Journey through the Seasons – Details, episodes & analysis

Sue and Emma talk about what to expect from their monthly podcast series - and what encouraged them to start embark on their podcast journey. As Sue and Emma share some of their winter loves, get to know your hosts in this short but sweet trailer episode

Show Notes:

Editing by Dan Lange

Music Credits: Purple Planet (Reiki Healing)

Opening Poem: Sue reads the poem Good Hours by Robert Frost

Sue is immersing herself in a Wintry Writing Retreat with Beth Kempton.  You can sign up at https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com and she mentions reading The Almanac by Lia Leendertz 

Lunar Living - Sue quotes from Yasmin Boland's Moonology (https://www.yasminboland.com)

Emma's Solstice Cacao Recipe - Per person, add: 1 cup of milk of your choice, 1 desert spoon of cacao powder and a pinch of your spices of choice (ginger/ cinnamon/ nutmeg for eg), plus a couple of cardamon pods and a star anise (you could add peppercorns and chilli flakes too if you like!) to a heavy bottomed pan.  Heat to high temperature just short of boiling and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 mins or so by which stage you should have a beautifully blended festive cacao.

Emma's Vegan Sausage roll recipe: Ingredients - 1 sheet pre-rolled jus-roll vegan puff pastry /1/3 pack Merchant Gourmet Glorious Grains/ ½ pack Merchant Gourmet vacuum packed chestnuts/ a large onion/ 2 cloves garlic/ Celeriac – about 1.5 * the quantity of onion/ 100g of mushrooms/ 30g pine nuts/ Thyme, rosemary and sage/ A tablespoon (or more) of quince/ redcurrant jelly/ Hoi-sin sauce/ Oil for frying/ A beaten egg (if eggs ok for consumer), or plant milk, to glaze.  Method: 1. Begin by toasting the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes.  Set them aside for later/ 2. Chop the onion, garlic, celeriac and mushrooms into very small pieces/ 3. Blitz the chestnuts very briefly in a food processor (or crumble very finely)/ 4. Chop the herbs finely/ 5. Heat your oil and add the onions and celeriac to the pan, fry gently for at least 15 minutes until both have softened./ 6. Add garlic, mushrooms and chopped herbs and continue to fry gently for a further 5 minutes or so, then add the crumbled chestnuts for 1 minute or so/ 7. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the grains, along with the pine nuts and jelly. Mix well to combine and season to taste/ 8. Divide your pastry sheet in two, lengthways/ 9. Spread the long edge of each rectangle with hoi-sin sauce / 10. About 1 cm in from the edge of the longside each rectangle, make a long “sausage” with your filling/ 11. Brush the 1cm edge with plant milk and fold over the pastry so the two long sides meet.  Press the seam well/ 12. Cut the long rectangles into 12 (or so) pieces)/13. With a sharp knife, slash the tops of the rolls a couple of times, then brush the tops with egg/ plant milk/ 14. Pop on a lined baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated hot (220c) oven for about 20 minutes (keep an eye on them) until golden.

Sue's Poetry Meditation is based on the poem Slip into Sleep by Mandy Coe

Wintry Words are taken from Mary Oliver's essay Winter Hours from her book of the same name

Festive Baking - Emma recommends frangipane and mincemeat squares: baking http://www.daffodilkitchen.com/christmas-frangipane-mincemeat-squares/recipes, festive tiffin: https://www.toa.st/blogs/magazine/christmas-at-river-cottage-with-lucy-brazier and recipes from Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles 

Candle meditation - Sue recommends https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OlrWyI0iSUo

Winter Solstice yoga Nidra meditation - Sue recommends https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MrGQUwHeFR0

Sue picks a card from Louise Hay's Wisdom Cards

Timings:

7.58 - Lunar Living/ 12.50 - Recipes/ 20.56 - Poetry Meditation/ 25.42 - Wintry Words/ 28.50 - This month's tasks/ 37.12 - Wisdom Card

Edited by Dan Lange

Music credit: Ambient from Purple Planet: https://www.purple-planet.com

Sue opens the episode with some words from The Tempest by William Shakespeare 

Here's a link to Emma's spring jacket: https://www.thewhitecompany.com/row/Linen-Cropped-Jacket/p/A15190?swatch=Alabaster

Cyclical Living: Sue quotes from The Almanac by Lia Leendertz

Recipes: 

Cleavers tea, add approx 2 tbsp cleavers, thoroughly washed, to a mug, top with boiling water and allow to steep for 15 minutes before drinking

Wild Garlic Pesto:  Ingredients/ 100g wild garlic/ 50g parmesan/ vegan parmesan grated (although I omit this due to my cheese aversion)/50g nuts or seeds /Olive oil (rapeseed works too) – you’ll need about 150ml/ lemon juice, to taste/ salt and pepper   Method/ Add the washed wild garlic leaves to a food processor and blitz until fairly well broken up/ Add the Parmesan, if using, and process further/ Add the nuts or seeds, blitz again/ Slow down the processor and add the oil until you reach your desired consistency/ Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Sue mentions foraging with respect inspired by reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

Seasonal Words: 

Emma reads words from The Pocket Encyclopedia of Garden Phenomena, by Thomas Furly Forster taken from the anthology Spring, An Anthology for the Changing Seasons edited by Melissa Harrison ,

Today by Billy Collins, and Be Like the Bird by Victor Hugo.

