Today for some reason I decided to clean out the chicken coop. After all it was a nice day, sunny and all.  So why was I frozen to the bone when the task was completed?   Once inside I checked the temperature, a chilling 2 degrees.  But as you can see the chickens had fun!  Peggy :)

With the holidays knocking at our doors.  Here are some delicious and fun drink recipes using lavender simple syrup to make for friends and family.  The recipes posted are family friendly.  But if your inclined to make something a little stronger, I hear they are great too.  Visit my new website www.lavenderapple.com .   To thank you for all your support we are offering FREE SHIPPING on orders $50 or over.  Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Bon Appetite,  Peggy




Fauxjitos 

for each glass

1 spring mint, plus some for garnish
3 Tbs. lavender simple syrup, or to taste
3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
8 oz sparkling mineral water
crushed ice


In each glass gently muddle your simple syrup with mint leaves.  Add lime juice and sparkling water.  Top off with crushed ice, and garnish with mint leaves.  yum





Fuzzy lemonade

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 qt. sparkling mineral water
Lavender simple syrup (anywhere from 1/4 cup up to 3/4 cup)
crushed ice

Stir all ingredients together in a pitcher and serve over crushed ice.




Simply Simple Lavender Lemonade

crystal light "Pure"
water, or water with gas
lavender simple syrup

Each packet makes 16 oz.  mix packet with water.  Pour lemonade into 2 8oz glasses, over crushed ice. Add 1 Tbs. lavender simple syrup in each glass.  Simply de-vine!  

In a small pan add 2 cups of cream along with 1 tsp. dried lavender buds.  Heat the cream to  just before boiling (don't boil).  Turn off heat and let lavender seep until cream is room temperature.  Strain out lavender buds, and chill.  This can be make 2 or 3 days  in advance.    When time to serve whip with power sugar to taste and a bit of vanilla.




1/3 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

I wonder  if child labor laws are still in effect?  This is how Henry looked after working in the Lavender fields all day.  He loved every minute of it.

 This classic french dish is well loved.   And is from my favorite little french cookbook "The Best of France". The very idea of cooking with 40 cloves of garlic would be unthinkable were it not for the fact the garlic is poached before adding it to the dish.  Turning the garlic into a soft texture and sweet in flavor.  Not to mention you have wonderfully  cooked garlic that can be used in mashed potatoes or spread on bread.  You don't have to count each clove. I make it simple by using 2 full heads of garlic.  This gives you anywhere from 30-40 cloves.  I promise you'll love this recipe.  People will think your a 5 star chef.    Bon Appetite ,  Peggy


Poulet aux Quarante Grousses d'Ail
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic




6 Tbs. butter . divided
1 Tbs. veg oil
1 chicken (around 3ish pounds) cut into 8 pieces rinsed and patted dry
salt and pepper
2 heads of garlic.  Unpeeled and blanched in boiling water for 10 minutes
1/2 tsp, thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock


In a large deep skillet over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. butter and oil until hot.  Add chicken pieces and season salt and pepper, brown on all sides.  Distribute the garlic cloves around the chicken and season with thyme and bay leaf.  Cover the skillet and cook over med-low heat for 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.  Transfer the chicken and garlic to a platter and keep warm.  Discard the bay leaf.  Add wine and reduce the liquid by half over high heat.  Add stock and reduce to 3/4 cup.  Remove from heat and swirl in the remaining 4 Tbs. butter.  PLace the chicken (sans garlic) on a serving platter and pour sauce over the chicken.  I always serve this dish with a potato  dish and haricot vert.  

When you go on a trip, it's just plain nice to get back home.  Even if the work is waiting for you.

GUACAMOLE


2 Large avocados
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small tomatoe, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
few springs fresh cilantro finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Halve avocados;  remove pit,  scoop out pulp and mash with fork.  Add lime juice,  sour cream,  garlic, tomato,  jalapeno,  onions and cilantro.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups

 So get planting some onions ! Now is the perfect time.  Onions are easy to grow.  Buy what is called onion sets.  This is a bundle of small tiny onions.  Just put them in the ground in a sunny spot and water. Viola! Onions
This is my recipe for french onions soup.  I bought a small little french cookbook called "The Best of France" at "Harrods" in London.  It's a favorite. Every recipe is great.  Watch for more recipes from this treasured little book.
   

