This Lavender Shortbread Recipe is very simple, has a delicious flavour and is perfect to give as a gift. The biscuits (or the dough) can be kept in the freezer for when you need a little something to give to someone. You can experiment with different shaped cookie cutters if you want or use a letter press to stamp words into your shortbread as I did. Ingredients 250 g butter 3/4 cup icing sugar 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dried or fresh lavender flowers 2 cups flour pinch of … [Read more...]
Making Chain Maille Jewellery
I have got the bug for making chain maille jewellery - big time! I have been experimenting with lots of different chain maille designs and will share some of these with you. Since I managed to find a source of the required jumprings so that I didn't have to make my own like my friend Elena (see my earlier post for some of Elena's beautiful pieces) life has become so much easier for me to pursue this interest. Elena makes all her materials from scratch from copper or silver wire but the … [Read more...]
Lemon, Honey & Ginger Syrup
Lemon, Honey & Ginger Syrup is perfect for soothing those winter sore throats and giving a boost to your immunity. It is quick and easy to make and a perfect gift for someone who's not feeling well. Just add a couple of spoonfuls to a cup of hot water. You will need: a biggish piece of fresh ginger (about 100g) 1 cup honey 1 cup fresh lemon juice (6 medium lemons) Slice the ginger thinly. Boil ginger with 1 cup water in a small heavy-based saucepan for about 5 minutes, stirring … [Read more...]
Garden Trugs
A garden trug is a traditional work basket with many uses in the garden. I love their history and that this is an artisan craft that continues today. They make great gifts and can be filled with all sorts of garden and gardening goodies. Trugs have been used for centuries, coming of age in England in the 1700s when gardening became a pastime and passion. It is said that Queen Victoria fell in love with trugs in 1851 at the Great Exhibition and helped make them a desirable fashion … [Read more...]
Natural Calendula Antiseptic Cream Recipe
This recipe for a Natural Calendula Antiseptic Cream uses more natural ingredients than the simple Calendula Cream recipe made with Vaseline petroleum jelly that I described in an earlier post. You can make little jars for kids so that they can put "Owie Cream" on their cuts and scrapes or to tuck into your day pack if you are heading out into the Great Outdoors or travelling. It would make a great gift for the travellers or hikers in your life. Calendula flowers have bee used by many ancient … [Read more...]
Lavender Syrup Recipe
I have been growing lots of herbs and other edible flowers, so when I saw this simple lavender syrup recipe I just had to try it. It has a wonderful summery flavour, and is delicious mixed with a fresh berry and nectarine fruit salad or drizzled over grilled peaches. Poured into decorative bottles it makes a great gift - combine it with some lavender or vanilla sugar for a sweet treat for someone. 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise or 2 tsp vanilla extract grated … [Read more...]
Summer Hair Repair and Mask
I've always liked the idea of making my own natural health and beauty products, and have been spurred on to try some of them. So far these have turned out to be very easy but many of the creams and lotions have daunted me with recipes requiring you to create different phases at different temperatures and combining them at different times. I've been easing myself in gradually by making some of the simpler recipes to start with. See list at the end of the post for other simple recipes to … [Read more...]
Lavender & Other Flavoured Sugars
When I was making Lavender & Lemon Cheesecake, the recipe called for some lavender sugar to decorate it with. I know sugar is seen as something we should be reducing in our diets but flavouring sugar makes it a treat that we can enjoy just a little of to make something really special. Making lavender sugar couldn't really be any simpler: mix lavender flowers and sugar and leave in a jar for at least a week. You can use fresh or dried lavender flowers - just make sure you are using … [Read more...]
Making Liquid Soap
In an earlier post I talked about making handmade gift soaps. Of course once I'd got enthusiastic about making these, someone made the comment that nobody uses solid soaps these days. Of course this is totally untrue but it made me think about how you could make gifts of liquid soaps. I tried a recipe for a simple liquid soap made from bar soap: pour 3 cups hot water over 3-4 tbsps of grated soap leave it overnight to set - it becomes a firm jelly (I couldn't believe that it would but … [Read more...]
Cool Weird Stuff for Kids
One of my nephews included "Cool Weird Stuff" on his list of presents he wanted for his birthday. Then he crossed it out, uncertain of how that might be interpreted. Presents from Auntie Sue will have certainly fallen into the 'weird' category compared with everything else they have got but hopefully some of them have also been considered 'cool' (perhaps when no-one else is around). I have often heard award-winning scientists saying that they were inspired by a microscope they were given when … [Read more...]
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