OMG Granola!

Granola is everywhere. It is one of those staples I hardly gave a thought to until I realized I was out of it! Last time I went grocery shopping I couldn't find the brand I usually purchase, and the one I bought tasted a lot like cardboard. Blech! I started researching Granola online, and found several recipes for making it. I learned that there are two different camps of Granola fans. To clump, or not to clump, that is the question! Every recipe I found differed slightly from the others, but I was inspired. I loaded up on ingredients and set out to make perfect Granola cereal.

I made three different test recipes, all using raw local Honey as the only sweetener. There are recipes online using brown sugar, maple syrup and Brown Rice Syrup if you are not a fan of honey. The honey based recipes I chose called for Virgin Coconut Oil, one for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and the third for basic Vegetable oil, like Canola oil. I made the first batch with Canola oil, and though edible, it was much less flavorful than the other two. The other two were both memorable and amazing! I'll share both winning recipes below. I know for sure I will never purchase Granola again. Not only is homemade Granola more flavorful than any I've ever purchased, it is super easy to make and costs half the price of store bought. Plus, I know EXACTLY what went into it, which means no GMO's.




Recipe #1 COCONUT OIL CLUMPING GRANOLA
(This one got the Blue Ribbon at my house, 3-1)

7 cups natural quick oats (bulk foods)
1 cup raw Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup raw Sunflower Seeds
1 cup sliced Almonds

3/4 cup raw, local honey
1/2 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Combine oats, seeds and nuts in large bowl, stir well.

Combine honey, oil, cinnamon and sea salt in small saucepan. Melt together on very low heat. Add vanilla.

Pour honey mixture over the oat mixture, tossing well to distribute as thoroughly as possible.

Press mixture onto UNGREASED cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Press down with wax paper to pack as tightly as you can.

Bake at 275-300 convection or 325 regular oven for approximately 30 minutes. Don't stir! If you stir it the granola will break apart and it won't clump together.

Pull it out of the oven when granola is a light golden brown, and firm at the edges of the pan. Cool completely, to
room temperature. Break up with a pancake turner or your hands. Two batches of this recipe will fill a gallon sized glass jar. It will keep at last two weeks if tightly sealed, but it is so good it will probably never last that long! :-)

Olive Oil Granola recipe follows, after photos.

Recipe #2 OLIVE OIL NON-CLUMPING GRANOLA
(Our grown daughter likes THIS one the best. She is not a fan of Coconut in any form)

6 cups regular, natural oatmeal (Bulk food bins)
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup raw Pumpkin Seeds, shelled
1 cup raw Sunflower Seeds, shelled
1 cup sliced almonds


Mix the above dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine the following in a small saucepan.

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup raw local Honey
2-3 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

Heat the oil, cinnamon and honey together over low heat. Stir in Vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and toss to coat thoroughly. Press into jelly roll type pan. Bake at 275-300 convection oven, or 325 regular oven, for about 25-30 minutes, stirring and turning mixture every 10 minutes. When golden, allow to cool, stirring every once in a while. Store in tightly sealed jar.

With both recipes, keep an eye on the baking! If your oven runs hot the mixture could scorch. Turn it to whatever setting will bake the granola without burning it.

Enjoy this wholesome treat with Greek Honey Yogurt (MY favorite) or over fruit or ice cream!




















Technorati Tags:
breakfast, Clumping, Non Clumping, organic

READY TO COMPOST?

Composting is one of the most rewarding green skills I know. Fruits, vegetables and paper scraps turn into a magical, nourishing plant soil, rivaled (neck on neck) only by those high-dollar organic soils or composted manures you can barely afford. You can find a lot of information online and in books, some of it giving precise percentages of "green" to "brown" materials you should add to the pile. Don't worry about that.  The main thing is just to begin it! You will quickly learn what works for you.

Oh, and you don't need a fancy barrel turner with a crank handle, though if you live in the city and have a small yard, I hear they are pretty nifty.


Start saving fruit and vegetable scraps in a bag or container in your kitchen, until you have several cups of them. Site your compost pile fairly near your house, about 15-20 feet away, and in an area where you can reach the pile with a water hose occasionally. Once you get a good ingredient and moisture balance in the pile, it will NOT stink. It will smell earthy, like a forest floor. We don't compost meat or protein scraps, as they attract Coyotes and rodents. Many people add eggshells, but they need to be finely chopped or pureed in blender, first, or it takes a year or more to break them down to the point that they actually become invisible, working parts of the compost.

