Lavender Massage Oil

With my ambundance of lavender this year ,I am racing to make as many things that I can.  I do like to leave some lavender out in my garden because it looks so pretty when it sways in the breeze.  But I also feel guilty just letting it sit and not making anything with it.

If you grow lavender, or if you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend making some lavender massage oil.    Nothing relaxes me more than the scent of lavender; add a massage with that and I am one happy person!

Ingredients:

Enough lavender flowers to fill a medium sized mason jar. 

Organic carrier oil, use an oil that does not have a strong scent such as sunflower, avocado, or even olive oil.

Method:

Fill jar with lavender flowers.  To make it easy, I just snip off the tops of the lavender so it's still on the stem.  Discard the remaining bare stems.

Fill the jar with your choice of oil, making sure the lavender is fully covered.  Seal jar securly and place on a sunny window sill for 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks, drain the lavender oil through a fine seive.  Pour massage oil into a dark glass bottle and store in a cool dark place.

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Lavender Salt

My lavender garden has exploded this year!  I have lavender in the front of my home, on the side, and in my backyard.  All three places are doing tremendously well.  My lavender normally grows well but this spring and summer has been my most abundant year yet.

My oldest lavender plants are15 years old and they are my pride and joy in my front garden.  All of my other lavender plants on my property came from these mature purple gems.  I have either transplanted young lavender plants when they have magically appeared, or I leave the young new plants to grow wherever they have reseeded on their own.

So far this year I have had enough lavender to make lavender massage oil, lavender water, sachets and still had plenty more to fill plenty of vases to brighten the inside of my home.  Today, I made lavender salt for my sister.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coarse sea salt

2 T dried lavender flowers

Method:

Place 1/2 cup of salt and lavender flowers in a food processor.  Pulse 10-25 times, or until the lavender is well incorporated into the salt.

Pour lavender salt into a medium sized bowl, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup salt.  

Store salt in a glass container that had a secure top.

Use the lavender salt on veggies, or use to enhance the flavor of chocolate, when making cookies or homemade candy.

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil infused with Chives and Chili Flakes

  My chive plants are still going strong, so instead of making chive salt with them as I usually do, I shook it up this morning and made infused oil.  Also, my kitchen smelled amazing while the oil and herbs were doing their magic on my stove.

This was my first time infusing oil, but it definitely won't be my last.  Infusing oils is a great way to use your herbs that you have growing in the garden before winter takes them.

I mixed fresh chives with dried chili flakes.  You can also infuse oils with nuts and seeds.

With the holidays approaching, I think gifting infused oils would be lovely!

Ingredients:

1 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

2 T organic fresh chives

2 T organic dried chili flakes

Method:

Wash and dry chives, snip them into small pieces.  

In a small pot, over a low flame, add oil, chives, and chili flakes. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from flame and let cool.

Strain oil through a sieve and pour oil into a glass container that has a secure lid.  Keep oil in the refrigerator when not using.  Let oil sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before using.

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Herb Wands

Aren't these the neatest? Won't your family and friends be impressed at your next dinner party when you place these herb wands on your table?

You can use any herb you like! Try oregano, thyme, tarragon, or rosemary.  I used chives and cilantro.

I use these wands on corn on the cob. Dip the herb wand into melted non-dairy butter and brush your corn on the cob.  Not only is this the easiest way to get butter to stay on your corn but you also flavor your corn with whatever herb you use.

You will need small branches, string or twine, and herbs.

I used branches from my apple trees, cut to the length of 8 inches.  Cut herbs long enough so you can tie them onto the stick securly with enough herbs hanging off the very top.

Place your twine under the herbs and and the top part of the branch.  Make a knot and start to wrap both ends of the twine around the top part.  Stop when you have enough to tie another knot, snip off any excess twine.

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Vegan Cilantro and Chive Butters

It's not often that I can get organic corn on the cob at Whole Foods.  So, when I went shopping this week and saw that they had some, I was so excited and bought several packs.  The corn was delicious! I even went back yesterday to buy several more packs to freeze.

*cilantro butter is shown on top followed by the chive butter below.

As I was preparing the corn for dinner, I thought that plain butter was not good enough for this sweet organic corn on the cob.  So, off to the garden I headed with my kitchen shears.  

These butters are also excellent on bagels, pasta, rice, and even melted over popcorn.

Chive butter on a freshly baked garlic bagel.

Ingredients for both chive and cilantro butter:

1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened 

2 tablespoons fresh organic chives

2 tablespoons organic cilantro (leaves only)

Using 2 small bowls place 4 tablespoons each of the softened butter.

With your kitchen shears, snip the chives into small pieces.  Do the same with the cilantro leaves.

Add chives to one bowl and cilantro to the other.  Mix each thoroughly.

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