So Succulent Gardens

Soon the fragrant flowers for will be blooming, it is a perfect time to make this wonderful blend to keep in a crock.  It is said that this old recipe and will keep its fragrance for 50 years, with the addition of a bit of brandy every couple of years or whenever the mixture dries out. This is not a pretty mixture, but the AROMA!

3/4 cup salt (non-iodized)
Crush the following 3 items:
3 bay leaves, 1/4 cup allspice, 1/4 cup cloves,
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TSP. orrisroot powder
1 quart partially dried rose petals
2 cups mixed, partially dried, fragrant (jasmine, lavender, orange blossoms, violet, etc.),
1 cup dried fragrant leaves (rose geranium, bee balm, lemon verbena, etc),
2 TSP. brandy.
Mix together the salt, bay, allspice, cloves and sugar.
Blend flower petals and leaves with Orris root. Place some of the petal mixture in a large crock and sprinkle with the salt mixture. Continue alternating layers of petals and salt, ending with salt. Add the brandy, weight down with a plate. After thoroughly mixing every day for month, pour into small containers.

GARDEN PARTY MINTS
2 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
4 t. Whole Milk
2 T. Melted Butter
4 drops Peppermint Essential oil
1 ½ T. finely chopped chocolate mint leaves
8 oz Semisweet Chocolate
Mix powdered sugar, milk and butter, when smooth add chopped mint and peppermint essential oil. Form into patties and chill. Melt chocolate in double boiler. Dip patties into chocolate and allow to set.

MINTED SALAD DRESSING
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. mint vinegar
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper, ground
1/4 cup good olive oil
1. Combine all but oil in medium bowl.
2. Using a fork or whisk, gradually beat in olive oil.
Makes about 1 cup. This dressing is especially good with a fresh green salad of baby greens or spinach.

MINT SYRUP
2 cups water
1 cup mint leaves, loosely packed
4 cups sugar Food coloring, optional
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the mint leaves, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil again and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved, simmer for 20 minutes, or until the syrup is reduced by about a third. Add coloring if desired. Pour the syrup into small, sterilized canning jars and seal. Place the jars in a boiling-water bath and process for 5 minutes. 1 ½ pints.

Moroccan Mint Meat Rub
2 tablespoons combination peppermint or spearmint leaves, or 1/2 cup fresh leaves.
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Use on poultry or beef before grilling.

SWEET LAVENDER MINT VINEGAR
1 cup lavender mint leaves
Zest of 2 lemon
2 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Put mint and lemon zest in a jar and fill with vinegar. Seal jar and let stand 2-3 weeks in a cool dark place. Shake from time to time. Strain and add sugar shake until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle on with fresh fruits.MINT SAUCE FOR FRUIT
½ c. honey 1/4 c. water 2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. fresh mint leaves, chopped Pinch of salt
Dissolve honey in boiling water. Add remaining ingredients and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and steep until cool, strain. Pour over fresh melons, berries, or kiwis. Allow fruit to marry in sauce before serving.

Yea! There was sunshine today and I was able to catch some rays out in the greenhouse.  Before you know it, we will be fighting insects for some grub, so be prepared with this simple recipe.

HERBAL INSECT REPELLANT
Grind 1 ½ cup of dried herbs or 3 cups fresh and place in 1 quart of water, let it sit for 24 hours, strain, add 1/4 t. of dish soap. A variety of herbs are known to repel a variety of insects. Experiment to see what works best in your situation. Here are some that may work: catmint, feverfew, marigolds, sage, thyme, pennyroyal, wormwood, chives, painted daisies, southernwood, lemon bam, tansy, lavender, bay and garlic.

"Eat the View!" is a campaign to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.

"Eat the View" is coordinated by Kitchen Gardeners International, a Maine-based 501c3 nonprofit network of 10,000 gardeners from 100 countries who are inspiring and teaching more people to grow some of their own food.

Click on the picture to sign the petition.

This  serene picture  was  taken at 7 in the morning when the temperature was a minus 15 degrees. NO, I did stand outside, it was through my kitchen window.  You see I am like the groundhogs, I enjoy hibernating for the winter. 

