Who can resist chocolate truffles?  And adding just a hint of lavender makes them all the more decadent!  Perfect to give or to treat yourself on these long winter days!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds​
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate pieces, roughly chopped
• cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Bring the whipping cream to a gentle simmer in a sturdy pot. Remove from heat and stir in the lavender buds. Cover with a lid and and let sit for 12-15 min.

2. Put the chopped up chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the lavender cream through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl and discard the lavender buds.

3. Add honey to the bowl and place on top of a sauce pan with boiling water. Whisk until you have a smooth and lump free mixture.

4. Bring mixture to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for a few hours, until it firms up.

5. Using a melon baller or a spoon, make small balls. Roll them between the palms of your hands to smooth out.

6. Put cocoa powder in a shallow bowl and roll the truffles in the cocoa.

Viola!  Delicious lavender truffles!

Makes 20 truffles

(Adapted from Kathy Gehrt's recipe in her book Discover Cooking with Lavender)

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 slices smoked bacon (don’t use turkey bacon)
• 1 large onion and one large celery stalk, chopped
• ¾ teaspoon each coarsely ground dried culinary lavender buds ​and dried thyme leaves
• 3.5 cups canned chicken broth, preferably sodium reduced
• 2 cups peeled and cubed Yukon Gold, Red Bliss, or other boiling potatoes
• ¼ teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper
• 1.5 cups rinsed and drained frozen yellow corn kernels
• 1 cup light cream or whipping cream

Directions

Fry the bacon slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until they are just cooked through and nicely browned.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Transfer 2.5 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat to a medium soup pot or saucepan; disregard the rest.  When the bacon is cooled enough to handle, finely crumble into bits and set aside.

Over medium-high heat, stir the onion and celery into the bacon fat.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.  Stir in the lavender and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.  Immediately stir in the broth, potatoes, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, until the potato is cooked through when tested with a fork.

If a slightly thicker soup is desired, working in the pot with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash a few potato cubes.  Stir in the crumbled bacon (reserve a little for garnish if desired), corn, and cream and continue cooking, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes longer to reheat and allow the flavors to mingle.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Thin the soup with a little hot water, if desired.  Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.  Garnish with bacon, if reserved. 

Makes 4 or 5 (1 ½ cup) main dish servings.

Soaking in a hot tub on a cold winter day is made even more heavenly when calming and soothing herbs are added to the mix.  This is a great little Valentine's Day gift or a great addition to your self-care.  

Supplies

• 1/2 cup Epsom Salts
• 1/2 cup Dead Sea Salts
• 1/3 cup ground oatmeal
• 2 Tbsp dried lavender buds
• 15-20 drop lavender essential oil
• Optional: 1-2 Tbsp dried Calendula or Rose petals
• Muslin bag or disposable tea bag

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl

2. Spoon mix into muslin or tea bag and securely seal the bag.

3. Add to warm bath and enjoy!

Lanette Smith is obsessed with hearts.  She finds them in clouds, leaves, soap bubbles, and puddles -- anywhere, really.  And this makes complete sense to me because Lanette is all heart. She has a heart of gold. In fact any heart saying you can think of would most likely fit Lanette.  

I’ve known Lanette for almost the whole time we’ve lived here -- she lives just down the street from us.  And it turns out, most people in town know her too.  It was kindof a joke for a while that every new person we met, also knew Lanette.  The sweet gal at the bakery? One of Lanette’s best friends.  Our tax lady?  Good friends with Lanette. My new lavender farming friend?  Went to school with Lanette.  And on and on.  This makes perfect sense though.  Lanette walks into a room with love oozing from her being, a giant smile on her face, and proceeds to make everyone in the room feel like they are the most wonderful person she has ever met, as she listens intently and offers, ever so meekly, her profound wisdom.  How could you not want to be friends with someone like that?  How could you not love someone like that?  How lucky am I to be her neighbor..Read more