First Blog Giveaway!

Happy Thursday, everybody!  I am so excited!  Thanks to my lovely friends at Lunaroma, today I offer you my very first blog giveaway, just in time for the holiday season!  I've written about Lunaroma before (here, here and here), and I know I will again and again; this is one of my favorite stores in the world.  Lunaroma is an "aromatic apothecary" based in Burlington, Vermont (they also just opened a store on Maui, where I would very, very much like to work).  They make handcrafted beauty products from pure essential oils, as well as perfumes and products for the home.  This beautiful, purple store is so special; anyone I have ever brought there, a) accidentally spends way more money than they had planned to, so irresistable is just about everything on the shelves, and b) comments on the quality of the things they buy, the uniqueness of the products, and how soon they want to go back.  A box of Lunaroma products would be an amazing gift for anyone on your list.  Order online, and they ship their products beautifully wrapped and ready to be opened and adored. 

Today is your chance to try my all time favorite Lunaroma product yourself! 

Lunaroma is giving one lucky Sweet Mama Jane reader a jar of their

Cucumber Rosewater Facial Cream!

This cream is deeply moisturizing, hydrating and soothing for delicate sensitive skin. It smells amazing and smoothes on lightly, absorbing quickly to leave your face feeling you just got a very fancy facial.  A jar of this cream would be a special treat for your winter-ravaged skin, or a great gift for someone on your list!

To enter to win, visit Lunaroma's website and then leave a comment below and tell me why you'd like to try this product this holiday season.  You have until 5pm EST tomorrow to leave your comment.  I'll pick a winner at random after work during happy hour!

Good luck!

Baby J says, "I love the Cucumber Rosewater Facial Cream. It's the next best thing to a sweet potato facial!"

SMJ's Decadent Holiday Gift Guide

It is snowing, I am cozy inside with a fire, a hot chocolate, holiday music on Pandora and one cuddly babe, and it seems like a just about perfect time, this being our week of decadence, to do a little shopping across the interwebs for my most favorite frivolous, delicious, delectable and ridiculous products.  Please keep in mind that this is decadent, fantasy shopping, which is not unlike fantasy football, in that it is highly unrealistic, but fun to think about and pretend. Do go get yourself a hot chocolate or a glass of red, sit back, and enjoy! 

Lunaroma True Love Facial Cream with Rose Otto  Lunaroma strikes again. Have you ever put a product on your face that actually makes people stop in their tracks and say, "WOW!  What an incredible smell!  What is that?"  That would be this very special cream.  Hand-crafted of organic, steam-distilled essential oil of Bulgarian Rosa Damascena, this thick, rich, healing cream is about the best thing you have ever smelled in your life.  Rose is fantastic for all skin types, and I highly recommend this product for anyone on your list.  It is a fave of anyone I know who as ever smelled or used it.

Trentadue Chocolate Amore Port My parents, the husband and I tried this incredible after-dinner drink while visiting Napa for a wedding.  We were out to dinner at The Rutherford Grill (amazing) and couldn't resist ordering a glass to share when we read the description: a merlot-based, chocolate-flavored dessert wine.  I hate super-sweet drinks, and this was anything but.  We passed the glass around and marveled at the flavor; it was A.MAZING.  Years later I ordered bottles for Christmas gifts, and it was just as incredible as we remembered; delicious to sip, or served over vanilla ice cream.  For your favorite vino-loving chocoholic, done and done.

Patagonia Cashmere Tunic What's more decadent than cashmere?  Nothing.  Patagonia is the best of the best, and with their lifetime guarantee, environmental mission and amazing quality, I feel like even their big ticket items are as much investments as they are splurges.  This sweater looks like one of those uniform pieces that most mamas I know would wear to shreds: with great black pants to the office, with favorite jeans and a pretty necklace on a date night, or after a day on the mountain with yoga pants in front of the fire.  It comes in four gorgeous colors to boot. 

Manduka Yoga Mat  Do you "need" a $70 yoga mat?  Certainly not.  Is a thick, cushy mat that is sticky, easy on your joints, and sustainably made the kind of decadence any yogini could get down with?  Why, yes.

Truffle Salt  I've mentioned it before, I'll mention it again.  Truffle salt is a gift from the gods; it makes everything from macaroni and cheese to scrambled eggs taste like it was cooked for you by Tom Colicchio himself in a 5-star restaurant somewhere.  For salt, it is pricey, but as a gift, it is fabulous, and a little goes a long, long way.  This is a very special find indeed.

