Have you ever had a homemade pickle? The tangy flavor, the cool crunch, it's so much better than the preservative laden stuff you can find at the store. And making your own pickles is actually surprisingly easy! This recipe is spicy and sweet and the perfect treat. 

3 pounds cucumbers

1/2 cup pickling salt

6 cups water

2 cups sliced onions

3 cups vinegar

3 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

4 cloves

10 tablespoons garlic, minced

24 dried cayenne peppers

1/2 tsp lavender salt 

Directions, place cucumbers, salt, water, and onions together and soak for 2 hours. Drain and set aside. Combine other ingredients and bring to boil. Once boiled, add back your cucumbers and onions. Bottle and age for 3 weeks before eating. 

I tried a new dish this week that was a lot of fun, Asian Meatball Soup. It has the warm comfort of a soup that is perfect for this time of year, but it had all the tangy savory flavors you would find in your favorite dishes from Asia. It was wonderful. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound lean pork or beef

2 green onions, minced

2 tbs grated ginger

3 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp fish sauce 

6 cups chicken broth

6 ounces rice noodles, cooked

1 tablespoon cilantro 

2 tbs chopped peanuts

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients (except for the broth, noodles, and cilantro) into meat balls. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Bring broth to a boil, add noodles and meatballs. Serve into bowls and top with cilantro and chopped peanuts. 

We hope you enjoy this super simple and delicious soup. 

Bon Apetitie! 

This is what pure lavender essential oil looks like. Peggy uses a still and we take our pure organic lavender plants and from one or two bushes, all of this loveliness ensues. It smells delightful, is naturally powerful, and goodness it's pure. Get your hands on some here: www.thelavenderapple.com 

Have a wonderful weekend!

I don't know why, but I always feel like adding oatmeal and nuts to my cookies makes them feel more like autumn. These chewy oatmeal cookies are the perfect sweet treat on a fall afternoon. 

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar1 cup butter, softened1 tsp vanilla1 egg
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon lavender salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

4 tsp ground flax 

Directions: Mix together ingredients in order listed. Bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden. 

Then go out into the nice fall weather and jump around in a pile of leaves just for the heck of it. Happy Fall!