Staying cool and hydrated should be fun. Really wow your family, friends, and followers with this tasty color-changing lemonade, and customize the whole experience with bold blue ice cubes in a shape that speaks to you.
https://vimeo.com/531063225
How to Get Started
This recipe is infused with cannasugar, since it doesn’t separate like oils do when they’re suspended in liquid. Making a potent and precisely-dosed cannasugar is possible with precision decarb, so start by adding about 3 grams of material to the Novaor FX, as we’ll be using this sugar to sweeten beverages like lemonade, coffee, and tea, and you generally don’t need.
Equipment Needed
Funky ice cube tray of choice
Mason jar
Straw
Lemon squeezer
Ingredients
Sprig of fresh mint
¼ cup of butterfly pea flowers
Glass full of boiling water
2-4 tablespoons of cannasugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Sprinkle of lustre powder (optional)
How to Make Infused Color-Changing Lemonade
Boil water and add it to a large glass with the butterfly pea flowers and cannasugar until it steeps into a deep blue color. Allow it to cool, then add the liquid to an ice cube tray to freeze overnight. Place the remaining liquid in the fridge.
The next day, add the cool blue liquid to the mason jar. Pour the lemon juice over top and watch the color transform slowly from dark blue into a deep purple.
Add the blue ice cubes to the purple lemonade.
Finish it off with a straw, sprig of mint, and a sprinkle of lustre powder. Mix and enjoy.
Giving our infused color-changing lemonade a try? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.
This month we teamed up with HiVi’s Higher Up community of mothers and asked them to find the best way to integrate the Ardent FX into their daily routines. Some mothers focused on skin and bodycare while others created sweet treats for discreet, accurate dosing.
If there’s one thing we can learn from our mothers, it’s that there’s always a solution to any obstacle. So whether you’re also a mompreneur yourself, or if you’re just looking for some infusion inspiration from wise women who juggle it all, check out these recipes!
1 ¼ cup butter, unsalted or infused, at room temperature
5 2/3 cups cake flour
3 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup baking powder
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
3 cups whole milk
7 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Fruit Loops cereal, chopped
Cake Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the olive oil, sour cream, and butter. Top with the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium speed just until a crumbly consistency forms
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until blended. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the milk-egg mixture in three equal additions, mixing until fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixer still on low speed, add the cereal and mix just until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans
Bake the cakes until a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool for about 20 minutes
Run a knife blade around the inside edge of a pan to loosen the cake sides, invert the cake onto a rack, lift off the pan, peel off the parchment, and turn the layer right-side up. Repeat with the remaining cakes and let cool completely. The cakes can be well wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator
Buttercream Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups granulated sugar
14 egg whites
4 cups unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons, unsalted and infused, at room temperature
6 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Buttercream Instructions:
Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a 4 quart saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl over (not touching) the water in the saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, about 10 minutes
Transfer the egg white-sugar mixture to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until cool and thick
Add the butter and continue to whisk until creamy and thick. Add the hot water, salt, and lemon zest and whisk until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes longer. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week
In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, sour cream, honey, and salt and whisk on high speed until thick and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days
Using a long, serrated knife in a sawing motion, horizontally split each cake into three layers. To make it easier to cut, freeze the cakes for about 2 hours before cutting into thirds. You will have a total of nine layers
Set a cake layer on a cake plate. Spoon about one-fourth of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip and pipe a narrow wall around the edge of the layer (this is the “fence” to keep the cream filling in place). Fill the center with about ½ cup of the filling, spreading it in an even layer with an offset spatula.
Top with a second cake layer and repeat the fence and filling. Continue in this way until you have stacked and filled eight layers. Top with the final cake layer and, using the offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake to seal in any loose crumbs, creating a smooth surface. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set the crumb coat
To finish, mound about one-third of the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and, using broad, smooth strokes, spread it evenly. Then, working in batches, apply the remaining buttercream to the sides of the cake in an even layer, returning to the top once again to smooth any rough edges. Sprinkle the top with Fruit Loops. The cake will keep, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Cut into even slices to serve
Grandma Lolly’s Peanut Butter Cookies – Infused Remix
After decarb, infuse all 14 oz of activated flower in the FX with the ghee on the Infuse setting
In a saucepan bring some water (about ¼” high) to a boil. In a heat safe bowl, place 2 ½ cups of white chocolate and about ⅓ cup of infused ghee. Melt until you can easily pour into your mold
In each mold: Swipe on a bit of edible gold using your thin brush. Sprinkle a bit of crushed, freeze-dried strawberries, and add 2-4 purple cornflower petals
Pour the warm, infused chocolate into the molds
You can let the molds cool naturally, but if you place in the freezer for 5 minutes they’ll be perfect to eat immediately after. You can also sprinkle a bit more freeze dried strawberries and petals if you fancy!
After competing and winning in the 420-friendly food competition show, Chopped 420, we spoke with Wendy about her experience and the recipe she made that won over the judges! She touches on what it’s really like to be an Asian in Cannabis and the importance of representation as the industry continues to evolve.
Read Wendy’s full interview below and check out additional resources from Asians in the cannabis community in celebration of Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM).
Tell us about yourself. What’s your background?
