Tarot and Baked Beans

For the five years I ran Magic Making Circle I would send out a Sunday Blessing. This year I'm going to do 'Tarot and Cake.' It won't always be cake though, it might be cornbread or a green frittata or apple pie.

Or, baked beans. (Please enjoy the recipe below.)

Since magic for me begins each day in the kitchen each Sunday I'll share a recipe that is nourishing my family, or, if it has beets and turnips, nourishing just me!

I'll ask my deck to offer us our blessing and I'll share the medicine from the card and my understandings along with things to ponder or journal around. It will be a devotional practice, holding sacred space, grounding us into the week together.

If you aren't familiar with Tarot these words from Elise Entzenberge are beautiful:

"The Tarot can shine consciousness on our shadow parts, encourage us when we feel uncertain, anchor us when our experience is overwhelming, bolster us when we doubt our own strength, and remind us that we are forever a part of a larger wave of existence, ever-changing and unified, beyond our mind's understanding."

Apple cider and Molasses Baked Beans

8 cups cooked white or yellow eye beans, cooking liquid reserved
(I used 3 cups dried beans)
1 large red onion
1 cup cubed salt pork or bacon
1 1/2 cups ketchup (if you use homemade ketchup you can omit the 'ketchup spices')
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tb apple cider vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp or more of ketchup spices - some combo of allspice, clove, cayenne, garlic powder, ginger
2 cups fresh apple cider
reserved bean liquid

This recipe makes extra to freeze, make once and enjoy it two or three times or share with a friend.

In a large dutch oven, oven proof pot with lid or a large cast iron pot gently heat the pork and onion for about 5 minutes. Add molasses, sugar, vinegar, mustard, pepper, spices and stir well until combined.

Add in beans and coat. Add apple cider. Add enough bean liquid to cover the beans completely or you can add more cider.

Cover and cook at 250 degrees for 4-6 hours. Make sure the beans do not dry out, add more liquid if necessary, stir occasionally. This a slow long cook. I used a cast iron pot without a lid so I covered it with a baking sheet. You could also use a deep baking dish and cover with foil.

Let sit for about 20 minutes to cool.

Serve with cornbread and slaw. In the morning have beans on toast for breakfast.

Freeze and label the remaining beans in tight containers. These are good for about 3 months.