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Lavender Linen Water Recipe

Angela's Lavender Linen Water, is a version of Sir Hugh Platt's "special sweet water to perfume clothes, in the folding, being washed." Her customers love it, adding a splash to the rinse water or sprinkling shirts and sheets before ironing. "People tell me they sleep so peacefully," says Angela. "The lavender has a calming effect."
Ingredients:
100 drops (5 ml) lavender oil
5 drops peppermint oil*
1 1/2 fluid oz. (45 ml) vodka (highest proof available)
20 oz. distilled or still spring water

Blend the essential oils with the vodka in a small glass bowl. Stir well to amalgamate. Pour water into a large glass bottle. Add oil mixture to water. Please note: The linen water may be cloudy. This is normal and won't stain linen. Shake bottle before you use it.

* Optional. Used to enhance and freshen lavender fragrance.

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Do It Yourself Floral Water

Base:
Grain alcohol, witch hazel, glycerin
Add herbs and/or essential oils:
Some suggested herbs -
Floral herbs such as: Lavender flowers, rose petals; Citrus herbs such as: orange or lemon peels
Instructions:
Basically, you're making a weak tincture of herbs that either smell nice together, or are beneficial to the skin. Choose your herbs, just enough to loosely fill the bottom 1/2 of a jar, pour grain alcohol and/or witch hazel to cover the herbs. Cover and place in a dark fairly cool place. Shake the jar once or twice a day for 2 - 3 weeks. Strain out herbs; if desired add eo or fo. Add distilled water to fill the remainder of the jar, shake to mix well, and decant into a dark glass bottle.
Susan Couvia
Lavender Water
1 cup lavender flowers, scented rose petals or orange blossom.
1/4 cup ethyl alcohol at room temperature.
Steep for 6 days in a screw-top jar, shakeing vigorously each day.
Strain and Decant into a dark glass bottle.
(referenced from the "Complete book of herbs")
Kathy Petal Pusher




Lavender Sleep Pillow (source unknown)
3 parts lavender
(mix the following in equal parts and use 1 part):
hop flowers
lemon verbena leaves
rosemary
marjoram
sweet cicely
a few drops lavender essential oil
Mix thoroughly and stuff into muslin bags to make pillows.



French Lavender Water (1866)
4 drams oil of lavender
1 dram oil of bergamot
1 dram oil of lemon
5 drops oil of cloves
3 drops oil of rose
2 drops oil of civet
1/2 dram extract of ambergris (substitute 2-3 drops fragrance oil)
1 dram balsam of Peru
15 oz. alcohol
1 oz. orange flower water
Mix the oils, balsam and extract with the spirit; add water gradually and shake well. Let stand 4 days, filter if needed.



Lavender Incense (source unknown)
1 tb. fine sawdust
1 tsp. powdered lavender
1 tsp. powdered rosepetals
1 tsp. powdered cloves
1 tsp. powdered orris root
1 tb. distilled water
1 tsp. gum arabic
3 drops lavender oil
3 drops rose oil
3 drops clove oil
Dissolve gum in water. Mix well with dry ingredients and shape into cones. Allow to dry thoroughly.



Lavender Water (source unknown)
2 tb. oil of lavender
2 tb. oil of bergamot
4 bruised cloves
1 pint alcohol
Mix, let stand 1 month. Filter and add:
1/4 cup distilled water or rosewater
1/3 tsp. essence of musk or ambergris (sub. 2 drops fragrance oil)



Essence of Red Lavender (1855)
(This was an old Victorian remedy for "nervous attacks")
Fill a quart bottle with lavender blossoms and pour as much brandy over them as it will contain. Let stand 10 days; strain. Add 1/4 oz. each of nutmeg,cloves, mace and cochineal, and bottle. A little is taken on a sugar cube. For bowel complaint, mix 1 tsp. in 1/2 glass of peppermint water.