I was born in the city of Chengdu, within China’s Sichuan province. I started cooking in my grandpa’s kitchen when I was 6 and have always been immersed in the flavors and techniques of the region’s complex cuisine through exploring my hometown and regular family trips to the countryside. We moved to Memphis, Tennessee when I was 10, and quickly fell in love with southern BBQ and soul food. Despite moving halfway around the world, I found a sense of familiarity through food as a way to celebrate family, honor history, and the dishes that bring us together. I’ve been lucky enough to call LA my home for the last 14 years and I’m constantly inspired by the food and cannabis community here.
What was your Chopped 420 experience like?
Stressful and fun! Surreal and meant to be… sometimes, the best experiences are the ones that give us conflicting feelings. I had a ton of hesitations about going on the show but in the end, I believed it would be a cool experience as long as I did it with intentions aligned with my values. Win or not, I wanted to represent my communities (Asian x fem x food x cannabis) and what we’re about. It was so validating once I met the other chefs. They were all down to earth, community oriented people that aligned with what I’ve experienced in the cannabis hospitality scene. I’m so glad I took this opportunity to challenge myself and most importantly, have fun in the process.
What recipe did you make that won the competition?
Once it was just down to the 2 finalists, we were judged on all 3 courses so it’s hard to say which exact dish took me to the top. Overall, the judges thought I had the most interesting infusions across all three. I think I used more than half of the items in the greenhouse so there were multiple infused elements in every dish I made. I wish I still had access to the greenhouse, haha! There were so many cool products and strains inside. I was in my happy place!
What was the surprise basket ingredient you had to work with + special “cannabis pantry” item?
Each round we had a different mystery stash box filled with random “stoner foods.” The weirdest items were in the 2nd round. We had a Rochester specialty called “the garbage plate,” which consists of home fries, macaroni salad, baked beans, or french fries topped with cheeseburger patty and dressed with spicy mustard, chopped onions, and hot sauce. Sounds like a dream or a nightmare depending on who you ask. We also had chocolate dentures (because that’s a thing?), nopales, and pork chops. With so many random items, I ended up doing tacos three ways to showcase complimentary flavors among these seemingly random items. I made a grilled pork taco, a refried potato and nopales taco, and a ground beef taco. Nopales are notoriously slimy so I made sure to pan sear with lots of oil and deglaze the pan with some CBD apple cider vinegar. I also made a mole sauce with the chocolate dentures and smoked some cotija cheese with some actual cannabis flowers as a topping for my tacos.
What is your favorite infused dish to make using the Ardent FX?
We were allowed to make a specialty infusion to bring into the competition with us and I’m so glad they had the Ardent FX on site for me to use. I made my famous chili sauce, which I used in my spotted prawn ceviche in the appetizer round. I’m all about democratizing access when it comes to food and knowledge so I love sharing my recipes, especially the ones that highlight my hometown. I’m currently developing a recipe to launch a chili sauce you can buy online and in stores.
Photo Credit: Haejin Chun, @bigbadwolfsf
How has life changed since the episode aired on 4/20?
BUSY! I’m trying to make sure I make time to relax and enjoy all the wonderful humans in my life. Sometimes when you’ve got good things popping off, it’s easy to put pressure on yourself to keep producing, keep creating, keep working. I don’t want to be so caught up in the hustle that I’m no longer enjoying the journey. The show also kickstarted some dope collabs. All the chefs from the show are now friends with each other and we’re working on producing some cool events this year. That’s what this is all about, lifting each other up and witnessing each other’s success together.
What does the plant mean to you?
Healing and connectivity. It’s always been a connective medium leading me to form friendships and experiences that teach me more about life and myself. I use it to expand my consciousness and connect to perspectives outside my own. Whether it’s having more empathy and tapping into creative problem solving or coming up with new culinary creations, cannabis helps to enhance the experience. It’s also a helluva de-stresser and hangover cure.
Talk to us about being an Asian in Cannabis.
Being an Asian in cannabis is both challenging and exciting. On one hand, just like how we don’t have proper representation in history or media, the issue extends into the cannabis space too. I follow so many amazing Asian chefs who are finding the most creative ways to incorporate cannabis in their cooking. They are so impressive and deserving of the spotlight. Sichuan food is perfect for infusion because our cuisine is all about layered flavors that play off of each other. Terps galore! I’m hoping by using it just as another herb/spice, it can help create new associations for people, especially Asians who still largely think of cannabis as a “drug”. The direct translation for drugs in Chinese is 毒品 which means “poison”. I hope we can replace the “poison” association for the Asian community with “a great time with friends” association.
Interested in learning more about Wendy? Follow her on Instagram!
What the Asian Community in Cannabis is Saying
Credit: Highly Human, @highlyhuman
Ardent stands in solidarity with the Asian community and encourages our Owners to explore the voices and resources featured below. Given the increased anti-Asian racism and attacks on the elderly community, the AAPI community seeks accountable allyship and support during this time. Our hope is that by offering these resources, the Ardent community will continue to educate themselves and share their learnings with one another.
Amplify Asian Representation
The need for representation in the media is essential for change. Grass x Grass is a collective that aims to inspire, educate, and empower Asian-Americans to work with, heal with and openly enjoy cannabis. In Episode 1 featuring multidisciplinary Creative, Monica Lo of Sousweed and Ardent Owner; Chef Haejin Chun of Big Bad Wolf SF; Jordan Lam of California cannabis brand, Permanent Holiday; and Geraldine Mae Cueva, Ardent’s in-house Community Manager. The group navigates conversation around de-stigmatization of cannabis within their Asian families and how their cultures allow for differentiation in the industry.
