I have several lavender plants, all culinary varieties. And this year I have one plant that just keeps giving!! I’ve been cutting it, drying and storing it. I have nearly a full quart jar of dried blossoms – so what to do…
Here are some ideas and recipes if you have some lavender to use too!
What kind of Lavender should I use?
If you are making a linen spray or body scrub, you can use craft lavender. If you are using it in food it must be a culinary grade. Craft lavender has preservative chemicals on it, not fit for consumption. That’s why I grow my own. I know any of it can be ingested. More on lavender varieties to come in a future post!
On to the Recipes! See one you like? Just click on the picture – off you’ll go to the recipe.
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HelenFern
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Breakfast,Brunch |
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What do you do with bananas that are starting to get over-ripe. You can freeze them to use at another time (and then forget about them like I did), you can make banana nut bread, freeze them overnight, then whirl them in the food processor for banana “ice cream”[13] (which would be delightful on these waffles), or you can make a sensational breakfast and serve banana nut WAFFLES!!
These waffle are so easy – and so delicious!
Making Banana Nut Waffles –
Put everything but the bananas and walnuts in a blender.
Blend on high until everything smooth and creamy.
Next add two bananas (leaving one to slice for the top when serving). Whirl it again. Let some of the bananas stay chunky.
Stir in the walnuts and let sit while the waffle iron heats up.
We always make Belgian waffles. They have deeper holes and hold more good stuff, but you can use any waffle maker.
Pour the batter over the hot waffle maker, using just enough to cover the plate.
Close the iron and let cook several minutes. Be careful not to open too soon. They will stick.
Continue cooking until the batter is gone, keeping the co0ked waffles warm in a warm oven, directly on the grate. Putting it on the grate keeps it from steaming and making the waffle soft or soggy.
When you are finished cooking all the batter, serve with sliced banana and a few walnuts on top. Add some maple syrup and indulge!!
Delicious waffles with all the flavors of banana nut bread.
Course:
Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
banana, bananas, Belgian, maple syrup, sweet, waffle, walnuts
Servings: 6large waffles
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
1 cupheavy cream
2largeeggs
1/4cupsoftened butter
1/3cupbrown sugar (I used light)
1/2teaspoonsea salt
1teaspoonvanila extract
1-1/2cupFlour
1/8cupcornstarch(helps make the outside crisp and inside fluffy)
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoon baking powder
3mediumbananas (two for the batter, one for the topping)
1cupvery coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
Put everything but the bananas and walnuts in a blender. Blend on high until everything smooth and creamy.
Next add two bananas (leaving leaving one to slice for the top when serving). Whirl it again. Let some of the bananas stay chunky.
Stir in the walnuts and let sit while the waffle iron heats up.
We always make Belgium waffles. They have deeper holes and hold more good stuff, but you can use any waffle maker.
Pour the batter over the hot waffle maker, using just enough to cover the plate.
Close the iron and let cook several minutes. Be careful not to open too soon. They will stick.
Continue cooking until the batter is gone, keeping the co0ked waffles warm in a warm oven, directly on the grate. Putting it on the grate keeps it from steaming and making the waffle soft or soggy.
When you are finished cooking all the batter, serve with sliced banana and a few walnuts on top. Add some maple syrup and indulge!!
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HelenFern
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Breads and Rolls |
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I’ve been craving some cinnamon bread, but I’m not fond of raisins and the loaves in the store, well, all have raisins. And I just happened to have some frozen white bread dough[18] in the freezer – This bread is so easy you’ll make it again and again.
Here’s How to Do it:
Start by thawing out the dough. Don’t worry about a rise, you’re going to punch it down and roll it out.
Once it’s thawed, mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl.
Roll the loaf out flat,
then spread the cinnamon sugar mixture
evenly over the top.
Carefully roll it out and put it into a buttered loaf pan.
Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm place to rise. Let it double.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
When the dough has risen, place it in the center of the oven and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer in the center to make sure it’s done – it should be at 190°. The top of mine got pretty brown (I need a new oven), but it wasn’t burned.
Rub the top with some butter and allow it to cool before you cut it.
Serve it warm with melted butter – but you better make two. They go fast!!
Start with frozen bread dough and end with a delicious loaf of sweet bread.
Course:
bread, Breads
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
bread dough, cinnamon, sugar, walnuts
Servings: 1loaf
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
1loaffrozen white bread dough
1/3cupwhite granulated sugar
1/8cupcinnamon
1/4cupchopped walnuts
1/3stickbutter to grease pan and top baked bread
Instructions
Start by thawing out the dough. Don't worry about a rise, you're going to punch it down and roll it out.
Once it's thawed, mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl.
Roll the loaf out flat, then spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top.
Carefully roll it out and put it into a buttered loaf pan.
Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm place to rise. Let it double.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
When the dough has risen, place it in the center of the oven and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer in the center to make sure it's done - it should be at 190°. The top of mine got pretty brown (I need a new oven), but it wasn't burned.
Rub the top with some butter and allow it to cool before you cut it.
Serve it warm with melted butter - but you better make two. They go fast!!
Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!
The Best Dessert Cocktails For Your Next Dinner Party To
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Beverage,Cold - with alcohol,Warm - with alcohol |
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When you are putting together a dinner party, it’s the details that really wow your guests. Obviously, you need amazing food and great conversation, but simple things like the drinks you serve can make a big difference too.
After you have eaten your main course, it’s time to serve dessert. You should consider making some special dessert cocktails to go with it. It’s a great way to top off an amazing evening and make it that bit more exciting.
How To Decide Which Cocktail Is Best
If you want to serve cocktails with the final course of your meal, you need to match the flavors. So, take a look at your dessert[23] recipe and think about what the overriding flavors are. For example, if you are serving tiramisu, an espresso martini is the ideal cocktail. But if you are serving key lime pie, you’ll be better off with a margarita, which is heavily lime-based. Think about how heavy the dessert is too because if you have something quite rich, it might be best to balance it with a fairly small, light cocktail.
Using these basic considerations, you should be able to find the perfect cocktail, but if you are stuck for ideas, here are some excellent recipes to try.
The Best Dessert Cocktail Ideas
Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is such a popular after dinner drink and it even has its own national day[24]. It’s not your typical cocktail, but it’s ideal for a dessert drink. People often have coffee with their dessert anyway, so why not spice things up with a bit of whiskey and some fresh whipped cream? It’s a great alternative for people that don’t have much of a sweet tooth so they don’t want a dessert or a sugary cocktail.
Brandy Alexander
The Brandy Alexander is one of the most iconic sweet cocktails out there. There’s a reason why it’s such a classic. It’s so simple to make and the basic recipe[25] only contains brandy, creme de cacao, and cream, with a bit of nutmeg on the top. It has a nice creamy dessert quality to it but it’s not overly sweet, so you can still pair it with a rich dessert.
Chocolate Martini
The Martini is probably one of the best known cocktails in the world. Adding a chocolate twist makes it perfect for a dinner party dessert drink. This recipe[26] uses chocolate liqueur and baileys alongside vodka, but there are plenty of other ways you can mix it up. It can be quite rich, so it’s best paired with a simple dessert like a sorbet or a lemon posset. If you put this alongside a heavy chocolate dessert, it might be a bit too much.
Grasshopper
The Grasshopper is another classic sweet cocktail recipe that is ideal for a dessert. This delicious mint chocolate cocktail[27] is also low-proof, so if you’ve already had a few drinks and you don’t want anything too heavy, it’s perfect.
These are all excellent choices for cocktails to serve with dessert at your next big dinner party. Just use your imagination and fly!!
Yesterday as National Popcorn day! This post was scheduled to run at 6:20am – but I put in January 20 instead of the 19 – So this post is late. However…
What is popcorn? Popcorn is one of America’s favorite snacks. It’s been around for thousands of years. The oldest known popcorn were kernels found in the “Bat Cave” of New Mexico and was dates at more then 5,600 years old. Ancient art work from several countries in the America’s depicts pop kernels. Corn (the old English word for grain), or maize, is a staple in this part of the world. American colonists added sugar and milk and ate it like breakfast cereal.
But what exactly is this food, popcorn?
There are four varieties of corn; sweet corn (the kind we eat on the cob), field corn (we call this feed corn. It’s the kind grown to feed animals), flint corn (AKA the decorative “Indian” corn) and popcorn. Deep inside the kernel of this corn is a tiny droplet of water. After the dried kernel is heated, that tiny little drop of water turns to steam and builds up pressure. When the pressure is enough, the kernel explodes and turns inside out. And you have, Popcorn!
So how do you eat it?
Here’s How to Eat Popcorn:
There are so many ways to eat popcorn. Below you’ll find a couple of ideas to add flavors, but there is one key – making the toppings stick.
Start with about 4 to 6 cups of popped corn.
If you are adding powdered ingredients, make sure you toss the bowl of kernels in oil first.
Add the seasonings and toss again. This makes sure all the powder is evenly distributed and all the kernels are covered.
Taco Flavored
The easiest way to make this is simply top it with a taco seasoning packet. You can also mix chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin and onion powder.
Pizza Flavored
Add garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Mince pepperoni and add that.
Curry Popcorn
Mix together curry powder, anise powder and smoked paprika.
Ranch Popcorn
Super easy here! Just add a package of dry ranch dressing mix.
Like sweet popcorn? Try mixing it with crisp bacon bits and caramel. Or cinnamon and sugar. There are so many variations. Pick your favorite flavors, add it to the popped corn and enjoy!!
Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!