We also add coffee grounds and filters, and shredded newsprint.  When I remove the full coffee filters from the pot, I just rip them into two or three pieces when I throw them into the compost container.

We found a lot of concrete building stones on our property when we moved here, so we used them to frame an area to compost. They work nicely because they hold onto heat and allow air to penetrate the mix as well.  We made three stalls, so the compost is moved over as it completes various stages. Since we have a couple acres, we also make plain old mounds when we have a surfeit at harvest time.  In the photo above, we have thrown freshly cut grass on top of the vegetable scraps in the first picture.


This next photo (below) was taken about a week later, and it hadn't rained, so the pile was fairly dry. We turned the mixture with a shovel to aerate it, then hosed the pile down until it was fairly wet and sponge-like. Once you get the moisture just right in the pile, plunge your hand into the center now and then. If the ingredients are balanced and cooking properly, the pile will heat up enough that the temp will be uncomfortable to your hand. Yes, really! On cold fall mornings you'll see steam rising from the piles.

You'll notice some clumps in the next two photos below. The ingredients of the compost form almost manure-like, shaggy clods when they are partially "cooked." Turn the compost at least weekly, and give it a little water when it is dry looking.

Two weeks later some of the clods have broken up, revealing a finer texture in some of the mixture.

Three weeks later you can see a lot of finer, potting soil grade material, with a few larger pieces. You can let it compost a while longer and it will get finer still, but it will take a while. Or, if you have a garden chipper, throw the compost into it, and it will come out looking like the best potting soil you ever saw. It will be a rich deep brown in color.

We found this garden chipper for $100.00 on Craig's List. It was worth every penny!

Check out the finished compost! We store it long term in large 30 gallon Rubbermaid garbage cans with latching lids. In garden season we work it into or spread it on every flower or vegetable garden bed. It stimulates the plants as well as manure does, without burning any of them. Hope these photos help you to dive in and start composting yourself!

An Afternoon In The Tangle Of Cottonwoods

Late January or early February, when the skies are gray and snow covers the ground, is the best time to go foraging for Cottonwood Buds. The ideal temperature is 30-32 degrees and if the sun isn't shining, that's even better! Look for very tall trees with grayed trunks. If you see pointy buds on the branches of the tree, those are the ones! They are coated with a sticky resin known as Balm Of Gilead. Even a little bit of sunshine seems to liquify that resin. Sometimes there is such a build up on my fingertips the buds won't fall off into the collection bag. So, don't wear nice gloves. I use fingerless gloves I don't care about, dedicated to just this purpose.

Family friends, Liz and her daughter Paige, came with me one Saturday to gather Cottonwood Buds. Those rosy cheeks aren't from Blush...it was only about 30 degrees outside!

Paige is pulling Cottonwood branches out from just underneath the rotting leaves. Cottonwood trees lose many fragile branches during a good wind storm, and are quickly buried by the whirling leaves. A little rummaging around can yield a treasure trove of buds. Sometimes, too, branches are loosened in the wind while still attached by a tendril to a tree. If one seems to hang at an odd angle, give it a tug. If you are lucky it will come loose, chock full of buds.

If you're not sure how to identify a Cottonwood tree, head for the wetlands along a river, and look for trees with rough bark, a grayed trunk, and branches with pointy, rust colored buds. My neck will not bend far enough backward to capture the top of this Cottonwood tree with my camera. I am too close. It is well over a hundred feet tall, as are many of our older Cottonwoods.

The buds in the bag below were gathered in an afternoon for a friend. It is best to gather buds that lay along the thickest part of the branch. Sometimes they lay almost flat, and other times they have lifted up and away from the branch. Either are fine to take. Just grasp firmly and snap off at the base. Single, terminal buds at the tips of branches should be left in place, as they will become the new growth in the spring.

Erin's House

 

Erin's House

Our Daughter and Grandchildren moved into our big old farmhouse to live with us about a month or so ago. I noticed our youngest grandchild, a 7th grader, drafting a paragraph about "My House" to share with her English class in the morning.  Here's what she wrote.  


