slowly add the essential oil drops and mix well. Place in a beautiful box and tie with a ribbon.
FEBRUARY 8
HOLD A COOKING PARTY
I love to gather a group of people to make something best done in an assembly line—cookies or tamales, for example. I buy all the ingredients, invite over neighbors or friends, open a bottle of wine, and cook, cook, cook. The time speeds by, the work goes quickly, and everyone goes home with a big pile of whatever we’ve made that afternoon. As far as I am concerned, a cooking party is the perfect blend of conviviality and cuisine.
FEBRUARY 9
THE COMFY COUCH
What greater pleasure does life have to offer than a mid-afternoon Saturday nap on a comfy couch? Treat yourself to that delicious feeling you get when you know you should be up doing chores but instead are stretched out, luxuriating in doing absolutely nothing.
FEBRUARY 10
AROUND THE TABLE
I have a strict rule which I will break only for real emergencies—that my family sit down to dinner together at the dining room table every night. I mean, if we can’t eat at least one meal a day together, why do we even call ourselves a family? It’s our together time, the four of us around the table—telling jokes, sharing the news of our day. No TV, phone calls, video games, or books are allowed—-just face-to-face interaction. One of the kids’ favorite dinnertime conversations is what I call “remember when.” Someone will start it: “Remember when I was two, Dad, and got the flu and threw up on you?” (The grosser the better for the kids.) “Remember when you where trying to hit the golf ball in the living room and broke Mum’s best plant?” The half hour or so we spend together eating, talking, and laughing is what I remember most strongly when I look back over my life.
FEBRUARY 11
SKIN-SOOTHING BATH
Here’s a great bath recipe for the winter, when skin gets so dry.
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons Epsom salts
½ tablespoon canola oil
soothing essential oil of your choice, such as lavender or chamomile
Combine ingredients and pour into the stream of warm water as the tub is filling. Immerse yourself and relax for ten to fifteen minutes.
FEBRUARY 12
FLOWER FRAMES
You can beautify family photos by matting them with attractive colored mats and then gluing on dried flowers. A great gift!
Mat frames
Spanish moss
dried flowers
glue gun
Find mats that fit the photos you want to frame. Arrange the moss and flowers in an attractive pattern on the mat, and then hot-glue in place.
FEBRUARY 13
THE DELIGHTS OF SCENT
From time immemorial, scent has been used as an aphrodisiac. Time-tested fragrances include amber, ambergris, jasmine, lily of the valley, musk, myrrh, orange blossom, patchouli, sandalwood, and tuberose. Contemporary “erotically oriented” perfumes include Eau Sauvage, Magic Noire, and Poison, each of which contain some of these ancient aphrodisiacs. You might also try using essential oils in a diffuser in the bedroom or burning incense.
FEBRUARY 14
HEART PLACEMATS
These lovely placemats will grace your table for months to come.
tracing paper
Scotch tape
2 15-by-19-inch pieces of washable fabric, red or patterned with hearts
thread to match
straight pins
Tape 2 8½-by-1-inch pieces of tracing paper together along the 8½-inch sides. Fold in half along the tape seam and cut out a heart. Open and trace this heart on the wrong side of the fabric pieces. Cut out. Place the two sides of the heart together, right side in. Pin. Stitch along the outside of the heart, ¼ inch from edge, leaving an opening of about two inches. Clip along curved edges and in crevice. Turn right side out and slip stitch the opening. Makes 1 placemat.
FEBRUARY 15
HAIR MOISTURIZER
Rosemary is very good for hair, particularly dark hair, to which it imparts a wonderful shine. It will also help cut down on the problem of flyaway hair. This recipe makes enough for several applications.
8 drops cedar essential oil
8 drops lavender essential oil
12 drops rosemary essential oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a small glass container, mix the essential oils together. Add the olive oil. Pour about a teaspoon into the palm of your hand and rub hands together. Massage your head, hair, and scalp with the blend. Put a shower cap or warm towel on your head and leave it on for fifteen minutes. Wash and rinse your hair twice.
FEBRUARY 16
GARLIC SPREAD
Years ago independent filmmaker Les Blank made a movie called Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers. If you agree, you should try this confit. Slather it on sourdough baguettes or use it any time a recipe calls for cooked garlic. And don’t forget to use the leftover garlic-infused oil. If you have a large garlic crop or make a trip to the farmers’ market, you can package this up in gift jars for friends as well as for yourself.
8 ounces garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups olive oil
sterilized jars with lids that seal
In a medium saucepan, bring the garlic and oil to simmer and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Cool and pack into containers. Store in refrigerator and use within two weeks. Makes 2 pounds.
FEBRUARY 17
PINE BATH OIL