Learn More About Black & Asian Solidarity
Coming together means engaging in conversation with the community to learn from another. In collaboration with Kieryn Wang of ALMOSTCONSULTING and co-collaborator of InclusiveBase, the team at Sesh-Ins hosted a dialogue around Black and Asian solidarity to understand the parallels between the communities. The resources compiled provide the history of allyship, activism, and organizations to connect with and learn from.
Equity & Supporting Asian-Owned or BIPOC Businesses
Nina Parks kept leaning into the conversations she was having at San Francisco’s public cannabis meetings that would eventually turn into the city’s equity program. Together with Tsion “Sunshine” Lencho, Amber Senter, and Andrea Unsworth, they founded Supernova Women — an organization dedicated to empowering women of color and giving them the tools they need to be successful stakeholders in the legal cannabis industry. Additionally, Nina became a co-founder of the Original Equity Group — a facet within the San Francisco Cannabis Equity Working Group — lowering the barriers of entry into the space through an educational crash course that navigates both regulation and business. As an active participant in bringing diversity to the industry, Nina also founded her own cannabis brand, Gift of Doja, to bring to the California legal market.
Take Time to De-Program & Heal
Will Ace founded Highly Human to raise awareness and consciousness through designs and experiences intending to normalize discourse on cannabis and mental health — topics uncommon in many Asian-American upbringings. As a space that centers the LGBTQIA+ Global Majority (BIPOC), Will believes it’s important we cultivate a community of care and support. As a member of his virtual community he encourages practicing mindfulness, compassion, and grace while unlearning and learning through this process.
In case you missed our May episode of Easily Baked with Ardent, our Key Lime Pie recipe is the perfect light summer treat. They’re made in 4 ounce mason jars, two at a time if you have the FX Double Lifter, and can be tossed in coolers and enjoyed discreetly on the beach, at BBQs, at picnics, and more.
Being in small jars also makes them a super affordable DIY gift. Say “thank you,” “I love you,” or “you deserve a pick-me-up.” Check out the recipe below.
How to get started
For this recipe, we advise infusing in two different ways. Depending on what you have on hand, and considering your personal dose, you can opt to infuse the crust using cannabutter, or to infuse the filling using the “instant edible” method.
To make cannabutter using Ardent technology: decarboxylate your plant material in the Nova using the single button interface, or decarb in the FX using the A1 setting to activate THC or CBG-rich material, and A2 to activate CBD-rich material. Pour butter or Ardent Ghee over your decarbed material in the unit, completely submerging the herb, and allow it to infuse by running another Nova cycle or pressing the Infuse setting on the FX.
The instant edible method is quite simple: add ground, decarbed herb to any food to transform it into something infused. This works well in recipes with some kind of oil or fat, including nuts, avocado, or butter, milk, oil, etc., increasing its bioavailability. You can toss it into a batter/mixture before cooking or baking, which we’ll be doing in this recipe, or tossing it on top of a fully cooked food like pizza as a spice.
Equipment you’ll need:
1-2 4-ounce mason jars
Hand juicer
Measuring spoons
⅓ measuring cup
Rolling pin (or other weighed object that can crush graham crackers)
Put the graham crackers in the Ziplock bag, and begin crushing them into a fine powder using the rolling pin.
In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, and cannabutter. Mix well and distribute evenly to both jars.
Press the graham cracker crust down using a small jar, mashing it into a flat layer.
Place both jars on the Double Lifter and place it inside the FX to bake for 20 minutes.
While you wait for the crust to cook, combine Greek yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest.
When the crust is finished, begin filling both jars with the key lime filling and place them back on the Double Lifter to bake in the FX for 30 more minutes.
Place inside the fridge to cool for at least an hour, decorate, and enjoy responsibly!
Trying out our in-unit key lime pie recipe? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!
Arroz con gandules is what we like to call a “one pot wonder.” It feeds a lot of people, it’s filling, it costs very little to make, and it only requires the use of one cooking pot. That means you can keep your stovetop busy with other things while cooking this ultra satisfying dish, or at you at least don’t have to look forward to hefty cleanup after eating.
Traditionally, many folks add bits of bacon, ham, or pork fat to their rice, but this version is primarily plant-based, and can be enjoyed by carnivores and vegetarians alike. It can also be made completely vegan by replacing the cannabutter with infused margarine or cannaoil.
We love to use up our leftover arroz con gandules in burritos and quesadillas a few days later. This traditional Puerto Rican dish is definitely one you should try, plus, most of the ingredients are stored in the freezer or pantry, so it can also be made when you’re low on fresh produce!
https://vimeo.com/531055856
How to Get Started
Decarboxylate your plant material in the Ardent Nova or FX, using the A1 setting for THC-rich material and A2 setting for CBD-rich material. Infuse butter into the Nova or FX using the silicone Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve specific to either device. Strain. If using the FX, attach the Infusion Press to the unit to separate the spent material from the infused butter. Store or toss out your raffinate and refrigerate the butter until it has hardened.