My Awesome House
"A big white and blue house is what I call home. You can hear the water running down the river all throughout the day. In the winter there is a crackling fire in the fireplace. My house is as cozy as a slipper. Every night my family eats dinner at the table and we talk about our day. On warm summer nights, we lay out by the pool and gaze up at the peaceful, starry sky. My house has stars."

((teary!))

And this is our granddaughter, Erin!

A Cidering & Applesauce ~ Rites Of Fall

Fresh Pressed Apple Cider

We live in orchard country near Wenatchee, Washington, the (self proclaimed) "Apple Capital of the World". Apples are at the center of many local fall activities. We are usually invited to at least one Cidering party, hosted by the family of a local orchardist. Making Apple Cider is a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too, much the better for sharing it. Guests are asked to bring empty jugs with lids to hold the Cider they will take home as a thank-you for helping. It freezes beautifully, and is such a treat, hot or cold. Technically the fresh, pressed Cider is just pure apple juice, with no added anything. But it has a tangy, zippy flavor that isn't present in the processed, factory pressed or canned apple juice.

The Cider Master carefully chooses the balance and blend of Apples in his or her Apple Cider recipe. Sometimes pears are added to the mix, or certain types of apples, for their tartness, sweetness or cidery flavor.  As guests arrive, they choose whether they wish to wash and press apples or strain and bottle the juice as it comes out of the Cider Press. The next 3-4 hours are a flurry of activity and visiting as the work is accomplished and the Cider is strained into jugs.  This year it was quite cold outside... about 34 degrees!  The teams had to keep trading off and rotating into the garage to warm up by the wood stove.

Classic old, red Apple Bin, full of apples! 

Our Grandson, Jace, sorting & washing apples

The apples are hosed down with house water prior to pressing them.

My husband Tom cranks the wheel of the Press

It hadn't rained that day.  The ground was wet with house water from a hose, used to hose down the apples.  Of course, so were our feet, and part of our pant legs.  I can tell you though, it was worth it!  

These are juicy apples!

The juice still had a fair amount of apple pulp in it at this point.

The Indoor team strains & squeezes the juice before pouring it into jugs.                                                                               

After the cider was bottled and capped, guests helped themselves to delicious homemade chili, cornbread, and some yummy potluck salads.  Good stories and humor were abundant!

A neighboring orchardist knocked on our door last weekend, handing us a bounty of just picked Golden and Red Delicious Apples. Those two varieties make a very tasty Applesauce blend. When Red Delicious apples are fresh off the tree, they are a crispy and delicious tasting apple, amply earning their name! It is easy to understand why they were the most popular apple for so many years. Modern cold storage warehouses preserve the beauty, but not the delightful, crisp sweetness of the Red Delicious apple. If you can pick them fresh, don't pass them by!

Applesauce is super easy to make. The neighboring orchardist's are always so generous that making Applesauce, and Apple Pie filling for Thanksgiving, has become a treasured fall tradition for my family.

I scrub the apples very well in a fruit wash or, vinegar & water with an added drop or two of Dawn dish detergent.  Rinse well. I don't peel them, as the peel contains pectin, which helps the applesauce have some body, instead of being runny.

Cut each apple in half, then, angling the knife, cut the right side of each half, then the left side, leaving the core, which I toss in a bowl for compost.

Cut each 1/3 apple in half lengthwise, and chop it into 3-4 pieces. The pieces I toss into the cooking pot are an inch or less in width or length. If you are using Golden Delicious, there is no need to treat the apples with Fruit Fresh (citric acid). Some apples, like the Red Delicious, brown quickly, so give them a brief soak in a fruit fresh solution before you throw them into the dutch oven.

Use a heavy, stainless Dutch Oven (All Clad or Le Creuset are great) to cook them in on the stove. I add about 1/2 cup of water (OR Apple Cider) to a 3-4 qt. dutch oven, to keep apples from scorching, then add the cut apple pieces to the bowl as I cut them. When it is nearly full, put it on low to med. heat, and put a lid on it. Stir every 15 minutes or so lifting the cooked fruit to the top so the pieces cook evenly. Total cooking time is about 30-40 min.

