Lavender Honey Popsicles + a (funny) 'lavender' story

From Rachel's Kitchen:

I had some cooking lavender left and felt inspired to do

a lavender rendition of popsicles in my Zoku pop maker

(this thing is the best!)

Quick funny side story and then on to the recipe...

I thought the pops turned out delicious 

and sent Mom what I deemed a lovely photo of one,

which you can see below.

She replied (via text)

"Eww, looks like bugs!"

When I responded "What?! That's not nice!!!"

She replied, "Nooo, remember what Dad said about your lavender soap?"

...and ofcourse I instantly started laughing

because it brought a really funny story flooding back!

(P.S She's got a good memory because I didn't know what she 

was talking about at first.)

The Cliff Notes version is my dad was staying over my apartment one summer. 

He wanted to wash up before dinner and took a shower while I 

finished preparing dinner.

He comes out in a towel and I asked "How was your shower?"

He goes "It was nice, but you had some bugs on your soap!"

I was preoccupied cooking so it took a second to sink in.

I finally process what he said and look at him with a puzzled face.

Me: Bugs?

Dad: Yeah, you had these little bugs on your soap.

Don't worry, I scraped them off for you!

Me (laughing): WHAT?! What bugs?!

Dad: Seriously. 

Me: Dad, what are you talking about?

Dad: C'mere, I'll show you!

[Proceeds to lead me into the bathroom and grabs my soap 

from the shower caddy.]

He proudly presents my soap like a trophy,

with these deep nail divots throughout

(where he "scraped the bugs off") --

like he saved me from some disgusting fate

during my next shower.

Me: [Looks of horror]

"Dad, what did you do to my soap?"

Dad: There were bugs stuck all over the top.

I got them off for you!

Me: Dad! Those weren't bugs, they were lavender petals.

I just bought that French lavender soap at a fancy shop 

in the Hamptons! You ruined it!

Dad: Oops. Sorry they looked like bugs!

...I guess I owe you a new one?

[End Scene]

Can't believe my Mom remembered that...

but that story will definitely go down as a classic.

The time my Dad destroyed my lavender soap

because it had 'bugs all over it'.

MEN: Stick to what you know

(and a lavender soap might be saved!)

Well, as you can imagine - I won't be offering him

any of my lavender popsicles!

Here's the recipe: Yields 4 Pops

• 1 TBSP cooking lavender (purchase at health food store)
• 1 Cup Milk (2% - but whole or half/half is better)
• 2 TSP fresh honey (wildflower is best, but clover will do)
• 1 Cup (Honey or Plain Flavored Greek Yogurt)
• Lavender Petals (for garnish only)
• Red + Blue Food Dye (to make purple - just 1 drop of each should do!)
• Strainer

1. Heat one cup of milk with the cooking lavender. You can use a tea diffuser or just leave the lavender floating in the milk and then strain it out. Do not let boil, just continue stirring until heated through. Take off burner and let lavender steep for 5 minutes to create a "lavender milk".
2. Strain lavender out and whisk in honey until liquified. Add food coloring (I didn't have blue so I used more red and less green dye and it didn't turn out half bad! Improvise people!) Let cool in either a refrigerator for 20 min or a freezer for 10 min. 
3. Once cool, stir in Greek yogurt to give a thicker consistency. I suggest stirring in yogurt a little at a time to make sure it doesn't become too thick that its not pourable into the mold.
4. Pour into Zoku maker and freeze for 15 minutes - remove using pop remover tool and store in Zoku pop case. Add remaining mixture to one additional mold and freeze another 15 minutes.

You can obviously use other popsicle molds, I just know they take way longer to freeze.

You may also be wondering why if I have a 3 pop maker, 

why I don't fill the additional 2 molds on the second round to make 6!

 The reason is its just my roommate and I and we like to have 1 or 2 each,

and then move on to a new flavor...

however if you have friends over or kids, make as many as you like!

xo

Summer of Lemonade

Welcome back to my blog and apologies for my absence.

