Sunday, January 30, 2011

~~A Collection of Seasonal Recipes to Enchant and Inspire all the Senses~~




FOR TASTING....

Taste...
Lavender sugar

Make this like vanilla sugar
Put a dozen or so lavender heads in a jar of fine sugar.
Leave it for a couple of weeks and you will have delicately scented sugar that can be used in cakes, fruit salad etc.

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Candied Violets

Violet flowers and leaves
An egg white
Sugar
Brushes

1. Wash the violets and leaves, and let dry.
2. Seperate the egg. Put yolk away for other use.
3. Dip small brush in egg whites and paint petals front and back.
4. Sprinkle sugar on the violets covering them completely.
5. Put the violets on waxed paper to dry.
6. You can do the leaves in the same manner.
= Submitted by Faerea Dawn

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Candied Sugared Rose Petals

Rose petals must be dry and clean.
Dip both sides in slightly whipped white of egg
then coat both sides of the petals immediately with granulated sugar
and lay carefully on waxed paper.
Allow to dry thoroughly before packing in boxes.
To hasten drying, turn the petals once.
They will keep for a year.

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Victorian Lavender Cookies W/ Rose Water Icing

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lavender, crushed
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 1/2 teaspoons water
6 1/2 teaspoons rose water
Serves / Yields About 4 dozen

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, lavender, flour, baking powder and salt.
Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.
While the cookies bake, prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with water and rose water.
Drizzle over the cookies after they have cooled.

This recipe was provided by The Spice House.
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Lavender Biscuits

~ 5 oz butter (wt.)
~ 4 oz fine sugar (wt.)
~ 1 egg
~ 6 oz self raising flour (wt.)
~ 1 tablespoon lavender flowers

Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the beaten egg,
then mix in the flowers and flour.
Place small heaps on a greased baking tray
and bake at 350F/170C for about 15-20 minutes.

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Lavender Lemonade

~ 1 pint water
~ 1 oz lavender flowers (wt.)
~ 8 oz sugar (wt.)
~ Juice of 4 lemons

Pour boiling water over the lavender flowers
and allow to infuse for about 20 minutes.
Then add sugar and lemon juice, and chill.
Store in the 'fridge.
To make up, mix about 1 part of the syrup to 4 parts water, serve with ice.

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Lavender Sponge Cake

~ 5 oz self raising flour (wt.)
~ 3 oz butter (wt.)
~ 3 oz lavender sugar (wt.)(see above recipe)
~ 1/4 cup milk
~ 2 beaten eggs

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy,
then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Fold in the flour.
Pour the mixture into two 7" sponge tins.
Bake at 17C/325F for about 10 - 15 minutes until just browned.
Sandwich together with raspberry jelly,
or else with lavender buttercream made by
creaming 3 oz butter with 3 oz lavender sugar
and a few drops of lemon juice.

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Rose Petal Jam

~ 1 lb. profusely scented red or pink petals
~ 2 c. water
~ 2 1/2 c. very fine sugar
~ Juice of one lemon

Make sure you remove the white base from each petal.
Rinse and wash the petals thoroughly.
Boil the water in a large saucepan. Reduce to a simmer,
then add the rose petals.
(The mixture will bubble up alot, so don't have the pan more than half full).
Simmer for 5 minutes or until petals are soft.
Add the sugar and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil an simmer for 30 minutes,
stirring frequently until sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to thicken like honey.
Allow the mixture to bubble up well. When the bubbles turn to foam, test for setting point.
To do this, remove the pan from the stove and put a small spoonful of the jam on a cold saucer,
allow to cool and push to the surface; if it wrinkles its ready.
Allow to cool slightly, then put into sterilized jars and seal.
Makes two one pint jars.

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VooDoo Doll drink (Adults only)

~ 1/2 oz Vodka
~ 1/2 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur
~ Fresh orange juice
~ Cranberry juice

In a tall glass mix ingredients with ice,
serve over ice with orange slice.



FOR SMELLING.....

Smell...
Midsummer Oil Recipe

~ 2 parts cinnamon oil (EO)
~ 2 parts heliotrope oil (EO)
~ 1 part sweet orange oil(EO)

Blend the oils together in a base of Sweet Almond Oil.
Use for Lith, Summer Solstice Candles, anointing Oil.
Smell...
Midsummer Incense #2

~ 3 parts Frankincense
~ 2 parts Benzoin
~ 1 part Dragon's Blood
~ 1 part Thyme
~ 1 part Rosemary
~ 1 pinch Vervain
a few drops Red Wine

Burn at rituals at the Summer Solstice (circa June 21st)
or at that time to attune with the seasons and the Sun.
Midsummer Incense" from Scott Cunningham's book
"The Complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews"

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Rose Jar Potpourri

10 cupsful dried rose petals
1/4 lb. ground orris root
2 oz. sandalwood powder
1/4 lb. table salt
1/2 oz. ground cloves
1/4 oz. ground allspice
1/2 oz. ground cinnamon
2-3 vanilla beans

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Cone Incense

~ 6 parts powdered sandalwood (or cedar, pine, juniper)
~ 2 parts powdered benzoin (frankincense, myrrh etc.)
~ 1 part ground orris root
~ 6 drops of essential oil
~ 3 to 5 parts loose incense mixture.

