Guest Book Review: Fun With Lavender

By Whitney Willis

Lavender holds a special place in my heart, and the book Fun With Lavender written by Maggie Reddoch rekindled my romance with this beautiful herb. This short book provides cute and simple recipes utilizing lavender flowers and oil. It has inspired me to try some of them.

Firstly, I must call out the illustrations in this book—they are so cute and whimsical and made by the author herself! They make me want to draw cute French landscapes with soft blue skies and peaceful flower fields.

The book has several recipes using lavender, from lavender cookies to a lavender-infused latte. I tried the lavender latte. I used food-grade lavender oil, found in most health food stores or on Amazon. It was an interesting concoction for sure, but be careful of how much lavender oil you use! I used a couple of drops in mine, and even that was too much. Use just one drop, and it will be plenty! With just a drop, you’ll have a great subtle flavor of lavender with amazing aromatics each time you take a sip.

One of my favorite ways of using lavender is in tea. Typically, I purchase a blend of chamomile and lavender tea already in the sachets, but I recently made some peppermint tea (my favorite) with a small number of lavender buds. It was so yummy! You only need a little bit (about a teaspoon) to get the flavor from it. Not only is it beautifully fragrant, but it tastes nice as well. I’ve also learned that lavender can help with an upset tummy, so having it in your tea is a perfect way to alleviate any discomfort.

I also love using lavender in a lavender-infused Epsom soak in a nice hot bath. The smell is absolutely intoxicating and really brings me to a peaceful state of mind. They say that lavender brings a sense of calm to your mind and body. I’m not sure if it’s just psychological, but I can say that it helps me quite a lot.

I love Fun With Lavender for inspiring me to try new things using lavender. I highly recommend it for beginners and current lavender users alike, as it’s a great way to start thinking about using lavender but can also inspire “la-veteran’s” (I just made that up.)

Whitney Willis is a lover of fiction and nonfiction alike. When she’s not reading, she’s dancing the night away with her friends. You can find Whitney on Instagram, where she posts current books she’s reading and more: @summer_f0rever.