I am going to get back to posting more regularly 

and to kick summer off right -

I am going to be posting a weekly lemonade recipe

for the entirety of the summer. 

Each will start with this basic lemonade base

and build from there.

Most recipes will make 10-12 cups,

but vary by type.

Classic Lemonade:

* 1 1/2 cups lemon juice

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 5 cups water

Then add....

Watermelon Lemonade: Week #1

*Classic Lemonade

* 5 cups fresh watermelon juice

Raspberry Peach Lemonade: Week #2

*Classic Lemonade

* 3 Peaches (juiced)
* 1 Container of Fresh Raspberries (muddled)

Pineapple Lemonade: Week #3

*Classic Lemonade

* 1 Cup Pineapple Juice
* Squeeze of Lime

Mint Lime-Ade: Week #4

*Classic Lemonade

* 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Lime Juice
(Sub for Lemon in Classic Recipe)
* Few Sprigs of Garden Mint

Honey Lavender: Week #5

*Classic Lemonade (make this batch with no sugar)

* 2 Teaspoons honey
* Lavender Simple Syrup

Lavender Simple Syrup:
Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water.
 Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
 Steep 2 tablespoons fresh lavender
 (use loose tea diffuser if you have,
if not, you can strain when finished)
 in hot simple syrup for 15 minutes.

        Enjoy,

New Year, New Look - Urban Wall Decals

With the New Year, I am sure we are all in need of a new look.

I'm not talking about a makeover for you
(can you really fix perfection? ha ha!)

I'm talking about a makeover for yourrrrr home.

My home is something I'm constantly updating

and for me - its an ever evolving 'work in progress'.

Our home is our refuge.

We want it to be a place of comfort,

and one that has an instant calming effect on us 

the moment we step in the door from a long day at the office.

We want it to not only be a place of solace,

but also a reflection of our personal style.

There are so many ways to 'dress up' a room -

from accent pieces like pillows or lamps

to the walls themselves.

And that is where I chose to start 

the redecorating of my 'office'.
The walls.

In the past, I worked from home and I used 

the small second bedroom within my apartment as a home office.

No longer needed for this purpose,

I decided it was time for a much needed update of this room.

I sold the couch formerly housed in there

and gave the desk away. 

I took down some of the outdated picture frames

on the wall that were no longer my style.

After "stripping" the office of its former style,

I decided to start with the walls.

I still liked the color on the walls,

 a beige-y pink called 'shabby chic'

that gave an otherwise uninteresting, tiny room a little personality.

Beyond that though, I felt stuck.

What else could I do in there to "dress it up" a bit 

before picking out some new furniture and accent pieces?

I found a company called Urban Walls 

and had to share it with you because I think its a great

way to update, reinvent, or spruce up a room.

At the start of the year, I feel like you might be there too.
Are you feeling that stateless in a particular room?
Maybe you too want to take this opportunity

for a much needed update on a room in your home.

Some looks from Urban Walls via Pinterest:

These are just some of the more girly looks I loved,

but they have TONS of stuff to choose from!

Find the full array of Urban Wall offerings here.

Find Urban Wall inspiration on Pinterest here.

Purchase Urban Wall designs on Etsy here.

P.S Stay tuned for an update of my fabulous "new" office.

I'll be debuting what I did with my own Urban Wall decor purchase very shortly! :)

xo,

Virtual Book Sale - Free While They Last!

Getting rid of some of my most treasured possessions - my books!

Making room for new things in my life

and that means I need more space...

so I am opening up my small library collection 

to anyone who would like them (free of charge)

on a first come, first serve basis.

I no longer have the room to store them,

but they are all in new, like new or gently used condition.

 I thought about selling them online,

but I don't have the time or resources to ship them -

so all I ask is that you pick them up 

and they are all yours! 

I just want them to have a good home.

Please message me which you would like and I will 

put them aside for you in a bag.

