Lockwood Lavender Fudge Sauce...Yum!

We are very excited to be included in WSYR - TV9 News recommendation for local holiday gifts.  Our Lavender Fudge Sauce was first featured on "Eat First" blog by Margaret McCormick followed by her appearance on TV9.  You can find our Lavender Fudge Sauce and our Honey at Rhubarb's Kitchen Shop and The Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles.

Our newest Honey retailer is the Patisserie.  This wonderful bakery is located behind the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. They serve artisan breads, fine pastries, specialty cookies as well as traditional holiday baked goods.  The baked goods are also offered at the Sherwood.

Speaking of the Sherwood Inn...

 If you have read the reviews of the Sherwood Inn you would know the history of this beautiful Inn.  But to me it is so much more. After I let my job as a consultant for a children's publisher and moved to Skaneateles I worked at the Sherwood Inn at the Front Desk and at Hobbit Hollow Bed and Breakfast as a Innkeeper.  It was a great way for me to meet the people who lived here.  And the fact that Gary and I got married here...means even more.

The dining room and porch over looks Skaneateles Lake.

You can find our lavender products in the lobby of the Inn across from the reservation desk.

Hallaway to the rooms on the third floor.

This is a picture of the hallway on the 2nd floor leading to the rooms at the Inn.

During Skaneateles Dicken's Christmas this is the place to stay.

All of the rooms are beautifully decorated.

 Room 24 has a great view of the lake.

A great stress free place to stay.

Life After the Lavender Festival!

Summer Bouquet Honey harvest is here!  Gary and I are sticking together (honey humor) and determined to get all of our honey harvested before our wedding anniversary this week.

This week we reached the 20th day of over 90 degrees.  And being in a beekeepers suit is not one of my favorite things to do when it's so hot.  But again we have been blessed with some very productive honey bee and the honey can't wait.

Bee's at Work!

We have the Lavender Hill Mob to thank for our bounty of honey.

As many of our visitors to the farm have noted our bee's have been very busy in our lavender field this year.

And this is the results.

Our honey is sold in these 8 oz and 16 oz 1800's Antique Muth Bottles with cork.  A great gift for out of town guests or for yourself.  And after the nectar is gone is makes a great spice bottle or vase for flowers (lavender).

You can pick up some of our yummy honey at our Lavender Market on the farm every Saturday and Sunday from 9 -4 till Labor Day.

All of our Lavender has been harvested.  I still have some cleaning to do in the field.  Now we wait for some our lavender to bloom for a second time.  We will need some much needed rain for that to happen.

Gary and I have built some new racks for drying our lavender.  It is so much easier then hanging with paperclips and chains.

 Some will be sold for dried bouquets and the rest will be used for sachets.

 We have also had a few new additions to our flock of sheep.  Seeing a new born lamb never gets old.

Yes, I have played hooky a couple of time to go swimming in Skaneateles Lake.  Can you blame me...look at that view.  And the water temperature is oh so fine!

Looking towards the village of Skaneateles.

 The bee's still have some flowers to visit.

And as the sunsets over our field of sunflowers we know we have put in a good days work and fun!

Celebrating the Holiday at the William Seward House

The Skaneateles Garden Club celebrated the holiday season this year at the Seward House Museum located in Auburn, New York.  This historic home was once owned by William H. Seward and family.

William Seward was a state senator, governor of New York, U.S. Senator, presidential candidate, and then Secretary of State under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.  Among other notable accomplishments, he negotiated the 1867 purchase of Alaska, later known as "Seward's Folly", but ultimately a major triumph of statesmanship.  Although he spent many years in Albany and Washington D.C., he called this house his home from the time of his marriage in 1824 until his death.

The building is adore with statues that greets you before you hit the doorway.

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This year the Skaneateles Garden Club members and area florists decorated the home with floral arrangements through out the home.This doorway was done by Foley Florist in Auburn.

 Before you even go through this grand door you can just imagine what is inside.

This arrangement was done by Sandra from Fleur De Lis Florist in Skaneateles.

This beautiful tree was decorated by Sandra Weigel from the Skaneateles Garden Club.

 

You might find this tree with paper cones during Seward's time.

Williams wife, Frances would hide runaway slaves in the basement of their house.

A tour of the house was given to the members by volunteer staff members.

I would love this umbrella stand by my doorway.

This dining room table could seat 24 people and more leaves can be added to seat more.  In the day of the Steward's the table settings would be measure a foot apart and the chairs would be measured so many inches from the table.  Where did they find that long of a tablecloth?

Each setting would come with their own salt dishes and pepper.

The dining room was decorated by Corsentino's Florist in Auburn.

This arrangement is by Skaneateles Garden Club, President Linda McKinnon

Arrangement by Skaneateles Garden Club member, Ann Merrill

Even the bathroom had a centerpiece.

Garden Club member, Arlene Bloomer took to the Steinway Piano to play us some beautiful holiday music.

My contribution was 3 different kinds (Lavender Shortbread, Rolo Turtles and Christmas Mice) of cookies.  You can find my Christmas Mice recipe below.

All of the food we soooo good.

Over 60 members enjoyed the event.

Visiting this historic home reminded me of the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clemente Clarke Moore.  I expected Santa to come down the chimney any time.

Did I hear reindeer's on the roof?

Not a creature was stirring, not even a ...

 Christmas Mice

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz. package semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 10 ounce jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry
• 36 milk chocolate kisses with stripes
• Sliced almonds

Directions

1. Place chocolate pieces in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 1 minute or until chocolate is melted, stirring twice.

2. Hold cherries by the stem and dip, one at a time, in melted chocolate to coat. Place coated cherries on a large baking sheet. Immediately press the flat bottom of a kiss up against the cherry (forming mouse head). Insert two almond slices between head and body to form ears. Use a toothpick dipped in remaining melted chocolate to make eyes. If you like, dot some of the melted chocolate on tip of kiss for nose. (Or, place remaining melted chocolate in a resealable plastic bag; seal. Snip off a very small piece of one corner and pipe on eyes and nose). Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let chill for 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. Use a small flat metal spatula or table knife to help remove mice from baking sheet.

3. Store mice in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Makes about 36 mice. 

Enjoy!