With Easter just around the corner, we have all things spring and bunny on our minds. So of course, these carrot cupcakes were on our mind. If you haven't made Peggy's carrot cake, found here yet, what are you waiting for?! Get on that! But for right now, cupcakes are on our mind. And these cute lavender sprinkled ones are on the docket. 

Cake Ingredients: 
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp culinary lavender (found here)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Frosting
1/3 cup butter at room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
(Note we use water in our frosting rather than milk because then you can leave the cupcakes out unrefriderated without a worry about spoiling.) 

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until cupcakes are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost, then sprinkle with lavender buds as a garnish. 

Anyone else feel like this by the end of winter?

  I snapped this photo at the farm next to the Lavender Apple. This pretty much sums up how a farmer feels at the end of cold harsh winter. This week we were teased with some ok temperatures. And while the Cache Valley inversion isn't tricking anyone to believe that this winter is over yet, the sun sure is trying. 

If you're like me and craving some spring, here are some teaser photos from last year to help get you through. 

I'll admit, before we had a family lavender farm, I had never used lavender in my cooking before. I assumed it tasted soapy, and I wasn't really sure how or why to go about using it. My how times have changed! I love using lavender in my cooking and it really elevates your cooking. Lavender is such a powerhouse to have in your culinary arsenal. 

Just a few tips: 

1. Make sure you always use culinary lavender. Culinary lavender is suitable for consumtion, while ornamental lavender may have been processed differently and may taste a little off. 

2. If you are new to lavender and not sure you want to use full buds, you can start with lavender infused sugars or salts. You could even grind your buds into a powder if that makes you more comfortable. 

3. A little goes a long way. You never want to be too heavy handed with your lavender. It's fragrant and can transform a dish when used properly, just use restraint and keep it at "just a hint". 

Find our oraganic culinary lavender online here: www.lavenderapple.com 
Happy Cooking!

Confession time.... I have gotten really upset with my husband for buying me flowers. I'm terrible, I know. To me flowers seem like such a frivolous gift. They are expensive, they don't last very long, and pretty soon you have nothing left to show of your "gift". I know flowers are romantic, but I would so much more love for my husband to spend our hard earned money on something that I'm not throwing in the trash 3 days later. Enter LAVENDER. 

Then dried lavender entered my life. It is the perfect flower for a gal like me. In it's dried state, it still looks fresh, but it will stay beautiful like this permanently. It smells wonderful, looks wonderful, and doesn't cost near as much as real flowers. So gents, do your wife a favor this valentines day; if you want to be romantic and get her flowers, get her dried lavender. Its unique, elegant, romantic, and something she can cherish all year long. 

Find our store online at www.lavenderapple.com