Emma's breakfast smoothie includes: Spinach, tahini, seeds, avocado, berries, banana and almond milk

Sue mentions a new collagen supplement by Feel: https://wearefeel.com 

In the Tasks section Sue quotes from Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

Sue reads a Sea soul Blessing by Pippa Best, from a deck of cards that can be ordered online at https://seasoulblessings.com

Our monthly Wisdom card is drawn from Louise Hays Wisdom cards, a deck of 64 positive affirmations. 

Timings 

17.49 Cyclical living / 23.40 Recipes / 32.20 Seasonal Self Care / 41.41 Spring words / 47.20 Tasks / 53.58 Wisdom card 

Editing by Dan Lange

Music Credit: Ambient, by Purple Planet: https://www.purple-planet.com

Sue opens the podcast with the poem This Moment by Eavan Boland from Earth Songs, edited by Peter Abbs 

Cyclical Living: Sue refers to The Almanac by Lia Leendertz in reference to Astroarcheology. More information about the major lunar standstill we are experiencing this year can be found on many websites including https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/918481-2024-2025-major-lunar-standstill/

Tea recipes: Emma's fennel tea recipe - For each person, add 1tsp fennel seeds and one cup of water to a large pan.  Bring to the boil, simmer gently for 5 minutes then ladle into mugs.  

Treats recipe: Lemon, Thyme and Ginger Shortbread recipe (taken from Emma Mitchell's Making Winter).  Ingredients: 1. Shortbread - 200g butter, softened/ 95g golden caster sugar/ 200g plain flour/ 60g cornflour/ 35g polenta and 2. Filling - 3 eggs/ 4 large lemons juiced and zested/ 180g golden caster sugar/ 25g plain flour/ 1tbsp grated ginger/ 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves Method: 1. Line a square baking tray (25cm*25cam) with baking parchment and heat oven to 180 degrees (fan)  2.  Make the shortbread by beating together the butter and sugar then adding the remaining ingredients and mixing to a coherent dough.  Press the shirtbread into the tin, leaving a lip around the edge to capture the filling which will be added later.  3.  Pop into the oven for 15 mins until golden.  4. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl.  In a separate larger bowl, mix the lemon zest, sugar and flour then pour in the egg mixture, stirring continuously.  Add the ginger and half the thyme and mix on gently. 4. Pour the mix into the shortbread tin, pop back into your warmed oven and bake for 15 minutes or so until lightly set.  5. Remove from oven, sprinkle over remaining thyme leaves and cut into squares.

Springtime words; Sue shares The Moon by Sappho/ The Fawn (After Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese) by Nikita Gill/ The Waking by Theodore Roethke taken from Poems for Every Day of the Year edited by Karen McCosker & Nicholas Albery

Self Care: Emma talks about the Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga.  You can read more about it here:https://www.ayurvedainstitute.co.uk/abhyanga-massage-for-each-dosha/

Competition: To enter this month's competition, please leave us a review on whatever platform you listen to the podcast. One entry per review, and the winner will be announced in next month's podcast!

Cyclical Living - 8.30/ Recipes - 15.30/ Spring Words - 22.20/ Self Care - 26.29/ Tasks - 31.48/ 35.55 - Wisdom card/ 37.00 - Competition

Edited by Dan Lange

Music Credit: Purple Planet Music - Ambient (https://www.purple-planet.com)

Sue opens the episode with the poem Blossom from Mary Oliver

Sue quotes from the book A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and from Lia Leendertz The Almanac

In cyclical living Sue talks about the Lyrid meteor showers which will peak on 22nd April which stem from Comet Thatcher. At the same time the Eta Aquarius linked to Halley’s Comet begin their run from April 20 and continue into May. 

Emma's recipes: Rhubarb vodka, based on the recipe from Sarah Raven , Hazelnut and roasted asparagus recipe based on a recipe from Delicious Magazine and she mentions the recipe book Planet Friendly Baking from Honeywell Bakes, kindly gifted to Sue and Emma by the author Rebecca Honeywell. 

Emma shares poems from:   Ogden Nash's Always Marry an April Girl, April by Laurie Lee, The Swimmer in the Glass by Paul Henry from Ten poems about Swimming selected and introduced by Samantha Wynne and William Carlos Williams' This is Just to Say

Sue's Self Care, includes information from Kim Vopni’s  The Buff Muff Method

Emma's flower press was sourced from These Two Hands

Sue enjoyed a Soundbath led by Joanna Maroun at Optimum You yoga studio in Market Harborough 

Sue's Instagram account for her guerilla poetry initiative is @findpoetryinplaces

Sue draws a card from Louise Hay's wisdom cards

Timings: Cyclical living: 17.21/ Recipes: 22.29/ Self Care: 30.01/ Seasonal Words 40.53/ Monthly Tasks: 48.52/ Wisdom Card: 56.37