This time of year all I want to do is sleep and recuperate from the holiday season. It happens in a flash, but I'm always exhausted after it's over. Especially after hauling the tree out of my house last night and vacuuming for an hour afterwards. As much as I would like to sleep for the next two months straight, there's work to do and tasks to complete. The next best thing is turning my bathroom into a mini spa. Luckily, I recently received a box of bath goodies from Feathers on the Ground to jump start my post-holiday relaxation. I have to say...I'm hooked.

Tricia makes all the goat's milk products at home using milk from her Nigerian dwarf goat Maggie. The goat's milk nourishes and moisturizes skin without drying chemicals. What better way to give my skin a little TLC in the dead of winter?

 

My favorite thing about their soap is the delicate scent. So often the soaps in the grocery store are very overpowering, and not in a pleasant way. Gentle essential oils, shea and avocado butters moisturize and exfoliate the skin. You're left with a subtle and beautiful scent. The Cold Water scent is masculine, and it is Feathers on the Ground most popular men's fragrance. I was lucky enough to receive two seasonal scents, Christmas Spice and Pumpkin Spice, which smell so yummy you want to eat them. But you probably shouldn't.

  

 

The lotion is just dreamy. I've shared it with several people in the office and every person says, "Wow, that is so moisturizing and smells incredible." I love that it's thick, yet absorbs quickly, so you don't spend all day rubbing in greasy lotion. Tricia sent me the Waterlily Orange-scented lotion and told me it's one of her most popular scents.She says the lotions are made for more sensitive skin. She uses rice bran oil in her lotions because it's even gentle enough for babies. If you have sensitive skin, but still would like a wonderful-smelling lotion, these are for you.  

 

  

Making butter is an incredibly simple task and the reward is unmatched. I'm convinced that absolutely nothing tastes better than homemade butter. Fresh sweet cream butter needs to be consumed quicker than grocery store butter, but who can complain about that? All you need is heavy cream, a hand mixer, and a little salt if you want salted butter. Here's how to make it:

1 cup heavy cream
Bowl of ice water
Cheesecloth  

Pour cream into a bowl and whip on highest speed you can without cream splattering. Cream will turn to whipped cream with stiff peaks and then get more solid. Soon the cream will turn yellow and become a solid, leaving behind some liquid or "buttermilk." Once butter is yellow and has separated from the buttermilk, pour off the buttermilk into a sealed container. You will want to keep this. Wrap the fresh butter in cheesecloth (it will be soft) and submerge in bowl of ice water to rinse off any remaining buttermilk. Remove from cheesecloth, wrap and refrigerate for later use or spread a healthy serving on a warm slice of bread.    Yields: 1 large stick of butter   Note: Keep fresh butter wrapped up as good as you can to make it last longer. Stored in the fridge, fresh butter will keep a week or maybe a week and a half. You can tell by the smell if it's gone spoiled. For every cup of fresh buttermilk you have, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to sour it for use in buttermilk pancakes, waffles and biscuits.

Photo: Africa Studio/Fotolia

Last week, the sweetest of packages was delivered to me at work. Not too sure what it would be (we get all sorts of deliveries here at Grit), I carefully opened the top and reached into the white mass of packing peanuts. Now, it could have been diamonds, it could have been chocolate or it could have been perfume. But on this particular day, nothing could have made me happier than this boxful of luxurious bath products. Soaps, bath gel and lotion lay before me, each one smelling more divine than the next. The source of this packaged relaxation? Ranch Organics based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Ranch Organics, as the name suggests, is dedicated to creating mineral-rich bath and beauty products derived from plants and herbs found on the working Rocky Mountain ranch. Scents are invented to reflect the changing seasons (fall's lavender, for example), sensual interactions with nature and the unmarred beauty of open spaces. Certified organic botanical extracts whisk you straight away to this idyllic ranch situated on a mountain meadow. After you try something from this brand, you will understand why they were included in the Emmy's gift bags in September.

Let me tell you about the products the owner, Debbie, sent me in this sweet little box.

