Celtic Whiskey Apples Recipe

Based on a very old recipe for Golden Apples, this sweet treat is like having only the best parts of apple pie.



You'll need:

1 Apple

1 Rolled, refrigerated pie crust

1/2 cup Jim Beam whiskey

1 cup Sugar

1/4 t Cinnamon

1/4 t Dried Orange Peel

A dash of Ground Clove



- Start by coring an apple and cutting into 16 even wedges

- Set aside the apple pieces for later use

- Unroll the pie crust and cut into circles using a drinking glass

- Roll out each circle a little before placing a wedge of apple along one side

- Fold the pie crust circle over the wedge of apple and smooth over using your fingers to encase the apple wedge

- Repeat this for each apple wedge

- Arrange the wrapped apple wedges onto the bottom of an ungreased 9X9 casserole dish



- In a sauce pan, dissolve 1 cup sugar into 1/2 cup of Jim Beam whiskey on low-medium heat

- When the sugar has dissolved, stir in your spices

- Pour the warm whiskey syrup over the wrapped apple wedges

- Bake at 400F for 20 minutes

- Allow to cool a bit and serve warm

Lavender Honey Sweet Rolls

A favorite from a few months ago I thought I would share.
Here it is at last.

Combine the following:

2c Whole wheat flour
1c All purpose flour
2 packets of Dry active yeast
2t Salt
1/2t Baking soda

*Heat the following in a saucepan over low heat:
1 1/2c Plain Yogurt
1/2c Water
3T Butter
1/2c Lavender infused honey

(Heat to about 125 F)

*Pour the mix from the saucepan over the dry ingredients

*Mix well (use a mixer if needed)

On a floured surface, knead in the following:
1c Whole Wheat flour

*Once kneaded, place the dough into a greased bowl and allow to rise until it
has about doubled in size.

*Punch the dough down and push out into a rectangle

*Using a pizza cutter, divide the dough into 1 inch by 6 inch sections

*Take one section and curl it over two of your fingers. The dough is fairly
stretchy so it should curl up nicely.

*Slide the roll off of your finger and onto a greased baking sheet.

*Reapeat that process with each section of dough until all of your rolls are
complete.

*Cover the rolls and allow them to rise for a 1/2 hour

*Bake on the middle or upper rack at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Keep a close eye on
these because the bottoms love to burn.

*Spray the top of each roll with cooking spray and set onto a wire rack to cool.

*Serve the rolls with lavender honey butter or rose petal jam.


In case you don't know how to infuse honey...
Heat a cup or two of honey on low until it is easy to stir. Add in a few sprigs
of fresh lavender or a tablespoon or two of dry lavender. Maintain a low heat
for a few minutes until the smell of the flowers is strong. Strain the lavender
out and jar the honey for later use.

Cool Down with a Mango Lassi Recipe

M is for Mango Lassi by ilovelalalu

Mmm... One of my favorite drinks of all time has to be the Mango Lassi. It's an Indian smoothie that's absolutely delicious. It's just the right amount of sweet and cold to cool me down on a balmy, hot night like tonight. Here's a simple recipe for my frozen Mango Lassi.

-----------------
INGREDIENTS
-----------------
1/2 cup Skim Milk
1 cup Stonyfield Farms French Vanilla Yogurt
10 -15 Ice Cubes
1 cup Frozen Mango Chunks (1 1/2 if you really like mango)
2 T Agave Nectar
1/4 t Nutmeg

---------------
DIRECTIONS
---------------
1. Place milk, yogurt, ice and mango chunks into the blender
2. Mix on Puree setting until smooth
3. Pour on agave nectar
4. Sprinkle on nutmeg
5. Blend for a few more seconds
6. Pour some into a glass
7. Enjoy

Since I'm in a Mango Lassi mood, here are some awesome related items on Etsy:

Mango Lassi Soap by BathAlchemy

This soap looks very yummy. In fact this seller has a number of fun and colorful soaps in her shop. Her Midnight Jasmine soap looks amazing too!

