>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

>> Today on "Life In Bloom," we're going to explore the versatile lavender.

We'll visit Leché & Lavender where they use lavender in handcrafted soaps.

We'll discuss the benefits of lavender's relaxing aroma, show you easy entertaining arrangements, and I'll even test my baking skill with a lavender honey cheesecake.

♪ ♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life In Bloom."

There's something about lavender that captivates.

It's a delight on so many levels.

♪ ♪ ♪ Beautiful flowers to look at, its rustic charm is unrivaled.

It also has a relaxing aroma and subtle flavor.

Its uses once dried are plentiful, and its medical benefits are well-documented.

Today on "Life In Bloom," we'll explore all things lavender and visit with some goats.

♪ I'm here at Leché & Lavender to see how Katie Kuipers creates wonderful aromatic soaps that are created with goat's milk, lavender, and other herbal ingredients.

And it wouldn't be a farm visit without an animal or two.

♪ ♪ So, we came today so that you could show us how you do this process.

>> Okay.

So, I take the goat's milk, I freeze it into cubes, and I put it in the soap.

>> On your website, I was reading about what you do, and I just think that the kindness process of this is just so sweet, is that, number one, goat's milk is so good for our skin.

And then having the flower additive is really wonderful, too -- so, health and wellness benefits from using this, but that you're extending those health and wellness benefits onto the animals with the way that you treat them with this.

>> Yes.

Right.

So, on a lot of dairy farms, you know, big-production dairy farms, they'll take all the milk, and they'll actually wean the babies as soon as they're born.

They take the babies away from the mom, and they take all the milk from the mother to use for whatever they need.

So, we like to be holistic in everything that we do -- so, starting from the care of the animals and then all the way on to, you know, both my family that I share the soap with and then also, you know, the consumer.

And consumers find that to be very important, and so do I.

So, it's kind of a philosophy that we carry out, you know, through the whole process.

>> So, we're going to milk Phyllis, right?

>> Yes.

Yes.

I will show you.

>> Okay.

Alright.

>> She is ready.

So, I start by cleaning her off.

This is important because, otherwise, she'll develop mastitis, which is an infection of the udder.

>> Okay.

>> So, we just use a little bit of hot water.

>> Okay.

>> This goes right on here, and then I use this handle to create a vacuum.

And once that vacuum is created, the milk will just start pouring.

>> And so she gets her breakfast while she gets milked.

>> Exactly, and as long as there's food in there, she does not care at all about what's going on.

[ Both laugh ] >> The two little goats over here, which is... >> Jim and Cathy.

>> ...Jim and Cathy.

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

And they get breakfast after you're done.

>> Exactly.

So, this pump leaves a little bit of milk in the udder, so once I'm done milking, there's still a little bit in there.

So she'll go in there and feed them, and it's very quick.

They don't need a whole lot.

And that's it.

>> Oh, wow.

We were so excited, and now we're quiet.

>> [ Laughs ] Yeah, now they'll be good until tomorrow.

>> Right?

This is fun.

So, now we're gonna go see how you make the soap.

>> Okay.

♪ So, we're gonna use the lavender essential oil.

>> Wonderful.

>> So, I also have my combination of oils here, and this is just all food-grade oil.

>> Okay.

>> So, first we want to take the lye, which is the chemical.

But once we mix it, it goes through several phases of a chemical process, and that process is saponification.

So, the lye melts the goat's milk cubes.

And the reason I keep it frozen is because if I put it in liquid, it will burn the milk.

Once that saponification happens, all that's left of the lye is glycerin.

So the lye actually doesn't even exist in the soap anymore... >> Wow.

Okay.

>> ...after that chemical reaction occurs.

So, once all of the cubes are melted, then I can add this to my oil.

Kind of the art of soapmaking is figuring out when to stop mixing it.

I'm going to use my... >> Your mixer.

>> ...hand mixer here just to speed up that process.

Now, my dad was a Dutch baker for 30 years, and his dad was also a baker.

And one of the things that I realized was that their recipes were all in their head.

And they didn't measure a whole lot, and I think I've just carried that on.

Like, the oil you have to measure.

You have to weigh it out.

>> Right.

>> Otherwise, it'll be no good.

But when it comes to, like, the essential oils, I go by look and smell.

You know, and once you make it for a long time, you can kind of recognize how strong it needs to be.

So, we're gonna mix.

>> Oh, wow.

It smells wonderful.

>> Yes.

So, now we're going to mix in the colloidal oats, and this is just oat flour, which is also really good for your skin.

Oatmeal lavender is our most popular.

People love it.

Every time I bring it to the market, it sells out.

>> I love the oatmeal lavender.

>> Well, and it just has -- The lavender has so many good qualities.

>> That's -- One of the things about it is it's great for relaxation and inducing sleep.

>> Yep.

>> But it also has antibacterial properties.

There's so many different ways that we can utilize it, but -- I mean, sleep inducing, meditation, you know, and especially when we're talking about a bathing or a washing experience.