I love having my children nine years apart, but on the day like today, I wish my 13 year old was a little older so I could bask in the florida sun and not wait for the school bus.

But it was a beautiful morning, can you see how the sun plays with the shadows of the lavender hills in the field.
Enjoy!

Spring will be here before you know so I will be posting theme gardens to help bring flying art into your yard.

The creation of a successful hummingbird habitat in your garden is easy. Like other birds, they need food, water, and spots for nesting, roosting and perching. Hummingbird metabolism dictates a diet high in sugar. A ‘typical’ hummingbird consumes half of his weight each day in sugar requiring several feedings per hour. They obtain their sugar and many other nutrients from flower nectar.

Providing a steady succession of nectar flowers from early spring until late autumn is the key to attracting these birds. Hummingbirds are particular about their flowers. These ‘hummingbird flowers’ are often red, a color which is visible to the birds, but is indistinctive for insects competing for the nectar. They often have long tubular flowers which also discourages most bees which cannot reach down far enough to get the nectar. Red is the color that gets a hummingbirds attention, but they also sample flowers of other colors and frequent them if they are good nectar producers. Although attracted to the color red flowers they won't come back if they is a poor food source.

Hummingbirds also consume many small insects which they find in the flowers. A diversity of flowers promotes a healthy diversity of insect life that is necessary for their diet.

A complete habitat also includes trees and shrubs for shade roosting, perching and nest sites. It has been suggested that willows trees are a multipurpose plant. Their flowers are a source for both nectar and small insects while the downy filaments which aid in seed dispersal are a good nest building material for the hummingbird.

Hummingbirds get their nutritional water from nectar, but they do appreciate a bird bath. The water must be shallow, to accomplish this in a regular bird bath line the bottom of the basin with flat rocks and fill with water.

The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning" and to help center ourselves.  All ancient cultures burned various herbs and resins for spiritual reasons.  Incense is thought to have 'pleased the gods' with its fragrance.  Resins such as frankincense and myrrh were considered suitable gifts in the Christian religion.

HOW TO USE A SMUDGING WAND--
Light the end of your wand. After it is ignited for about 10-15 seconds, extinguish the flame. You may wish to use an abalone shell or some other heatproof container to catch falling ash and ember. You may also set the wand in the container and use a "smudging feather" or your hand to direct the smoke. 
We then smudge the room, slowly walking clockwise around the perimeter of the room, fanning the smudge pot, and keeping it lit and wafting the smoke about. Smudge any medicine tool you will be using such as pipe jewelry, outfit, etc.  "It is a good practice to smudge each person in a group. Starting from the East and holding the smudge pot lit, each person can bathe himself or herself in the smoke. Many people smudge the heart area first, next the head area, and then the arms, then downward toward the legs. This isn't the only way you can smudge. It is not wrong to smudge another way.
To smudge is to purify and cleanse oneself, and to make contact with the spirits- however you conceive them to be. From this we can see that Smudging is a powerful but simple way to use ceremony of connection and grounding in ones life.
Smudging is also prayer- many native people consider that the smoke of the smoldering smudge mix is taken by the spirits in good ways, and if you make such offerings then the spirits will know you and want to help you in your life. There is a principle that one should only ask for ‘help and healing’ through ceremony of this kind. So if you need help with problems, need guidance or direction, or ask for healing for yourself or others, then it is fine to ask the spirits for their help in these ways. You might want to smudge when: You’ve been feeling depressed, angry, and resentful. You've had an argument with someone. You're going to have a special ritual or ceremony or as part of a general spiritual housecleaning and to clear your crystals of any negative energy. 
(From "Smudging" by Elaine Lunham)

HOW TO USE LOOSE HERBS AND RESIN ON CHARCOAL---
Remove tablet from sealed roll and place charcoal, the round side down in a "fireproof" dish lined with sand.   Handle the charcoal with a pair of tongs, as it will become very hot.  Light the edge of the tablet by holding a match to the edge of the charcoal until it begins to sparkle. The sparkling will continue across the charcoal.  Once the tablet is lit, take a small amount (1/2-teaspoon) of burning herbs or resins and pour onto the lit cake of charcoal.  The incense will burn/melt and smoke, releasing its scent into the air.
You may use a "smudging feather" or your hand to direct the smoke as you move the smudge around the body and/or space you are smudging. These will burn for several minutes and then you may add more. You may want to remove residue before adding more material. The tablet should be left to burn out and cool in the center.

