New Year's Eve - rites and rituals

I had a lovely New Year's Eve Day... noontime met with some friends... afternoon with family (translate 'grandkids!)... early evening supper and celebration with friends, phone calls from distant family.  But now it's evening and I'm home. By choice.  Alone. Not necessarily by choice.
Tempted to just answer some email, play a game or three, curl up with a book. But this is the last night of what has been for me (and so many others) a difficult year.  I have an need for rite and ritual to mark the end of the year, and to welcome in 2020.
For me, of course,  rite and ritual must include my beloved aromatics.

This is MY New Year's Eve rite and ritual..  Hope others will share theirs.

First I cleaned out the fire place.  Not just shovelled out last nite and last week's ashes, but swept it ... perhaps not spotless, but clean.   And laid a fresh fire to be lit...next year.  The ashes were carried outside.  (I'll deal with them during daylight, but they are out of here.)

When I finish typing this, I'm going to burn some sage throughout the house, every room and closet.  I'm grateful it's unseasonably warm outside...Doors can be open so the sage smoke can remove all the negativity that has accumulated in this house.   If I had no dried sage, or couldn't smudge for some reason, I would spritz each room and area with white sage hydrosol. But tonight I burn the sage in a large sea shell, as I was taught.

After that... a cleansing bath.   planning Dead Sea and Himalayan Salts,  and white sage and sweetgrass hydrosols in the water.

(I had thought about our Detox Synergy, there is, after all, nothing more cleansing. But I don't WANT cleansing on a cellular level and the resulting sleep disruption tonight. So the sign and symbol of white sage and sweet grass will do nicely.)

After the bath...  a pot of "Relax and Sleep Tea".   and, hopefully, to sleep through my neighbors' fireworks and mother nature's fireworks that are slated in the earliest morning hours.

In the morning?  the diffuser will have bright citrus and sparkling white fir to welcome the New Year with joy... and before my morning coffee the year will start with a "Cuppa Happy Tea"

that will be my New Year's Eve ritual this evening. What will be yours?

However you choose to celebrate this last night of 2019...be safe... and we will greet you next year!

Roast Roots

Too many Christmas Cookies, too many rich Holiday foods, (and lots more to come) and I found myself craving something simple and plain and down to earth and nourishing.

Roast Roots are (is?) the answer.

How I did them this time (because it varies)

Peel all of these and cut in approximately 1 inch dice:

1/2 a butternut squash (if there were more than one of me, I'd use the whole one. As it is,I kept the 'round' hollow end to roast with some sausage in it another day.)
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 or 2 carrots (can substitute the prepared baby carrots. I did.
1 small white turnip
1 large parsnip, peeled
1 large sweet onion

2 small Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters (leave them bigger because they cook faster.)  Red potatoes or Yukon Golds, scrubbed instead of peeled night have been better, but I used what I had.  I'm told others add a rutabaga (big fat yellow turnip) and/or some brussels sprouts. I've heard of celeriac, and even beets being used.

While you are peeling and chopping the veggies, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  I've seen recipes that say 375, but I was impatient.  Pour a bit of Olive oil into a jelly roll pan, or the largest SHALLOW pan you have. You want to be able to spread these out.  Put all the chopped veggies in a bowl, sprinkle lavishly with olive oil.  Now you get your hands dirty...toss the vegetables so that everything is thoroughly coated with the Olive Oil. (It's good for your hands; this time of year they are probably dry anyway.)   Pour into the oiled jelly roll pan, spread out.  Sprinkle VERY generously with rosemary, a bit of thyme, some peeled whole garlic cloves would be good but I forgot them.  Some fresh ground pepper, and they are ready for the oven. You can not use too much Rosemary or Thyme. 

I gave them about 20 or 25 minutes, then turned and tossed them a bit.  I added a very generous sprinkling of PANKO... Japanese Bread Crumbs.  Donna Maria Cole Johnson shared THAT secret when she was roasting summer vegetables.  Not essential, but good.

Obviously this isn't a recipe, but a throw together. But it's a great fast and easy lunch or supper.  I will probably get about four meals out of the pan I just made, and will enjoy them immensely.  By the time they are gone it will be time for Christmas dinner.

I've been told that a splash of balsamic vinegar makes them even better. I may try that with the leftovers. Or not.

Bon appetit!