You're cleaning yourself, and so cleansing yourself with something that's gonna relax you is super beneficial.

>> So, we have it about where we want it.

It's just thick enough.

So then we just take this, and we pour it in the mold.

So, once it's in the mold, it needs to sit for about two days, and after 2 days, we can unmold it.

I'd let it sit again for about another week.

Then after the week, then we can cut it into bars, and then we actually let it sit for about six more weeks.

The longer, the better because it just -- >> It gets better.

>> As the soap sits there, the water evaporates, and it gets harder.

>> Well, Katie, we have a tradition at "Life In Bloom."

>> Let's do it.

>> It's a flower crown.

I used some lavender.

I used some basil.

I used some scented geranium and other flowers.

So, this is for you to put on.

>> Thank you.

>> Looks great, right?

>> I love it.

>> Yeah.

Thanks so much.

I appreciate it.

>> Yes!

>> Thanks for letting us come over.

>> Yes.

Thank you.

>> Alrighty.

♪ The beauty and fragrance that are instilled in the soap here inspires me to arrange a few flowers using one of my favorite tips -- including herbs as foliage.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Adding a subtle lavender flavor and color is not only delicious.

It's eye-catching as well.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Lavender and lemon make an appearance in today's "Flower Cocktail Hour."

We're making a Lavender Collins.

We'll start with 2 ounces of gin.

♪ Then we'll add a jigger of lavender syrup... and half of a fresh-squeezed lemon.

♪ We'll add ice.

♪ And shake well.

♪ ♪ We'll add ice to our glass... ♪ ...and finish with some sparkling water.

♪ We can garnish with a lemon and even a couple sprigs of lavender.

♪ ♪ That's delicious -- the Lavender Lemon Collins.

♪ ♪ Lavender is a versatile flower to craft with.

Today we'll learn how to make a lavender bottle which is a traditional French craft.

♪ ♪ ♪ You'll need about a dozen stems of fresh lavender.

We'll gather the heads together so that the blossoms are at different heights.

♪ You'll bind the stems together right below the blooms.

You'll notice that the stems go down and the blooms are at the top.

♪ Once we've bound the blooms together, we can fold the stems up towards the top.

This helps form the lavender bottle.

♪ ♪ ♪ Then we'll bind those stems together above the lavender blooms.

♪ ♪ We'll trim the stems evenly, and you have a beautiful lavender bottle.

Lavender is a natural moth repellent, so these work well in drawers and closets, too.

You won't want to place the bottle against any fabrics for the first several weeks after you make it.

The pigment from the stems could stain it.

Since lavender is relaxing, keeping these out in the bedroom can help with sleep.

If the bottle begins to lose its scent, squeeze it gently to release more fragrance.

♪ Lavender's a great addition to the house.

We can grow it in the garden.

We can cut it and bring it in, in a vase.

We can dry it and have it in bundles.

We can also have sachets.

There's even food-grade lavender that we can use when we cook.

There's proven research that lavender assists our health and wellness.

The fragrance of lavender is relaxing.

I keep one of these little sachets on my desk.

I give it a little squeeze, and the fragrance is there to help me de-stress immediately.

You can also put it by your bedside, and that'll aid in helping us sleep better.

♪ I like to tuck some in the bathroom with my linens and my towels.

That way, the towel has a wonderful lavender fragrance.

I sew these little bundles shut so that nothing will come out, and then I can toss them in the dryer to fragrance my laundry.

Because I travel a lot, I like putting them in my luggage.

That way, when I arrive at the next location, there's the wonderful smell of lavender on my clothes that were packed in the suitcase.

You can even toss one of these in the car.

It's a natural air freshener.

♪ I also like to meditate, and I find that smelling the lavender blossoms is a great way for me to start the meditation process.

There's so many possibilities for using the fragrance of lavender, whether it's in a sachet or cooking or even just placing them on the table like this.

Lavender -- a wonderful way for us to relax from our stressful world.

♪ ♪ ♪ Lavender is a genus of 47 species and is part of the mint family.

Lavender is cultivated for enjoyment, but also as a culinary herb and for essential-oil uses.

♪ In Australia, lavender is considered an invasive species and has been declared a noxious weed.

It is also regarded as a weed in parts of Spain.

Lavender thrives in dry, sandy soils and in full sun.

♪ Lavender has both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Lavender oil is used in many bath and beauty products -- balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and lotions.

Lavender can ease dandruff, bloating, help you relax, calms itchy skin, and is a natural bug repellent.

♪ ♪ We hope you've been inspired to bring a bit more lavender into your life.

For "Life In Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

See you next time.

>> Go back in there.

[ Goats bleating ] [ Indistinct conversations ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> "J Schwanke's Life In Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

♪ Closed-caption funding provided by Ocean View Flowers.

♪ For everything flowers, recipes, projects, and more information, visit ubloom.com.

♪