Friday, June 29, 2012

                                                   Have You Tried Making Lavender Wands?

Lavender is wonderful for so many projects, and doubly good for using in recipes. Here's an easy project that I love making and giving as gifts, or a attaching to a wrapped gift.  I don't like my guests to go home empy handed so I always have a small something for them to take home, and lavender wands are perfect especially if you send home some lavender champagne jelly along with them.

Here's How:
Start by sorting the lavender, and bring all the flowers up evenly.  I suggest for your first time start out small.  Maybe 7 stems.  Trim the ends of the stem to the desired length, and take off all the leaves so that your ribbon does not get caught in them.

                      Next tie a long length of ribbon close to the bottom of the flowers

Now carefully bring the stems up over the flowers


Begin weaving the ribbon in an up and then under pattern.  Making sure your ribbon is straight.  Unlike this picture.  It's a little difficult the first weave but it get easier I promise.

When you reach the bottom of the flowers, tie off and put a bow around the base of the flowers.

And there you have it.  You can even do holiday wands for a table setting.  Sorry this was a quicky weave just to give you an example. 
!
Lemon -Artichoke Chicken

If you foliow my facebook page, you probably know that we are cooking our way thru 3 binders of recipes that we have saved over the years.  We tried this one today, and was big hit.  The artichoke and lemon give this dish such a wonderful flavor.  You couldn't get better in a restaurant,  Of course at home you will have the dishes to wash.  But think how much money you saved!  Here's the recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350.  Sprinkle chicken on both sides with pepper and salt.  In a 10inch frying pan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter.  Add chicken in batches and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides.  Transfer chicken to a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and add 1 can (or jar) 14 oz artichokes hearts. To frying pan and remaining butter add 2 tbsp sherry, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tsp lemon juice.  Stir over medium heat until well blended and hot. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir. Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese over the top of the chicken,  Bake until sauce is bubbling and golden brown on top.  About 20-25 minutes.


I was going to blog on how to make you own vinegar, but seems that I may have taken up enough of your time for one blog.  Next Friday, along with what's going on here at the little farm (I suspect it will have something to do with tomatoes), I will blog instructions for making your own vinegar.  I hope to see you then. 

2 comments:

  1. I have seen photos of lavender wands before but have not tried making them. It might be fun!

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  2. Love the lavender wands - thanks for the great instructions!!

    ReplyDelete