3 feet garden wire
floral wire
12 long stems rosemary
Make a hook at heart end of the wire, then bend the wire into a heart shape and hook ends together. Starting at the top, attach a stem of rosemary to the wire with floral wire so that its leafy top points into the middle. Repeat on other side. Then wire stems down both sides and join at bottom. Makes 1 wreath.
JANUARY 13
SLEEP POTION
Here is a marvelous aromatherapy spray from Judith Fitzsimmons’ and Paula M. Bousquet’s wonderful book Seasons of Aromatherapy. Guaranteed to relax you and help you drift off.
2 drops chamomile essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops orange essential oil
5 ounces water
Mix all ingredients together in a spray bottle. Spray bed clothing and the air before bedtime.
JANUARY 14
THE NOSE KNOWS
What can compare to the smell of home cooking as you walk in the door after a hard day’s work? I like it so much that I’ve taken to Crock-Pot cooking on my nights to cook so that the aromas will be awaiting me as soon as I hit the kitchen doorway. The new slow cookers are quite marvelous!
JANUARY 15
CHOCOLATE PUDDING
There is nothing like chocolate pudding made from scratch! It’s actually quite simple to make. If you are a fan of the “skin” of the pudding, chill uncovered (the longer you chill it, the thicker it will get). If you dislike the skin, cover the pudding tightly and serve as soon as it’s cold.
4 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In the top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, combine cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add ½ cup cream and stir until smooth. Stir remaining cream in slowly, stirring constantly, until thick. Stir in vanilla. Pour into container and chill. Serves 4.
JANUARY 16
DON’T FORGET THE DIMMER
Why, when people are installing dimmers, do they always remember the bedroom, dining room, and living room but ignore the kitchen? Whenever I move, putting a dimmer in the kitchen is my first priority. That way, when guests come over and gather in the kitchen, as they invariably will, the lighting is as soft and flattering as it is in the rest of the house.
JANUARY 17
HOMEMADE BUBBLE BATH
Bubble bath is a great gift that even small kids can make. The trick is to have a pretty container to put it in and to never divulge your ingredients.
2 cups Ivory (or other unscented) dishwashing liquid
1/8 ounce of your favorite essential oil (vanilla is my favorite)
Drop the oil into the dishwashing liquid and let sit, covered for 1 week. Pour it into beautiful a bottle and add a gift tag and ribbon and instructions to use ¼ cup per bath. Enough for 8 baths.
JANUARY 18
HANDMADE PRETZELS
Pretzels are great nonfat snacks that can easily be made at home. The longer you knead the dough, the softer the pretzel will be. If you’ve got kids, enlist them—to make the process more fun, the dough can easily be formed in the shapes of letters and numbers.
1½ cups warm water
1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for tops
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 425°. Put the warm water into a large bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until it dissolves. Add sugar, flour, and salt. Mix well, then knead dough until it is smooth and soft. Roll and twist dough into desired shapes—letters, numbers, twists, and so on. Grease two cookie sheets. Lay the pretzel dough shapes onto cookie sheets. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Makes 1 to 2 dozen, depending on size.
JANUARY 19
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
Words do make the mood. We all know the usual terms of endearment—honey, dear, sweetie, angel, to name but a few. But to fan the flames of ardor and romance, why not try some less tired language, like sweeting, sweetling, or sweetkin (terms in vogue in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries). Or how about dearling (the original form of darling)? Your partner could become your paramour (literally through love) in French. Instead of attractive or cute, you could try toothsome or cuddlesome. Rather than missing, try yearning, pining, longing, or hungering, and watch the passion build.
JANUARY 20
CRAZY FOR CRACKERS
Crackers are incredibly easy to make, and homemade ones are so much better than store-bought ones. I love sesame seeds, so I sprinkle some on just before baking—you can too!
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
salt
3/4 cup water, approximately
sesame seeds, optional
4 tablespoons butter, margarine, or other shortening
Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. With 2 knives, cut the shortening into the flour until mixture is fine. Add just enough water to make a firm dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out thinly with a floured rolling pin. Using a round cookie cutter, stamp out crackers, prick them all over with a fork, and sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds if desired. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until crisp. Cool on a rack and store in airtight container. Makes 2 dozen.
JANUARY 21
SCENTED CANDLES
Surprise your sweetheart with a candlelit dinner for two with your own homemade scented candles gracing both the table and the bedroom. Their lovely fragrance will be released as they burn. Scented candles are incredibly easy to make—you just need to plan in advance. (If you haven’t planned ahead, you can still get some of the effect by sprinkling a drop or two of your favorite essential oil in the melted wax of a plain candle as it burns.)
2 ounces of your favorite fragrance essential oil (or try a combination; vanilla and rose are my favorites for romance)
¼ cup orris root powder (available at herbal stores)
1 large airtight plastic container big enough to fit 6 candles
6 unscented candles, any size