Lavender Fields

www.youtube.com/watch

I never knew until I went there that there are several kinds of lavender. The kind that smells so good is not the kind you cook with. The owner of The Lookout Lavender Farm tells us all about it in this video. And she’s given us several recipes to try.

Since I like lemon so well I’m going to try these Lemon-Lavender Muffins first.

Bacon Crisps/Good for breakfast or snacks

Take out puff pastry rub with egg mixture then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or shredded pepper jack. Use a rolling pin to push the cheese into the dough. Cut the pastry into 8 strips. Lay a piece of bacon on each piece. Twist, cut in half and brush both sides with an egg wash (1 egg to I tablespoon milk whipped together) to brown the dough. Bake in 375 degree oven on a rack sitting on top of a pan lined with foil for 30 minutes. I like to use maple, brown sugar or hickory smoked bacon.

7D16B96B-B77D-42D2-897C-0E8C7599924F

A Special Kind Of Love

 img_7336

 You read and hear about true love all the time. For some, love comes quickly, for others it takes time. I’ve had the opportunity over the years to witness a special kind of  love and watch it grow. I’ve seen them argue over little things and seen how different they are in personality. But their bond will never be broken. You see, you don’t have to be born to the same mother or father to love as sisters do. One of my first special memories of them was seeing them be pulled in a little red wagon to an outside symphony concert. One with brown hair, the other blonde. One in pigtails, the other in a ponytail. Both wearing shorts because it was summer. Through the years the family has always seen to it that they  support each other. One would play softball while the other chose cheerleading, not on the same team or even the same school, but each enjoyed watching the other perfect her talent. They helped each other get ready for proms and date nights. They started out in bunk beds together and then eventually they each had their own bedrooms in different colors and styles. But one thing they always had in common was cooking, and the house they grew up in always smelled delectable with hints of cinnamon or garlic, depending on the recipe, lingering in the air. They were the maid or matron of honor in each other’s weddings recently. Both chose many special ways to celebrate their heritage and keep family members past and present in their details. To this day they still share recipes and I’ve chosen one from each to share.

The recipe that follows is from Jessica Brevard Osborne. Now that she has been married to Colin for about 3 months, she has been trying many new recipes and wanted to share this one.

IMG_7752

Alexis Atkinson Smith has chosen one of her favorite old recipes passed down from her maternal grandmother.

IMG_7798

English Scones with Natalie Tacy

img_7348After going to The English Rose tea room in Chattanooga, Tennessee this weekend to celebrate our cousin Natalie getting a new job as an airline flight attendant and moving to New York, what do you do?? Our idea? Make scones. They were much easier than we imagined.

1 1/2 cups plain flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup sugar- Mix well- add 1 cup mayonnaise or sour cream- knead well and form into a ball. Roll out onto floured board or wax paper 3/4 inch thick and cut with round biscuit cutter. Bake on wax paper 10-12 minutes in preheated oven 400 degrees.

And of course what you put on the scones is as important! Butter and honey are at the top of the list, and a close second is lemon or raspberry curd, followed by any preserves or jelly. Or just eat them plain if you like.

img_7346