Mix all ingredients in the order given and weigh.
Add 10 percent of total weight of saltpeter,
mix and add gum arabic "glue" one teaspoon at a time
- it's a bit messy and sticky.
Roll cones thin and shape approximately 1 3/4" long.
Cones will shrink and dry in two to seven days.
Continue to turn cones to assure even drying without cracking.
Start drying in upright position. Cones will burn 10-25 minutes.

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Jelly Jar Deodorizers

~ 2 cups of liquid potpourri
~ 4 packs of knox gelatin

Heat 1 cup of the liquid to a boil,
Stir in the knox gelatin and mix until dissolved.
Add the other cup of liquid at room temp.
Pour into jelly jars or decorative bowls and cover with saran wrap.
Put in the fridge until set. They will last several months.

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Blessing Oil

1 to 4 lavender blossoms
2 drops each sage, basil, patchouli essential oil
Carrier oil (can be olive used for protection, almond, sunflower, etc.)

Choose a small dark vial.Place all but the oil in the vial together,
then add enough oil to fill the bottle. Shake thoroughly.
Use for anointing ritual candles, self, consecrating tools, etc.
Lavender is there for purification, happiness, love, and peace;

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Cinnamon Soap

* Makes One Bar 1 4-ounce bar *

~ unscented glycerin soap
~ 10 drops cinnamon oil
~ 1 drop red food coloring {optional}

In a heavy saucepan, melt the glycerin soap over low heat until liquefied.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and coloring until well mixed.
Pour the soap into a mold and let set for three hours or until hardened.


FOR FEELING....

Feel...
Rose water & glycerin hand lotion

In an attractive bottle or jar blend:

~ 1/2 rosewater
~ 1/2 vegetable glycerin.
~ Shake well and it's ready to use.

Great for hands, face, rough heels and elbows. Feels wonderful.

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Skin refresher

~ pure rose water
~ rose petals
~ 1/2 lemon

Put the rose water in a dish with rose petals.
Next, squeeze half of a lemon into the mixture.
This will create the best freshener you will ever have.

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Natural moisturizer

~ 1 avocado or papaya
~ plain yogurt

Mix the ingredients well,
apply the mixture to a clean face,
lay back and relax for ten minutes and wash it off.
This moisturizing mask will make your skin glow and fell fresh.

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Body & dusting powder

~ 1 cup arrowroot powder
~ 25 drops essential or fragrance oil.

In a blender or with a mortal and pestle mix very well. That's it!!!
Put into a shaker can or in a hard-round box with its own powder puff.

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Mouth wash

~ 2 cups water (bottled or spring)
~ 3 tsp fresh parsley
~ 2 tsp whole cloves
~ 2 cinnamon sticks, broken
~ 2 tsp peppermint extract

Boil water and remove from heat.
Add dry ingredients and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes.
Strain and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
You can add a couple of drops of "Tea Tree oil" to cooled mixture.
You can substitute other flavorings for peppermint if the minty flavor is not to your taste.

4 comments:

  1. Greetings. I love your blog. I have a question about the candied rose petals. Are they supposed to be completely dry(drained of fluids pot pouri wise) or washed and dried from excess water??
    I am a kitchen newbie!
    Brightest blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Take the egg whites and whisk lightly to break them up. If using egg white powder, reconstitute with water. Set aside.
    2. Pull apart petals from a pesticide-free (organic) rose. Choose petals free of blemishes or bend marks.
    3. With a small, fine brush, take a little bit of the egg white mixture and evenly apply over the entire surface of the petal, starting from the center out.
    4 Sprinkle sugar evenly over the petal and place on drying racks until completely dried. They will be hard. If the petals are small and if the drying racks are spaced too far apart, place on paper towels to dry.
    5. When finished, transfer to an airtight container until used. Properly stored, they should keep for a couple of weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. They just have to be fresh, perticide free, wiped down with damp cloth and just dry from excess wiping....You don't want them dry like you would for potpouri

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much! I will try them as soon as i find an organic rose!

    ReplyDelete