Lavender - Lin Frye

Lavender, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

11" x 15"
Arches 140#CP

My gracious, getting ready to retire is a mighty busy, intense time, especially when you live out of town and have been working in one place for 11 years, it's the end of the fiscal year, high gardening time, and a busy 3-days a week teaching schedule. WHEW!

I must say that at times like these I crave time to paint even more. There's a wonderful restiveness to the process that I need to relax and rest for the next day of demands.

I painted this lavender shrub this week in between commitments. In the painting (not sure on each computer screen), the painting is soft, with a pink hue - much like I saw at the lavender festival. I truly love lavender - its scent, the way the flower stems bob in the breeze, the calming effect it has on me, and the delicious flavor it adds to foods - especially chocolate chip, lavender ice cream! My son thinks it tastes like chocolate soap - but I find it HEAVENLY!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons culinary lavender
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 small package chocolate fudge instant pudding (I used Jello)
1 – 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (cut into pieces – yes – small pieces)
2 cups ½ and ½ (I used non-fat)
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In small saucepan, add the culinary lavender (I used the lavender tied in cheesecloth) to the 1 cup milk. Heat on medium heat until the milk just begins to boil (BUT DO NOT BOIL). Remove from heat, and let lavender and milk steep for 30 minutes. Remove lavender, strain and cool.

In the meantime, cut up semi-sweet chocolate chips. (You can also cut up a semi-sweet chocolate bar). When lavender milk is cool, mix and blend well with chocolate pudding mix.

In frozen ice cream maker add:

Lavender Milk and pudding mix
½ and ½ (or Cream)
Sugar
Vanilla Extract

Follow manufacturer’s directions. Ours takes about 30 minutes of spinning. Add chocolate chips after 30 minutes and have machine blend for 5 minutes. Remove from ice cream maker – eat and freeze whatever you can’t resist eating!

I have a couple of lavender plants to get into the ground today - and then I think I"ll spin up a quart of lavender ice cream -- for dessert, and well, just to relax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great weekend!

Lin Frye
North CArolina