I start heating the water in the water bath canner while I am pressing out the applesauce, as it takes a good 30 minutes for the water in the canner to come to a boil. I keep a lid on it, and once it boils, I turn it down just enough to keep a low boil going as I press the apples. Once the apples are cooked, ladle the gunky apple mess into a food mill, 2 or 3 cups at a time, and press the unsweetened applesauce into a bowl underneath or use whatever arrangement your Food Mill requires. All the skins and occasional seeds will stay behind. If you have a choice, use a "medium" sieve, rather than the tiniest or largest holes. I like my applesauce to have enough body to mound slightly when you put it in a bowl.

Once all the applesauce has been pressed into a bowl, wash the dutch oven you cooked it in, and return it to the pot. In a 3 qt. dutch oven, I generally add 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon. Place the pot back on the stove on low heat to dissolve the sugar. Stir frequently. Put a lid on it and bring to a boil on medium heat. Get your water bath canner boiling again NOW. Make sure you fill the jars with HOT applesauce while the jars are still HOT from the dishwasher. I remove the jars a couple at a time when I am ready to fill them.

Using a wide mouth canning funnel, fill jars to 1/2 inch from the top, one at a time. Apply lid and screw band to each jar before moving on to fill the next one. Lower into the canner with a jar lifter. If you are processing 7 quart jars, (a full canner load) you may find you need to bail some of the water out. The jars will displace it. Leave enough water so that there is an inch to an inch and a half of water OVER the tops of the jars in the canner. Put the lid on the canner, and stay nearby. When the canner is full and boiling it can spit, and sometimes you'll need to adjust the temp slightly downward. But keep a low boil going the whole time.


Quarts and pints BOTH require 20 minutes of processing time. When the time is up, turn off heat, and squeeze the jar lifter tightly around each jar as you lift it out of the canner. Place hot jars of applesauce on a bread board or heat proof cutting board, or several layers of dish towels so the jar does not come into contact with a cold surface. Gently dab any excess water off the top of the lids, but don't touch the bands. You'll hear the jars "ping" as each vacuum seal occurs. Let them sit at least 6-8 hours until the jars are room temperature.  Be sure to make plenty, as your family will love it!

CALENDULA, AN ANCIENT HEALER

Calendula is my most loved herbal ally and a versatile healer for the oh, so common nicks, cuts, and lizard skin that plague us all from time to time. It is as soothing to Eczema or diaper rash as it is to skinned knees or Pink Eye. If you are a pet owner, Calendula is a very safe healing agent for the nicked ears suffered by territorial cats and dogs, or the rub abrasions on your horse. Bees love Calendula, too.  It was dicey accomplishing this one last harvest as the bees were on nearly every flower. In thanks to the bees for allowing me in, I left half of the flowers for them.

During the summer Calendula flowers need to be picked at least every other day. As we head into fall the Calendula is blooming to an even faster beat. Especially now, the flowers need to be harvested daily. They can turn to seed while you are still looking for your garden gloves! Save and dry the seed heads to share or swap with friends. Chances are your current plants have dropped enough seed into the beds during the fall to ensure your next year's crop.

The last harvest of the year was as brightly colored as the first. In less than a week the flowers will be dried and ready to store in a jar for use in oils, salves, soap and tea infusions.

I adore the jewel tone orange of infused Calendula oil after the last straining. Thickened with bee's wax the oil makes a beautiful, bright yellow healing salve.

Prepared as a mild tea with distilled water, Calendula makes a soothing eye wash or an excellent First Aid wound wash that will promote quick healing.

Added to a bath tea blend, Calendula is soothing and rejuvenating.

Are you a soap maker? Calendula infused Olive Oil makes a superb Castile soap that won't aggravate dry winter skin. The combination makes a very mild soap, gentle enough for toddlers to bathe with. I add a handful of dried Calendula petals to cold process soap at Trace, just for visual interest. The petals hold their color through the Lye process and storage.

If you are not sure how to go about making an infused oil, my September 2011 blog post on Calendulated oil will help you get started.  There are many methods, and all of them work!  

I ordered the initial seed for this incredible orange Calendula online, from Horizon Herbs in Oregon, 4 years ago. They are spectacular every year! My favorite seeds are the Medicinal Orange Calendula. Once you order from Horizon Herbs, they will send you a printed catalog.  I look forward to it every autumn,  as a great sneak peek into herbal possibilities and planning for spring.

