A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook

I'm starting a bit early with Monday Menu. Tomorrow I'll post some recipes. This is my cookbook. The little newspaper contain a recipe for roasted possum. I kid you not. I had to save the whole newspaper so people would know I wasn't making it up. And it just adds to the redneckness of it all with ads for trucks on the front page. I got the newspaper in Lafayette, AL when I went to a funeral.

My cookbook was a mess. Things were just shoved willy nilly. Sophie's puppies chewed on it. The binder was really full. I decided it needed a make over.

I went to Wally World to buy a big binder and dividers. I made the mistake of going to the Wal-Mart in Alexander City. Alex City bills itself as 'the gateway to Lake Martin' thus, everything costs two to three times as much as it should because lots of rich people live on the lake (Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston considered buying a house on Lake Martin. I'm really glad they didn't because that sounds like a media circus from hell). The binder, the dividers, and one bottle of Diet Coke cost me $15.42 I should have just waited for the dollar store to open, but last night I was eager to be a good witch. I rushed out, got my stuff, and smudged it all with incense. Then I got to the fun part- creating my new cookbook.

My dividers have pockets- no more loose paper fluttering out every time I open the cookbook. I also added more sections. Before, I had meat, veggie, bread, beverage, and dessert. Now I also have general information and kitchen witch tips, spells, and best of all, a garden section.

I had a garden notebook that I never really used. It was more of a scrapbook with pictures of gardens I've had over the years. I had a lot of odds and ends about herbs, but I never could find what I was looking for. I got smart. I made one page for each herb. Now I can easily add information. It's all in alphabetical order and if I want to start working with a new herb, I can make a new page without having to rewrite a whole list.

I was going to rewrite my recipes. I pictured beautiful stationery and lovely print. Then I realized that would be a time-consuming task and I wanted my book done NOW. I'm telling myself a great deal of charm will be lost if every page is the same.

The old cookbook lived on the bookshelves, but I think this one needs a special place. I'm thinking about getting some kind of stand for it, maybe leave it open all the time like a book of shadows because really, that's what it is. I need to decorate the cover, but I haven't settled on a good image yet. I also need a book blessing. A long time ago, I had a purple binder for a book of shadows. I kept a book blessing on the front cover and I read it aloud each time I opened the book. It was a fun rite to do. Maybe I can find something about cooking and kitchen witchery.