Going Crunchy: Invigorating Rosemary Mint Foot Scrub

This post begins the series Going Crunchy: Herbal Remedies and Homemade Body Care Items That I Have Made Recently.

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This week in Chico certainly seems dark and cold. "Wintery" one might say.   Winter fruits and vegetables currently available at the market include mandarins, clementines, oranges (don't you just love a good piece of citrus in the winter?!), apples, root vegetables (carrots, beets and turnips mainly, but also limited quantities of sunchokes, potatoes, parsnips) winter greens (all sorts of kale, lettuces, collards, chard, broccoli) and green onions. Doesn't that list make you want to get in kitchen and saute some greens or at least peel an orange?

I haven't been cooking or blogging much, because this pregnancy has really sapped my energy and skewed my priorities.  Don't worry, we're still eating well.  We recently purchased a quarter beef from Alston Farms (gotta have plenty of that grass-fed, good-source-of-iron-and-healthy-fats beef) and Jason's been cooking lost of steak and organic potatoes.

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Some of you may remember that one of my New Years Resolutions for 2012 was to make more homemade body care products and herbal remedies.  This pregnancy has motivated me to make more of these homemade necessities and nice-ities. (Any pregnant ladies ever feel like there are no truly effective drugs on that short list of "Medications that are Safe during Pregnancy?")  In the absence of food recipes, I thought I'd do a little series on some of the body care items and herbal remedies I've made recently.

Invigorating Rosemary Mint Foot Scrub

This is one of my favorites.  I don't have a source for the recipe.  I just used a common epsom-salt to-oil ratio and infused the oil with things I found invigorating.

In a small saucepan over low heat combine 1/3 cup oil (I use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil) with a sprig of rosemary and a couple tablespoons dried mint.  When oil is warm, cover the pan, remove from heat and let the herbs steep an hour or more.  Strain the infused oil into a bowl and stir in 1 cup Epsom salt.  Mix with a spatula and transfer scrub to three 4-ounce jars for storage (or gift-giving).

I use about a teaspoon per foot in the shower most days.  Sometimes I also use this scrub as a body scrub.  I find the smell truly uplifting and invigorating.  The Epsom salt exfoliates and gives me a little dose of magnesium.  The olive/coconut oil moisturizes.  It's a pleasant way to treat your feet to a little pampering without requiring any extra time.

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Stay tuned for Hard Lotion Bars (my other favorite!), Remineralizing Tooth Powder and Elderberry Syrup.