Fiction: 

Fifty Shades of Grey . F.L James

Fifty Shades Darker . FL James

Jane Eyre . Charlotte Bronte 

Lady Chatterley's Lover . D.H Lawrence

One Day. David Nicholls

Oscar Season . Mary McNamara

Somebody Everybody Listens To . Suzanne Supplee 

The Five People You Meet in Heaven . Mitch Albom

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane .  Katherine Howe

Non Fiction:

90 Minutes in Heaven . Don Piper

Bereft: A Sister's Story . Jane Bernstein

Doctor Dealer . Mark Bowden

Savage Grace . Natalie Robins

The Longest Trip Home . John Grogan

Lifestyle:

Be the Pack Leader . Cesar Millan

Boy Meets Girl. Joshua Harris

How to Get Rich . Donald Trump

The Bartenders Guide 

The Total Money Makeover.  Dave Ramsey

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

The Cocktail Dress . Laird Borrelli - Persson

Spiritual:

Every Day Deserves a Chance . Max Lucado

Further Still . Beth Moore

Good Tidings & Great Joy. Sarah Palin

Now that You Are His. David Shibley

Redeeming Love. Francine Rivers

Business:

Get a Freelance Life .   Margit Feury Ragland

How to Sell Without Being a Jerk! .  John Klymshyn
Your World is Exploding . Chistopher G. Dessi

Educational:

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism .  Jenny McCarthy

Leading Change in Your School .   Douglas B. Reeves

How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader . John G. Gabriel

Helping the Child With Learning Disabilities Find Social Success.  Richard LaVoie

Teach Like Your Hair is On Fire . Rate Esquith

Instead of individually posting photos of books, 

I did a short video of each cover here...

again, you must be local (Long Island) to collect these books.

xo,

Rach

Spiced Pumpkin Brittle

Promised you all this recipe last week,

so here it is....

Spiced Pumpkin Brittle

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin seeds, plus a handful more for dipping

• 1/2 cup of water

• 1/2 cup of light corn syrup

• 1 cup of granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. First, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat in a pan. Keep the seeds moving so they don’t burn and stop toasting once they start to tan and you can smell the toasted seeds.

2. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. In a medium saucepan clipped with a candy thermometer (make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan), heat water, sugar and corn syrup over medium high heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it starts to boil. Stop stirring and let the mixture boil until it reaches 285 degrees. You may have to turn the heat up to high if the temperature isn’t increasing.

3.Stir in the pumpkin seeds and continually stir the mixture so it doesn’t stick to the bottom until the temperature reaches 300 degrees. Remove from the heat and stir in all the spices, vanilla extract, baking soda and butter, just until combined. The baking soda will cause it to bubble up a bit, but that’s normal.

4. Working quickly, pour the mixture over the baking sheet and using the back of a wooden spoon spread across the sheet evenly. Allow the brittle to harden completely at room temperature, or if you’re in a rush, pop it in the refrigerator for about a half hour or until completely hardened.

5. Break the brittle into random irregular shapes.

6. Temper the chocolate chips to dip the brittle into. 

7. Finely chop a large handful of raw pumpkin seeds and place on a dish.  After dipping the brittle in the chocolate, dip the ends in the raw pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with some sea salt. 

8. To package them for gifts, place them in a box lined with parchment paper.  Place a sheet of parchment between each brittle to ensure they don’t stick together.

Let me know if you guys have any questions

--its a fairly easy recipe just make sure you

 get the corn syrup, sugar, water to the proper temperature

or it won't get to that crack candy state 

and you will have taffy instead of brittle!

xo,

Rach

Recipe from Honestly Yum.

Top 5: Trader Joe's Picks

Fall is the best time of year,

and the groceries it produces are no exception.

Made a trip to Trader Joe's last night,

my favorite little grocery store 

for the awesome novelty items they stock!

My boyfriend and I did a major grocery shopping

restocking on fruits, vegetables, poultry, and dairy.

Of course, we threw in a few festive items

that are on shelves this time of year --

like pumpkin waffles, an apple cinnamon goat cheese log

and cranberry & pumpkin seed pita chips (mmm!)

