Welcome to Kirsten's Herbal Garden...LAVENDER

Lavender Mint Tea Punch (From Sunrise Herb Farm)
6 teaspoons dried mint * 6 cups boiling water * 1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms, broken up * 1 liter ginger ale * 1 cup purple grape juice * ice cubes with fresh mint leaf frozen in each
Brew the mint in the water in a teapot for ten minutes. Add the lavender blossoms to the pot. Allow tea to cool. Strain the tea and add the ginger ale, grape juice and ice cubes. If serving in a punch bowl, float lavender buds and mint sprigs on top.

Lavender Sugar
Mix 2 cups white sugar with 1 cup lavender buds, and then keep in a covered jar for one week. After a week, sift out the lavender, label the sugar and tint lavender with some mixed red and blue food coloring, if desired. This sugar is excellent in teas and on fruits!

Lavender Limeade
6 cups water * 1 3/4 cups sugar * 1/4 cup dried lavender or 1/3 cup fresh lavender flowers * 1 tsp. grated lime rind * 1 cup (about 8 limes) fresh-squeezed lime juice * lime slices (optional)
In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups water, sugar, lavender and lime zest. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove pan from heat and let syrup stand for 10 min. Strain and discard lavender. In large pitcher, stir syrup, lime juice and the remaining 4 cups water together. Serve over ice, with lime slices, if desired.

Lavender Syrup
Bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 T honey, and 2 t lavender buds to a boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until lavender flavor is pronounced, about 3 minutes. Strain syrup into small bowl.

Lavender Ointment
4 tablespoons olive oil * 3 to 4 tablespoons beeswax * 3 tablespoons cocoa butter * 3 teaspoons calendula oil * one Vit E capsule * 15 drops lavender essential oil
Combine the olive oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and calendula oil and heat thoroughly in the top of a double boiler. Remove from the heat. Add the Vitamin E capusule (poke a hole in it and squeeze), and the lavender oil, and beat well. Pour into little jars and allow the mixture to cool before covering.

Lavender Cream Filled Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
(Perfect for any summertime party or a wedding shower.)

Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes 350 degree oven
1/2 stick butter * 3/4 cups sugar * 1 cups all purpose flour * 1 teaspoons baking powder * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 1/2 cup whole milk * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract * 2 large egg whites
Soften butter then drizzle the sugar into the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, then measure out milk and vanilla in a different bowl. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts, alternating between flour and milk, beating well after each addition. Set this aside while in a clean mixer bowl, you beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated, then scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Lavender Cream
1 cup heavy cream * 1/4 cup granulated sugar * 1/2 cup water * 1 tablespoon lavender flowers
Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stir in lavender and let the mixture sit over the heat, undisturbed for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into a small bowl, and set in a second bowl of ice to cool. Meanwhile add heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the whip attachment until soft peaks form. Once the sugar mixture is relatively cool to the touch (it can be slightly warm) drizzle into the cream while beating on medium high, and continue to beat on high until firm peaks form.

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 stick butter * 8 oz cream cheese * 1/2 teaspoon mixed grated rinds of citrus (from lemons, limes, oranges, whatever citrus you have) * 1 teaspoon citrus juice (same as above) * 2 cups confectioner's sugar * 3-4 drops of purple food coloring
Soften butter, then add cream cheese and beat until combined. Sift confectioner's sugar, add about half of the confectioner's sugar and citrus juice and rinds to the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat on high speed to combine. Add remaining confectioner's sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved. Add purple food coloring and mix until consistent color is achieved

Assembly
Using a melon baller, scoop out a bit of the cooled cupcakes. Using a small spoon, fill each cavity with lavender cream. Trim off some of the scooped out cupcake and place back over the cavity. Pipe cream cheese frosting over the top then sprinkle lightly with lavender leaves...

Lavender Body Powder
2/3 cup arrowroot powder * 2/3 cup corn starch * 6 tbsp. white dried French clay * 3 tbsp. dried lavender
Grind whole Lavender flowers then mix with arrowroot powder, cornstarch and Lavender. Store in a glass sealed container or in a shaker bottle with holes in the top.

LAVENDER RECIPES
Happy Valley Lavender Farm Recipes, includes recipes for Lavender Lemonade, Lavender Cinnamon Rolls, Lavender Cheesecake, Lavender Jelly, Lavender Ice Cream and Lavender Fudge!
How to Cook with Lavender
Napa Valley Lavender Co. Recipes, includes recipes for Lavender-Apricot Breakfast Rolls, Lavender Pizza Dough, Lavender Salmon, Lavender Biscotti, Pink Lavender Lemonade...
6 Lavender Ice Cream Recipes!
Lavender Cookies, Shortbread and Lavender Lemon Bars Recipes

LAVENDER ARTS & CRAFTS
Happy Valley Farm Lavender Arts and Crafts, includes instructions to make Lavender Bath Bomz, Lavender Body Powder, Lavender Wands, and a Lavender Wreath

LAVENDER RESOURCES
Lavender Seeds, available from Territorial Seed Company
More Lavender Seeds
Growing Lavender Tips
How to make Lavender Mint Soap

LAVENDER FESTIVALS
Sequim Lavender Festival, July

Abbreviations: (t. = teaspoon, T. = Tablespoon, c. = cup)

DISCLAIMER: Do not eat or drink tea from any plant you have not fully studied and identified properly. Please consult with your local alternative herbal care specialist before using herbs you are not familiar with.

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