Mango Lassi Lip Balm by StarbornAlchemy

For all of those times when you aren't near a blender, this lip balm can act as a surrogate lassi. According to the description, not only does it smell of Mango Lassi but it's also sweet! Yum.

Peppermint Lip Balm - Visual Recipe

I've been wanting to post this for a while, but my personal life has been a big distraction lately. Not that I mind, but it also feels good to get another recipe up. This one is very simple and requires only little bits of ingredients. It will make just about one tube of lip balm.

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TOOLS
---------
Set of measuring spoons
Stirring stick
Candle warmer
Ceramic mug
Empty lip balm tube

-----------------
INGREDIENTS
-----------------
1/2 tsp White Beeswax
1/2 tsp Cocoa Butter
1/2 tsp Sweet Almond Oil
3 drops Peppermint EO

-----------------
DIRECTIONS
-----------------
Heat up the candle warming plate.
Place beeswax into little ceramic mug.

Add sweet almond oil to little mug.

Place mug atop the candle warming plate.
Melt the wax and oil.

Shave cocoa butter into the mug.
Stir to distribute.

Add in 3 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Stir.
It should smell beautifully minty now!

Continue to melt into a uniform liquid.

Make sure the pusher is at the bottom of the tube.
Pour the warm liquid into the empty lip balm tube.
Set aside to cool.
Refrigeration speeds the cooling process.

TA-DA... some super cheap, very fab lip balm.

Stress Less Rosemary Mint Scrub - Visual Recipe

I really am loving these visual recipes! They are attracting visitors from all over the world too. The pictures make every step of my processes easier to convey. Today I will be covering a divine rosemary mint salt scrub. The scent is amazing, absolutely one of my favorites. It's ridiculously simple to make, exfoliates skin well and leaves you feeling silky smooth. This scrub is intended to be rubbed onto the skin immediately before rinsing off in a warm shower. A commercial scrub is nowhere near as pleasant as this one.

---------
TOOLS
---------
Measuring cup
Wooden stirring stick
Plastic container

Note: Since this is a product that you would want to keep in the shower, I would highly advise against storing it in a glass container. Although it may look sleek in glass, glass is dangerous to have in a bathroom.

-------------------
INGREDIENTS
-------------------
1 c Epsom Salt
1/2 c Sweet Almond Oil
10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
1 heaping T of Dried Peppermint Leaf

Measure out 1 cup of Epsom salt.
Transfer to plastic container.

Measure out 1/2 cup of Sweet Almond Oil.
Add to Epsom salt.

Mix until oil is evenly distributed.

Add in essential oils and stir again.

Your scrub will now look like this.
It will also smell AMAZING!

Add in 1 heaping tablespoon of dried peppermint.
Stir so that the leaf is evenly distributed.

---------------------------
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
---------------------------
1. Rub the salt scrub onto your skin immediately before you shower. Move in circular motions while rubbing to exfoliate well.
2. Rinse the scrub away with warm water. The salt will rinse away and the oil will remain to moisturize the skin.
3. Breath in deep. This essential oil combination used in this recipe is a great aromatherapy stress reducer. The warmth of the water on the oils really activates the scent.

Alternatively, this can also be used as a foot scrub or added to a hot foot bath after a long day of walking or standing on your feet during work.

-------------
CAUTIONS
------------
Salt on cuts, scrapes and wounds hurts. A lot. Don't use this scrub if you've just nicked yourself shaving or if your skin is otherwise sensitive.

Lavender Mint Facial Masque - Visual Recipe

Today I will be covering my recipe for a soothing lavender and mint clay facial masque. This recipe is easy to make, takes about 15 minutes and requires minimal work space. Enjoy!

