Friends In The Making - Happy New Year!

We have this idea that when you come out to our home, visit us at the market or stroll through our gardens that we are starting to building a long term friendship.  Wonderful emails and visits like the one below reaffirms our thought.  Thank you all for your support throughout the past year.  

We are looking forward to a Blossoming 2012!  

Happy New Year!

"Connie and I took a lovely winter drive up over Trapper's Loop and roamed around Ogden Valley this afternoon. We easily found Lavender Hill and had a delightful visit with Mother Lavender and her husband, Ed! We really enjoyed the new Lavender Gift Shop and Connie made the most of our visit carrying a bunch of bags of treasures to the car. Ed and I braved the brisk mountain air and went out into the garden and admired their hard work and excellent design of the garden.

 

Thank ya'll so much for the fine hospitality. And especially appreciate your thoughtfulness of the ice cream. It was fabulous and we shared it on the way home (Connie ate the bites with white chocolate and I ate the non-chocolate bites). "   ~ Mark

Mark & Connie, we are looking forward to seeing you in the spring!

Lavender Chocolate Fudge - from Meals.com

 Recipe courtesy of meals.com  

~ I have yet to make this myself, but I just had to share.  I did modify the amount of lavender used.  This recipe called for 1 tablespoon of culinary lavender (which is WAY to much) to 1 teaspoon culinary lavender ~ 

 

Lavender Chocolate Fudge

7 This looks Yummy!

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Try this Lavender Chocolate Fudge and break free from traditions by experimenting with different flavors and spices. With a hint of lavender, these mouth-watering fudge bites add a new twist to a classic favorite and are perfect for holiday gift giving.

Estimated Times

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Cooling Time: 2 hrs refrigerating

Servings: 48

Ingredients

2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil.

PLACE evaporated milk and lavender in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap; steep for 10 minutes. Strain into medium, heavy-duty saucepan; discard lavender. Add sugar, butter and salt to saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

ADD marshmallows; stir vigorously until almost melted. Stir in morsels and vanilla extract until melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

Cooking Tips

Click here to find out why CARNATION Evaporated Milk is The Cooking Milk.

Click here for nutrition information about CARNATION Evaporated Milk. 

December - Farmer's Almanac

December
1 - Stake young trees
3 - Make jams and jellies for gifts
4 - Move houseplants from cold windows

5 - Spray for peach leaf curl
6 - Order seeds packets for gifts
9 - Cover plants with mulch as needed
10 - Repair holes in gutters
11 - Make Christmas wreaths

12 - Clean and organize garden shed
13 - Make pomander balls
16 - Buy a living tree
17 - Pick pine boughs for garland
18 - Break up ice in birdbaths

19 - Clean snow from branches
20 - Plan Christmas dinner
21 - Winter begins, Total Eclipse of Moon
23 - Help to feed a family in need
24 - Make Christmas phone calls
25 - Christmas Day

26 - Boxing Day
27 - Keep poinsettia's soil damp
28 - Add dry greens to compost pile
29 - Put out feed and water for birds
30 - Make 2011 gardening resolutions

31 - New Year's Eve

Flower of the Month: Paperwhite Narcissus
Color: White
Meaning: Formality, Stay As Sweet As You Are

November - Farmer's Almanac

November
1 - All Saints' Day
2 - General Election Day
3 - Protect roots in cold climates
4 - Dig dahlias, store in potting soil
6 - Force bulbs for indoor use

7 - Daylight Savings Time ends
8 - Mulch asparagus with oak leaves
9 - Turn compost piles regularly
10 - Prepare and freeze pumpkin for pies
11 - Veterans Day
12 - Prune deciduous hedges

14 - Harvest leeks that are ready
15 - America Recycles Day
16 - Fertilize and wash houseplants
18 - Check stored produce for rot
19 - Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 1863
20 - Use colorful leaves in arrangements. 

21 - Remove withered stalks on perennials
22 - JFK assassinated, 1963
23 - Pick brussels' sprouts
24 - Make pies and relishes
25 - Thanksgiving Day
26 - Clean leaves out of gutters
27 - Store lawnmower on level surface

28  - Freeze leftovers
29 - Plant a windowsill herb garden
30 - St. Andrew

Flower of the Month: Chrysanthemum
Color: Yellow
Meaning: A Desolate Heart

October - Farmer's Almanac

October
2 - Prepare to frost protect tomatoes
3 - Clean up spent veggie beds
4 - Supreme Court begins session
5 - Get winter row covers ready
6 - Take stem cuttings of mums
7 - Rake up debris around fruit trees
8 - Drain and close irrigation systems
9 - Dig and divide perennials

10 - Plant garlic
11 - Columbus Day
12 - Sow green manure seed on bare ground
13 - Plant trees and shrubs
14 - Spade veggie beds
15 - National Grouch Day
16 - Put veggies on veggie beds

17 - Harvest remaining apples and pears
18 - Dig horseradish roots and process
19 - Harvest and sotre winter squash
20 - Plant bulbs
21 - Orionid meteor shower
22 - Hunter's Moon

24 - United Nations Day
25 - Store winter squash
26 - Unscrew hoses from hose bibs
27 - Coil and store hoses for winter
28 - Clean and store garden tools
29 - Stock market crash of 1929
30 - Put raked leaves on compost pile
31 - Halloween

Flower of the Month: Calendula, Pot Marigold
Color: Orange
Meaning: Cruelty, Grief, Jealousy, Sacred Affection