Gorgeous scented candles are one of my favorite gifts for the home.  Fresh makes the most intoxicatingly pure scents, and their candles are a splurge but beautiful and fragrant in a non-cloying way.  At a more reasonable price-point, Mrs. Meyers candles are incredible as well; they come in a charming little mason jar, are soy-based, last forever, also have a non-cloying scent, and at the price ($10) absolutely cannot be beat.

For the new mama (or papa), visual artist or hobby photographer on your list, why not help them take it to the next level with an awesome new camera (I said, decadent, did I not?)?  I fully realize that this is not likely a realistic gift to give or request this recessionary holiday season, but I've been doing my homework on digital SLR cameras and had to share.  This baby seems to have it all, just in case you or a loved one happens to be in the market for a new toy.  This Canon reviews as exceptionally user-friendly, yielding crisp images for those of us who are snapping photos all day long.

There you have it! Happy internet-equivalent of window shopping!

What special and not altogether practical item are you craving this season?

Coming later this week: my very first blog giveaway!  I am so excited!  Stay tuned!

Sweet Mama Jane's Morning Brew

This one is for you, Trent!

Before I began my sordid love affair with the espresso machine, there was the good old grind-and-brew coffeemaker.  I have been a devoted coffee drinker since the tender age of 15.  There have been stints in my life where I have tried in vain to convince myself that green tea or the like was somehow an acceptable substitute, but I always end up coming back to the dark bean.  I am not a person who drinks cup after cup of coffee all day long.  I like one incredibly strong mug to start my day, and that's that, so said cup needs to be delicious and totally worthwhile.  Over the years, I've honed my brewing strategy to perfection, and enough of our overnight guests have commented on my brew, that I promised to share the recipe here.  It all started at my high school job, at a little hippie shop called Traprock Suite. The owner, Susanne, was legendary; an eccentric and no-bull woman who taught me more than a few life lessons, one of which was the secret to perfect coffee.  Here it is: sprinkle just a tad of cinnamon and nutmeg over the beans before you grind them.  When I say sprinkle, I literally mean shake your wrist for the count of one over the the beans, that is it.  Even people who hate any sort of flavored coffee seem to love coffee this way.  I am asked again and again what that special flavor is when I serve this cofee to our guests.  My other secrets?  The best organic beans, cold filtered water, and brewing my pots double-strong (a heaping tablespoon of beans per cup).  A great coffee maker helps as well, but you could just as easily use the cinnamon/nutmeg trick in a French press.  For this chronically sleep-deprived mama, there is no better way to start the day (other than a latte, of course).

Super-strong coffee helps me keep up with this guy! He's getting speedy!

Guilty Pleasures

Who am I kidding?  I love health and wellness and treating my body right, but it is, after all, "the most wonderful time of the year" and I love an indulgence as much as the next girl.  By the end of Wellness Week, I was making myself a little queasy with my own virtuousness, so I decided to even the balance with a week of decadent posts this week.  Good food, great cocktails, entertainment and, of course, products: if it is frothy, fun and sinful, it is up for discussion this week.  To kick things off, I have a couple deliciously naughty entertaining tips, the first of which is an idea I pinched from one of the husband and my all-time favorite brunch spots, the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA: the Bloody Mary bar.

If you are hosting overnight guests or a party during the brunch hour this holiday season, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser.  We've set these up for several parties we've had (including one at a campsite during a whitewater rafting trip), and they are always a hit.  You need:
- good quality vodka (I love Grey Goose and Ketel One)
- tomato or V8 and Clamato juices
- lemon and lime wedges
- fresh horseradish
- Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces
- celery salt for the glass rims (put in a shallow dish next to another one of water so people can dampen their clean glass and then press the rim into the salt) and for the top
- a pepper grinder
- scallions and celery sticks for stirrers, and you could also spear pineapple chunks on skewers (as above), for those who love the sweet/spicy combo
- a vast variety of jarred, pickled yummies, including but not limited to: cornichon pickles, caperberries, olives (including stuffed olives with pimentos, blue cheese, garlic or anything else you can find), and pickled asparagus and/or dilly beans
- if you really want to go for broke, add a plate of boiled shrimp as well
Set up this colorful buffet on an accessible table with the widest, deepest glasses you have, and let your guests go to town.  This is guaranteed to make for a festive, beautiful and talked-about brunch party. And while you have the heartburn medication on hand, here is a delicious Southern appetizer to try, of limited nutritional value (calcium-rich? can't think of any other redeeming qualities...) but endless deliciousness.  As a yankee, I hadn't heard of pimento cheese until recently when I saw it made on a Paula Deen show.  Tragic!  This is an appetizer with a cult following for a good reason.  It is cheap and easy to prepare, and wickedly delicious.
Ingredients
1 jar roasted red peppers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups hand-grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper and Sriracha to taste 
Directions
1) Drain peppers, and place in a food processor.  Pulse until smooth, but not liquid-y.
2) Add mayo and cream cheese and pulse until well combined.  Scrape into a bowl.
3) Stir in cheese by hand, and add seasonings to taste.
Serve with tortilla chips or crackers, or use as a spread for crostini.  Or eat with a spoon!