So these are my
TOP 5 FALL FESTIVE
Trader Joe's grocery picks:

1. Butternut Squash Ravioli
2. Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte Mix
3. Cinnamon Dusted Toscano Cheese
(you will literally hear angels singing, I kid you not
A must try!)
4. Pumpkin Waffles
5. Dark Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups
(if you think Trader Joe's 'Cookie Butter' is amazing,
just add dark chocolate!)

If you want to check out the entire Trader Joe's haul,
check out the video below! ;)

Happy Fall Grocery Shopping...

xo,

Juicing - 3 ways, Part 1

Hey guys,

Was in the kitchen doing a little juicing today

and thought I would share some of my 

juicing recipes with you all.

I use a Jack LaLanne Juicer Express

which you can buy online or find at

Bed Bath & Beyond for like $100!

I've been using this juicer for about a year

and I really like the model.

It's really easy to pull apart and put back together

and the quality of the juice it yields

is excellent.

Juicing should be fun!

Don't be held down by juicing recipe books

or overthink it.

Use them as a springboard for inspiration,

and drink what you love.

Love blueberries? Great, throw em in.

Have a sweet spot for honeydew melon? Perfect. Juice it.

Craving strawberries? Terrific, add it to the mix.

Just get as much fruits and veggies in you as possible,

thats the goal.

Enjoy!

xo,

From Rachel's Kitchen: Homemade Toasted Coconut Gelato

Wanted to lighten things up for the summer,

so instead of making ice cream in my ice cream maker,

I decided to try my hand at gelato.

The main difference between ice cream and gelato

is the trade-off of heavy cream and half & half 

for less fattening ingredients, like milk.

And coconut milk...

MMM!

Coconut Gelato Recipe:

(2) cans Coconut Milk (I used Goya)

(1) can Cream of Coconut

(1) cup 2% Milk

(1) small container Chobani Coconut Yogurt

Coconut Flakes (baking aisle of grocery store)

Directions:

1) Refrigerate all ingredients to get them as cold as possible

(with the exception of coconut flakes)

2) If your cans of coconut milk are cold enough,

the ingredients inside will separate. 

Flip the can upside down and open.

You want to pour the heavy creamy contents on top

 into a bowl and discard the coconut water below.

Do this for both cans.

3) Stir can of cream of coconut well and pour into a bowl

with the thick creamy contents of both cans of coconut milk,

1 cup regular milk, and can of yogurt.

Stir well in a large mixing bowl.

4) Pour contents slowly into your ice cream maker

and let churn 25-35 minutes, until contents thicken.

5) While ice cream maker is churning,

pour 1/2 cup of coconut flakes onto a baking sheet

and bake 3-5 minutes on 350 degrees,

checking often (I burnt my first batch)

When its a light golden color,

remove from oven and transfer to plate to cool.

If you leave it on sheet, it will continue to cook!

6) Once cool, pour slowly into the ice cream maker

after at least 20 minutes of churning.

7) Transfer the ice cream canister
(mine pops right out of the maker)

to freezer and let harden at least 4-5 hrs before serving.

(I said 2 hrs in my video, but it wasn't quite there yet!)

Serve with a sprinkle of coconut on top

and enjoy!

The perfect summer treat...

xo,

Rach

Roses are Red, Cake Pops are Pink

Really enjoyed making these 

Sweetheart Cake Pops!

After all, it's an opportunity to not only 

brush up on my baking skills but also

to hang with the girls.

We had so much fun decorating them,

we wish we made more pops!

You can find this silicone heart tray at Michaels.

These are the kind of nights that I cherish

and hold dear to my heart.

Good, clean fun

with some wonderful woman!

You can find the recipe here.

If I can give you one baking tip,

it's to use the photo just as a source of inspiration -

don't be controlled by it or let it box you in.

I used to get upset when my baking creations

didn't turn out exactly like the picture.

The message is: 

Life isn't picture perfect.

Go with the flow, and find your own original.

