Kitchen Concoctions

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling a little down because I wasn't spending a lot of time creating in my studio. However, I realized that I had been creating a few things in the kitchen, which was where I had spent the time I wasn't spending at the worktable. There was, of course, the Thanksgiving feast (we hosted a small group of family, so we made all the typical dishes– and days of leftover creativity followed), but I also managed to squeeze in a couple of other concoctions that are important to our family.

Honey Lemon Syrup. This is one of my absolute favorites for the winter! Just fill a jar with sliced fresh lemons (I use organic ones that have been scrubbed clean) and top with honey (we use a local honey from the farmer's market. We're, uh, not hippies or anything...). I spoon out  some to mix into herbal teas like lemon balm/ginger, or even just mix it into a cup of hot water. It's amazing if you have a sore or dry throat, but it's also fantastic as a before-bed cup of warm goodness. Or as a mid-day sweet treat. Really, I can't think of a bad time to enjoy it!

As you use up the honey, just top it with more and use a spoon or chopstick to mush up the lemons a little to get the juice out. I usually keep a jar in the fridge for at least two or three weeks, eventually taking out the lemon slices one by one and adding them to tea or hot water, and not topping off the honey as I start taking out the lemons. Once it's all gone, I make a fresh batch.

Awesome Sauce. Elderberry, Ginger, Cinnamon, Honey, and Echinacea Syrup, but renamed Awesome Sauce by my husband. We take spoonfuls of it to help boost our immune system during cold and flu season, but it tastes so good, I think it's worth making just to spoon directly into your mouth, several times a day. I got the original recipe here (and Crunchy Betty provides an explanation of the herbs and their healthy properties) and have been using it for years.

If I could help you taste it through the interwebs, I would. It is a truly delicious concoction! And it has so much traditional herbal goodness.

Homemade mustard. The best! Sooo tasty and sooo easy.

And eating that cracker with a smear of mustard and a piece of parsley is part of why this blogging thing is so much fun– I get to eat the leftovers from the photo shoot! I also blogged about this mustard last year, and the recipe is included. I left out the lavender entirely this time.

I get almost all of my supplies (bulk herbs and spices, essential oils) from Mountain Rose Herbs. 

Enjoy!