In this recipe, we recommend decarbing around 2-3 grams of cannabis and infusing it into one stick of butter. If your cannabis tests at 23% THCa and you’re using Ardent’s precision decarboxylation, your cannabutter should yield around 600 mgs of THC in the final product. We’ve added cannabutter to the recipe last, so it sits on top of the delicious rice, and can be micro or macro dosed depending on preference.
This month we teamed up with HiVi’s Higher Up community of mothers. We asked them to find the best way to integrate the Ardent FX into their daily routines. Some mothers focused on skin and bodycare while others honed in on savory small bites and sweets treats.
Because we believe everyday is Mother’s Day, we’re excited to share these self-care infusions that any mother can enjoy on any given day!
Kicking us off, Bud Betty an artist hailing from Calgary, Canada shares a double recipe she made with her own mother – an avocado and honey CBD face mask and a complimentary whipped CBD face cream.
Food enthusiast and Chef, Shanelly Pena loves creating infusions to enhance her rituals and routines. With the FX machine, Shanelly shares a vaginal stimulant infusion that she feels every woman, especially mothers will be needing on her nightstand.
Avocado & Honey, CBD Face Mask
Ingredients:
½ ripe Avocado
1 tbsp Plain Yogurt (the higher the fat, the more moisturizing)
½ tbsp Honey
1 gram of CBD Flower of your choosing
1/5 cup of Coconut Oil
Instructions:
Decarb your CBD, this will take approximately 2 hours
Infuse your CBD with coconut oil, taking another 2 hours
Once your cannabis infusion is ready, mash the avocado and stir in plain yogurt
Add the honey and CBD-coconut infusion to the avocado and yogurt
Place in fridge for 10 minutes
Stir after cooled, and massage facemask into clean face
Leave for 10-15 mins or until mask has hard dried
Mask will last no more than 2 weeks in fridge.
CBD Whipped Face Cream
Ingredients:
½ cup Shea Butter (preferably unrefined)
½ cup Coconut Oil
½ cup Aloe Vera Gel
2 tbsp Vegetable Glycerine
1 gram of CBD Flower of your choosing
For a Bud Betty twist, add ¼ Cup of your favorite dried tea leaves for scent
Instructions:
You will need a double boiler or a pot with boiling water and a heat-safe bowl
Decarb your CBD, this will take approximately 2 hours
Infuse your CBD with Shea Butter dried tea leaves, taking another 2 hours
Fill the bottom of the double boiler with an inch or two of water
Warm water over low/medium heat. Add infused shea butter and coconut oil to the top of the boiler
Gently melt the shea butter and coconut oil until there are no lumps, stirring frequently to combine the oils and prevent scorching
Once melted, turn off shea and remove the oils from atop the water. Transfer to a glass blender/another heat-safe bowl
Allow the oil mixture to cool for at least one full hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed
Once cooled, add aloe vera gel and vegetable glycerine and mix well
Once mixed, gently massage into your face and other parts of your body
Remember, a little goes a long way!
Lotion can last one month or longer in airtight contained stored in the fridge.
Vaginal Moisturizer and Stimulant*
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the effect of stimulation as it will vary person to person.
Ingredients:
6 grams of flower — Decarb
2 cups of MCT OIL
1 oz of Maca Oil
1 oz of Tea Tree Oil
Instructions:
Once the flower has been decarbed, add in the oils and press the infuse button.
The machine will turn green when infusion is ready.
Eid Mubarak! Today, Muslims around the world celebrate the end to a month of fasting — that means no food or water during the period of time between sunrise to sunset. Many participants also use this holy period to abstain from other vices, and many opt to hold off on cannabis consumption unless it’s being used for medical purposes.
Ramadan is about more than sacrifice, though, it’s about developing a new sense of consciousness and thankfulness in your everyday life.
Eid al-Fitr marks the first day of a three-day long celebration. If you want to celebrate along with roughly 2 billion Muslims around the globe, wear some new clothing, make large charitable donations, and get ready to feast away.
Dates are traditionally eaten to break your fast during Ramadan. With plenty leftover, it’s time to make some infused chocolate-covered dates to celebrate the end of the holy month. Here’s how:
How to Get Started
To make infused, chocolate-covered dates for Eid, you’ll need to grab our Magic Shell Infusion Kit or some chocolate melts (or chocolate chips if you plan to use a double boiler,) and coconut oil.
Figuring out your personal dose depends on a few factors. When you determine how much starting material you want to use, move on to your infusion step.
Since you get 97-100% activation of the cannabinoids in your starting material using Ardent technology, you can follow this easy formula to achieve a pretty accurate, predictable dose and experience. You lose 13% of the original weight when the acid molecule is removed during decarboxylation. Starting percentage on one gram of bud (23% for example) x 10 (this is always the same) = 230 – 13% (this is always the same) = 200 mgs.
For a full batch, you’ll be melting down the entire bag of chocolate with the entire jar of provided coconut oil. For a smaller batch, pour half the bag of chocolate from the kit, along with half the provided coconut oil (1 oz) to the sleeve and infuse them together.
Shredded coconut, sprinkles, sliced nuts, nonpareils, and any other toppings you desire
How to Make Infused Magic Shell Dates
Decarb your cannabis or hemp material in the Ardent Nova or FX. Use the Nova’s single-button interface to decarb, or press A1 on the FX to activate THC or CBG-rich material, and A2 to activate CBD-rich material.
