August 2, 2015 - The scented abode

This is the first feature of many I hope to write about the lovely ingredients to try out to create a home spa experience.

As these lovely buds from the drying lavender looked so pretty, I have simply added them to the Dead Sea bath salts* that I have been using as a foot scrub/soak in one. If you are interested in making this you can find the post here.

For the bath soak, I have used the lovely flowers which were collected from the fresh lavender we picked last weekend, they have been slowly falling off the lavender stems as the bunches of lavender begin to dry out.

With a pestle and mortar, the lovely buds were mixed into the Dead Sea Salt granules. If you don’t have dead sea salt to hand, a coarse salt will also make a wonderful bath soak as it will soften the water.

I don’t usually make up more than a cupful at a time as the Dead Sea Salt* is a wonderful ingredient in that it attracts and retains moisture, so will turn to liquid if left exposed to the air.

To make this mix luxuriously moisturising, I have added some organic sweet almond oil, together with a few drops of the Carshalton Lavender Essential Oil to intensify the aroma.

There is no need to measure out the ingredients exactly. I’ve used a rice bowl to scoop out the Dead Sea Salt and added a handful of Lavender flowers, along with about a tablespoon of Sweet Almond Oil.

The only thing to be careful about is the amount of essential oils to add to the mix, for bathing, about 20-30 drops in a cup full of bath salts with the oil. will provide a sumptuous aroma that will fill the bathroom with scent. (As a precaution, it is always best to carry out a patch test if you have never tried any essential oils before – you can find out more about this in this article from Aromaweb.

I find that different scents evoke different memories or sensations, for relaxing, rejuvenating or calming, you can vary the essential oils based on your preference and the mood you want to create.

As I wanted to recreate a lovely rejuvenating and relaxing experience, I have also added to the lavender mix a scent which always reminds me of the beautiful spa in Mauritius where we spent two idyllic weeks on our honeymoon.

Just a few drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil has conjured up the soft golden sands and the sound of gentle lapping waves of the Indian Ocean.

We discovered the Ylang Ylang plantation on Mauritius which we visited while we were there.

This beautiful scent comes from the Ylang Ylang tree, once the flowers from the tree have been harvested, the oil is distilled by forcing steam through the flowers to create the essential oil.

It was widely used by aromatherapists and while we were on the island, the aromatherapist explained that it is used as a spa treatment because of its many therapeutic benefits. Mostly, I think on the idyllic island setting it was chosen by the aromatherapist as it enhances the feelings of hope and joy. (It’s a bit of a cliché, to go on honeymoon in Mauritius, I know, but as it was a once in a lifetime experience, we took advantage of all the island had to offer).

I have also added some lemon essential oil which I find has a lovely refreshing scent of lemon groves which is perfect for this indulgent experience.

Once the mixture has been combined, a small handful of the bath salts were sprinkled into the warm water of the bath. As the mix can also be used as an exfoliation scrub, it can be applied over the skin and massaged gently for glowing skin.

I loved seeing the little lavender blooms bob around in the water, it was so lovely to waft in the scent of lavender and ylang ylang this morning.

Hmmm lovely.

*If you would like to order the in the UK, the Dead Sea Bath Salts link will take you through to the product page on Amazon.

*If you would like to order the in the US, Dead Sea Bath Salt the the link will take you through to the product page on Amazon.

*These are affliate links, which if you order through, a small commission is earned. Thanks in advance for using the links – any money earned will go towards maintaining the blog.

Mango and Cherry Loaf

We usually make this lovely cake with over ripe bananas. However, as we had an over ripe Mango, which no one was too keen on, I thought it would be good to try using the banana and apricot recipe rather than throw it away.

Having rummaged around in our cupboard, I discovered we were out of dried apricots, but we did have some dried figs, prunes and a tub of glacé morello cherries.

Over ripe Mango and morello cherries found in our cupboard

Since cherries would give the loaf some colour, I decided it would do rather than go and get some dried apricots. I like the idea of using what’s in a cupboard and experimenting more than sticking rigidly to a recipe. This is by far the best way of discovering something new and tasty.

By the time I had assembled the ingredients, my eldest appeared in the kitchen and decided to help with the baking. I was smiling since a few days ago I’d written a post about Google search trends, the British Bake off and that I would have to get my kids to help me with some baking.

There was no need to ask, baking is, next to Minecraft something that my eldest enjoys.

Based on the recipe from the River Cottage Family Cookbook, this loaf is very simple to make, there are no whisks or electrical appliances involved, just a spoon and some elbow grease.

Cream the sugar and butter together (Prior to this I had accidentally put flour into the bowl and had to separate the flour from the butter as I had been distracted by my daughter peeling the skin from the over ripe Mango and mashing it up with a fork).

Add the 2 eggs and beat until mixed together.

Add chopped morello cherries.

Add the grated zest of 1 lemon (we used half a lemon zest and all the zest of a small lime)

Add the mashed mango (or over ripe mashed bananas as in the original recipe instead) and add to the mix.

Mashed overipe Mango

Gently fold in the self-raising flour.

Pour into a loaf tin which has been lined with a large loaf tin case, I like this as it’s easier to clean the loaf tin afterwards. It also means I don’t need to butter the tin.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes on 160c/Gas Mark 3 (Check around 50 minutes, put a knife/skewer through the middle and if it comes out clean, then it’s ready)

The lovely scent of the baking and the mango and cherry filled the kitchen and our living room and this got the attention of both my hubby and youngest who wanted to know when it would be ready to eat.

Unfortunately, they needed a bit of patience as once it was removed from the oven, it needed to cool on a baking rack before it can be enjoyed.

As the loaf was baked just before tea-time on Saturday, it was perfect to serve as our dessert. We usually find that although the loaf will keep for a few days, it never usually lasts longer than a day because it gets eaten as snack.

I think this recipe made with Mango and Cherry makes a lovely alternative to the bananas and apricot version.