The Magic of Abruzzo Blog
"We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us." Anonymous
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Our garden is full of lavender plants, they are so easy to grow. Domenico actually has gone crazy with this fragrant plant. At last count, we had 28 plants in the garden! Recently, I thought to myself, what am I going to do with all this lavender?!? So I looked up uses for ‘lavender’ on Google (because Google is my friend). Not only does lavender smell great as a room freshener, but you can also spray your pillow for a good night’s sleep. We leave a small spray bottle on the night stand for our guests to use as much, or as little, as they prefer. I like to spray lavender linen water on clothes when ironing, mist it on pillowcases, clothing, even on furniture. We also use it to take the wrinkles out of our clothes if we don’t have time to iron. Just pull the fabric taut and then spray! For more information on the uses of lavender oil click here: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/20-uses-for-lavender-oil/ Lavender spray is easy to make and much cheaper than buying it from a bed and bath shop. Here's the recipe that I use. You will need: 1 cup water 4 T dried lavender buds 1 ½ more cups of water 2T vodka (used to help disperse the oil) 12 drops of lavender oil A funnel A Coffee filter An empty jar An empty spray bottle Bring a cup of water to a simmer, then add 4 tablespoons of dried lavender buds. Remove from heat and let steep for a minimum of 5 minutes. If you don’t have dried lavender buds and don’t want to purchase them, just double the amount of lavender oil drops! Place the coffee filter in a funnel and pour the lavender mixture through it into a large glass or ceramic jar. Once all of the liquid drips through, remove the coffee filter and discard, along with the lavender buds. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil in another pot. Remove from heat and add to the lavender mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of vodka and 12 drops of lavender oil. Put the lid on a jar and shake vigorously. After the lavender mixture cools, pour into a spray bottle using the funnel. If you have used fresh lavender buds the mixture should be light brown in color - don’t worry it will not stain or show on sheets or clothing. If you have lavender plants and want to try to make the oil – here is an easy recipe.
Method for Making Lavender-Infused Oil 1. Cut 6 inch sprigs of fresh lavender or purchase it dried. 2. Let the lavender dry in a shaded dry area. Do not dry in the sun as this can dry out some of the aromatic oils. 3. Once dried, lightly crush the lavender and place it in a jar. 4. Pour any non-scented oil over the dried lavender flowers. I use our olive oil. Leave a little space at the top for expansion. 5. Cover the jar tightly and leave the mixture to soak in a sunny location. It will most likely take at least 48 hours to achieve a noticeable scent, leave it to soak for three to six weeks for a stronger scent. 6. If you do not have time or sunlight, heat the oil carefully in a double boiler or crockpot for 2-3 hours, keeping a steady temperature between 110-130F. Too much heat can affect the aroma and the shelf life of the oil. 7. Strain the oil. enJOY~ and sweet dreams ~ |
About the authorThis blog is curated by Margaret Gigliotti, B&B owner, teacher, explorer, wine drinker and creative writer. Looking for ideas of places to visit in Abruzzo. Download our free guide of the best places most people miss.
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