--------
TOOLS
--------
Two small mixing bowls
A small mixing spoon
A set of measuring spoons
A mortar and pestle set
A glass apothecary jar

-----------------
INGREDIENTS
-----------------
2 T French Green Clay
1 T Dried Lavender Buds
2-3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

---------------
DIRECTIONS
---------------

Scoop 2 tablespoons of french green clay into a bowl, set aside.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dried lavender buds.
Transfer to mortar.

Add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil to lavender buds.

Grind buds for about 5 minutes using mortar and pestle.
This mix should feel mostly powdery with a little grit.
Rub it between your fingers to make sure.

Transfer powdered buds to the bowl with the french green clay.

Mix together until buds are evenly distributed.

Transfer into an apothecary jar for storage.

Ooo, pretty!

--------------------------
TO USE AS A MASQUE:
--------------------------

Mix 1 heaping teaspoon powder with 2 teaspoons of lukewarm water.
Rub the paste onto your face in circular motions.
Avoid your eyes and lips just to be safe.
Allow to dry.
Rinse off with warm water.

Ultimate Beeswax Wood Polish - Visual Recipe

Today I would like to share an easy to create, yet simply amazing beeswax polish. I developed this for polishing a wood drum, but it has many uses. The ingredients included make it safe to use as a polish for any type of wood item, to rehydrate dry skin or even condition leather. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be made in small batches and does not require a double boiler or even kitchen work space. The final product is a semisolid base that liquefies quickly without becoming greasy. When used on wood, you will need to rub a clean cloth into the finished polish, then apply to the item using circular motions.

---------
TOOLS
---------
Candle warmer
Small ceramic mug
Wooden stirring stick
Small foil sheet
Measuring spoons
2oz Apothecary jar (plastic or glass)

-----------------
INGREDIENTS
-----------------
1.5 Tablespoons granulated beeswax
3 Tablespoons Jojoba oil
1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
10 drops Lavender essential oil

(These ingredients will create approximately 2 ounces of polish.)

----------------
PROCESS
----------------

Heat up your candle warmer and place mug on top.

Add 1.5 Tablespoons of granulated beeswax.

When the beeswax has half melted, add all oils.

Cover the mixture with foil to retain heat and allow to completely melt.

After 30-45 minutes the mix should be fully melted.
Stir to make sure.

Transfer the melted mix to a jar.
Allow the polish to cool at room temperature until solid.

Note: If using a glass jar, acclimate the glass to heat by running the sealed jar under increasingly hot water for a minute or two before pouring in the polish. This will prevent your glass from cracking.

-------------
RESULTS
-------------Before polish application.

After polish application.

The Witticism About Making the Best of a Situation

Also known as making some lemonade!Appealing- by Laura E Horning

Problem: I really like organic lemonade. Organic lemonade is way too expensive sometimes. Santa Cruz got me addicted when their bottles were 99 cents, now they are $3.99. Grr.

Solution: Make my own darn organic lemonade.

---------------
Ingredients
---------------
3/4 c of Santa Cruz Organic Lemon Juice
3/4 to 1 c of Domino Organic Sugar
1 c of Filtered Water
Additional water to taste

-------------
Directions
-------------
- Add the lemon juice directly to the pitcher
- In a small sauce pan add 1c water and the sugar
- On low heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved. This will create a simple syrup
(Psst... simple syrup is the secret to good lemonade. It keeps the sugar evenly distributed and prevents nasty settling at the bottom of the pitcher.)
- Add the simple syrup to your pitcher
- Add at least a quart of filtered water and stir
- Add more water to taste
(I like a pretty watered down and slightly bitter lemonade so I tend to use less sugar and more water.)

Now for some more Lemonade related Etsy things!

Pucker- Lemon Pin Cushion by Stacy Jean

Spiked Lemonade - Handspun and dyed wool yarn by Betty's Loft

Lemon Poppyseed Goat Milk Soap- by Carvel Country Soapworks

Blue Green Citrus Juicer- by Lily Pottery

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I just baked a batch of these yesterday for practice and not a single one is left to take a picture of! I developed this recipe to include a lot of organic alternatives. These cookies come out big, soft and never too sweet. They have always been a hit.

