A few weeks ago I made strawberry topping for ice cream sundaes. There was some left so I refrigerated it used it to top the yogurt and kefir I make. It was delicious. I decided to do a healthier version with the small amount (1 cup) of gooseberries I harvested. I mashed and cooked them down for a few minutes and then once they were cooled, I stirred in raw honey. Heat kills the enzymes in the honey. Had I been sweetening with sugar, I would’ve just added the sugar in the beginning with the berries. I’ll keep this gooseberry topping in the fridge and make blueberry and strawberry as well.
Flowers are so pretty I wish they would last forever. My cousin told me that Mod Podge preserves fresh flowers. I printed out some quotes that I like in a dimension for bookmarks. Then I decorated them with fresh flowers and glued and sealed them with Mod Podge. (Elmer’s or white glue works just as well but needs to be thinned a little bit with water.)
I posted about our losing my cousin John a few weeks ago. His daughter Stacey (she is so much like her Dad), sent me roses. I wanted to keep them so I made rosepetal beads . The link gives easy directions and a wonderful story of how they were used in Medieval times. The only ingredients were 4 cups of petals and water. They were very easy to make. I strung them on a chain that I wear with my Grandfather’s wedding ring and a few other things that are meaningful to me. Body heat imparts the rose fragrance. It’s a beautiful reminder to me of people that I love so much.
I want to try the rose beads. They sound so lovely.
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They are! No matter what color roses you use, they turn a purplish black, once dried. I got tired of making holes in all of them so some I just rolled the rest of the clay into balls and am using them as drawer sachets.
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I googled but no photos of rose petal beads. Please post a photo. This sounds like something I’d like to do.
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Okay, tap the words up in this post, rosepetal beads. That’s a link that will bring you to a page with pictures, instructions and an interesting history about them. Have fun if you make them!
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Ah, found it this time. Thank you. Looks easy too.
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I found some old rose beads but they don’t smell. I’ll put them on and see if the smell comes back. Such a lovely, sentimental thing to have.
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If you wrap them in flannel and add some rose essential oil to them, they will absorb and hold onto the fragrance.
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Thanks for the reference to rosary beads – how fascinating. I also make kefir though have lapsed since I’ve been away. Will have to wake them up. They serve yoghurt drinks in restaurants and cafés in Istanbul. I bought some homemade yoghurt in a jar and made my own from it.
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Cultured foods are starting to make their way here. My Mom’s friend was from Turkey and she made a lot of interesting dips and sauces with cultured dairy bases. She also made delicious pastry. Your food posts while you were in Istanbul reminded me a lot of her !
I make my yogurt from yogurt sold in the store too. I had a good sourdough starter but I neglected it and it died. I also started a kombucha scoby from a store bought jar of kombucha. It was so easy. Do you drink kombucha?
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It’s true; in Turkey they pickle everything or put yoghurt on them. I haven’t tried kombucha; I already have too many living things to care for and keep alive, including myself 🙂
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Ha!! I can relate to that!
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I love the bookmarks. I will try to make one.
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They were a quick way to experiment with preserving fresh flowers using glue. It opens a whole range of ideas!
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Did you press them first? I love the idea.
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No, I just picked them, washed them, patted them dry and started gluing
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Yes – they are so lovely – I didn’t know about the decoupage preserving the flowers – Very cool!
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Oh, you make your own kefir? That’s really cool. Have you ever put up the recipe?
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I haven’t but I will! It’s very easy
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Lovely post, as always Cynthia. What a sweet way of preserving those precious flowers and thanks for the link! And jumjum, yogurt with fruit preserve: my fave! have a great Sunday, Johanna
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Thanks, Johanna! Hope your Sunday is wonderful too. I bet you are hanging out with your sweet Charley. So happy she’s mending so speedily
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Your Summer fruit desserts sound delicious. The rose petal beads are fascinating – a lovely keepsake idea, thanks for sharing.
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Oh, thank you! I read that rose petal beads will last 50 years or more. Interesting, considering they’re just made with petals and water
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I love the idea of rose petal beads, I think our roses are nearly over but I shall have to see if I can acquire some (hint hint Hubby)!
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A brilliant idea and a lovely thing to do. I hope it also brings you comfort. How nice of Stacey to give you these flowers. Condolences and wishes of comfort to you both.
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So very sorry for your loss, Cynthia!
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Thank you, Lori!
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