Wednesday, September 21, 2011

lavender icing

Anyone who knows me most likely knows about my obsession with lavender. I used to hate it as a child but last year I came home to find a beautiful bundle of it hanging over my kitchen sink and I've loved it ever since. I make lavender syrup lattes, have lavender infused baths, put dried lavender on my night stand... it's getting quite out of control. Anyway, when I found a recipe for lavender icing in a Martha Stewart cookbook I whipped it up right away (even though dear ol' Martha's recipes never work out for me). Here is the recipe and results:




Boil 1/3 tsp of dried lavender in 1/3 cup of milk. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl (pillow cases are also a handy replacement). Discard lavender. Whisk in 3 cups of confectioners sugar until smooth. Add a dash of violet food colouring.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

romantic sundays

Today I'm flying to Blachford Lake Lodge for work - the same lodge that Will and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited during their stay in the Northwest Territories. With an outdoor hottub for watching the aurora borealis and a boat ride to Honeymoon Island on the schedule I can't help but think about romantic weekends. I know that with my hectic schedule I typically use weekends for catching up on sleep, laundry and getting my life back in order. Sundays should be reserved for late brunches, black and white movies and afternoon yoga classes. With this in mind, I decided to rejig my weekend plans, and here is some of what I included:
Soak up the spread of Kate Moss' gorgeous wedding 
in the September issue of Vogue.
Indulge. 
Lemon filled pastries from Lulu's Market in Yellowknife.
Similar to these treats I made.
Get comfy...
In beautiful pyjamas.
(Urban Outfitters $52)
More ideas here.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

backyard baking 3

Rose Hip Syrup
Picked from: Prelude Lake
Recipe from: Wild Roots Herbal Learning Centre
Thoughts: make any meal romantic with this blush-hued syrup

Ingredients:
4 cups rose hips
2 cups water
1 cup sugar

Rose hips are best picked mid to late August when their colour is rich and full.


Wash rose hips thoroughly. Remove stems and flower remnants.


Boil hips and water for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan. Strain through a jelly bag.


Return clear juice to kettle. Add sugar. Stir well and boil five minutes.


Refrigerate until used. This syrup is my absolute favourite and makes for wonderful gifts.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

keeping cozy

With the weather slowly slipping from summer to fall, I know I'll be spending more time indoors. Here are a few things that make my bedroom a bit more cozy.
Favourites: lavender for a calming scent and a tiny tray for favourite pieces of jewellery
A birchbark basket, made in the Northwest Territories, and decorated with dyed porcupine quills. Adding to my mirror by posting beautiful photos taken by my friend Aryn
With a bed this cozy I won't mind hiding out when the temperature plummets
Fresh flowers from the garden... sadly, they won't be there for long!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

northern garden party

I know my blog has been a bit lacking in the last month but it's been an extremely busy couple of weeks - don't worry, there are lots of posts to come! One of the highlights of this month was hosting a garden party for two writers from Canadian Living magazine. The lovely ladies are working on a 5-6 page spread on cuisine in the Northwest Territories and I was lucky enough to do some baking for them. Here are a few snapshots I took before they arrived. I prepared rose petal shortbread, spruce tip shortbread, fireweed syrup, rose hip syrup, and bannock. Recipes to follow!