Happy January! I awoke this morning to . . . wait for it . . . a dusting of snow! The first of the year. It was enough to turn the ground white and slushy, really just an inch but it pleased me immensely. I didn't even mind the feeling of freezing water seeping into my sneakers (foolish I know) as I rushed about running errands this morning.
Yesterday I forgot to post the rules for the Joy In January blog project. My apologies. I was supposed to let you all know that the three winners would be drawn and posted on January 19th. Each comment was to include a name or nickname and an email address. Oh well, no harm done. Please check back on Thursday when I'll post the winners using your comment name. Make sense? Winners will be chosen at random from the comments posted for that days giveaway. So if you only leave a comment on the first day you'll only be eligible to win that days prize. Whew, glad we got that out of the way.
I've decided to make up a pot of chili or spicy Asian mushroom soup today to help warm up. Spices such as cayenne and ginger are fantastic antioxidants and are even shown to increase metabolism, just what we need when it's cold outside! Something warm and hearty with a kick. Keeping with this idea of spice today we will give away a 6 ml. atomizer of Ginger Lily edp.
Ginger Lily is a unisex perfume, a fresh clean oriental blend with spiced ginger lily, allspice, clove, ylang ylang, rose, black pepper, amber and vetiver. It's one of my personal favorites and has garnered many loyal fans over the years. I find it's scent clean and uplifting. Would you like to try it? If so, please leave a comment with your favorite spice. This spice could be your favorite to cook with, to wear in a perfume, to eat, to sniff, to uplift. Whatever you please. To start the ball rolling, one of my favorite spices is cardamom. I love cardamom! I add it to steel cut oatmeal and once made a killer cardamom scented whipped cream! I'm guessing the increase in metabolism from the spice will not offset the fact I'm eating whipped cream :(
How about you? What spice do you adore? Please visit these perfumer's blogs for more uplifting scents and giveaways:
22 comments
As far as food, I am a cayenne fanatic! I put it on everything, especially in winter. With spices in fragrance, I love cardamon and bergamot and sometimes a dusting of clove is wonderful with the right combination. Ginger and Cardamon sound lovely.
Hemla L. has a great idea about scenting the pot of water, I never thought of that. Thank you! And I love that Sandi Lundberg suggested making Snickerdoodles. Yummy idea!
Thanks for another great draw!
Mine is nutmeg, I love how it’s warm and sweet, yet woody as well. Also, smoked chilies, tho they are hard to find in dried form.
Oh God! Ginger Lily! What if I am the lucky one?? I was just thinking about lilies, they were on my mind. Actually, lilies are often on my mind as it is one of my favorite notes in perfumery. And I do love spices too, ginger and cardamom especially. I would love to be a lucky winner and take away my blues with what sounds like an incredibly creative and joyful composition.
Yesterday was our first real snow day, and you’re right it was chili for dinner. As for a favourite spice, that’s a bit like asking a mother to pick her favourite child. Cinnamon certainly gets a lot of day-to day work, and I love ginger in all forms, but I still can’t get out of my mind from two days ago the dark chocolate bar with coffee and cardamom. Must get more! I’m just going to believe the benefits of the cardamon, and the anti-oxidants in the coffee and dark chocolate neutralize the calories in a 100 gram/3oz bar.
Ginger Lily sounds very appealing.
The mention of spices made me think a lot about scent and SAD and getting through January. Black pepper, in particular, is one of those spices that never ceases to amaze me. Whether it is in soup or perfume, it’s equally beguiling to me.
I took a trip to Istanbul back in 2006, and one of the best souvenirs I brought back with me was a Turkish coffee grinder. It grinds coffee beans to the most delicate powder you can imagine, and it dawned on me that it would be perfect for pepper. It’s been with me ever since, and the warmth of the pepper corns that come out of that grinder is like nothing else – it’s heavenly!
You’ve inspired me to make some soup tonight… something spicy to chase away any possible blues.