Did you know?

I learn something new everyday. 

Today was all about bergamot.

You know, the flavour in your Earl Grey tea? Or in your favourite body wash?

Well, I always thought that bergamot was a herb/flower. And it is. But that’s not where you get your Earl Grey, fragrance or skin care products from.

No, you get that from an extract of the oils in the skin of the Bergamot Orange. This little citrus is similar in size and shape to an orange but the colour of a lemon. It smells similar to the herb and flowers but all the scents and flavours you get in your products such as tea, perfume, body lotions are from the citrus.

The herb, also knows as Crimson Beebalm, is part of the mint family and has a pretty red flower and is used in traditional medicine, in particular it is used for its antiseptic properties. Although it has been used as a tea, specifically to help with throat infections, no Earl Grey here.

By Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6691558
By Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6691558

The flower, which is technically WILD bergamot is ALSO known as Bee Balm, and it has a small cluster of white flowers and is also part of the mint family. It is also used in traditional medicine as a medicinal tea in treating colds and flu.

So, now I know and you know, unless you already knew. Did you?

Scones and jam and cream! Oh my!

Yesterday I met up with some twitter ladies at the Irene Dairy Farm.

What a lovely place.  The kids had a blast!

I didnt take any photos because we were all having so much fun I didnt even think about taking my phone out…

What I did do is buy some of their famous fresh cream.

OMG! How delish…  Think and yummy, I just had to make some fresh scones this morning to go with it.

I found the scone recipe over here, I love this site, they deliver exactly what they promise: A South African guide to simple, tasty recipes!

Recipe

  • 2 x cups sifted flour
  • ½ x teaspoon salt
  • 4 x teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 x tablespoons marge
  • ¾ x cup milk

Method

  • Mix dry ingredients.
  • Add wet ingredients.
  • Mix together until they form a loose dough.
  • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for a few minutes.
  • Flatten the dough out and cut rounds using a glass.
  • Bake at 240ºC for about 7 minutes – I didnt read that properly and baked for about 10 minutes at 180°C.

scones

 

Enjoy with fresh cream and a dollop of strawberry jam 🙂