DEFROSTING INTO SPRING 🌷

Celebrate the Spring Equinox with these seasonal tips and recipes

Photo Credit: Larry Burns “Spring Hopes Eternal”

Chicago has once again tricked us into thinking spring was right around the corner with a few sunny days in the 60s and 70s, only to turn on us with some late winter snow. Even as of this writing, the current temps are still giving me the winter blues. But all that still doesn’t change the fact that March 20th was the 2025 Spring Equinox and the official start of spring.

The Spring Equinox is the moment when the sun sits directly over the Earth’s equator as it heads north. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres share the sun’s rays equally, and day and night are nearly the same length (equal…equinox). Wherever you are on the planet, everyone experiences the equinox at the same instant! Once it’s over, the days keep growing longer than the nights.

Another gem from “Spring Hopes Eternal”

In ancient culture, the Spring Equinox helped civilizations keep track of the seasons and often served as a symbol of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings. While it doesn’t hold as much significance in modern times, many cultures still celebrate the celestial event with rituals and traditions, focusing on growth, balance, and cleansing. It even determines the date of Easter, falling on the Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox.

In Chicago and Michigan, the equinox and start of spring mean temps in the 50s, a few days in the 30s or 40s, a random sunny day in the high 70s, and then, as always, ending the week with a chance of snow. Spring weather never fails to keep us on our toes! But it also allows us to align with the energy of the new season and celebrate spring with our traditions, rituals, and spring-loving recipes!

So here are our favorite ways to welcome spring:

1. Buy fresh seasonal flowers. Once it’s officially spring, we stop what we’re doing and immediately go to Trader Joe’s to pick up some fresh flowers. Spring is our favorite season for flowers (in pagan/wiccan culture, flowers represent new life), and TJ’s has the best and most affordable options. We especially love the peony tulips they have this year and the multi-colored baby’s breath. Buying flowers is also one of our favorite cleaning hacks since it feels so wrong to display beautiful flower arrangements in a messy house. Which brings us to our next tradition….

2. Clean your space. Spring cleaning is a thing for a reason. Cleaning and decluttering your home helps clear out old stagnant energy and prepares your home and yourself for new beginnings. We take advantage of the brighter, longer days and really deep-clean our spaces. I’m talking behind the couch, under cushions, dusting, mopping, cleaning out our closets, fridge, freezer, and pantries. It’s also the perfect time to switch out winter bedding and any wintery decor for something lighter and brighter, and of course, decorating with fresh flowers.

   

3. Open windows and doors. One of the first things we do when the snow melts and the temps grow milder is open a window. It truly brings us joy. By opening up the house and letting fresh air into your home, you’re also creating a way for the dust and stale energy from your deep clean to move their way out. It doesn’t have to be a perfect day to crack open a window or door; the smell of crisp spring air with the sounds of chirping birds is a serotonin boost in itself.

   

   PD loves an open door

4. Transition your closet for the new season. Put your dark, heavy winter stuff in the back of your closet (you still may need them with those bouts of winter weather in the mix) and pull out those fun, bright, colorful clothes! Nothing says spring like a strawberry-printed sweater (it’s also a great mood booster). While we love black-and-white basics, we have an affinity for bright pops of color that often get forgotten in the winter months. We’ve even inspired a friend or two to start incorporating more colorful pieces into their wardrobe. Transitioning your closet from winter to spring is the perfect opportunity to bring out any colorful items from your collection. Plus if it’s in the front of your closet, you’ll be more likely to wear it.

   

5. Refresh your mind. One of our favorite “witchy” rituals to mark the start of spring is to write down what we want to release from winter and burn the paper as a symbolic fresh start. Then we work on decluttering our brain by taking a moment to reflect on what we want to encourage in our life and writing down our goals and intentions for the new season.

