Author: Paris

Penne with French Herbs, Crumbled Gruyere, & an Olive Oil Drizzle

~ Paris
The other afternoon I found a bottle of Rodelle’s Herbes de Provence in our fridge. It was one of those impulse buys – something that looked amazing {add it to pastas, pizzas, soups, sandwiches…the possibilities being truly endless}, but that ended up rarely being used and tucked away to the back of our fridge. I decided to add it to my afternoon pasta, along with olive oil and crumbled gruyere. While the dish without the herbs would have been good – who doesn’t like pasta tossed in olive oil and covered in fresh, slightly melted cheese – the herbs {a blend of thyme, fennel, basil, savory, and lavender} added an extra dimension of flavor to the dish that I didn’t expect. I love that even once this bottle gets over {and I know it will very soon now that I have rediscovered it}, I can add any combination of herbs from our garden to add a slightly different flavor combination. The best part is this is ridiculously easy to make – just toss the penne with olive oil, add in the herbs, to taste, and then crumble fresh gruyere on top, which will melt slightly thanks to the warm, freshly cooked pasta.
x Paris

DIY: Fragrance – Rosewater, Orange Blossom, Lavender, & Lavender Vanilla

~ Paris
The one thing I wish I could showcase on this site is my love for fragrance. Whether it’s a decadently rich body wash, a spritz of perfume before date night, a delicious smelling candle on a rainy evening, or just a splash of a sweet smelling essence in the room, nothing makes me quite as happy as enjoying a beautiful scent. So naturally, while eyeing my backyard the other day {with ideas on how to make homemade simple syrups for cocktails and desserts this season by using the florals outside}, it struck me that I could make my very own fragrances. They took just a few minutes to create and make for a refreshing mist in the morning {when used as a substitute for the rosewater spray that I spritz over my face each day}, a sweet pillow spray to make my bedding feel just a little more indulgent, and a great room freshener. Enjoy!
Tools:
Flowers {I used roses, orange blossoms, lavender, & vanilla}
Spray Bottles {I used these}
Water
Saucepan
Paper, Pen, & Scissors for labels
Instructions:
1. Bring your water to boil {for the 8 ounce bottles I used about 12 ounces of water to start with}.
2. Once the water is boiling, add in the flower petals. Stir consistently.
3. When the flower looks to have lost any strength {i.e.: the rose petals almost look transparent}, turn of the stove, pour the scented water into a cup, and the squeeze out any remaining water from the flower petals.
4. Refrigerate for a couple hours with the top of the cup sealed to keep the scent in.
5. Create labels for your bottle marking down your scents, pour the chilled fragrance into the bottle, & enjoy!
Note: I made four scents – rosewater, orange blossom, lavender, & lavender vanilla.
x Paris