1 (3- to 4-pound) beef tenderloin roast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoons whole white peppercorns
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers

Bring roast to room temperature before cooking. Trim the tenderloin of fat and silverskin.  Note: Silverskin is the silvery-white connective tissue. It doesn’t dissolve when the tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away. 

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Lightly oil outside of roast.

In a small spice or coffee grinder, coarsely grind the black peppercorns, white peppercorns, fennel seeds, thyme, and lavender flowers; rub mixture all over the meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight (preferably).

Preheat oven to 425°F. Unwrap roast and place onto a rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast. Place roast onto a rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on a meat thermometer (see below).
Rare – 120°F
Medium Rare – 125°F
Medium – 130°F

Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).

Transfer onto a serving platter and serve immediately with any accumulated juices.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/lavenderbeef.htm

For a complete list of edible flowers, Check out the Edible Flower Chart at Eden Florist.

Florists’ Review, Berwick Offray and Lion Ribbon have joined forces to bring you an exciting new book that combines ribbons with flowers in projects for a variety of seasons and holidays. Here you will find our favorite design ideas and techniques in a how-to format, with the goals of encouraging you to re-create these designs and/or inspiring you to craft your own unique interpretations. 40 projects with easy-to-follow, step-by-step how-to instructions. Softcover. 98 pages.

To grab your copy, visit Florists Review Magazine

For the man who thinks “it’s a jungle out there” when it comes to buying flowers, these simple tips will help pave the way.

Be Spontaneous
You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to give flowers. In fact, flowers given for no reason other than “I was thinking of you today” mean much more because they are unexpected.

  Don’t Overlook Anyone
A bouquet can express a range of feelings — from romantic to friendly to something in between. Your wife or sweetheart will love to receive a surprise gift of flowers. So will your mother, daughter, sister and friends.

  Try Something New
Women are interested in a wide variety of flowers and colors. So, when giving roses, consider pink, peach, yellow, white, or assorted colors to catch her attention. And, remember, most women appreciate a beautiful assortment of fresh flowers, as well as roses.

 Get More Bloom For The Buck
The prices of some flowers vary seasonally. Roses, for example, are usually a great value during summer months. In the winter, mixed bouquets may be a better way to go.

  Flowers Are Never Boring
Because of their infinite diversity and unique appeal, flowers never lose their specialness. Each new floral arrangement is a fresh and individual declaration of appreciation — reflecting positively on your imagination and thoughtfulness.

Flowers Don’t Have To Mean Commitment
Relax, guys. Women know when an arrangement simply means that you care.

Be Prepared
When ordering flowers, have ready the recipient’s name, address, and phone number. If you’re not sure what to order, contact EdenFlorist.com direct. Our experienced staff of professional floral consultants will be happy to help you.

Get Professional Help
Selecting flowers may be a challenging experience for the inexperienced flower-giver. Fortunately, help is available. Contact EdenFlorist.com directly for a special arrangement that will match both your sentiment & her personality.

A Gift Of Flowers Goes A Long Way
Every woman can remember the last time she got flowers!

Source: Society of American Florists

I know you are reading this thinking, “I thought flowers were only to be looked at and enjoyed visually!” Not true. In fact, you can eat them too. And for the most part edible flowers are low in (or free of) calories, cholesterol and fat.  Edible flowers have been used as food for thousands of years.  And although I have been unable to find much documentation about the nutritional benefits of flowers as food, it seems to me if the animal planet has eaten flowers since the dawn of time, then they must be healthy.  And I imagine being on an Edible Flower Diet you could loose weight fast.   Not to mention that edible flower diet is exotic eating at it’s finest.   

Of course there are some precautions you should take when considering the edible flower diet. First and foremost, not every flower is edible.  About.com has a great chart of poisonous and non-edible flowers you should stay away from. 

You can also check out this List of Edible Flowers at Eden Florist. Many Edible flowers can be found at gourmet grocery stores and local farmer’s markets.

In addition to those on the chart, the greens of dandelions are edible but they don’t taste good.  Many edible flowers  add little or no flavor to recipes, they just look pretty.

You can use edible flowers in infused vinegars, candies, sorbets, syrups, jellies and jams, as marinades, drinks, wines, meats, flower butter, dips and spreads, soups and as garnish to add color to the presentation. They can be added to water and frozen to create pretty ice cubes and add a dash of flavor to drinks. Place a colorful gladiolus floret (after removing the stamen and pistil) in a clear glass bowl and fill with your favorite jam, spread or dip.  

