Lavender is Blooming

I love lavender, and planted this one plant last year next to our patio. I put the old garden gate behind it, and the sign hanging off the back says "Lavender". A little hemp beehive and old yellow metal chair complete the scene. I am going to cut this lavender this morning, and it should have been much earlier. Lavender should be cut right before the buds open. The honey bees have been dining on the lavender and someone is going to have some great lavender honey.

There are so many ways to use lavender. Cooking, in healing salves, tub teas, sachets, and many different ways. I cut mine and place in a brown paper bag, and place that in the back of my car, or on the dashboard in the sun. It is so humid here, I have trouble getting herbs to dry by placing them outside in a shaded place.

Here is a recipe from the blog http://www.abouthyme.com

Lavender Lip Balm

This lip balm would be great for sunburned or chapped lips since lavender is known for it's healing properties
½ cup cosmetic oil (apricot kernal, sweet almond, or grapeseed oil) ¼ cup fresh lavender flowers lavender essential oil 1-2 tsp pure beeswax, grated

In a clean lidded jar, steep the lavender flowers in the oil for a week. Strain into a small saucepan, add 5-6 drops of essential oil, and place over low heat. When warm, begin adding the beeswax. When you've melted in the first teaspoon of wax, removed from the heat and test for hardness by placing a little on a saucer and putting in the refrigerator. After a couple of minutes, check to see if the gloss has congealed. If it isn't hard enough, add a little more wax and reheat. If it's too hard, add a few drops of oil and reheat. When done, pour into a small lidded jar and let it cool.

This is one of the blogs of Susan Wittig Albert, the best selling author of the China Bayles mystery series.