Monday, April 29, 2013

Mouse Ear of the Woods

Forget Me Not teacup
Clare Bone China ~ Made in England
These dainty little flowers have the botanical name Myosotis sylvatica which has the adorable meaning "Mouse Ear of the Woods". They are probably better known, though as Forget Me Nots. They can be identified by their five petals, a flat face, and a yellow eye or center. They are commonly baby blue in color, but can also be found in white and pink. They are native to England but can be found in woodland areas in many parts of North America. They are easily cultivated and make a pretty addition to flower gardens. 


The tiny blossoms of this plant are edible and can be added to salads to add variety in color, shape, and flavor. And like violets, violas, and pansies, they can be candied or sugared and then used to decorate baked goods and confectioneries. Excessive ingestion of this delicate blossom is not suggested, as it contains minute amounts of pyrrolizidine, an alkaloid that is found in several common herbs like borage, comfrey, and coltsfoot. Don't let that scare you from trying this tiny blossom, though. Honey, grains, milk, and eggs are also sources where this naturally occurring chemical can be found. Moderation seems to be the key.



Historically, this flower was selected to be the one representing King Henry IV of England. He was exiled in 1398  and holds a colorful and romanticized place in chronicles of the time. It is thought that the flowers represent faithfulness and enduring love because of the life of Henry IV. This English king was the principle in a play written by William Shakespeare entitled "The History of Henrie the Fourth". Such interesting tidbits of history and information can be gleaned simply by researching a simple, blue flower from the garden.

Forget Me Not teacup
Queen's Fine Bone China ~ Rosina China Co. Ltd. ~ Made in England


Finding recipes that use forget me nots as an ingredient in food is uncommon, but the little blue flowers make beautiful decoration on baked goods. They can be arranged on cupcakes or frosted cookies. Cookies decorated with icing sugar "forget me not" flowers are pretty too. Examples can be found on Pinterest and are fun to look at. 


Forget Me Not teacup
Hand-painted Porcelain ~ No Marking




Forget Me Not Cookies
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1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
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Makes 18 cookies
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Be sure the oven rack is set in the middle position. Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Slowly add sugar and beat until peaked. An electric mixer works best for the whisking process. Then, fold in salt, chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla.  Using a teaspoon, drop cookies on baking sheet. Then place cookies in preheated oven. Close the door and then turn off the oven. Allow cookies to sit in the oven for six to 10 hours. Then, open oven door and remove. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from the parchment paper.





10 comments:

  1. I may not eat them but I love looking at them. ;)

    You may appreciate this, I told my husband I wanted to let the dandelions grow in our lawn so we could try them in recipes.

    At first he was letting them grow but I think he's developing a severe twitch when he sees them. I'll have to use them or lose them soon.

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  2. Love forget-me-not cookies! I have so many pictures of these delicate flowers saved to my computer for future projects. What a sweet post. Thank you!

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  3. They are a favorite of mind! I love your teacup presentation.

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  4. Love those sweet little blossoms, both in the cup and on the cup! I did not now they were mouse ear of the woods! Fun!

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  5. I do love this flower and didn't know it was edible. Yes, I must agree the teacups with the flowers is so pretty.

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  6. I finally have some in my garden! And I was so surprised to see pink ones during a trip to Switzerland! Hadn't known they were eatable.

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  7. Hi La Tea Dah....I had NO IDEA forget me nots were edible. See? Learn something new every day! Amazing. Nice photos, too. Susan

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  8. They do make me smile. I need to plant some...

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  9. How exotic! Forget-me-not cookies. I'd enjoy planting a patch of them.

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  10. You have such talent to make everything beautiful! I am so glad that you share your beauty with us! And I love your tea cup- it is just awesome!
    Lisa :O)

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