Gardener’s Bug Spray
1 spray bottle (Dollarama)
1 tsp vodka (helps the oils blend with water)
3 drops peppermint essential oil
3 drops lemon tea tree essential oil
3 drops citronella essential oil
1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop lavender essential oil
Fill rest of bottle with water.
Shake a bit before using.
Avoid spraying in eyes.
Apply every half hour or as needed.
Adjust oils according to preference and availability.
Oils available at Planet Organic, Quinpool Road, Halifax or Casaroma, Alderney Landing, Dartmouth
Green tea spritzer
1/2 cup brewed green tea
2 TBSP lemon grass syrup (recipe below)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 cups ginger ale or club soda
3 cups lemonade
Combine fist 4 ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use
Before serving add ginger ale and lemonade
Epicure's Lemon Grass Syrup
A light and lively syrup or sweetener for pound cake, fruit salads, iced teas and spritzers.
Makes: 2 cups (500 ml)
Cost Per Serving: $0.08
2 cups (500 ml) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Epicure's Lemon Grass Herbal Tea
1 piece Epicure's Star Anise
1. Whisk all ingredients in an Epicure's Multi-Purpose Pot with an Epicure's Piano Wire Whisk.
2. Cook over medium heat until reduced by half and syrup coats the back of a spoon. Strain and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Per Serving (1 Tbsp (15 ml)) : Calories 45, Fat 0 g (Saturated 0 g, Trans 1 g), Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 0 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g (Fibre 0 g, Sugars 12 g), Protein 0 g.
Tips: Simple syrups are limited only by your imagination. Epicure's Crystallized Ginger, Epicure's Lemon Mango Herbal Tea or Epicure's Kaffir Lime Leaves all make excellent syrups.
Add 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of Epicure's Lemon Grass Syrup to soda water or ginger ale for a refreshing, flavourful drink.
John's Old Fashioned Shortbreads
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 3/4 cups soft butter
Mix these together well in a mixer but not too high speed, or you will incorporate too much air into the mix, just med. speed.
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
Mix these dry ingredients together very well before adding to the butter/sugar mix.
Mix everything together at low speed untill it is all incorporated. (Mixture will be crumbly like biscuit dough).
The next part is a bit messy, I use disposable latex gloves.
Portion out maybe 1/4 of the dough onto parchment paper and squeeze the dough into a log, shaping with a knife and the parchment, or you may scoop out the dough like cookies if preferred. Once shaped, this dough may be frozen for later use, or used immediately.
Place the cookies (sliced with a knife or scooped) onto a parchment lined tray.
Bake 325 degrees for about 15 min.
When the edges are slightly brown, remove from oven and cool.
Val's 2 cents:
For a real twist, add a light sprinkling of lavendar buds and a bit of lemon peel!
John's Brilliant Biscotti
Cream together:
3/4 cup soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
Blend into creamed mixture:
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon anise
Mix together & add to wet mixture at slow speed:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Blend into dough:
1 cup of toasted almond/cashew (toasting accentuates flavour)
Divide this dough into 2 parts (each will make 1 biscotti log).
Roll out log by hand to size of baking tray (shape of rolling pin); flatten slightly; mist with water; sprinkle with medium sugar (castor sugar).
Bake on double tray 15-20 min. at 325-350 degrees; rotate trays & do same again; when biscotti logs golden brown & firm, remove trays from oven & let cool to room temperature.
Once fully cool, gently slice biscotti logs with serrated knife; place back on these trays with spaces between each piece (this will allow the pieces to be toasted on all sides).
Bake again (double trayed) in oven another 15-20 min. & same again after rotating at 325-350 degrees until pieces are toasted.
Watch carefully at the end of baking time so pieces do not burn.
Enjoy with coffee or tea or ice cream or ???
John
