that brightly down~watched overly and throughout. Expressly, then, it was NOWISE a dark and stormy night...
Because it being Hallowe'en, I took advantage of the situation merely to be able to finally put this opening to my special good use, is all. Having that said, I am feeling better already! On with the party? LET'S SHALL!
At the stroke of midnight, sounded by Gemmama's parlored Great Clock, a very early brewed and very black cup of party tea was poured into a middlish~size bowl, where raisins, sultanas (golden rasisins), currants, and lemon peelings~made~candied would sleep~soak until plumped. Sametimely, Sun's up would interrupt their spelt~upon slumber, and I then did collander the entire lot, because there is an All~Hallows~Even tradition, Barmbrack, an edible~y divining tool that next I would bake from a special formula, that of witch which I merrily share~ily! (Later this day, featured in the blog section tagged "Comments," below, I promise you my family's holiday receipt!)
Forever to our clan known as
Speckle Bread
(The word "brack" comes from the Irish "breac," meaning "speckled.")
because it is, quite frankly, "spotty" to the eye. Speckle Bread speaks of itself perfectly, and Celtically called Báirín Breac, this Irish fruited tea bread, that is nearly cake, is best served toasted with a smear of Witch's Frosting (softened butter) and washed with a cup of Irish Tea, typically on the day that is Halloween!
Most front forwardly, though, and of what I did make hints at priorly, Barmbrack is a delicious
fortune telling game, whose baker hidingly dough~deeps destiny trinkets and charms symbolic in their slice for those breaking this sweet treat on Samhain, and thus divines their future!
Once upon a time and waaay way back in the day, secretly planted bakery bits of silver and gold would customarily include a coin (wealth), a matchstick (to beat your spouse with --?!), a rag (poverty), a thimble (spinsterhood), a button (bachelorhood), a gold ring (marriage), and a pea or bean (once again with the poverty).
But whiles and whiles ago, Gemmama and her flock decided these antiquaited, if not downright nasty, predictors had to go. Replacing them would be a fun~wonderful slew of new charms with exceptional meanings:
[PLEASE NOTE: Pictured replicas only. Precisely posted images would adversely change the positive charge belonging to them.]
Peanut Charm
Forecast: You will join the circus!
Best be having a Litter Box Charm handy if this be your find, as this silvery morsel is really a bell: it actually tinkles!Cat Charm
Forecast: Furry or t'otherwise, you will make a new friend.
The Coffin Charmstands for a Wealth of Health: "If this trinket be in your slice, keep it hidden more than twice." (Meaning, if the the charm is hidden all year long, then there is no coffin. Or in other words, "No coughin'," which is to say, "Good Health!")
Fancy Spectacles CharmForecast: You shall find something or someone that you thought you'd lost.
The Pickle or Craving CharmForecast: Someone very close to you--Mayhaps even you!--will become round with child.
Satchels be packed!Because, not unlike an Eensy Weensy up the water spout, ye, too, shall travel.
The Love Beannie CharmGemmama added the Nesmith cap to the mix the year then tweenager Momsie longed to be on the arm of a particular Monkee. These days, it signifies a new or a renewed romance is just around the corner.
Purse CharmForecast: The money tree growing in your backyard will finally sprout "leave$e$"!
Enchanted Slipper CharmForecast: Come Black Friday, all of your tracks will be fast, taking you to the head of the cash register line each and every time!
. . . . . . .
Now, then, care to join me in
a spot and a cut of the spotty?Please and thank~you to tell me of the charm you made discovery of, encrusted in your slathered slice!
A Forget~Me~Not Reminder:Mud be thy name if you do not find yourself finding
Mini Teacup Ring / LittlePinkBoxan especially special way
to keep this day's memories!
Credit where credit is do:
Snoopy / Charles M. Schulz
Charms: Amanda Jo.com
Tea set / Hannah Stockham
Forget~Me~Nots / Glitter Your World
Mini Teacup Ring / LittlePinkBox
How lovely. I have enjoyed your beautiful Tea Party. Please stop by for some tea & treats.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween,
Sue
Hallowe'en Greetings, Miss wickedfaerie! What a lovely night for a lovely memories party and (my favorite) holiday celebration! I'll soonly meet you over to your place. (Looking forward to my first of this year's under the moon galas: YOURS!) A little something for later? *slathers a piece of Speckle Bread for wickedfearie's road* BytheBy, what charm did you discover in your beginning serving?
ReplyDeleteSpeckle Bread / How Great Uncle Ned, who calls himself An Old Irish Fruit Loaf, bakes it:
ReplyDeleteIntegrals:
1 glass of very black tea, prepared
4 cups Bakers' Dust (white flour)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 tsp Allspice
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter
1 package of yeast
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm~like~luke milk
1 egg, beaten
1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas
1 cup currants
a fistful of candied lemon peel
The Doings:
Beginning at the stroke of midnight Close after 11:59 PMish, the night before All~Hallows~Even), soak the fruits in the brown sugar and v. black tea till daybreak. Colander the stew.
Make the oven 350*
Into a bowl sift flour, spices and salt. Rub in the butter. To the teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of the lukey milk, add the yeast. Pour the rest of lukey and the egg into the yeast concoction and combine with the dry ingredients and the sugar. Beat well but NOT weller, and knead until the batter is stiff but elastic. Prepared fruit gets folded in next. Cover the bowl with a damp rag (A saved~back hank from fabric used to make a Halloween costume way back in the day works favorably!) and leave to a warm place until the dough has twiced itself. Knead again for another 2 or 3 minutes before making into two rounds on bakers' sheets. Evenly finger~poke into the breads Magicked trinkets and charms. (Scaredy cats will have to first wrap these in parchment papers with twisted ends. To them I say: BOO!) Rag~cover again and let rise until the dough comes up a little bittle more (about a half of an hour). For the next hour, allow the Speckle Breads to bake, or until they are nicely browned and the bread sounds hollow when thumped. Serve the nearly~cake as a toasted slice with a smear of Witch's Frosting, and washed it with a cup of Irish Tea, especially and mostly on Halloween!
Neddy Reminder: Stale Spotty is nearly as tasty as the freshoutoftheoven! (When properly wrapped, Barmbrack stays about a week.)
Most enchanting and entrancing witchypoo teaparty with such bedazzling images to behold.
ReplyDeleteHave a booooooo-tiful day my dear.
Always, Queenie
Why thank you most kindly for the tea & treats! =D
ReplyDeleteI lovelovelove all the charms & meanings! ^-^
I keep meaning to make a charm bracelet... I really ought to get to it one of these days!
Hope your Halloween was spooky & creepy & wonderful! =D
XOXO
That is very interesting!! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteBB,
Susan