--------------------------------------------
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
--------------------------------------------

Tools:
Large mixing bowl
Wire whisk
Sifter
Ungreased cookie sheets
Wooden spoon or baking spatula
Cookie scoop or teaspoon
Cooling rack

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, melted in the microwave
3/4 cup organic sugar
2 cage free eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups organic semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Mixing Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Melt butter in the microwave (about 40 seconds on high)
3. In a large bowl whisk together butter and sugar until creamy
4. Beat two eggs until fluffy, then whisk well into the butter& sugar mix
5. Add pure vanilla extract to the mix and whisk again
6. Sift in the flour one cup at a time, mixing well throughout w/ spatula
7. Sift in the last bit of flour and baking soda, mix until smooth
8. Mix in chocolate chips (you can substitute any kind of chip)
9. Mix applesauce into the dough, mix until evenly distributed
10. Place cookie dough by the heaping teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie for expansion

Baking Directions:
1. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. They may seem a bit soft, but will firm up as they cool.
2. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Share and Enjoy!

Birdie Muffins

Today I am sharing a recipe that I've created based on a bird bread mix. These mini muffins include tons of nutrition for your little bird. I hope your feathered friends enjoy them!

Birdie Muffins

-------------------------------------

INGREDIENTS

-------------------------------------

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ


1/4 tsp baking soda 



1 washed free range egg with shell

1 1/2 Tbs organic virgin olive oil 


1/2 cup organic apple apricot sauce

A few slices of carrot

A few leaves of organic baby spinach

A few small florets of broccoli

1/2 cup seed mix

Suggested seed mix: Wheat berries, millet and your bird’s regular seed

Veggies: You can use other veggies, but be certain that they are safe for your bird

-------------------------------------

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

-------------------------------------

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease a mini muffin pan

Mix flour, wheat germ and baking soda together

Wash the egg

Beat the egg, egg shell, oil and applesauce in a blender

Add the veggies to the blender and mix until finely chopped

Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth

Stir in the seed mix

Fill the mini muffin sections 1/2 full

Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool on a rack

Refrigerate a few muffins and freeze the rest for later

-------------------------------------

NOTES

-------------------------------------

These muffins may be a little big for keets or lovies, so make sure you break them into little pieces when you feed them to your bird.

Birthday Limoncello

This past March I spent two weeks in Italy and in the process managed to fall in love with limoncello. For those who haven't experienced limoncello before, it's a delight! It's a sweet dessert liquor with the natural color and flavor of candied lemon zest. Having polished off the stock I was able to bring back with me from Italy, I felt inspired to make some of my own.

Actually I've been itching to try my hand at some form of home brewing since I took a course on mead making two summers ago. Limoncello seemed like a simple, enjoyable way to start. I found the most useful information about making limoncello from a wonderful site called Limoncello Quest. If you are looking for a good limoncello tutorial, start there. For now I will explain how my batch is coming along.

I started with:
1 Microplane zester (very much worth the $12 investment)
10 organic lemons (these have no wax on them, which makes for an easy prep)
1 large bottle of Smirnoff vodka (which I filtered twice using a Brita for a smooth taste)
1 half gallon growler (I used a glass one from a microbrewery that I love)

So far I am through steps 1-6 of the Limoncello Quest Process, just with a smaller batch. I am calling this my Birthday Limoncello because I wanted to make sure I allowed plenty of time for the mixture to sit before touching it. This means I can't add the simple syrup until my birthday in April and I can't even dream about tasting the final product until at least my dad's birthday in June.

I'm doing suprisingly well forgetting about the limoncello until it's ready. I'm hoping it turns out well. In an ideal world, my next brewing project will be a fruit wine or honey mead. The mead sounds so tempting and I know I could get my hands on some great organic honey this summer from Local Harvest.

I will add pictures of this project as it progresses.