Wow I feel like I'm busier than ever! If I'm not at some party, I'll be catching up with someone over dinner or drinks or just simply catching up on my reading. I'm delving into Buddhist teachings and the Dalai Lama dialogues now, something which I've always found interesting but never really caught onto for some time. I can't begin to tell you how riveting it is!
Last week was Vina's birthday and she invited us to celebrate with her with dinner, drinks and a show @ the Vanguard. She's such a great person and I really wanted to make something special for her. I recalled her mentioning she's got a thing for sweet stuff (maybe it's because she's preggers), and with all the strawberries in season now, I decided to whip up some homemade jam infused with a tinge of lavender for something different. It's funny how lavender was the rage in food blogging, but most people have never heard of eating lavender or tried it for that matter. Phil actually thoguht he could die from it. Geez! *chuckle*
The highlight of the night was a performance by the Kahn Brothers, but to whet our appetite, the night started off with this duo - if I'm not wrong, I think they're from the Blue Mountains . The music was really good and easy to listen to. I liked them.
Then there was this.
This band was full on aggro. All the vibration from the loud, clanging music made me want to throw my steak up. Definitely not my idea of dinner music. The lead singer even got up and trampled all over his keyboard at one point. You know, self-expression is fine, but maybe because I enjoy playing music myself, ruining musical instruments just rubs me the wrong, wrong way.
After that band, everyone was really looking forward to the Kahn Brothers. They've got this amazing presence - the moment the band got on the stage, I felt instantly relaxed. Then again, after the show put up by that crazy band, anything would probably calm your nerves. The music is indie acoustic - my favourite song for the night was "Everyday". Yep, they've just got themselves a new fan!
Ritey, gotta prep my dough for the night! My post will be out tom - promise! :D
Strawberry and Lavender Jam (makes about 2 cups)
500g strawberries, rinsed and quartered
1/4 cup sugar (I cut down on the amount of sugar substantially to make this jam as wholesome and natural as possible. Feel free to increase the quantity to 1/2 - 1 cup)
1 tbsp dried lavender buds
1 tbsp lemon juice
Place the strawberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium-heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and continue stirring, lowering the heat. Add the lavender buds to steep. The jam is ready when it thickens and runs off the back of a spoon slowly and thickly. Ladle the hot jam into a sterilized jar and seal.
4 comments:
My lavender plant is blooming right now and I just put up in my freezer the last of the summer strawberries so I'm bookmarking this recipe.
oh gosh that's lovely! your garden must be so fragrant now! :) i wish i had the space to have a few potted plants in my house!
That jam sounds great. I can imagine you must be putting it to lots of good use!
I am such a jam-making person. This one is going on my summer to-do list!
Glad to have found your site. It's simply lovely!
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