Oh, Happy May!!!

We had such a lovely day yesterday ~ we held our annual spring tea party...

 "The Language of Flowers"

One of the delicious items on the menu were these cucumbers with herbed cream cheese.  

They were super easy to make, and everyone enjoyed them!

We thought they'd be a lovely recipe for you to try out...

easy to make and an excellent option instead of carrot sticks and dip!

Cucumbers 

with Herbed Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Minced chives for garnish

Directions:

Combine together the cream cheese, dill, dill pickle juice, 

onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper 

with a mixer on high until smooth.

Place mixture into a pastry bag with a tip of your choice,

 or use a zip-lock bag and snip the corner of the bag off.  

Take a peeler and peel some of the cucumber skin, 

making a striped pattern.  

Then slice into 1/4 inch rounds.  

Pipe the cream cheese mixture onto the cucumber.  

Sprinkle minced chives over the cream cheese cucumbers. 

Serve immediately.

Enjoy your day!

Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

A Fool for You....

Yesterday we had our

Valentine Progressive Tea Party

and for dessert we served

Raspberry Fools....

Sweet little cups with a perfect name for

Valentines...don't you think?

It's a super easy recipe..

and we thought we'd share it with you

because you might want to serve it to 

someone you are plumb crazy about :)

Raspberry Fool

2 cups raspberries

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Put raspberries and sugar in a bowl and smash.  

You may also put into a food processor to puree

 ~ depends on how you like your fruit!

2 cups whipping cream 

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

(we've also used almond!)

In a bowl add the cream, sugar and vanilla extract and mix

 with an electric beater until stiff peaks form.  

Gently fold in the raspberry mixture, being careful not to over mix.

Put into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

(This is a great make-ahead dessert you can do the night before as well!)

Top with additional raspberries

Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!!

Gather Around the Bonfire....

Thursday night we had our

Bonfire & Bluejeans Tea 

at the store....

It was fantastic evening...with great friends...

Spooky Stories by the fire

and some delicious....

 Creamy White Chili

This is probably one of the best white chili recipe we have ever made,

 so of course we had to share it with you....

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• (we used a mixture of white and dark meat)
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• (we used low-sodium chicken broth)
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 
  

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion and garlic powder in
• oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies
• and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; 
• simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. 
• Yield: 7 servings.

 It was truly a delightful evening!!

Summer Sorbet....

Summer.....

almost over ~ so let's make the best of it!

Thought we'd share our Raspberry Lavender Sorbet 

with chocolate Lavender Raspberry Jam recipes with you today....

well...and we just had to share this delicious looking picture...

because if it doesn't scream summer...

we just don't know what would!

Raspberry Lavender Sorbet

Ingredients

3 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds

3 cups frozen red raspberries, slightly thawed

1/2 cup frozen strawberries, slightly thawed

1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)

1/4 cup corn syrup

Directions

Freeze the insert of an ice cream make according to the manufacturer's instructions.  

To begin, you will need to make a lavender simple syrup. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring gently, about 3-5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat, stir in the lavender buds, and allow them to steep for 3 minutes.  Strain the lavender buds from the water and discard the lavender buds.  

Completely cool the lavender simple syrup in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. 

Combine the raspberries, strawberries and lime juice in a food processor,

 and blend for about 1+2 minutes or until the berries are completely pureed.  

Press the berries through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all the seeds.  Combine the raspberry puree with the cooled lavender simple syrup and the corn syrup.  

Stir and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Turn the ice cream maker to the on position, and slowly pour the raspberry mixture

 into the freezer bowl through the ingredient spout.  Let the ingredients mix 

until thickened, about 25-30

Makes approximately 8 servings. minutes.  Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container

 and put in the freezer for 2 hours before serving.

Now...that sorbet is just fantastic by itself....

but put some of our Chocolate Lavender Raspberry Jam on top and....

well...be prepared to swoon!!  

We also love this jam smothered on scones...

ok...and it's pretty good on a spoon as well :)

Chocolate Lavender 

Raspberry Jam

                                                                              

Ingredients

8 -1/2 cups fresh raspberries (about 2 pounds)

3 cups granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1-1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoons Culinary Lavender Buds

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice.  

Place the pan over medium heat, and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring slowly.  Skim off any foam from the surface.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the chocolate chips and the lavender buds to the raspberry mixture and 

stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted.  Spoon the mixture into a large bowl, 

and cover with parchment paper.  

Refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to mature.  Transfer the jam into airtight containers.  The jam can be store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  For longer storage, place the airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.  

The jam may also be kept in seal-tight-jars

Makes approximately 6 cups

oh-so good

to the last drop!!

Sweet Petite Treats!

What an enjoyable weekend! 

For Mother's Day Brunch we made these delicious petite cakes.... 

we EVEN garnished them with candied lemon peel ~ yes we know...

a bit over the top, but it sure looked and tasted Divine!

Lemon-Buttermilk Mini Cakes

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

3 large eggs

1/2 cup whole buttermilk

Lemon Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Spray min fluted cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda, whisking well.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, brown sugar, lemon extract
and lemon zest.  Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add to mixture alternately
with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture,
scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Using a levered 3 tablespoon scoop, fill the 18 cupcake wells with batter.
Tap pans firmly on counter top to level batter and reduce air bubbles. 

