Lovely Lavender

Try this deliciousness in your afternoon tea.




Lavender Simple Syrup

several Tablespoons of dried laveder
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water

Add ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and allow to seep for an hour or so.

Tip: When making your morning tea in a teapot or coffee in a coffee pot, keep a pitcher in your fridge to put the excess so you can have delicious iced beverages whenever your heart desires it.

Homemade Body Scrub

Paul's little sister, and a good friend of mine, Lizzie, is always coming up w/new (and delish) home remedies for hair and body. Her newest love interest is body scrubs, and this "recipe" is one that surely every crow will be able to make w/3 simple ingredients: fresh coffee grounds, brown sugar in the raw and body wash!

Bodum french press coffee grounds give you nice course pieces of bean, but whatever your coffee maker leaves behind will work just fine. Mix in the raw brown sugar in about equal parts w/the coffee grounds and squeeze in some body wash just to give a little lubricant and there you have it! Lizzie also shared that the caffeine in the grounds act as a firming agent, keepin these crows' skin nice and taught!

Sweeet Treats

I have more sweets to share. I don't know whats happening to me!

I never used to obsess about desert, but the meals I've been making lately don't seems as share-worthy as sweet treats. Not to mention, my camera has an uncanny ability to make the most appetizing plates look grotesque. (re: the dumpling shot)

So my box this week was superb! It has finally reached the right time in the growing season to get truly fresh, local veggies. This week was my first sampling of beautiful red heirloom tomatoes. There were also some sweet Italian peppers that I enjoyed two ways. First with sausage on a bun with caramelized onions and homemade mustard. Second, as transformed leftovers in a Tomato based pasta sauce!

That being said, the fruits were the stars of this weeks delivery.

Bananas, watermelon, strawberries, avocado, wow!


Strawberry & Banana Coffee Trifle

Ladyfingers
Whipping cream
sugar
cocoa powder
bananas
Strawberries
Strong brew coffee or espresso

Brew coffee and allow to cool to room temperature (or as I do, brew it, and stick it in the freezer until you need it). Meanwhile, whip the cream, sugar, and cocoa powder until you have whip cream. You can add the chocolate and sugar to your taste.

Pour coffee into a cup and dip the lady fingers in. Allow them to soak up a good amount of coffee and place them along the bottom of your dish. Break them up if need be.

Now you can just layer Ladyfingers, whipped cream, fruit, whipped cream, ladyfingers, fruit whipped cream! Allow it to sit for an hour or so so all the flavors can meld together.


Fruity breakfast bars

Crust:

1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c butter- room temperature
sugar to taste
salt

Filling

2+ c fruit (I used strawberries, rhubarb, and raspberries)
2 eggs, lightly beaton
1/4 c flour
sugar/honey to taste


Crust: Mix all ingredients together and push into the bottom of your 9 X 9 pan. A tart pan would also work, although it would then be a fruity tart, not fruity bars.

Filling: Mix all ingredients, and pour over crust

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
Serve at room temperature or cold as little bars. So delicious!

Coffee..Coffee....Coffeeeee

Its that time in my morning when I realize I have not yet consumed enough coffee to be considered awake. Some days, my normal French Press coffee just doesn't cut it.

There is a coffee place in SF called Philz Coffee that makes individual cups of coffee from start to finish. Each cup is brewed with freshly ground coffee, poured through a mini filter by hand, mixed and stirred to perfection, and served at drinking temperature. Its an easy process to recreate at home, and I do it sometimes. More than their method of brewing, I love some of the strange coffee blends that they have created.


For example, my personal favorite blend includes a dash of fresh Cardamom. Cardamom is a glorious spice, I recommend this beverage when you need a little extra flavor in your morning.




Cardamom Coffee

1 t Cardamom for every 2 cups (emily sized cups*)
Medium roast Coffee of your choosing

Lightly crush the pods in a mortal and pestle. Add Everything, pod and seeds, directly to freshly ground coffee. Brew as usual.

Enjoy!

*which in all actuality is probably more like 5-6 cups