To extinguish a tablet before it has fully cooled, quench in a container of cold water.   NOTE-When you are finished, you need to be sure your smudge is COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED.

SAGE smoke is used to bless, cleanse and heal the person or object being smudged. Sage is used to “wash off” the outside world when one enters ceremony or other sacred space. Objects are likewise washed off with sage medicine smoke to rid them of unwanted influences.

SWEETGRASS --Rich in scent, sweetgrass will infuse any space with its unique fragrance, even when not burned; it is the breath and blessing of the Earth mother. Sweetgrass is burned to remind that Mother Earth provides us with everything we need. Just as the sweet scent is attractive to people it is attractive to good spirits. Traditionally braided like hair by the Sioux and Cherokee nations and was use to smudge after sage or cedar to welcome in peace and harmony. When burned it does not produce an open flame but smolders, light the end of it or more economically by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a heatproof container. Hang in a musty closest or among linen to freshen.

CEDAR--Cedar trees are very old, wise and powerful spirits and are a medicine of protection against negative influences.

COPAL RESIN--Copal is sacred to the native peoples of Mexico, as it is a gift “pleasing to the gods.” Because copal is the blood of trees, it is offered to honor the enormous gift given to us by all of the tree people of our planet.

LAVENDER-- Lavender is a sacred plant, which shares it healing properties, and will bring inner calm and wisdom. Some Christians still regard the scent of lavender as a safeguard against evil.

FRANKINCENSE-- A tree resin is considered to cleanse and protect the soul. Frankincense became important to most every major religion in the world and is still used in Muslim, Jewish and Catholic rituals. Frankincense is said to ease depression and promote clairvoyance.

MYRRH-- A tree resin is said to help one maintain a state of enlightenment. It also connects one to the spirit of youth and clears the path of one’s truth.
JUNIPER-- Junipers gives us strength and purity in all endeavors.

SMUDGING FEATHER-- It is traditional to use a bird’s feather to wash around the smoke. Use the underside of the feather to wash the smoke, it is the underside of the bird and its wings that face the Mother Earth as it flies and it is this surface of the feather that offers the blessing medicine of the bird.

Please visit www.blossomfarm.com for a complete line of smudge wands and more.

By having an attitude of thankfulness shift us from a life full of negativity.
I had an unusal way of being raised, I am thankful everyday to the life that I lead now. 
Some of my favorite quotes of thankfulness and gratitude.

Reflect Each Day On All You Have To Be Grateful For And
You Will Receive More To Be Grateful For.
--Chuck Danes

Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.
--Marcel Proust
 
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
 --Buddha
 
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
--Meister Eckhart

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.
--Henry Ward Beecher

Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality. 
--Alfred Painter

There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it.
-- Seneca

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
--Winston Churchill

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 
-- William Authur Ward

And THANK YOU ALL!--- for making the Blossom Farm what it is today!

Why do you think the chicken crossed the road? 

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra…@&&^(C% ........ reboot.

COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road…

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

JERRY FALWELL:
Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

I thought this was some quite funny! to the age old queston.

I love collecting recipes from the newspaper, magazine  since 1985.  What I find disappointing is when you make a big name TV chef recipe (will not name, names) and you follow directions to the "T" it - taste like cat food.   As I make the recipes and if they turn out great I will post them.  I hope you will not be disappointed but none the less I have found them interesting.  My men (DH and son) in my life are a pain to cook for---but I still force them to eat it, they know not to comment on the food or they will cook the next day.  They are anti-vegetables and if by eight o'clock if they they are cooking a hot dog or pop corn ---dinner was not approved.   Of course all  my recipes will contain herbs and of course lavender!