The end result is so much more beautiful.

P.S Oh, and one more chocolate dipping secret I just remembered,

and wish I knew prior to this recipe because it would have

made my life a lot easier and saved a lot of previous cake pop casualties.

(Yes, there is such a thing. I can attest to it.)

Secret: Add one tsp of vegetable or canola oil to
 your baking chocolate during the melting process.

Its pure dipping perfection.

xo,

From Rachel's Kitchen: Pecan Pie Martini

It's snowing outside (again)

and so I think that calls for a boozy cocktail

dripping in coziness. 

I bought a sample sized bottle of Pecan Pie vodka

back around the holidays

and I've been waiting for the perfect 

opportunity to whip it up into

something delicious! 

I think a cold, snowy night

calls for a Pecan Pie martini...

Don't you!?

Either way, Godiva and I

vote yes.

You've been outnumbered.

Pecan Pie Martini

Recipe

Ingredients:

pinacle pecan pie vodka 

(yes. it exists)

maple syrup

vanilla extract

brown sugar

crushed pecans

cinnamon

half & half

Directions:

1. Start by making your brown sugar simple syrup.

Half a cup of water, half a cup of brown sugar.

Bring to a boil, set aside.

2. Build your martini in a shaker

 filled to the top with ice.

3. Add a shot of Pecan Pie vodka.

4. (1) Tbsp maple syrup.

5. (1) Tsp vanilla extract

6.  1/4 Cup half & half

7. Brown sugar simple syrup 

(to taste)

8. Shake all ingredients together,

set aside.

9. Chop pecans finely, rim martini glass

in maple syrup, and dip in pecans for pecan rim.

10. Pour in pecan pie martini,

sip very slowly. 

It's a lot of calories, so savor every sip

And don't skip the gym in the morning! ;)

If you don't like sweeter cocktails,

don't waste your time - 

this cocktail is liquid dessert...

but worth every calorie!

That I promise you!

For more from Pinnacle, visit here

or dream up some delicious creations using this

Pinterest board as your inspiration! 

xo,

Lavender Honey Champagne, 3 ways

Save water.

Drink Champagne.

I'm drinking and blogging right now...

not even sure if this is legal.

My spelling looks ok, so maybe I'm not as drunk as I feel?!

Either way, this new Magnifico 'Lavender Honey' Prosecco 

(right?! because you can't call it champagne

unless it comes from the Champagne District of France)

is the new heaven on earth.

I told a friend who sells it I would play around with 

a bottle and put my mixology skills to work -

but then I tasted it and Mariah's 

"Fantasy" keeps ringing in my ears.

It seriously doesn't need anything.

It's really good on its own.

(Slurp)

Without further adieu, I give you...

Lavender Honey Prosecco, 3 ways.

Pear Lavender Bellini:

2 tbsp pear puree

top with lavender honey prosecco

champagne flute

Lavender Sunrise:

1 squeeze of lemon wedge

1 tbsp simple syrup

lavender honey prosecco

champagne flute

Shades of Lavender:

 blueberry puree

1 tsp simple syrup

(if you mix your blueberries into the simple syrup

you can make a blueberry simple syrup in place)

lavender honey prosecco

champagne flute

Hope you enjoy sipping these cocktails

as much as I enjoyed creating & sampling them.

For more info, visit:
Magnifico Collection

P.S A little party never killed nobody.

xo,

Ray Ray

From Rachel's Kitchen: Roasted Black Cherry Sangria

Tis the season to be merry,

and I don't know about you,

but I'm a whole lot merrier on wine! :)

I found a recipe for Roasted Cherry Sangria

a few months back, decided to reinvent it, 

and it turned out delicious!

It's a great recipe for the holidays,

pretty simple to make,

and will definitely bring some festive 

cheer to the Christmas table

if you decide to whip it up

and bless your guests with a batch!

Roasted Black Cherry Sangria

Ingredients:

(1) 750ml bottle of Red Zinfandel (or any red with notes of berry). 

