Lavender Tea Bread, who said Lavender was just for smelling good?

And who says Lavender is just a nice smell?

I want to share something a friend shared with me today on Facebook...why?  Because we get stuck into the ideas of what we can make to treat ourselves and others...the typical: we get zucchini and "poof!"  we make zucchini bread, nothing wrong with that, but it's 'typical'...so this is out of the ordinary and worth a look see:

Lavender Tea Bread-

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped flowers

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then steep until cool.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl.

In another bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, then eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy.

Add flour mixture alternately with lavender milk, in three parts. Mix until batter is just blended, do not overbeat.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, drizzle with a simple sugar glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with sprigs of fresh lavender.

Serve this with a nice chardonnay, or Riesling.  Going Non Alcoholic?  I would personally pair this with lemon ice tea to help augment the flavor of the lavender, bringing out some more interesting subtile details.

Enjoy!

Welcome to a Place to Chill...

Okay this is a place to "Rail" because we all do.  I am including food, flowers, simple living here, but also just how difficult things can be living in this world keeping balance...why I have so many other blog spot areas!  One is discussion of things to help you get to the real you...the one you see in the morning before the world hits down on you!
Another is our business, being psychic, being tarot readers for over 30 years, referring to our website:  www.ctctarot.com.

This site is something else, a place to find solace in a place of craziness that we all are facing in the world;  do I eat chocolate?  Do I drink wine?  Do I dare eat sugar?  What about feeling guilty about trying to be green and yet having to toss a pizza box out? Yes, I am irreverent.  I want you to laugh, enjoy the good things in life (jeez it's short enough), find maybe inspiration to go dance in the sunlight outside, or stop and smell some flowers, even if it isn't in your schedule or financial budget;  you need happy!

No we are not the 'rarified' air people who can afford the new age good life.  We are people living like you, ripping our hair out by the middle of the month, finding strength in music to keep our spirits high, and I love rock and roll!

So what does this place want to bring you?
I hope that my love of all things beautiful, good food, music shared and videos that inspire will hope you leaving happy, and able to get on with your day...my response to a hard day:
BROWNIES, man, chocolate keeps you sane:  that and mediation!  Peace out.