Lentil Love

I thought I'd cap off Wellness Week with this nutritional powerhouse of a soup. Leeks are an excellent source of vitamin A, beta carotene, lutein and folate, and are a mild diuretic, which we could all use this time of year.  Lentils are protein-rich, and packed with dietary fiber, B-vitamins, folate and minerals.  Sweet potatoes and carrots are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as beta-carotene.  This Sunday Soup is easy to make, filling, and so delicious, you won't even realize it is health food.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups red lentils
6 cups veggie or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper, oregano and paprika to taste
Directions
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until it shimmers.  Add the leeks and saute gently over low heat for about 10 minutes, until they wilt and begin to caramelize.
2.  Add the sweet potatoes and carrots, stir to combine, and season generously with salt and pepper.  Add the sugar and continue stirring.
3.  Add the lentils and stir all ingredients to combine.

4.  Add all of the broth, the bay leaf, and some oregano and paprika (start with about a heaping teaspoon of each, and you can adjust the seasonings at the end).  Stir well.
5. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and allow the soup to simmer until the lentils and veggies are cooked and the broth is well-absorbed, about 45 minutes.
6.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

I should say that all of my soup recipes tend to serve about 8: a bowl each for 2 for lunch or dinner on Sunday when you cook it, and then enough for 2 people to take for lunch for most of the next week (at least that's how it shakes out around here).  I love having easy, healthy, grab-and-go lunches ready for the week on a Sunday night; just one less thing to think about once the crazy work week begins.  For today, football is on, the little guy is asleep, there is snow on the ground, and a fire in the stove.  I took a long trail run with the dog yesterday, and feel I've earned a little couch potato time.  Bring it! Life is good. 

Happy, healthy Sunday!

Friday Night Lite

To cap off Wellness Week, may I suggest I lovely night in?  Sure, it is Friday and restaurants, bars and parties may be calling your name, but what about taking a night for yourself and just getting pampered, replenished and rested in the comfort of your own wonderful home?  Here are my essentials for a perfect restorative evening in:

1) Yummy bath or shower.  Kick off the evening by getting clean and cozy. I am not a bath type myself (I get bored. Don't ask.), but I love a good steamy shower with delicious products.  I love Lunaroma's Lavender Chamomile Salt Glow, which is aroma-therapeutically relaxing and can be scooped into a bath or scrubbed on in the shower. If you are into the bath thing, epsom salts cost about $2 at the pharmacy and make for an incredible healing soak.  I also am loving Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub for the face.  For a real cheap treat, toss your towels in the dryer for a few before you hop in the shower, and dry off in warm fluffiness.  Ahhhh....

2) Comfy pants.  A must.  I'm talking softest cotton, elastic waist, next best thing to nothing kind of pants.  These are my current faves, made even more fave by the fact that I got them for $9 at the J.Crew outlet in Maine, which just makes me feel smug.  Plus, the husband says they are "cute."  Sweatpants that a man finds attractive?  Yes, please... I'll take 10.   They are on sale on J.Crew's website as well (just not for $9), and would make a fabulous holiday gift.  But I digress.... 


3) Facial mask.  Dry air, alcohol, stress, and greasy party foods ravage our skin this time of year.  After you are all warm, cozy and comfied-out in your awesome sweatpants, smooth on a great at-home facial, and trick your face into thinking it is June again and all dewy and lovely outside.  One of my all time favorite masks is Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Radiance Masque.  Says Aveda, "finely powdered tourmaline—one of nature's most energizing minerals—boosts skin's energy, while natural exfoliants help skin gently shed dull, lackluster surface cells—revealing new radiance."  I concur. 