6. Light new candles. Just lighting a brand new candle already feels like “new beginnings.” In the spring, we like more flowery and clean-scented candles, our favorite is the Woodhouse candle by Linnea. We also love to cleanse our spaces even further by burning sage, palo santo, or diffusing essential oils like lavender and citrus! While cleansing your space, open a window, set your intentions, affirmations, and wishes (like clearing negative energy and promoting a harmonious environment), and visualize negative energy floating out the window and being replaced with a positive, clean space.

   

7. Connect with nature. We always try to take advantage of those beautiful, warm weather days of early spring by getting outside! As the nice days become more plentiful, so should your time in the great outdoors! But even if it’s one of those moments of springtime winter weather, we still try to get out of the house and take in a little sunshine!

   

   We also get outside by walking every day (all year). Admittedly, it becomes more enjoyable when the sun hits our shoulders and the temp is mild. In the spring, taking walks at sunrise or sunset is also a great way to honor the changing light (no surprise we prefer evening walks over early morning). During our walks, we enjoy looking out for signs of spring — buds on the trees, birds chirping, a warm breeze. Our dad especially loves to photograph these moments!

   

   

   "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." - Harper Lee, "To Kill A Mockingbird" (From "Spring Hopes Eternal")

8. Eat seasonal produce. And since this is the Weekly Digest, we have to talk about food! In spring, we start to crave more fresh ingredients like leafy greens, berries, and honey. I like to refer to spring produce guides as a reminder of what’s in season: artichokes, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, arugula, spinach, radishes, and spring onions are a few favorites. Baking bread is always a fun tradition to start a new season. And, of course, sharing the food with friends and family.

So without further ado, here are this week’s early spring recipes to get you feeling energized and ready for the warm weather ahead!

We have been obsessed with the grilled artichokes from J. Alexander’s for over a decade. There was even a time when our mom tirelessly attempted to recreate them, trying everything, including our old George Foreman...but they were never just right. Recently, we stumbled upon a grilled artichoke tutorial by Chef Ian Dodsen of J. Alexander’s. He boiled the artichokes but said that in the restaurant they use a steamer. Then he brushed them with clarified butter and seasonings and hit them on a hardwood grill. I recreated them the other day for my friends visiting from out of town, and they were a hit!

This recipe has a chokehold on our parents. Whenever we’re in town, without a doubt, one of them will ask, “How about we make that tuscan lemon soup with the greens?” I honestly would not be surprised if they make this soup once a week. So we don’t need to sell you on its deliciousness, but it also happens to be a great transitional soup from winter to spring. It uses in-season greens like kale and Swiss chard. The added fresh lemon, herbs, and ground turkey make it refreshing while still hearty, and because it’s not continuously warm out, we’re still craving a good soup.

Not quite a winter bowl of pasta or a light summer salad, instead winter meets summer with this tasty spring antipasto pasta salad. This is the recipe for when you want something fresh, but also filling, and the artichoke hearts, arugula, and lemony kick give major spring vibes. You can customize this pasta salad by adding your favorite cheeses, meats, and pasta shapes. Bring this to an early spring potluck, cook out or Easter get-together!

Salads have rarely been in rotation this winter. We mostly crave soups, pastas, and hearty meals when it’s cold out, leaving salads to take a backseat. But as soon as we get hit with just a little vitamin D, a crisp, fresh salad sounds just about right. This Reset Salad, with its grilled chicken, will get you through chillier nights, but is also a great excuse to uncover the grill on a warmer night. The key to this salad is chopping the kale (an early spring produce favorite) very finely and topping it with a lemon dijon dressing.

Rhubarb is another early spring veggie, so we thought, why not use it in a spring cocktail? We made our strawberry rhubarb syrup, but if you don’t want to do that, use Fabbri Brand Strawberries in Syrup and add fresh rhubarb for a quick hack! Shake the syrup with gin, lemon, and sparkling water and strain into a glass of crushed ice. Or skip the gin and make an equally delicious spirit-free drink.

Next week, look out for our special Passover addition!

THANKS FOR READING!

Cheers 🥂

Hil & Nat

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