I am Inspired!

I would like to personally thank Sandie Parrott, a writer & photographer who resides in Clarkston, Michigan. Sandie and I first met last summer as she attended one of our Lavender Garden Teas and then later the Lavender Festival... Sandie was given an opportunity to write an article about lavender and agri-tourism for a national magazine, and I am thankful that she so graciously included us in her story... Often times we are so busy looking at where we think we should be, that we lose sight of how far we have already come! Sandie's story, Stop and Smell the Lavender, was published in the 2007 edition of The Herbarist, a national publication from the Herb Society of America.It has blessed me greatly to read this, and helped me to realize that our dreams really are coming to fruition. 

Thank you, Sandie! ~Jennifer

New Year Blessings

Hi Everyone,

It has been WAY TOO LONG since the last time we posted a blog. To be honest, we are still pretty new to this whole blog idea, and didn't realize just how many people were reading it! After many of your Emails requesting more blog posts, we decided to make it one of our goals for 2008. We will do our best to create more regular posts, and hope to bring you more of the inspiration, lavender and cool stuff that you've come to expect from Gabriel's Garden.

2007 was a fabulous year! We launched yet another successful Lavender Festival, gained a fresh perspective on where we are going with our vision, and had the opportunity to work with a LOT of talented people! We started this year feeling inspired, refreshed, enthusiastic, full of faith and grateful! We look forward to another fabulous year, and wish you all abundant joy, peace, prosperity and rich blessings in 2008!

~Jennifer

more Lavender Recipes!

oops! I forgot to add Francoi's recipe for the Honey Lavender Biscotti from his 'Cooking with Lavender' class, and decided to also add a couple more... The Lavender Lemon Shortbread is a Lavender Festival Favorite! enjoy!

Honey Lavender Biscotti:
2 1/4 Cup Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2/3 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs, large
3 Tbsp Lavender Honey (may substitute for plain honey)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Orange Zest
1 Tbsp Lavender Buds (crushed)

2007 Lavender Festival Recipes!

By popular demand, we are posting two of the recipes from the "Cooking With Lavender Class" that was taught by Francois Faloppa, a genuine Frenchman who dazzled us with his culinary talents at the 2007 Michigan Lavender Festival at Gabriel's Garden!

We hope you all enjoy these recipes. More will be posted soon...


Lavender Creme Brulee:
4 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp. Culinary Lavender Buds
8 Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup Sugar

Spray shallow custard dishes with non-stick cooking spray, place them in an oven safe dish that will be able to hold water.
In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream and lavender, heat until scalding, then remove from heat. Allow the lavender to infuse for 5-10 minutes.

2007 Lavender Festival a Huge Success!

Truly, God smiled on us and blessed us with another beautiful weekend for our annual event!
In the midst of a very busy 2-days, Michael & I actually shared a moment together where we observed the interaction between so many 'happy people'... and we took it all in... in that moment, it just seemed to me as if the sweet fragrance of lavender swaying in the breeze mingling with the sounds of Harp & Dulcimer was re-affirming to us that we are fulfilling our dreams, and accomplishing our hopes. It was our desire to create a place where people could escape from the hustle-and-bustle of life and reconnect with nature. For us, the lavender festival accomplished that.

After a week-or-so of time to rest, we wanted to express to you all our sincere thanks for all of your hard work, support, words of encouragement and positive feedback! With just over 2,800 people in attendance, (and that's not even including children) it was amazing to see so many creative people sharing a love for lavender, and simply enjoying life! We look forward to creating another wonderful event with you in 2008.