Sachet-ing to Lavender Class

I recently checked out another LivingSocial class: Making Products with Lavender. Making flowery perfume products isn't my normal thing, and I was flying solo for this one, so I wasn't too sure how enjoyable this was going to be. But I forged ahead, dear readers, for Science. Sweet-smelling, purpley Science.

The crowd in the waiting area was much as I had expected: groups of females. I was surprised at the number of inter-generational attendees though; it appeared as if there were several mother-daughter duos. Since myself and almost all of my friends hail from places far from the Mid-Atlantic, I kind of forget that anyone around here has a mother. I was starting to feel a bit sad about my far-flung family when I found that the woman sitting right next to me was another solo, perpetual class-taker. I felt better.

This could have also been due to the anxiety-reducing properties of lavender, which I'd heard prior to the class. The instructor, a local lavender-farm owner with her mother and sister, explained that it actually has quite a few purported natural remedies. My favorite, for it's trivia value, which has been verified through an extensive internet search consisting of a single Google, is that the Romans carried it to war to use on their wounds for its calming and antiseptic properties. The most useful information though was that it helps some people with motion sickness. As someone who used to be able to read novels in the backseat or ride endless roller coasts and now sometimes gets carsick driving myself home from work, I couldn't wait to try that out.

Learning about the properties and many past and current uses of lavender was the highlight of the course. While the instructor was speaking, we used a burner and pan set up on the tables in front of us to melt wax and make a solid perfume; dried lavender to fill up a sachet; and lavender essential oil to make a linen spray. None of this was particularly difficult, but it kept my hands busy while I was getting educated on the herb's history.

We also learned a bit about how to use lavender in cooking. While it might sound odd, you may have actually had it before: lavender is used in herbes de Provence, a seasoning medley commonly used on chicken in French dishes. We received a sheet with several recipes using lavender in jam, lemonade, and pound cake, and were advised that putting dried lavender branches in the grill with chicken or fish would give it a delightful flavor. I tried it the next day and it gave me a delightful small fire.

Overall, it was an enjoyable hour on a Saturday morning. I don't know if I'd recommend it for the cost, since I feel like buying oils to make other products isn't exactly the same as creating lavender products from scratch. But I was able to read a magazine on a recent road trip while holding a sachet to my nose, with no motion sickness! Maybe it was worth it after all.

Learn More:

Web: www.sevenoakslavenderfarm.com/
Classes: www.918FStreet.com (Washington, DC)