Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Not to be too herby...


...but, we've started a (tiny!) little herb garden.


 

from L to R, we have Lavender, Basil and Rosemary.
Especially for the lavender, does anyone have some great ideas for actually using it? I love the idea that we have it on hand, but so far, it has not been too practical. Tea recipes? Sachets? Scented icings or ice creams?

Please let me know if you have any creative ideas up your sleeve.

 Likewise, I'll make sure to share my herbiest recipes in the future :)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Rooting Mint

As you may remember, my sweet mother-in-law graced me with a lovely mint plant a while ago, and since then, I cannot believe how large it has grown!

Not too long ago:


Today:


To my happy surprise, the plant is now a small bush, and provides our household with a bountiful mint supply.

Hubby's got quite a mean mojito recipe going, and I've been enjoying using it as a garnish on dinners, tea, drinks, and--my favorite-- to refresh my bedtime glass of water (oh-so-refreshing! put a little mint, water and ice in your cocktail shaker for the perfect relaxing sip).

All that to say, with all our minty bounty, I'd like to share the wealth! Let us officially begin our first project in rooting. The simple process of growing another plant, using your existing plant as a starter.

I've done some research to find that mint is especially easy to root. First, I snipped off two 8" pieces (doubling-up for good luck) of mint, cleaned it thoroughly, and placed it in water.


Soon enough, I'm told, roots will develop and the plant will be strong enough to pot. Good or bad, I'll report back with results.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Homemade Lemon Gelato

Here's our big Labor Day experiment: Homemade Lemon Gelato.

Using a lovely Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment for the first time (!)--this gelato recipe called for ordinary pantry ingredients so we were able to get to work without a trip to the store. Miraculous!

Making gelato was worlds easier than I imagined. A little scalded milk with lemon peel and coffee beans...


a little egg yolk and sugar...



strain out the aromatics:




Pop in the freezer bowl to mix for 20 minutes,



and done!


We're hooked and looking forward to making new flavors and recipes to add to our repertoire.


As the Italiano's say, "Moto bene!"


More ice cream treats to come :)

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