Today’s Yule post is a simple one and it deals with one of everyone’s favorite parts of the holiday season.  Food.  Eating during this time of year is often a time for foods that you wouldn’t normally have or things that are considered special for the holidays.  This post composes some of my favorite recipes together into one post for your holiday cooking pleasure.  Remember that cooking is a form of alchemy.  It’s magick!  When you’re going to cook for friends and family for the holidays take the time to bless your cooking tools, clear the kitchen energetically, and have yourself in the right mindset, the mindset of love, joy, and appreciation.

During the winter solstice the foods that we tend to eat are very heavy on meats, fats, and are often very rich.  There are reasons why this is and those stem from times past when food might be scarce during this time of year so you would eat foods that were heavier in fats and higher in calories so that you would be able to have a fighting change of not starving to death.  Meat was often the main staple because this was what was often in abundance.  During October when the last animals were brought in to slaughter, the meats were smoked and cured to store through the winter and then used for roasts and stews.  Like many other things these foods became traditions and became connected to the celebrations of the season.  This is why, even though we know we don’t need to pack on 10lbs in a month, we still often do it by default during the month of December.  These foods have just become part of holiday and as recipes have been modified and crafted we have passed them down generation to generation.

Side Note: Many of these recipes come from around the web because that is where I have often collected them from over the years.  I have done what I could the hunt them down again and attribute these recipes to the rightful websites.

(from the Yule recipes on Wicca.com)
Yuletide Slaw
4 cups red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons parsley
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Combine and toss the vegetables together. Mix salt, pepper, salad oil, lemon juice, sugar and parsley and pour over the vegetable mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour, Toss briskly before serving. Makes 8 servings.

(from About.com)
Basic Wassail
Ingredients:

• 1 Gallon apple cider
• 2 C. cranberry juice
• 1/2 C honey
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 oranges
• Whole cloves
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• Allspice
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
• 1/2 C – 1 C brandy (optional)

Preparation:
Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they’ll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste — usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 – 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.

Yule Baked Ham
1 8 lb. ham
3 quarts sweet cider or mulled wine
2 cups maple sugar(or brown sugar)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon powdered cloves
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups raisins (optional)

Simmer ham in cider or wine for 2 hours and then drain.
Cover with paste made from mustard, sugar, cloves and water.
Place in baking dish. Pour cider or wine over ham.
If you’re using raisins add them to pan bottom.
Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 325, meanwhile basting frequently.

Yule Log Cookies
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
red and green decorator icing

Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, beat the brown sugar and margarine until blended.
Add the egg; beat until well blended.
Lightly spoon flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices; mix well.
Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough with your hands to make two 10 1/2 inch logs; flatten slightly to 1 1/4 inches in diameter.
With a spatula, place the logs 2 to3 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Dip a non-serrated knife in water; score each log diagonally at 3/4 inch intervals.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until set and no longer moist.
Cool for 5 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut the logs at the scored lines.
Cool completely.
Decorate each cookie with decorator icing to resemble a holly leaf and berries.

(from AllRecipe.com)
Winter Solstice Soup