Add your activated material to the Kit’s provided coconut oil inside the unit using the provided Nova Sleeve. Run a second cycle using the Nova’s single-button interface, or begin the FX’s Infuse setting.
If you’re making a big batch of infused dates, mix all of the coconut oil with the entire bag of chocolate in the Sleeve and allow it to melt for 10-15 minutes.
Stir the infused chocolate mixture thoroughly and allow it to cool for 2 minutes.
Drop the dates, one at a time, into the chocolate. Using a fork, remove the chocolate-covered dates from the Sleeve and place them on a piece of parchment paper to cool.
Top each date with the topping of your choice while the chocolate is still wet. Use the sprinkles included in the Magic Shell Infusion Kit, or use coconut flakes, sliced almonds, pistachios, toffee pieces, and more.
Place the parchment sheet in the fridge to cool and enjoy once hardened!
When to Enjoy
On Eid
When you want to curb a sweet tooth craving
With trail mix instead of M&Ms
In smoothies
Trying out our infused dates this Eid? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.
Hasselback potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to eggs benedict, corned beef hash, or even lox bagels. From wake and bakes to midnight snacking, infused Hasselback potatoes are a delicious side dish, appetizer, or main course that can be made completely vegan.
Here’s how to make some for your next breakfast:
How to get started
Get started by running a decarb cycle in the Ardent Nova or FX for your flower, kief, concentrate, stems, sugar leaf, or trim. If using the Nova, press the one-button interface and wait for the button to turn from red, back to green, or if you’re using the FX, decarb THC or CBG-rich material using the A1 setting, and CBD-rich material using the A2 setting.
Using the Concentrate and Infusion Sleeve fit for either the Nova or FX, get mess-free cleanup of your device once the infusion process is over. Inside the Nova, simply add ghee to the sleeve with the decarbed material and run another cycle. Inside the FX, add ghee to the sleeve with the decarbed material and run an infusion cycle. Remove once the cycle is complete, and strain using a cheesecloth, coffee filter, the Ardent Frainer, or the Ardent Infusion Press. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. If you’re making a plant-based version of this recipe, opt to infuse some EVOO instead, or replace the Ardent Ghee with vegan margarine and hold the sour cream at the end.
Melt your Ardent Ghee down for use in this recipe, or use it as soon as it comes out of the Nova or FX unit.
Wash 3 lbs of potatoes and place them on a baking sheet.
Carefully slice into each potato horizontally, without fully slicing through the bottom, leaving about ¼ of an inch uncut with each slice. Add 5-10 horizontal cuts to each potato depending on the length.
In a bowl, combine the melted Ardent Ghee, EVOO, and spices. Spread a layer of the oil and ghee mixture on each potato, getting in between each slice, and dressing them up individually with rosemary and thyme.
Place the potatoes in the oven for 50 minutes.
Take the potatoes out, gather the pan drippings, and spread another layer of the infused oil and ghee mixture over the potatoes. Place them back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Serve with a few dollops of sour cream and enjoy!
Giving our infused hasselback potatoes a try? Shout us out with a tag on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!
Although it’s always a good time to honor mom, let’s make her feel extra special this month. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in our Ardent community!
If you’re stumped on gift ideas, Ardent’s all-in-one precision decarboxylation, infusion, and baking technology makes for a perfect present, especially alongside one of our delicious edible kits. Talk about instant gratification! Check out our bundles page here.
If you’re on a tighter budget, or just want to do the heavy lifting for mom, without her lifting a finger, check out our infused DIY gift ideas for mom below that can all be made with the help of Ardent technology.
Massage Candles
Candles are great and all, but have you ever used a candle that allows you to pour the warmed wax on your hands and body after you’re finished burning it, for an extra relaxing moment of self-care? Now, what if we told you that your massage oil candle could be infused? Yup! Stock up on ingredients like wicks, wick holders, shea butter, cocoa butter, or mango butter, soy wax, sweet almond oil (or the oil of your choosing,) and your mom’s favorite essential oils, to make an incredible infused massage candle for mom. Nomi of Nomster Nailz showed us her method, using a double boiler, but you can actually make the infused massage candle right inside the Ardent FX from start to finish. No kitchen or studio space required! The FX Single Lifter is also a huge help here, as it lets you insert and remove your candle from the FX’s core without spills or uneven wax setting.
Skin Salve
If your mom suffers from achy joints and muscles, or just dryness, it might be time to gift her a custom infused skin salve blend, made with her favorite scents to give her the relief she’s looking for! If for some reason, your mother is unable to have contact with full-spectrum products (containing trace amounts of THC) for work or health purposes, despite the lack of psychoactive effects it has when absorbed topically, or, if you need to keep the smell much more discreet, feel free to use an isolate, as demonstrated by Cody Lindsay in our blog here.
Whoopie Pies
If you’re seeing mom IRL this year, whether you’re having high tea, brunch, or just celebrating with a home-cooked meal, prepare some THC or CBD-infused whoopie pies to brighten her day. If you recently tried our classic whoopie pies for Pi Day, switch things up with a springtime lemon blueberry version. Plus, you can use up that leftover buttermilk from our from-scratch cannabutter recipes!