Soup a' I'Oignon Gatinee                                           

1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced onions, about 3 large onions.  * see note
3 Tbs. butter
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. flour
6 cups beef stock
1/2 cup white wine
Bouquet Garni *  see note
8 slices french bread ( I use baguette)
melted butter
 garlic halved
1 cup grated Gruyere 
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese




IN a large pot over medium heat, cook onions in butter with salt and a little pepper.  Stir occasionally until soft.  Add sugar and continue to stir until onions become  golden brown,  Careful don't let burn.  Add flour and continue to cook 3 more minutes.  Add stock, wine and bouquet garni.  Cook partially covered for 30 minutes. 


 PREheat oven to 350.  Arrange bread on a baking sheet brushing with melted butter on both sides.  Bake for 15 minutes,  turning over half way through until golden brown.  When just out of oven, cut a  garlic clove in half and rub each piece of bread with the garlic.


REmove the Bouquet garni from the soup and pour the soup into ovenproof bowls.   Place the toasted bread on top of each bowl.  Depending on the size of bread you may need to use 2 pieces of bread per bowl.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake the soup for 15 minutes.  Then turn on the broiler to high.  Broil the cheese until browned and bubbling.  Watch closely.     Serves 4
                                                       Bon Appetite. Peggy


 * I like to use a mandoline slicer.  I actually have a cheap one called the "sleek slice",  it's very useful.


* Don't let a word like "Bouquet Garni" scare you from a recipe.  What your basically doing is putting some herbs in a small package,  like cheese cloth.   In this recipe I just throw in 2 bay leaves, a piece of celery,  about 1/2 tsp dried thyme and a sprig or 2 of parsley.  Then at the end I fish out the bay leaf and maybe the parsley and celery.


  

I can't resist getting in on the Hunger Games frenzy.  I must admit I'm a late comer.  I just finished the book and loved all 374 pages.  Food was a very important part of the book particularly the lack of food, the searching for food and the stuffing ones-self full of food.  One dish that is talked about more than once is the Lamb stew with dried plums.  Now lets face it, dried plum is a nice name from "prunes".  I love prunes.  So this got me thinking about a meal we had more than once in France in our favorite medieval city "Chartres."  The restaurant across from the Grand Cathedral served the best pork dish with prunes.  So here I am taking the flavors of years ago and making a delicious lamb stew.  And it is delicious, if I don't say so myself.  I've heard of more than one "Hunger Games" parties going on.  If your having one or just curling up with the book what's more appropriate than making a pot of "Hunger Games Stew!"
                                                             Bon Appetite,  Peggy



Lamb Stew with dried Plums


1 Lb. pork, cut into uniform cubes
1 Lb. lamb, cut into uniform cubes
salt and pepper
2 onions chopped
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. veg. oil
2 cans chicken stock (14.5 oz)
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks each 2-3 inches long
1 cup pitted dried plums
2 Tbs, honey
2 Tsp. fresh lemon juice

In a Large pan melt butter and vegetable oil.   Salt and pepper pork and lamb. (this recipes is very versatile you can use all pork or all lamb. Again I say thanks to stewart, our lamb for giving his life for this fine meal).  Saute pork until browned,  Remove from pan.  Next Sauté lamb until browned.  Remove from pan and add chopped onions and sauté until soft and slightly brown.  Return meat to pan along with any accumulated juices and saute a few more minutes.  Add chicken stock, water and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer  for about 1 1/2 hrs until meat is very tender.  Add plums and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes.   With a slotted spoon remove plums  from the pan, reserve.  Add honey and lemon juice.  Continue to cook until juice are reduced and delicious.  Taste to correct seasonings.  Serve over brown rice.   Seres 4-5

*note.  You can serve this stew with or without the plums.    I think the plums give a really wonderful extra flavor.

