The Love Of Lavender

Our dear chum Jen, shared a wonderful article with us on the subject of lavender and some of the many uses you may not have known about.  It was just too good of an article not to pass it on to all our chums 🙂

Here is what www.care2.com had to say on the subject:

“Lavender isn’t just for aromatherapy. This flower has a strong, floral flavor that can add a certain elegant dimension to a number of different recipes. You may think it’s only used in teas, but you’d be wrong: Lavender has been a showstopper ingredient in cookies, breads, healthy parfaits, scones, lavender lemonade, you name it!

Native to France (among other places), dried lavender is commonly used in herbs de Provence mixtures and can also be ground, sweetened and added to dessert items. Here’s what you need to know about cooking with this fragrant, flavorful herb.

Health Benefits of Lavender

When used as an essence or therapeutic oil, lavender has been shown to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. This probably isn’t news, but did you know that lavender also contains a number of health benefits when consumed orally? According to Livestrong, lavender is low in fat and calories, but rich in calcium, iron and vitamin A. This combination is important for maintaining healthy energy levels, supporting bone health and keeping your eyes healthy.

Cooking Tips:

Though lavender smells lovely, it can be very overpowering in your dishes, so it’s important to get your measurements right. Here are a few helpful tips for cooking with lavender:

-Be sure you’re buying cooking-grade lavender, or culinary lavender, rather than lavender meant for a different purpose. Culinary lavender is often dried (if it’s being used as an herb) and has been curated for cooking purposes.

-Make sure not to overdo it. A little lavender will go a long way, and you’ll definitely want to pair this fragrant herb with other strong flavors that will complement it (lemon is a common pairing).

-Bon Appetit also recommends grinding your lavender or infusing it into a liquid. This will prevent you from experiencing the texture of leaves in your dish.”

8 Recipes Using Lavender

-This Refreshing Lavender Lemonade is perfect for sipping as we move into the last days of hot summer weather.
-How about some Lavender Banana Bread to start off your day?
-Sip on this Lavender Mint Tea to experience the health benefits of not only lavender, but also refreshing mint.
-Start your morning off in delicious fashion with these Honey Lavender Scones.
-For something super hearty and healthy, try these Overnight Oats with Lavender Chia Pudding.
-When it starts to get chilly, try this Lavender & Chamomile Hot Toddy to warm you up.
-Craving something sweet? Try this Lavender Shortbread recipe or the Lavender Honey Lemon Ice Cream.
-These Lavender and Lemon Tea Cookies make the perfect complement to your afternoon tea.

We hope you’ll give some of these recipes a try and let us know what you think.  Sharing good ideas with chums is all a part of love, joy and abundant living.  Thank you again Jen!