I actually used a bottle of "Old Patch Red" I got in Napa Valley,

a blend of 85% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Syrah with abundant jammy berry flavors, black cherries, and plums. Spicy with a long, juicy finish!

(1) small bottle of Polar Black Cherry Seltzer

1/2 cup of Kirsch (cherry flavored liqueur)

(1) pound of cherries

(1) blood orange

1/2 cup of sugar (more for dusting cherries)

Directions:

1)  Wash, depit, and cut cherries in halves. Set aside about 10 cherries for simple syrup.

2) Put the rest on a baking sheet, lightly dust them with sugar, and throw them in the oven at 400 for 25 minutes.

3) While they are baking, take 1/2 cup of sugar with a 1/2 cup of water along with 10 cherries and bring to a boil. One sugar is fully melted, let simmer about 15 min until simple syrup turns red from drained cherries. This will be your cherry simple syrup - let cool and set aside. 

4) Pour bottle of wine into a container along with the 3/4 cup of cherry flavored liqueur. Add cherry simple syrup once cooled. Slice blood orange and add to batch. 

5) Once roasted cherries come out of oven, let cool. Add roasted black cherries to the mix, along with any juice from pan. 

6) Let flavors mull in the refrigerator for 10-24 hrs (the longer the better!) Add small bottle of black cherry seltzer before serving or (1) 750ml bottle of Cava Brut Rose (sparkling rose wine). Serve over ice.

Drink Responsibly! 

Be Merry...

xo,

Post Recipe Note: Did not love the Kirsh - found the liqueur very strong and didn't love the flavor. I would sub this out for Absolut CherryKran, Grey Goose Cherry Noir, or your favorite vodka base. But very, very delish! :)

5 homemade gifts from the heart

With Christmas right around the corner,

and the holiday shopping frenzy in full swing --

you might really be feeling the affects of 

buyers remorse. 

While it feels good to give to others,

a lot of us take ourselves broke in the process.

If you are looking for last minute,

inexpensive homemade gifts from the heart - 

look no further.

I have 5 ideas for you that 

not only won't break the bank,

but will show your loved ones you put

a little extra, tender love and care into their 

special gift.

Check out these D.I.Y (Do It Yourself)

Gift Ideas....

1. Fabric Wrapped Hangers

I think these are so cute and easy.

All that's needed for this simple project 

are some hangers from the Dollar Store which come

(8) to a pack, and some fabric scraps from

 a local craft store (Joanne Fabrics).

 I cut the fabric into strips and using a glue gun, 

wrap them around the hangers until they are covered.

Decorate as you please with bows and ribbons

(Dollar Store has these as well).

All my friends love them! :)

2. Homemade Sugar Scrubs

You can use products found around your home to make

these delicious homemade scrubs. Sugar scrubs

are great exfoliators for the face and body this time

of year when skin tends to dry out.

Check out these fabulous DIY scrubs

from Lipstick and Berries.

3. Scarf

Put your hands to good use and knit or crochet

something warm for your loved one this holiday.

Don't know how? 

Michael's (as well as local yarn/craft shops) offer classes 

or YouTube provides great tutorials to get you

started with basic stitches.

 A simple scarf will take you under 3 hours 

to create and makes the perfect cozy Christmas gift!

4. Crafty Paint Calendar

Came across this little project and loved the idea.
Using paint color samples from Home Depot, Lowe's, etc
you can create a customized calendar.
Place an inexpensive frame over it
 (you can find them for under $5)
and use a dry erase marker to change
the month and days. 

5. Baking

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that can be consumed!
 Head over to Trader Joe's for
some gingerbread mix and bake some fresh
gingerbread for friends and family!
Presentation is everything...so all it takes
are some adorable little tins to present something
freshly baked in that makes all the difference.
I found these cute ones for $1 at Christmas Tree Shop!
Gingerbread not your thing?
How about these adorable melting snowmen cookies
I made last night?

Hope I've given you some good ideas...
feel free to share your own! 

xo,