Hand Knit Lavender Sachet

Hand Knit Lavender Sachet

This is my favorite knitted sachet pattern. It works up quickly and makes an adorable, scentuous gift!  The finished size is approximately 3 1/2 " by 2 1/2" if knit with Sugar and Cream Cotton yarn, about the size of the palm of your hand.  To reduce the size of the sachet, use a Linen, Hemp or Silk blend yarn, and smaller needle size.

You can place a drawstring organza bag inside to contain the Lavender Buds, or line it with a bit of lawn fabric or white cotton yardage sewn on 3 sides and sewn closed at the top.   Stuff with Lavender or other fresh herbs and watch the smile of the happy recipient!

KNITTED LACY LAVENDER SACHET BAG


The pattern is from Love of Knitting Magazine, Winter 2009, Knitted Lavender Sachet Bags – by Maggi Knits.

1 skein Cotton/Linen blend yarn (50 g/126yds) or yarn of choice  (above is all cotton)
US size 6 needles suggested, (I used “6’) but gauge is not real important in this project.

CAST ON: 48 sts. Work in SEED STITCH for 4 rows.

NEXT (eyelet) row (RS):

K1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1.

Work in seed st for 4 more rows. Change to Baby Fern pattern and work until piece measures 6 inches.  Bind off.

PATTERN STITCH
Baby Fern:
Rows 1, 3 & 5 (WS): Purl.
Row 2: *K2 tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 4: *K2tog, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, ssk, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 6: *K2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to end.

SACHET: Make one piece. Fold in half, RS tog. Sew base and side seams. Insert organza bag or sew liner bag - 31/2 x 4 1/2” of gauzy fabric, stuff with Lavender buds. Turn top seams under and secure, then sew tightly shut. Add a ribbon closure by threading ribbon through eyelets near top, then tie it into a bow.



Enjoy! Marci

No-Fail Fresh Herbal Oil Infusion

Comfrey, Marshmallow, Mullein, Plantain, Calendula & Echinacea

Foraging or gathering fresh flowers, leaves, roots and barks to make a healing oil is such a primal connection to Mother Nature. The colors, scents and textures of the herbs are invigorating compared to herbs that have been dried. The hue of the sky, the wind or lack of it, your mood, the temperature, the rain or thunder and lightning all become part of the salve within your focus. Fresh ingredients add living energy and natural magic to your intention to make a healing potion.

If you generally use dried herbs to make medicinal salves, I understand. Fresh infused oils can be tricky, and prone to easy spoilage. Using a Crock Pot to gently evaporate the moisture out of the herbs works really well if you can maintain a temperature of 100-110 degrees for about 12-18 hours. Richard Cech shares this method in his book, "Making Plant Medicine".  I have used it with many different herb combos, and in simples.

Spread the fresh herbs out on a basket or screen to wilt for about 2-4 hours, so at least some of the moisture within the plants evaporates. Fill a blender 1/2 full of the herbs you have chosen. Cover the herbs with the best olive oil you can find, and blend on the chop cycle. Repeat with any remaining herbs.

Pour the mixture into a crock pot. Add a little more olive oil, if necessary, to make sure the herbs are submerged.

The only problem with Crock Pots is I have yet to find one that holds a low enough temperature. There is a solution. Plug the crock pot into a homemade Rheostat (the plug-in thingy) to ensure the heat does not exceed the 100-110 degree range. A light dimmer switch is used for a dial. Your honey will know how to make one for you! Best of all, the parts are available at Lowe's for under $18.00.

Set the crock pot to "low" and stir occasionally, adjusting the Rheostat dial until it keeps the contents at a steady 100-109 for about 12 hours.

That's all there is to it! This method will work really well as long as the heat stays low and steady.

Allow the infused oil to cool, then strain and squeeze it through cheesecloth or an old dish towel. Pour into a sterilized jar with a tightly fitting lid.  Store it in a cool, dark place until you are ready to turn it into a salve.

Fresh, strained Herb Infusion in Olive Oil

Lavender Wand Tutorial

GOT LAVENDER!  LET'S MAKE SOME WANDS!

Lavender Wands (sometimes called Lavender Bottles) originated as a Victorian Garden Craft. I can just picture ladies in their long, gauzy dresses gathered in a circle on the lawn under a shade tree on a hot day, sipping Lemonade and making Lavender Wands. They definitely had more time for such crafts than we do today. Now, more than ever, we need to drop our sharp focus occasionally and just find an escape from the demands of the world.