Surprise filled cupcakes is another loved family recipe.  This recipe came from my  Jr. league cookbook called "A Pinch of Salt Lake".  If you ever see one buy it, it's a good one.  I saw one in perfect condition at the D.I. last year, and snatched it right up.  Do you have a favorite recipe that when you make it, you always have a request for the recipe?  well this is one of those.   I have an opinion on sharing recipes. Remember It's just MY opinion.  I think  people who won't share a recipe are "Insecure Cooks".   I know there are the exceptions.  But in general I think if someone asks for a recipe it's a complement. don't you?  If you think differently, let us know your opinion on the subject.

On to the recipe.  This recipe is very versatile.  can be doubled, made into cakes with the filling dolloped in.  The original recipe doesn't use a frosting.  But, what's a cupcake without frosting.  If you are transporting them then leave the frosting off.  They do well stacking one on top of the other.  A friend asked for the recipe to make for a family reunion.  I think she made alot.  So lets get going and make some cupcakes.         Bon appetite Peggy


Surprise Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/3 cups sugar
1 egg
pinch salt
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

mix filling ingredients together in a  bowl and set aside.



Surprise filled Cupcakes

makes about 24 cupcakes

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 TBS. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 TBS. cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups water

Use cupcake liners in your muffin tins.  Mix first 5 ingredients into a large bowl.  Gradually add next 4 liquid ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Fill each liner 1/2 full with batter. Drop 1 tsp (about) on top of each cupcake.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to over cook.

Three Cheese Garlic Bread

2 Tbs. mayo
2 Tbs. butter
1 garlic glove, minced
1 1/3 cups crumbled feta
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 cup grated (packed) monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Rustic bread (like ciabatta) sliced

Position rack in the middle of oven.  Preheat oven to 450.  Mix first 3 ingredients in bowl.    Mix in feta, 1/2 cup parmesan,  jack cheese and green onions.  Spread each  slice of bread with about 2 Tbs cheese mixture.  sprinkle with parmesan cheese,  You need to press to adhere to bread.  Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly.  Careful not to burn.

Just thinking about Roz and Thad today.  Last Saturday they moved into their beautiful new home in Trussville Alabama.  Then I ran across my favorite wedding picture of them standing in front our our "65" Ford pick-up.  Love them both..I mean them and the truck.  Good luck ya'll

As I look outside at the rain, yes I said rain.  I agree rain in January in Utah is weird, strange and bizarre. Luckily it's snowing in the mountains.  I still miss the snow in my yard, not to mention to much rain isn't great for the Lavender.  Anyway it's' certainly a good day for a nice hot bowl of Chili.  My friend Mel gave me her cookbook for Christmas.  It was a group effort by her and some friends.  I don't know about the other gals but Mel is an awesome cook.  So I knew I could find something good in her cookbook.  And I did,  the recipe for "Creamy White Chili" is a definite winner.  My family said is was blog worthy, so I had to share.  Isn't Super Bowl sunday coming up.  This would be a real crowd pleaser.  I doubled this recipe and plan on taking the other half to a friend.  It would also freeze well.  Happy new year, and happy cooking.   Bon Appetite,  Peggy


CREAMY WHITE CHILI

1 lb. chicken
1 med. onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs. veg. oil
1 can 14 oz chicken broth
2 cans 15 oz white beans, drained
1 can 4oz diced green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
a couple dashes of tabasco
taste to correct seasonings

In a large heavy pan heat oil and add onions, chicken and garlic.  Sauté until chicken is no longer pink.  Add broth, beans, spices and chilies, Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and half and half.  We crumbled tortilla chips in the bottom of our bowl for an added texture.  yum

* I used low fat sour cream and non-fat half and half

The Marshmallows made a great BIrthday gift for my son Quentin's 29th birthday.  I can see the possibilities for Valentines, can't you.