Here are two low-fat recipes to add to your edible flower diet recipe box (also great for entertaining):

Hollyhock or Nasturtium Hors d’oevres   

3 dozen hollyhock, daylily or nasturtium blossoms – washed and drained

1 jar (5 ounces) low fat cream cheese and pineapple spread

¼ cup low fat whipped cream cheese with chives

¼ cup turkey, chicken or tuna salad

With a small spoon carefully stuff each blossom with a small amount of one of the three fillings.

Line platter with nasturtium leaves and arrange filled blossoms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve chilled

Turkey Calendula Wraps

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons low fat or fat free mayonnaise

1-tablespoon horseradish

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons diced sweet pickle relish

1 tart apple, peeled cored and finely diced

1-cup calendula or marigold petals

4 twelve-inch low-fat tortillas

8 ounces turkey thinly sliced

Garnish with Lettuce and marigold petals

In a bowl blend the cream cheese with mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice and pickle relish. Gently stir in apple and flower petals. With a spatula spread the mixture evenly over each tortilla. Cover spread with a single layer of turkey or ham. Roll filled tortilla, jellyroll style.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap- chill for 20 minutes or more. To serve, cut to desired thickness and arrange on a serving platter over a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with additional flower petal garnish.

Be sure to use flowers sparingly in your recipes.  Some people experience digestion problems when consuming flowers for the first time. The best thing to do is start small and see if you have a reaction before plunging into the edible flower diet.

Happy Dieting!

Flowers enhance the appearance of any room

Participants in the Harvard study reported the greatest mood-boosting effects when fresh cut flowers were placed in common areas of the home such as the kitchen, dining room and family room. To make a small room appear more spacious use bold colored arrangements near the entrance of the rooms and more subtle shades of the same color theme around the room.

Or brighten an office with colorful, spring flowers.  Here are just a few ideas

 Place bud vases in high traffic home areas – with even just a few flowers. Any decorative glass from the kitchen will do!

The kitchen table might be the best place for flowers, because it’s where people gather together.

Stop by a florist or supermarket, where you’ll find a wide selection of flowers from which to choose.

Decorate any table in the house with fresh flowers to brighten a corner, or add life to a room.

 The foyer, entryway or sunny window always look good with a vase of fresh flowers. 

 Fill open spaces bold flowers. An abundant arrangement of lilies, gladiolus, sunflowers and other large blooms create an inviting environment for an expansive entryway or dining room.  A bouquet can also perk up personal spaces such as bathrooms and bedrooms.

flowers on a windowsill make a perfect accent to your view.   Those looking in and those looking out can enjoy the healing power of fresh flowers.

 Make it a family affair! Gather flowers from your favorite florist and let the kids help put them together.

For more information on how flowers in the home can lift the spirits, visit http://www.aboutflowers.com/decorating_b3.html

Stop by your local florist and pick up a beautiful bouquet (or several) of your favorite cut flowers.  If you are in South Broward (Florida) be sure to stop by Eden Florist (in lovely downtown Miramar).  Tell them Heidi sent you! (Society of American Florists - aboutflowers.com)

Rose Water Skin Tonic - one of the oldest skin-fresheners discovered by an Arabian dermatologist in the tenth century – in Victorian times rose water was mixed with glycerin for use as a skin softening treatment.  
Rose Water is still used today in many beauty products from toners to soaps to lotions to sea salts and is very easy to make.

Start with a wooden frame.  The frame back can be stapled easily to the frame. Metal and plastic frames come equipped with clips allowing the back of the frame to be opened and closed easily.Flowers can be secured on acid free card or on a piece of soft fabric such as velvet. When using fabric, cut the fabric the same size as the glass (otherwise it tends to wrinkle around the edges).

Using tweezers,  arrange the flowers and greens on the card or fabric to create your “picture.”  Carefully, put a drop of craft glue, using a toothpick, and press the flower down firmly into its final position. Let the glue dry completely before framing the picture. With a calligraphy or metallic pen, write the name of each flower and foliage used and any other notes about the picture, before framing. 

Cover with the glass and secure the backboard onto the frame. For long-lasting results it is best to make an air tight seal when framing. Premature fading and deterioration of pressed flowers can occur when air seeps into the picture.

Avoid displaying your new work of art in direct sunlight (also causing fading) and keep out of rooms with high humidity such as bathrooms or kitchens.

For other ideas for making fabulous floral picture frames visit: Maddylane Designs

The spice saffron is the stamen from the crocus flower.  Dried Mexican saffron (Safflower) is used as a food colorant in place of the more expensive and pungent Spanish Saffron. 

Capers are unopened flower buds to a bush native in the Mediterranean and Asian nations. 

Carnation petals are sweet and  can be used in wine, candy, or deserts such as cake decorating. Carnation petals are one of “secret ingredients” that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century. 

Check out the 234 Edible Flowers Suitable for Winemaking for a list of other flowers that can be used in wines.