CannaCapsules
Infused capsules are a wonderful way to introduce a canna-curious mom to the world of edibles and microdosing, since it’s a familiar dosing mechanism to vitamins, supplements, and even pharmaceuticals. Cannabis-infused capsules can be made with leftover raffinate from oil infusions, which is a zero-waste way to make the most of your material while adding an extra layer of bioavailability. Plain, decarbed bud can also be ground and stuffed into capsules, and the bioavailability can come from any foods consumed around the same time containing oil or fat, or experienced on its own. Lastly, you can also make a coconut or MCT oil infusion, and drop a bit into one side of the capsule using the tincture dropper for precision.
Tincture
If your mom enjoys mixed drinks, she might be into a cannabis tincture, which can be created with a strong grain alcohol base like Everclear in a cold infusion. Please never heat alcohol inside an oven, crockpot, or your Ardent device, as it gets put at risk for combustion. Cannabis tincture, or green dragon, can also be used to make cannasugar, which is another lovely gift idea. During the cannasugar making process, the alcohol from the green dragon evaporates and the cannabis molecule remains attached to the sugar. If your mom loves coffee, gift her the beans, grounds, pods, or cups she enjoys with a side of cannasugar to elevate her morning cup.
If your mom likes to keep a non-alcoholic tincture around, make an MCT oil infusion inside your Ardent device and pour it into a tincture bottle for easy, discreet sublingual dosing.
Infused Bath Bombs
As simple as they are fun, CBD, THC, or CBG-infused bath bombs deliver cannabinoids to the body through its largest organ, the skin, providing relief to every achy, tired part. Bath bombs aren’t psychoactive for men, but women may experience psychoactivity through vaginal absorption, so keep that in mind when including THC in your final product, and always label homemade products meticulously. Learn how to make easy Ardent-infused bath bombs with sweet almond oil on our blog.
Hot Cocoa Bombs
Winter might be over, but the hot cocoa bomb trend is far from finished. We’ve even seen people start creating more appropriately seasoned tea bombs using isomalt to get a see-through globe shape. In a cute coffee mug, an infused cup of something warm is always a great gift. Learn how to make them here.
Whether you call him Baby Yoda, The Child, or Grogu, this little green creature has stolen the hearts of Star Wars fans and newbies alike. So, in honor of May 4th, or Star Wars Day, (get it?) drink up with an infused Grogu mocktail.
May the 4th be with you!
How to Get Started
This recipe calls for cannasugar. When making cannasugar, a great ratio to keep in mind is 2 parts cannasugar to 1 part green dragon (or infused, strong grain alcohol). Let it sit out for 24 hours, allowing the alcohol to evaporate off, and then it becomes a usable, infused medium for recipes of all kinds – especially perfect for non-alcoholic drinks.
Ardent cannatechnology gives you 97-100% activation of your plant material (compared to only about 60% if you use the oven or crockpot). You can check the COA on the label of your compliantly-purchased cannabis to determine the percentage of THCa present in your starting material.
During decarboxylation, the acid molecule (or the “a” in THCa or CBDa) is removed, displacing 13% of the molecule’s original weight. To find the total amount of THC after decarboxylation, multiply the amount of THCa by .87%. Occasionally, the calculation is already done for you, like in compliantly-purchased products found in Washington DC, for example, so you may see a final THC number on the back of your flower, even though the flower actually contains THCa.
Determine how many mgs are in each tablespoon of your cannasugar to inform your dose, and let’s make these mocktails!
Skin two kiwis with a knife, and chop them into smaller bits, then place them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 45-60 seconds to loosen some juice.
Strain the pulp and seeds out of the kiwis using a cheesecloth and squeeze until you have a good portion of kiwi juice.
Mix two tablespoons of cannasugar into the kiwi juice and allow it to fully dissolve.
Pour the kiwi juice into a margarita glass, and add 4 ounces of chilled lime seltzer on top.
Add two black olives to a lollipop stick with space on both ends and a bit between each olive. This will be his eyes. Place it along the rim of the glass so it’s stabilized on two sides.
Add a slice of kiwis to both sides of the rim to make the ears.
Begin wrapping the stem of your glass with a brown paper bag, cut to fit, and fasten with a piece of looped or double sided tape.
When to Enjoy
On May 4th, for Star Wars Day
During any Star Wars movie or show viewing
On Cinco de Mayo, minus the olives and brown paper bag and plus a delicious rim
Any time, without the brown paper bag and olives
Alternatively, you can replace the kiwi juice with strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, or any other fragrant fruits for an elevated beverage at any time
Trying out our infused Grogu mocktail? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.
Welcome to Debunking the Hemp Plant with Emily Gogol, PhD, Head Gardener at Grow It From Home. Emily has years of experience growing all sorts of plants in urban gardens and is an expert on growing hemp at home. The sheer volume of misinformation surrounding the cultivation of Cannabis makes it challenging to sort out fact from fiction. Let’s debunk some myths together!
Myth #1: You can’t grow Cannabis, CBD, or THC at home.
There are over a dozen states that have laws on the books that allow you to grow, without any additional licenses or permits (e.g. no medical card needed) in your own home. This includes states across the country from California to Massachusetts. For detailed state information, check out this resource. These laws often include both CBD and THC plants.