Bake until a wooded pick inserted in centers comes out clean, approximately 23 minutes.

Remove cakes from pans to a wire rack.  Let cool completely.

Place wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

Pour Lemon Glaze over cakes and let dry completely.

Store in airtight container for up to 2 days until ready to serve.

Lemon Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

1/4 cups fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine all whisking until smooth and creamy.

To make the Candied Lemon Curls 
you can follow this handy video from Tea Time magazine!

Have a beautiful Monday everyone!

Simple Tea Food for Everyday!

Yesterday we had the most fantastic time at our
Tea & Talk at the store!

Several of our guests asked for the recipes,
so we thought that we would share....

Springtime Ham Sandwich with Sun Dried Tomato Aioli

It was the Aioli that stole the show!

Sun Dried Tomato Aioli

2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomato (packed in oil)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomato, mayonnaise, lemon juice, 

Parmesan cheese, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, whisking well.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Spread it on your favorite sandwich ~ here we sliced a Ciabatta Roll 

and put the Aioli spread on it.  We then added some Black Forest Ham 

and some Springtime Lettuce....so simple and easy!

Cucumber tea sandwich....

so light and tasty!

We cut the crust off of Pepperidge Farm Sandwich bread.

Spread some Sour Cream & Chive Cream Cheese spread.

Then peel a cucumber and place slices on the cream cheese.  

Cut the extra cucumbers from the bread.  Cut bread in half in triangle shape.  

Sprinkle with black pepper and kosher salt.

We love serving these Antipasti Kebabs!

Cheese cubes, cheese tortellini and tomatoes threaded on a pick.

Then we marinated them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and fresh thyme.

Even though it was for our tea...these make fantastic sandwiches and sides 

for a delicious lunch as well.....we even packed our husbands 

a sandwich for lunch today...scoring some extra points

{we've got a flea market to go to this weekend ~ lol!!}

Enjoy!!

A Bite of Summer....

These little tea sandwiches are not only pretty to look at,

but they are so refreshing on a hot summer's day

Shave long strips of cucumber
{we used and English cucumber}
 with a regular vegetable peeler.

*****

Spread some of your favorite cream cheese

on your favorite sandwich bread

{ we used Pepperidge Farm's Very Thin bread slices

 and Philadelphia Chive & Onion Cream Cheese }

*****

Lay out cucumber on the bread, slightly overlapping it
*****

  Cut off crusts
and cut to desired shape.
{we just cut in half into triangle shapes}
*****

 Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh pepper

Enjoy!

When Life Gives You Lemons.....

OK...maybe life didn't really give us lemons,

we confess, we bought them at the grocery store....

However.....

When Life Gives You Lemons...

take pictures of them on your Blue Willow dishes

because they look really quite lovely!

But you really should do something wonderful with those lemons,

after all, they will not always look so pretty on those dishes!

So, You should make these yummy

 Lemon Poppy Seed Scones:

Come on...let's get started!

First preheat that oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

In a large bowl combine:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 large lemons, zested

1 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 tablespoons salt

1 stick cold, unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces

Using a pastry cutter or two knives to
 cut in butter until mixture resembles very coarse meal.

 

 . 

Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream, then add 1/4 cup lemon juice,

stirring just until dough forms.

 Using a cookie dough scoop, put on a cookie sheet 1"apart.
Bake for about 10 mintues, or until golden.

  Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool....then,
the best part....

Drizzle some Lemon Glaze over each scone once cooled:

just mix 1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice with 1/2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar 

and stir until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over the cooled scones ~ yum!

Thank you Lemons....

 

Feel free to share your
 lemony goodness anytime!!

.

Comfort Food

If you could only smell this....

Having a little 80th celebration

with three customers today

and Turkey Pot Pie was on the menu!

Make this yourself....it's so easy

just hop on over to Ree's

and put one together today

it's easy peasy pie!!

Scone meets butter

Hi, I'm a scone.  And although I'm quite tasty on my own, I am soooo much better when I have a companion.

And then one day I spied my perfect mate.

She was like milk and honey, and was adorned with lavender buds.

Talk about a delicious match!

This Lavender Honey Butter Recipe was a hit at both our Lavender Tea and our Sorbet Soiree.... So after much demand, here is the recipe:

Lavender Honey Butter

1 stick of butter (softened)

4t. honey

4t. culinary lavender

Blend ingredients together and then chill until about a half hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Lavender Tea & Garden Party

Lavender Tea & Garden Party

We are sooo excited!

Out Lavender Tea is tomorrow night...

want to know what we're having??

Lavender Tea 2011

Salad Greens with Lavender vinaigrette

Lavender Pecan Chicken Skewers with Rhubarb-Apricot Dipping Sauce

Broccoli Lavender Cornbread

Buttermilk Scones

Lavender Scones

with Honey Lavender Butter

Lavender Harvest Fudge

Peach & Lavender Sorbet

Lemon-Lavender Mousse Fillo Cups

oh....don't you worry

 we'll get you one of our recipes later this week with pictures!

It's going to be a Lavenderlicious Day!!

On another note...Catherine brought over some delicious herbs that are so good looking - these will be on sale starting today!  Lots of interesting varieties - see more pictures on our facebook page!

Our Tea will kick off our

Annual Garden Party

Friday, June 24th   10am-8pm

Saturday, June 25th  10am-5pm