Lavender Pot-Pourri (my own recipe)
4 oz. lavender flowers
4 oz. dried rose petals
1 tb. crushed cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. crushed cloves
1 tb. gum benzoin
5 drops oil of lavender
2 drops oil of rose geranium
2 drops oil of bergamot
2 drops oil of lemon
2 drops oil of sandalwood
1 tsp. powdered vanilla bean



Eau de Lavande des Millefleurs ("Art of Perfumery" 1855)
1/4 oz. oil of lavender
60 drops essence of musk
30 drops essence of ambergris
30 drops oil of bergamot
8 oz. spirit
Mix by agaitation. Then add:
22 drops oil of cloves
8 drops oil of cinnamon
8 drops essence of ambergris

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Lavender is a plant rich in history and myth. With its roots in the ancient herbalists, lavender's properties as a disinfectant and antiseptic were founded. Its healing qualities grew through the centuries, even gaining the reputation of warding off the plague. Lavender's popularity with the English royalty gave it a berth in the ranks of a cosmetic herb, and it was with Queen Victoria that it was recognized as a tonic for nerves.

With its history of healing properties, glorious colors and enchanting perfume, lavender has remained the "Swiss Army Knife" of herbs. Lavender has stepped out of its attachment to old fashion and has found a modern status in aromatherapy. With scientific research verifying its ancient uses, it is an essential component of any household first aid box. The essential oil is used on insect bites, burns, and blemishes. As a cream, it is used for eczema; a lotion for sunburn, a chest rub for congestion, and the tinctures take the itch out of bites and dry skin. In massage oils, it can ease the tension of headaches, relax muscles, and soothe the skin. Because of these healing qualities, Purple Haze has developed a line of products that capture the aromatherapy essence of lavender.

Need more reasons for having a lavender plant? Try cooking with the blossoms and leaves. The flowers add a beautiful color to salads and combine well with bitter leaves. Crystallized lavender flowers make delicate cake decorations. The spikes and leaves of lavender can be used in most dishes in place of rosemary and are especially good with chicken. English recipes include adding the flowers to ices, meringues, jellies and sugar cookies. We have been collecting and testing recipes for years and have our favorites to share. Working with a Northwest artist, we created a folding collection of recipes with packets of both lavender and Herbs de Provence. This Provence Primer will get you started cooking with lavender.

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LAVENDER & ROSE (A LOOSE INCENSE)
Yield: 1 Batch

1/4 oz Benzoin
1 oz Lavender
1/2 oz Cinnamon
1 oz Rose petals
1/4 oz Patchouli
1/4 oz Sandalwood

Use with charcoal briquettes.


Lavender Wand:
15 stems old monks lavender
1 roll thin ribbon
Clean stems of any loose leaves. Gather all the heads together in a cluster and tie a ribbon right below the heads, do not cut off the ribbon.
Trim all the stems to the same length and bend down the stems in a circle over the heads to form a cage. Weave the ribbon around the stems over one and under one. Keep repeating this weave until all the lavender heads have been covered. When the cage is complete, secure with a double knot. Twist the ribbon down around the stems and secure at the bottom with a double knot and bow. Clean the wand of any loose flowers and hang with your favorite clothes for a beautiful fresh smell.



Head Piece:
selection of fresh flowers & leaves
Measure 3 pieces of ribbon to go around your head with some ribbon trailing.
Start by tying the three ribbons together in a knot. Braid in an assortment of flowers and leaves with each new braid. Keep braiding until long enough to go around your head. Tie a knot at the end when finished and trim off any dangling stems.

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Cake

Glazed Lavender Tea Cake

Recipe By : Cooking Light June 2000
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
v CAKE:
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lavender leaves -- finely chopped
cooking spray
GLAZE:
1/3 cup powdered sugar -- sifted
1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. To prepare cake, beat granulated sugar, butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg and egg white, 1 at a time, beat well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well.Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Stir in lavender.

3. Pour batter into an 8" loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

4. TO prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. SPread over hot cake. Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

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Per serving: 246 Calories; 6g Fat (23% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 37mg Cholesterol; 209mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread; 1 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

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