4) Take out.  Cooking is a no-no on personal health night, as are dishes.  In the city, my absolute favorite indulgence was sushi take out, but that is not so much an option in this part of Vermont.  Tom Kha Gai soup from the Thai place is an exotic, yet comforting option.  In a pinch, even a fantastic frozen pizza will do; the point is that your kitchen and dish brush aren't seeing any action this evening.  You are just grubbing on something that makes you feel good inside and out and doesn't involve more than pushing a button or two.

5) A great movie.   Need a great, cleansing sob?  May I suggest Stepmom or The Notebook?  Need a cackling laugh and to gawk at some nice pecs?  Point Break is one of my favorite films of all time (don't judge).  Want to feel better about the human spirit?  Beyond Rangoon is amazing.  Or, to get in the holiday spirit, I highly recommend Elf, because what says holiday like Will Ferrell pounding back maple syrup while wearing green tights? 

There you have it; all the ingredients for a great night in.  Mine will include snuggling with the little guy until he goes down to bed, and then kicking off all of this with a nice glass of red.  Just thinking about it makes me feel ready to tackle the day, and puts a smile on my face in anticipation of the evening.  Happy Friday!

What is your favorite way to relax and rejuvenate at home?

Food for the Mind

I thought I'd take a detour away from food this Wellness Week and focus on the mind a bit.  As I mentioned earlier, I love to read in bed; it's such a wonderful way to relax and escape from your own mind before drifting off to sleep at night.  However, when you're truly exhausted and worn out, it is so much easier to get stuck on the couch lazily watching reality tv than to get in bed and read.  Once you're ensconced among the pillows with a juicy read, though, it is so worthwhile.  Some of my favorite books:
Banana Rose by Natalie Goldberg

Probably one of my all time favorite works of fiction, this book is about a hippie, Banana Rose, who falls in love, gets married, and moves away from her commune in Taos, having to grow up in countless ways along her path.  It is beautifully written by Natalie Goldberg, whose books on writing are some of my favorites, and I just love the tale she weaves in this book.  Anyone who has had to grow up and move on from a part of their life (and who hasn't?) will relate, and this is just a delicious read.  I've read it at least 10 times; it's one of those.

Operating Instructions: A Journal of my Son's First Year by Anne Lamott

Given to me by one of my best friends after the birth of Baby J, this book is required reading for any new mama.  I literally could not put this book down, as I felt Lamott was speaking directly to me.  She perfectly captures the dizzying mix of exhaustion, love, hormones, and mild insanity that characterize the first year of motherhood.  The diary style of writing is perfect for those with little to no attention span due to an infant as well.  If there is a new mama on your holiday shopping list, give her this.  Done and done.

Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser

Amanda Hesser is a consummate foodie and long time food writer for the New York Times.  This book is her recounting of her courtship and eventual engagement and marriage to her now husband, and it includes fabulous recipes.  Hesser is one of those writers you either love or hate, as she can get awfully uppity about her foodie knowledge and standards, but I happen to love her.  I loved this book and it is another one a read multiple times over.  Think Sex and the City meets Top Chef; if you're into that kind of thing and don't mind a little good old-fashioned NYC restaurant snobbery, you'll love this book.


Too Perfect: When Being in Control Gets Out of Control by Jeannette Dewyze and Allan Mallinger

Had to add a self-help title,  as I am a lover of this genre through and through.  This book is life-changing if you or anyone you know has A-type, obsessive tendencies.  Since this pretty much describes me and my whole family, every single page of this book was like a lightbulb going off for me.  This book is all about recognizing and acknowledging that behavior and then LETTING. IT. GO.  I am hard pressed to think of a woman in my life who wouldn't benefit from reading this, and I frankly want to buy a box of these books and just hand them out to almost everyone I know, as well as strangers on the street who look stressed out.  If you have any obsessiveness in you at all, click the link above and purchase this book immediately.  You can thank me later.

I'm between books right now and eager to dive into a new one.  Snow will be falling soon and there is just nothing better than curling up on a cold night with a good book.  I would love recommendations for what my next reading venture ought to be!

What is your favorite book to unwind reading? 

What life-changing book would you recommend this holiday season?

Lastly, one little business note:  I've created a Facebook page for Sweet Mama Jane.  There isn't much there yet, but I hope to build it out into a fun little extension of this blog.  If you are on Facebook, please become a fan!  Thank you!