Raspberry Vodka

Greetings Everyone!

With continuing on the Home Crafted Holidays started by Domestic Witch, here is my fourth project!

It's Raspberry Vodka. A few years ago, I tasted it for the first time at someone's home. I fell in love with it. Now it is used as my main staple for Cakes and Ale in my personal rituals.

There are many variations on how to make Raspberry Vodka, here is a basic recipe for you. I hope you enjoy it. Also this recipe is for adults only!

Now the recipe I am sharing is from Earthbound Farm. Their recipe is a bit different from my own (cause I use secret ingridients, LOL) but still as good. Also their's is refridgerated during the process, where mine is conducted at room temperature.


Raspberry Vodka
Serves about 750 ml

Making flavored vodkas is simple, and it's far more economical than purchasing fancy brands. For the best flavor, use fresh, ripe berries and let the fruit macerate in the vodka for the entire week the recipe recommends.

Keep flavored vodkas in the refrigerator or freezer; they're at their best icy cold.

3 cups fresh raspberries, picked over

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 star anise pods

1 strip of lemon peel (yellow part only), 1/2 inch wide x 1-1/2 inches long

750 ml good-quality vodka

Mash the raspberries roughly with a fork to break them up. Place the berries in a clean, one-quart glass jar and add the remaining ingredients, stirring to blend. (Save the empty vodka bottle unless you have a decorative decanter for the final product).


Cover and refrigerate the mixture for one week. If you don't have a glass container large enough, you can divide the mixture into 2 smaller jars.

After allowing the berries and spices to macerate in the vodka for one week, strain the mixture through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds and spices. Pour the raspberry vodka back into the original bottle or into another vessel. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Recently, I was cleaning out one of our entertainment centers trying to put together all of my fitness videos, dvds, etc in preparations of my journey (once again) to losing weight. I came across one of my favorite dvds that I purchased a few years back.



When I first started these exercises, I lost about 20 lbs. Thorn's able to provide mental stimulation during the exercises. I am looking forward to working with this dvd again. Its the only Pagan Exercise instruction I am currently aware of. If you are interested, you should check it out on her website where its available for purchase.

http://www.thorncoyle.com/offerings_CDDVD.html

So here is to losing weight, getting fit, and transforming from Venus of Wilendorf to Aphrodite! (For me anyways, I know Venus is beautiful, but I need to lose weight for health reasons most of all! Having cardiac arrest/scare during my second pregnancy was pretty scary.)

Blessed Be!
Crystal

Weight Loss Spell

I am reposting this from another forum I belong to and posted this.

The topic of discussion was about weight loss. With the holidays here and stress, some people might appreciate this mantra to get them thru the situation of stressful eating.

Here is something I wrote a long time ago. I had not thought about it for some time since I have been having children. LOL

It's time for me to also lose some weight, 100 lbs matter of fact! I am sure I will be blogging about it in the future.

Anyways, here is my spell/affirmation/prayer. I use a piece of cord and then wear the cord the entire time I am trying to change my bad habits and live healthier.

I hope you enjoy it.
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Weight Loss Spell
By Crystal

By the count of one, this spell's begun
By the count of two, there are pounds to lose
By the count of three, I'll eat no more than I need
By the count of four, no more soda, its water galore
By the count of five, this spell's alive
By the count of six, cravings nixed
By the count of seven, no more chocolate heaven
By the count of eight, I'll pretend I just ate
By the count of nine, In a year's time I'll be looking fine!

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Ok, so I am not great with the rhyming...but the first time I did this (along with eating healthy and exercise) I did lose weight. I have about 100 lbs to lose so I think I will be working with leather cord this time around. Just remember the more you put into it and commit to it, the better results you will achieve. Right now I will personally have to combat my coca-cola and sweet tea (lots of sugar), as well as boredom eating to become sucessful this time around.

Sincerely,
Crystal