Cedar Wood Goat's Milk Soap: This is the creamiest, yummiest soap I've ever used. I think what I love most is that it's not heavily scented, but leaves your skin smelling beautiful, not to mention impossibly soft. A hot bath with this soap and freshly laundered cotton pajamas are the keys to happiness. Until you read about the next product: Lavender Bath Gel.

Lavender Bath Gel: I used this as a light bubble bath, but I'm sure its original intention truly is a bath gel. Whether bubble bath or gel, one thing everyone can agree on is the intoxicating scent. Wrap yourself in a lavender field with this luscious product, and you'll find it's hard to remember the day's struggles. Just a little bit is all you need to create a lavender oasis in your bath or shower.

Rose Geranium Lotion: Talk about a lotion that not only leaves your skin hydrated and smooth, but also smells like a perfect summer's day. Lots of times, the lotion that smells good is not the lotion that is good for your skin. Some of my best smelling lotions leave my skin dry and agitated. Enter Ranch Organics lotion. My skin felt fresh, hydrated and squeaky clean after using this lotion. The smell is beautiful and alluring without being overwhelming. You can safely use this in the office without causing your coworkers a sneeze-fit. 

Mountain Range Soap: All I can say is you want this in your bathroom. Just having the bar of soap out will make your bathroom smell like a spa. That's what we all strive for, isn't it? This bar of soap sat on my counter over the weekend and every time I walked in, I couldn't believe how lovely it smelled. You'll feel good about using this soap knowing it's chock full of organic goodness. My favorite part of this soap is seeing the little bits of what went into it. Ditch the chemical-laden soaps for this natural and pure peace of Heaven. 

   I love fried chicken. It's the epitome of comfort food. Pair it with mashed potatoes and my heart soars. Maybe I'm the only one who suffers this affliction, but when I eat fried chicken, I am clumsy and incredibly ungraceful about the bones. I always end up biting one, poking my hand with one or scratching myself. I hate it. Not to mention the meat tends to be pretty greasy and sometimes the coating falls off. Note this: There is nothing worse than the fried part falling off before you take a bit of it with chicken. Half the reason I eat fried chicken is for that coating. You best believe I want to eat the crunchy part with the chickeny part. Did we already talk about how much it sucks to cut up a chicken? I do not enjoy this one bit.

Because of my sufferings, I came up with a recipe that combines the indulgence of fried chicken with the ease of boneless chicken. These are fried chicken strips, and I wish I could eat them every day. I wish I was eating them right now. They are best served along side warm cornbread dripping with honey and buttery mashed potatoes (because we need a healthy vegetable in there). Simmer down, Nelly, we're all going to learn how to make this.

 

Brussels sprouts? Yeah. Brussels sprouts. They are the unpopular kid in the vegetable world. They get made fun of, picked on, and straight bullied. I'm here to tell you that this need not be. There is a way. We can all get along, and pretty soon (after you make this recipe) you will be best friends with these baby cabbages. You will forget all horrific childhood memories of being forced to sit at the table until you finish your Brussels sprouts. I've converted many a Brussels sprouts skeptic with this magic side dish. Not to mention, we're entering prime Brussels sprouts season. Did you know that Brussels sprouts get sweet after the first frost? It's true. If you've had a frost in your area, find some local Brussels sprouts and try this dish immediately. Lest you remain a sprout hater and regret your decision forever. More on Brussels sprouts another time. Let's get to braisin some sprouts.

 

What's easier than sticking a bunch of stuff in a crock pot, flipping a switch and letting it sit all day? Nothing. We can thank this little miracle maker for those extra fall and winter pounds. If you don't use one, you should. Life will never be the same. The kitchen will never be so clean. I feel like June Cleaver when I get home and can serve a hot meal without so much as one pan (more like 12) in the sink. Because we all aspire for June Cleaver status, here's a great recipe for an easy crock pot meal the whole family will enjoy. It is the crown jewel of fall food. It wraps all the fall things up in to one delicious crock potty meal. Don't be surprised when your neighbors come over and linger right around dinner time. They have smelled this dish cooking all day. This is good. This is great. This is fall. Make this so then you will know.

  

  

 

4. Spread the mustard all over the top of that beautiful roast.