Keep in mind that despite many websites online telling you they can ship you seeds, it is illegal to ship THC plants or seeds across state lines. CBD plants, from Grow It From Home, are legally shipped across state lines.
Myth #2: Cannabis plants are grown differently than Hemp plants.
Whether it is legally classified as Cannabis or Hemp, it is all botanically speaking Cannabis, which thrives using the same gardening techniques. Quality Cannabis and Hemp plants can look, smell, taste, and smoke exactly the same. The only difference is how the CBD or THC affects you; otherwise the plants are cared for and used in the same ways. Commercially, much Cannabis is grown indoors, and much Hemp is grown outdoors. There are market forces and legal restraints that have led to these differences on commercial farms, but they have less to do with the plants themselves.
If your state allows, you can easily grow plants containing CBD and THC at home. These plants look, smoke, and create edibles just the same!
Myth #3: Growing is difficult, expensive, and must be done indoors.
All wrong! Many different kinds of people are growing hemp at home, in their backyard or on a patio, across the U.S. Last year. Right now. Everyone from soccer moms to college kids to certified master gardeners are growing it outdoors. You would never think of growing your tomatoes indoors, and the same is true for hemp. It is a low effort, high reward, versatile plant for your vegetable garden. It costs no more than a tomato plant to grow, and you will get some of the highest quality flower you’ve ever seen in abundance. It really does grow like a weed!
One plant grown in your backyard, without a lot of fuss, can yield an abundance of flower. So much, you’ll be giving it away to friends and family!
Myth #4: Cannabis is for smoking and hemp is for wellness.
There are so many reasons people are growing hemp at home, and using different parts of the plant containing THC and CBD. I am not here to tell you how to use it, but there isn’t a one-size-fits all when it comes to these plants. People are cooking with it, juicing it for green smoothies, infusing oils/alcohols, and lets’ not forget CBD brownies! On the practical side, it is also way cheaper to grow your own. Companies are charging a fortune for CBD flower and oil, and you can grow more than you’ll ever be able to use. I dare you to try!
Plus, there’s no better companion to a home grow than Ardent technology: both the Ardent Nova and the Ardent FX get you precision (97-100%) activation of your plant materials to make infused products in any space from start to finish. Home appliances simply cannot compare. You can also take advantage of all the plant’s parts, activating the usable material on stems, sugar leaf, trim, and more. Ardent technology pays for itself in just a few uses, and now, you can get your device right away with six interest-free payments made over 4 weeks when you checkout using Sezzle.
Happy International Butter Day! Ready to take farm-to-table to a whole new level? We’re teaching you how to make delicious cannabutter without the infusion step. How? In the savory version of this butter, tasty aromatic herbs mask the flavor and texture of decarbed bud, while cannasugar gets an added boost of bioavailability when mixed with this homemade fat for our sweet cinnamon version. Let’s dive into how it’s done.
How to Get Started
Start by activating your infusion medium. For these recipes, we like using flower, but you can always add a bit of decarbed concentrate if you mix it in very well. Decarb your material in the Nova by pressing the single-button interface and allowing it to run for a full cycle. Decarb your material in the FX by using the A1 setting for THC and CBG activation, and A2 setting for CBD activation.
In the garlic herbed butter recipe, we’ll be tossing ground, decarbed herb right inside the butter. (No need to infuse!) In the sweet cinnamon butter recipe, we’re using cannasugar, which is a low-effort COLD infusion. Learn how to make cannasugar using our guide.
When dosing with Ardent, we give you an easy-to-digest formula for calculating dose, based on what’s inside your starting material. Find out how to determine your personal dose, make accurate and predictable cannabis-infused foods, topicals, and personal therapies, and get to the bottom of every factor that will impact your experience.
Let’s make some butter!
Equipment Needed:
Mason jar with lid
Airtight container for leftover buttermilk
Knife for mixing or spreading butter on toast
Cheesecloth or strainer (optional)
Ingredients
Garlic Herbed Cannabutter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of Kosher sea salt
1/2-1 gram of ground, decarbed herb
Toasted bread, for serving
Sweet Cinnamon Cannabutter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher sea salt
2 tablespoons of cannasugar
How to Make From-Scratch Cannabutter Without Infusing
Garlic Herbed Cannabutter
Fill your mason jar halfway with heavy whipping cream. Twist the cap on tightly.
Shake the mason jar vertically, consistently for 7-8 mins, until the butter has separated itself from the buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk into a separate container using a strainer or cheesecloth.
Rinse the butter with cool water to extend the shelf life a few more days. Add butter to a bowl, along with the seasonings, and a bit of ground, decarbed herb, and mix well.
Spread your butter on toasted bread, and enjoy!
Sweet Cinnamon Cannabutter
Fill your mason jar halfway with heavy whipping cream. Twist the cap on tightly.
Shake the mason jar vertically, consistently for 7-8 mins, until the butter has separated itself from the buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk into a separate container using a strainer or cheesecloth.
Rinse the butter with cool water to extend the shelf life a few more days. Add butter to a bowl, then mix in the cannasugar and cinnamon. Mix well.
Spread your butter on toasted bread, and enjoy!
Trying out our infusion-free, from-scratch, cannabis-infused butter recipes? Tag us on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page.
The best part about the high holidaze is actually preparing for the celebration. Between launching our Stoner Snack Pack and Breakfast Cloud Cakes, we saw our community come together to learn and celebrate the power of the plant.
