ol-of-edible-flowers.gif
Flower Power: Visual, Smell & Taste – A Complete Diet Package! by Janice Taylor, Life & Wellness Coach, Cert. Hypnotist, Author, Columnist, & 50-pound Big-Time-Loser! (write Janice for free consult)
The taste and pleasure we derive from eating is linked to our visual senses. In other words, the more visually appealing the meal, the more satisfying the experience. One way to add beauty and elegance, but not calories to our meals, is to slice, dice, toss, chop or stuff food with edible flowers.
Edible flowers first came onto the scene around 140 BC. They were used to heighten the flavor and add to the texture of foods when spices were not available.
Edible flowers turn the simplest of meals into a special occasion. Add flowers to your soups and salads, float them in your punch bowl or freeze them in ice cubes. Cook with them.
You can purchase edible flowers in the produce section at the (gourmet) grocery store. Or, you can grow your own. (A fun activity which gets you out of the kitchen!) For the best flavor, pick flowers when they are beginning to open, in the cool of the morning. Be sure to remove the pistils and stamens. Gently wash and dry them on a paper towel. Eat only the petals. Remember, not all flowers are edible – some are poisonous. If in doubt – please, leave it out!
Here is a partial list of Incredible Edibles. Many are common flowers that may be growing in your garden right now!

nasturtiums * roses * marigolds * viola * pansies * apple blossoms * calendulas * carnations * honeysuckle * tulip petals * tuberous begonia * lilacs * dianthus * hibiscus * violets * day lily * primrose * petunia

Cooking With Flowers – A Guide!
Flower Power Facts
Chartreuse, the French green liqueur developed in the 17th Century,
claims carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients.
Dandelions were one of the bitter herbs referred to in the Old Testament.
Spread the word (NOT the icing!),
Janice

Coming Soon! THE CHRISTMAS DIETImagine waking up on New Years Day THINNER than you were on November 1. To be put on the fast weight loss list, send email to Janice@ChristmasDiet.com
Write Janice for free ‘life’ consult!
Follow Janice on Twitter! Food facts. tips and motivation throughout the day!
Workshops! Come, play with me!
Free Our Lady of Weight Loss E-Cards! Spread the FUN word!
For more motivation and inspiration, join the Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.
Pick up a copy of Janice’s latest: All Is Forgiven, Move ON ~ Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltesville!
” . . . . kooky genius ~ see if her idiosyncratic diet plan will work for you.” ~ O, The Oprah Magazine
ART heart.jpg about Janice

More from Beliefnet and our partners