Wands are relaxing to make, both because of their heady scent and the meditative, focused nature of weaving ribbon between the stems. They look really complicated, but if you are a patient person, they are easy to make. Your first wand will delight you! By the second wand, you will pretty much know what you are doing. Build a stash of 1/4" - 3/8" spools of ribbon to ensure you have enough to share the craft with friends. Hint: Thin paper Raffia works as well as ribbon, and is actually easier for children or first time wand makers to use than ribbon.

Select 13 to 15 stems of Lavender, the longer and straighter the better. You will always use an uneven amount of stems. I prefer the shape of the wands made with at least 13 stems. Pick off any leaves or extra bud clusters below the main flowers. Lay the cleaned stems of Lavender on a flat surface to wilt for about two hours.

Measure a length of ribbon 3 times the length of your arms from hand to shoulder, or, approximately 3 yards. Tie the ribbon snugly against the base of the lavender buds in a knot, leaving only two to three inches of ribbon on one side of the knot.

Pick up the tied Lavender bundle upside down, with the stems pointed up. Holding it in one hand, use your first finger to pull one stem downward toward the tied ribbon. Use the nail of your thumb to gently crease the stem, slowly bending it 180 degrees down over the ribbon tied around the Lavender buds. Repeat all the way around, until you have a "cage" of Lavender stems around the buds. Find the beginning of the long length of ribbon.

Still holding the wand in one hand, begin weaving the ribbon, working to the right. Go over the first stem, under the second, over the third, continuing all the way around. If the pattern gets off, as sometimes happens, it is fairly easy to pull out the ribbon back to the error and redo it. Don't panic!

Hint: Pull the ribbon snugly when you are weaving the beginning of the bulb. Loosen the tension on the ribbon while weaving the main body and widest part of the bulb, then snug the ribbon again after the bulb has been formed. This technique makes for the most nicely shaped Lavender Wand.

If your attention is needed elsewhere after you have started your wand, simply hold the ribbon while spinning the wand, auto-winding the long ribbon around the stems to hold them in place. If you won't get back to the wand for an hour or more, stick it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours, then resume.

This next photo is a little blurry, but it is very difficult to take a picture with only one hand! After you have snugged the ribbon for about 4-5 rows, you'll realize the bulkiest part of the Lavender bud cluster is just ahead. Now begin loosening the tension on the ribbon.

After adding 4-6 more rows of ribbon tighten the ribbon tension again. As you are weaving the base of the wand, you'll notice it is becoming more and more difficult to find/pull out the next stem. The stems start to converge upon each other. Once the wand shape is pleasing to you, call it good!

Turn the wand over so the free end of ribbon is flat against a table, and points to the left. Cut a contrasting color of ribbon about an arm's length long. Tuck the new piece of ribbon UNDER the left pointing ribbon, leaving an even amount on each side. Pick up the two colors of ribbon in one hand, and the single strand of new ribbon in the other hand. Tie the three ribbons into as flat and attractive a knot as you can manage.

Hold onto the wand while pointing the bulb down. Pick up one color of ribbon, and turn the wand slowly, making the ribbon spiral along the stem. Pick up the other, contrasting ribbon and turn/spin the wand in the opposite direction. The ribbons will criss-cross each other nicely. Tie them together in an attractive knot at the base of the wand. Trim both ribbons to about 2 inches.

Tie a new ribbon into a bow over the knot at the top part of the wand, catching the loose, third piece of ribbon into the bow. If you don't like the way the knot looks, you can glue a small crystal, bead or flower onto it to hide it. Generally, they turn out well and need no further adornment. Trim the bottom of the stems with scissors to even them out.

Once you are used to making Lavender Wands, you can weave multiple color ribbons, alternating rows.  I have never tried to do more than two at a time.  To see examples of multi-colored wands, visit The Essential Herbal Magazine or Blog.  They are knock your socks off gorgeous!

Store your wand flat, in your lingerie drawer, or place in a bud vase on your dresser. The scent will last for years. To release the scent, roll the wand between your fingers. You can add a couple drops of Lavender Essential oil to the buds, in between the ribbon, to intensify the scent as well. Enjoy!