#420: Magic Mushrooms, Weed Witch Altars, and S'Mac & Cheese
Sent at 4:23pm, because of course
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Dear Witch Nation,
Happy Kushmas, ya filthy animals! If you’re like me, and are tired of waking up in a horrible pit of despair, suffering, and uncertainty, then this is the day that I give you permission to get high.
Go on. Grab your pipe, edibles, rolling papers, dab rig, hitter, bong, topicals, CBD-infused bath salts and lube because this is YOUR GODDAMN DAY FOR SELF-CARE. I should know: I did my tarot and it told me so.
To celebrate my long-standing appreciation of only the finest herb, I will be hosting my first variety showcase on TONIGHT at 8PM EST on Zoom. Meeting ID: 869 0027 0034 Password: 014144.
I will be hosting cool Catskills folks like Caitlin Rose Sweet Ceramics, who is an. expert of fine handcrafted smokeables, including a boob bowl, blazed Marge Simpson and hamburger kween which I have on my weed altar. You can read more about her here in a profile I did on Leafly awhile back. Also joining will be mushroom expert Catskill Fungiand bed ‘n breakfast spot The Stickett Inn, who I both feature in my new book, “Easy Getaways in the Hudson Valley & Catskills” who can fill you in on the misty mountain scene. And finally, there will be a set from Catskill musician Tim Traynor, who has learned “One Toke Over The Line” for us.
Come hang out, BYO joint. Buy a book, some ceramics from Caitlin, ‘shroom extracts from Fungi, gift certificates from The Stickett Inn. If you like the show and want to throw some tips at Venmo or PayPal, it would greatly help your hostess with the mostess pay the bills. (Please do not do stupid shit like Zoombomb me or whatever, mainly because I already have dealt with enough unwanted dick pics to last a lifetime and I feel as though I have suffered enough).
(Pictured: An event on April 20th at 8pm EST that you are invited to and where you are encouraged to enjoy as much cannabis as you see fit, in whichever manner you prefer).
Love,
The Weed Witch
4/20 Essential Reads
Check out these super cool cannabis stories and expand your mind into the world of weed.
Does 4/20 Still Matter?
By Zoe Wilder
In Mexico, native healers known as the curanderos used cannabis, or pipiltzintzintli, in their practice to treat a variety of conditions. The shamans believed there was a correlation between medicinal plants and divine spirits, a notion that didn’t sit well with the Spanish church. “Towards the end of the 17th Century, the Catholic Church caught wind of this and banned cannabis, spreading rumors that people who used it were in communion with the devil and would go crazy,” says Steve DeAngelo, one of the world’s leading cannabis activists and founder of California’s Harborside Health Center. Read more on Rolling Stone.
Psychiatrist Lester Grinspoon Smoked Pot with Carl Sagan—A Lot
Dr. Lester Grinspoon's interest in marijuana dates back to 1967, the year he decided to research the subject sufficiently enough to convince his best friend—who just happened to be Carl Sagan—and a few other associates to stop smoking the stuff. While the internationally renowned astronomer never publicly acknowledged his use of cannabis, the bestselling author and host of "Cosmos" did partake frequently and enthusiastically in private, invariably encouraging his straight-laced companion Lester to join in. Read more on Vice.
I grew up in an underground cannabis bakery during the AIDS epidemic. Yes, it is essential medicine
By Ali Volz
I grew up in an underground cannabis bakery. During the '70s, my family baked and delivered more than 10,000 marijuana brownies per month in San Francisco. My mom dealt brownies out of my stroller in the Castro district, with weekly stops at Harvey Milk's campaign headquarters and the home of the singer Sylvester. Sticky Fingers Brownies began as party favors at the height of disco extravagance and then changed along with the city. Deliveries continued through the depths of the AIDS crisis and the dawn of medical marijuana. Read more on Salon.
EDIBLES! EDIBLES! EDIBLES! EDIBLES! EDIBLES!
Recipe: S’mac and Cheese with Asparagus
Cooking with cannabis is not that hard! Here’s how you do it.
Cooking with shatter or concentrate is one of the easiest ways to infuse, and among my favorites when I am feeling too lazy to properly do it. It’s also great for entertaining, which was the case one fine summer afternoon when I made this recipe on a whim with my dear friend, Meme Rose.
While the wiser, older and more respectable version of myself advises proper dosing, we both cosign this as a great way to kick back, watch some movies, and then completely zonk out. We split this recipe so that it included second helpings — which means that splitting this among four would probably be a safer bet for those with lower tolerances, or who need to be remotely functional. Consider this a heavy hitter approved recipe.
S’mac and Cheese with Asparagus
By Carly Fisher of The Weed Witch
Ingredients
1 pound macaroni
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups half-and-half
4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups asparagus, diced
½ tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 ounce shatter, wax, or concentrate OR 1/4 cup infused olive oil (or less to finish)
Directions
Grease a 3-quart baking dish (9x13").
If cooking with shatter, heat oven to 250F, then decarb your material in a ramekin or baking tray for 30 minutes to activate material. Remove and set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 375F.
While the material is decarbing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dried pasta and until slightly underdone (slightly less than package cooking instructions). Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisking in flour to combine. Slowly pour milk and half-and-half, while whisking constantly until smooth and thick to create a roux. Add spices and cheeses, stirring until completely melted.
If infusing with shatter, mix in with cheeses, stirring until completely melted. For olive oil, there are two ways go to about this: Option A. is to mix in 1/4 cup infused olive oil. Option B. is using as a finishing ingredient at the end. If you do Option A, make a note to yourself ahead of time that you will be incredibly stoned and pull it out in case you forget why you are doing stupid shit. Option B is better for those who want to microdose responsibly or are uncertain about their limits. I recommend microdosing at 5mg.
Combine infused roux-cheese mixture with drained pasta and fold in diced asparagus, then pour into your prepared baking dish. Top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, baking for 15 minutes at 375F until brown and crispy.
ASK A WEED WITCH
Have a question about cannabis, witch life, existentialism or nihilism, bathtubs, or whether reality is a construct? Have a cool story to share? Want to tell me about your favorite products, real life adventure, conspiracy theory, or psychic connection with ghosts manifested from your third eye? Send all your need-to-know questions to itstheweedwitch@gmail.com.