Raines Realm

Lammas is a special holiday (aren't they all), that is shared by many belief systems and paths. It is generally celebrated on August 1st, although some start the celebration the day before. Lammas is centered on the beginning of the wheat harvest with loaves of bread from the first harvest being baked and blessed for the celebration. It is also the time when Summer metaphorically dies in preparation for Winter. You can read a very basic description of Lammas  here . This time is looked upon as a time of reflection and new beginnings. The first chills of the change in seasons can sometimes be felt. It is bittersweet. Focusing on the future while acknowledging the past is a wonderful way to celebrate this beautiful time of the year. Traditionally, several cultures will make corn dollys during this celebration in preparation for Spring. It represents the promise of future seed for the next harvest and is typically a shape made of wheat fibers that is filled with seeds from...

It was an overcast, cold day as I pulled into the dirt parking lot of Sweatman's Barbecue. The solid white, pig-shaped sign is simple and tells you everything you need to know. As I walked up to the front door, across the historic front porch, I was transported back to a simpler time. The smell of barbecue creating a spark of excitement in the anticipation of the meal to come. The restaurant is comprised of additions to an old house. You can still admire the rugged construction and smaller doorways in certain dining rooms. As you enter through the front door, there is a guest book filled with signatures from all over the world. The menu consists of an all-you-can-eat option, a one-time-though option, as well as to-go plates, and meats, hashes, and other delights sold in various quantities. The buffet consists of baked macaroni and cheese, baked beans, green beans, skins, rice, hash, chicken, white and dark meat pork, ribs, coleslaw, dill and bread and butter pickles, brea...

"Candy!" is generally the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Halloween, but a traditional Irish fortune-telling cake is more accurate. We all know that Halloween is the modern-day celebration of the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhaim (pronounced Sow-in). It was originally celebrated as the time of year when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. This led to all sorts of fortune-telling and divination methods in hopes of learning about the future. Thus enters the barmbrack. This simple fruit bread is the delicious ancestor of the questionable fruit cakes of today. The fun part about this bread though, has nothing to do with its taste or appearance, but what it has inside. Particular "charms" are wrapped in parchment paper, evenly distributed, and baked inside. Traditionally, the items include a coin, ring, thimble, button, and scrap of cloth. The cake is then divided and whatever charm you had in your piece was you...