Lavender Lemonade, Lemon Lavender Cake & Wild
Blueberry Lavender Chicken Salad
Come join me for a relaxing luncheon on the lanai. The menu is as follows:
- Wild Blueberry Lavender Chicken Salad
- Lemon Lavender Cake
- Lavender Lemonade
I will share with you some simple, yet elegant and tasty recipes. I have altered these recipes for the busy person who wants something special but does not have the time for much preparation.
The word lavender derives from the Latin lavare “to wash”. The Romans used it to scent their bathwater. It has healing powers as well as a fragrant herb in cooking. It is drunk as a tea for relaxation and refreshment. It is popular for its long lasting fragrance. I grow it in my garden and dry the lavender buds. You can purchase small amounts of lavender locally at the SEDONA Store at Ward Warehouse or on the internet. I found several good sources and reasonably priced on the World Wide Web.
Wild Blueberry Lavender Chicken Salad
Ingredients for Wild Blueberry Lavender Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 cans white meat chicken breast (in water) 12.5 oz. each can
- ¼ cup dried wild blueberries
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup crushed cashews
- ½ teaspoon lavender buds
- ½ teaspoon seasoned sea salt from last month’s recipe or regular salt
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard or black pepper to taste
This recipe can be made in less than 20 minutes. Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Drain the water from the cans of chicken. Stir until thoroughly mixed and chill until the time for serving. This can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Serve on a bed of greens or sandwich style. I use this recipe for my caterings. I always get rave reviews and so will you.
Wild Blueberry Lavender Chicken Salad on a dish
Lavender Lemon Cake
Supplies and Ingredients Needed:
Lavender Lemon Cake Ingredients
- Bundt Cake Pan or other shaped cake pans
- Lemon cake mix
- 3 eggs
- Juice of one lemon
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon lavender buds for the cake mix
- 1 Tablespoon lavender buds for the frosting
- 1 tub of ready made white frosting
No need to make a cake from scratch. The alteration of the lemon cake mix is so delightful that it can be mistaken for a scratch cake.
Pour dry cake mix in a bowl. Follow the steps on the cake box. I include the lemon juice in the amount of water the mix calls for. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl…no egg shells please. Pour eggs, oil, water, and 1 tablespoon lavender into the bowl. Mix by hand until all ingredients are just moistened. Then beat with electric mixer 2 minutes or by hand for 2 minutes. Whip some air into the batter.
Pour batter into a greased cake pan. I use a cooking spray, such as PAM. Follow the time to bake given on the cake mix box. It is usually at 350 degrees. Place the cake in the middle rack of the oven. When the edges of the cake are brown it is time to remove from the oven.
Let the cake cool 2 minutes. Put a platter on top of the hot cake and quickly flip the cake over to release from the pan.
While the cake is still warm I gently spread the frosting and let it drizzle down the sides of the cake. I decorate the top with sprinkles of lavender buds.
Lavender Lemonade
I take a tablespoon of lavender and steep it in a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add 4 more cups of cool water to the lavender tea. You can use a coffee filter to steep the lavender in the boiling water. Squeeze two lemons into the water. Save some slices of lemon to put into the glasses. Add ice cubes, sugar, splenda, honey, or the sweetener of your choice.
Enjoy your luncheon. If you have any questions please email me. I’d love to hear your comments on these recipes.
Next month I will share a doggie recipe that my Golden Retriever, Buddy really likes.
