Lemon balm lip balm ~ Sage Sausage Egg Muffins (Use leftover Pizza Toppings)

Remember all that lemon balm I harvested last summer?  Well, I made the infused oil with it, and got around to washing up containers and getting lip balm made.

I used the same recipe (Mountain Rose Herbs blog) for Calendula / Shea butter, but swapped out the oil for lemon balm infused oil.  I prefer to use the metal tins, but summer brings motorcycle rides, and the tubes are smaller and easier to carry (and less messy on very hot days).  I ended up making a bit of both - tubes and metal tins.

Something I learned - lemon balm prevents the breakout of cold sores.  I'll be giving this to someone to see if if will work as they state it does, and I'll be using it all summer.

I had a bit of sausage, bell pepper and onion leftover from our homemade pizza's, so I whipped up a small batch of Sage sausage/egg muffins for breakfast.  I used jalapeno's from the freezer to add some zest to them too.  So good.  I'll be tweaking my recipe and hope to post soon.  They need a bit more herbs/spices.  

The peanut butter cookies didn't last long.  Hubby has no self control when I bake them.

So...I baked German Chocolate Cookies.  This time I flattened them just a bit.

Random Tidbits ~ Pickled Red Onion

Pizza night was another huge success.  I froze the Einkorn dough for the first time last year (preparedness), and it worked out great.  We love the pizza sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes.  They make the best sauce so far.  I'll be sure to grow them again this summer.

I should have started a temperature afghan last spring.  With the hot days followed by this very strange and nasty winter, it would have been one interesting afghan.

I'm scanning my recipes for our oldest daughter.  Not that she's settling in her new apt. she wants to take advantage of her crock pot and cook good meals again.  I have a plan for that too.

I pickled red onion for the first time.  It'll be used for salads, although I am leery to eat fresh kale out of season, we can typically find organic in our grocery store.

Pickled Red Onions
Using organic/non-gmo ingredients, thinly slice enough red onion rings to fit in a wide mouth pint canning jar.

Add:
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2-3 splashes of home canned hot sauce*
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. red wine vinegar

Shake.  Store in the refrigerator

*any hot sauce will work



My husband is really having a stressful time at his work place.  Even though the vote was like 170-something (no) to 50-something (yes), the higher up's are making them vote again on Thursday on the contract.  They are using their power to manipulate them into voting yes, and from what I see, threatening them in the process.  He, and the others, could surely use prayers, good mojo, and good thoughts right now.  It is a very hostile work environment.   Both mentally and physically.   

The only thing I can do to help him, is clean the house, cook good food, pack his lunch and coffee and listen.  I'm afraid this however, may affect our income (depending on the outcome).  Remember they went on strike one year, and he had to take work out of state?  We are preparing however we have big ticket jobs to get done this year no matter what.