Nearly two feet of snow fell here in Colorado over two days last week. Suddenly, our lovely fall turned to winter. Schools closed, traffic halted, and in a strange twist on tradition, I made and consumed Ibarra hot cocoa before heading out to shovel. Something’s amiss.

What I love about a show stopping snowfall is how the world folds in on itself. The very atmosphere seems to breathe a sigh of relief. There’s nowhere to rush. We retreat indoors. We bake gooey cookies. We nap. We play games with family and friends.

Then, without our permission, the cold and snow subside, schools reopen and we’re back to our demanding lives. Even as we consume the mountain of bite-size Halloween Snickers we bought just in case the Trick-or-Treaters came out in record numbers, suddenly the holidays are upon us. Of course then, because we’re wired to emulate Martha Stewart and create the best holiday ever, the rush is on with menus to plan, birds to roast, pies to bake, gifts to buy, parties to attend, and people to please.

In these moments, it’s easy for us to get disconnected from the higher purpose behind the holidays. We tend to focus on what (to buy, bake, give, wear) instead of why (to give back, nourish our souls, deepen relationships, celebrate the seasonal passage from dark into light). This year, as you ride the wave of the holiday rush, consider how to take time out for yourself and to stop and truly enjoy what the spirit of the season means to you. Turn off your TV. Walk outside. Take a deep breath and stare into the starry night. Here are a few other ideas you might try:

1. Make gifts. Vanilla infused vodka, cranberry orange bread, salt scrubs and more. No need to get crazy. Just keep it simple, inspired, and fun.

2. Plant garlic. Harvest is mostly over and the ground is cooling fast. But I love garlic and the idea of planting a taste sensation that will give back to me come summer is just too tempting to refuse. Thank you soil!

3. Take hot baths. Lock the door. Sprinkle essential oils into your bath water. Light a candle. Pour some tea. Sit back. Relax. Do this again and again.

4. Listen to jazz. Fall and winter just seem right for the mellow sounds of John Coltrane.

5. Give back. There are countless ways to put your time, energy and ideas to do good works.

6. Play outside. Tag football with the fam. Participate in a Christmas Bird Count. Ski/hike/bike/walk on Christmas.

7. Start your own tradition (remember Festivus?), or reconnect with ones from long ago. In college, I was bent on celebrating Winter Solstice and the return of light. Let nature inspire you!

What antidotes do you lean on to soothe the holiday crazies? Please share your ideas and remember to enjoy this magical time of year.

As always, thanks for the photos: Sean Dreilinger, gobucks2. The snowy patio furniture is mine!

Until the next,

Carol

I recently moved into a new (to me) house – a cute ranch with a cozy kitchen. Two weeks ago my mom helped me unpack my kitchen items by finding a home in the bare shelves for dry food ingredients, canned goods, spices, and oils. I didn’t pay attention to where she put what, so I’ve slowly been finding what I need. This morning, however, I discovered I have no vanilla. Horror!

I went in search of vanilla because a spider sat so calmly in my sink. I recently read on Rodelle’s FAQ that spiders and bugs dislike the scent of vanilla. Here was my chance to test-drive such a concept. Amidst my sorrow to find the cupboard void of vanilla, I pondered how the extract became such a useful tool – and who made this discovery? If vanilla could be used to ward off the creepy-crawlies, what else could it do? I consulted The Google (even digital oracles deserve reverence!) and was delighted to find a wide range of remarkable vanilla uses and products. I’ve listed my top five discoveries in order of my level of fascination (I’ll be interested to hear what you all think as well!):

5. Vanilla as Perfume Ingredient: Lavanila founders Danielle Raynor and Laura Girolamo wanted to create a luxury fragrance that was “100% Healthy.” Vanilla fit the bill and became the beauty company’s anchor scent. One of their fragrances pairs vanilla with grapefruit. The combination sounds perfect. Time to track down a Lavanila purveyor!

4. Vanilla as Household Odor Eater: Got a stinky vacuum cleaner? Want to get rid of bugs while enhancing the smell of your living room? Care to neutralize paint odor? Get out the vanilla extract or a few beans and fend off those nasty aromas with a quick vanilla fix.

3. Vanilla as Vodka Infuser: Grey Goose gets the recommend from vanilla vodka fans for being the only distiller using real vanilla. Chowhound had many a mixed drink suggestion for a woman like me? who received a bottle of the GGVV and was dismayed to find she didn’t know how to put the spirits to good work. I’m now intrigued by the “vanilla turnover shots.”

2. Vanilla as Suggested Tooth Ache Cure: The homeopathic medicinal properties of vanilla are stunning – from treating weight loss  and overcoming sleep issues (might have to write more later about Tylenol PM Golden Vanilla in liquid form…) to curing a tooth ache. Next time your tooth throbs, try the remedy that eHow writer Rachel Asher recommends.

1. Vanilla as Possible Blood Disease Warrior: Pharmaceutical company Medinox has discovered that vanillin (the most powerful of vanilla’s compounds) can fight sickle cell anemia – but only in a test tube (our digestive enzymes destroy vanillin). The company is currently experimenting with a modified form of vanillin – MX-1529 – that has shown promising results.

Fascinating stuff, eh? So now that I’ve scoured the Internet in search of all things vanilla, I’m curious to know what fabulous tricks and tips you’ve discovered with your Rodelle vanilla extract and beans? Share on!

Thanks to Darwin Bell, Jon Rawlinson, and assbach for their excellent photos.

In search of vanilla,

Carol