We’re happy to see the Ardent community support the second episode of our monthly Instagram Live show, Easily Baked with Ardent, where our Content Manager, Sarah, showed us how to make infused nerd ropes and starburst candies.
Our 420 jeopardy challenge was also a hit with nearly 500 Ardent lovers in participation! Three grand prize winners won Ardent spending bucks, along with 2 runners up, and we can’t wait to see what they create with it!
How You Celebrated
We loved to see how our Owners celebrated 420 this year. Matt Roach sent a gummy-infused greeting. Holly Dennis showed us her edible moonrock strawberries, cannacake pops, and infused buttercream cupcakes for a delectable ladies 420 luncheon. Tina Myers topped us off with her blood orange mocktail canna-honey simple syrup, rimmed with kief sugar.
What the owners are saying:
Chopped 420
Big congratulations to the talented Wendy Zeng on winning Chopped 420!
Join our community here and find our Quickstart Guide under the announcements tab. Whether you’re new to the group or not, it’s a great place to start for references and information.
Not only is Earth day a celebration of the cannabis plant: one of Mother Earth’s finest gifts to humanity, but also a call to action for people around the world, asking them to do their part to extend the life of our dear planet.
The Ardent Nova and FX are high-efficiency devices, and they use less than 100 watts of power, where the average electric stove uses between 2 and 5 thousand watts at a time. Every time you choose to decarb, infuse, and bake inside your Ardent unit vs. inside the oven, you’re making a conscious effort to reduce your energy consumption.
Compliant cannabis industries in states throughout the country often over-package their goods to meet legal requirements and parameters for child safety. Glass jars, usually containing 8ths, can be easily re-used for storage, infusions, and more. Our favorite use for 8th jars is actually using them to activate and infuse two at a time on the Ardent FX Double Lifter.
Better yet, reduce your single-use plastic consumption by reducing your cannabis purchasing in general. Without a trip to the dispensary, you save yourself an exit bag, disposable outer packaging, inner packaging, and the emissions that would be released through transportation to and from the dispensary. How? Home grow. Home grow allows you to bring your harvest from farm to table without wasteful emissions: plus, grow your plants outside to prevent the use of indoor lights.
Home grow also allows you to use every part of the cannabis plant for its beneficial properties. Use nugs of all sizes for smoking, empty your kief chamber to add some oomph to your smokables or to make ultra-strong edibles, and save sugar leaf and trim for oil and butter infusions. You can even use the THCA-rich leaves for salads, smoothies, and garnish. Plus, other fruits, vegetables, and organic food waste can be transformed into compost for your home grow.
Lastly, Ardent makes it easy to give your spent material, or raffinate, a second life. With about 5% of activated cannabinoids lingering in the raffinate, using your spent material in unique ways prevents over-consumption of other items in its place. Because of the strong herbal flavors in pesto, it’s easy to mask the cannabis flavor by tossing in finely ground raffinate among the other aromatics. We also recommend making a topical exfoliator using nothing but the soaking, leftover herb as a natural scrub for hands and body, and rinsing with cool water. Raffinate can also be stuffed into capsules to transform every last mg of activated material into a convenient, consumable form.
Which Earth-friendly Ardent tip are you introducing to your routine to do something kind for the planet? Tag us on Instagram with your favorite tips for the chance to be featured on our page.
Dope Dinners was founded by a husband and wife team that specializes in curating multi-sensory personal chef experiences in the Greater Boston Area. A chef and an event planner, Edgard and Anna Hunt offer custom menus and custom dosing, and their seasonal dishes celebrate New England’s bounty with a strong influence of Edgard’s Caribbean roots.
With the help of Ardent technology, the dynamic duo whipped up a Jerk Spice Rub using ground, decarbed bud in its raw form: no infusion or baking required. Perfect for grilling or roasting, this easy-to-make spice mix will add a Caribbean flare to every dish you use it in!
Decarboxylate your plant material in the Ardent Nova or FX by running a full cycle in the Nova, or by using the A1 setting on the FX for THC-rich bud, and the A2 setting for CBD-rich herb.
To toast the included spices, you can either put in the oven on a sheet tray with parchment paper at 300℉ for 10-15 min, or in a large saute pan over a low-medium heat until lightly toasted. Toasting the included spices allows for their natural oils to release while at the same time deepening their flavors.
*Option*: If you do not want to go through the process of toasting and grinding, you can always purchase the spices already ground. All you’ll need to do is add your decarboxylated material!
Using a mortar and pestle or a clean coffee grinder, grind all of the spices and combine all together in a bowl. Once fully combined, use right away by adding to your favorite dish (great on chicken, fish, jackfruit, mushrooms, and beyond), or store in an airtight container, such as the Ardent Vessel. Enjoy!
About Dope Dinners
Dope Dinners brings to life high-end luxury dining experiences with special touches customized for your crew. With education and advocacy at the center of their work, the couple showcases their cooking talents while promoting community building and wellness. From the table décor to the playlist, Dope Dinners helps you celebrate any special occasion in a new dope way. Most of all, the food is dope. Follow them on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter. #EatWellChillHard
Trying out Dope Dinners’ cannabis-infused Jerk Spice Rub recipe? Tag us both on Instagram for the chance to be featured on our page!
