Grace Fave: Musee Bath Balms

Musee Bath Balms, $7 each.

Usually when you think color, you think energy.  The bright yellows, pinks and greens of spring seem to say, "HELLO! Wake up! Spring is in the air! Yay!"  Which is wonderful, of course - but what about when you want to relax a little bit?  Here at Grace, we've got the perfect solution: Musee Bath Balms.  Each hand-pressed ball is a mix of natural ingredients - including salts, sugars, milk bath and essential oils - that will soothe your skin and smell amazing as they dissolve in the bath.  Did we mention that they are completely adorable?  We carry the bath balms in seven colorful varieties, each named after a different song, and some even have a little treasure inside!  After you take your pick, we'll even wrap the balms in their own special tissue paper so you can bring them home mess-free.  Check out the different ingredients below:

• All You Need Is Love: red thyme and rose absolute essential oils, grape seed oil, patchouli
• Free Bird: apricot oil, sweet orange oil, honeysuckle fragrance
• Son Of A Sailor: grapefruit essential oil, grape seed oil, milk bath (treasure inside)
• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds: Roman chamomile and geranium essential oils, almond oil, milk bath, glitter (treasure inside)
• Amazing Grace: jojoba oil, geranium oil, rosemary oil (treasure inside)
• Marry Me: rose absolute and red thyme essential oils, natural sesame oil, milk bath (treasure inside)
• Tupelo Honey: almond oil, neroli oil, apricot seeds, fresh Mississippi honey

There you have it - the perfect escape from this below-freezing weather!  And let's face it, who couldn't use one?

Spring Into Scarves

Do you ever get that feeling when, despite the snow on the ground and the chill in the air, you're just so, so, SO ready for spring?  We might be a little ways away from the season itself, but here at Grace we've created a little haven for anyone who needs a break from winter.  We recently introduced some marvelous spring fashion, and today we're bringing you some tips on spring's most versatile accessory: the lightweight scarf, of course!  Not only do we have scarves in dozens of colors and patterns, but we're also going to show you how a single scarf can be worn in many different ways.  Take a look for some springtime inspiration so you'll be one step ahead when the weather gets warmer!

Grace Recipe: Brussels Sprout Gratin

Merry Christmas Eve!  Today is like a holiday in itself, but it can also be a little hectic.  You might have last-minute gifts to buy, out-of-town guests to pick up, gatherings to attend, food to prepare... the list goes on.  If you're feeling a little overwhelmed, rest assured that we're here with another helpful tip to make your holiday run a little more smoothly!  Today, it's Grace Guy JP to the rescue with a fantastic little dish to bring to the Christmas table: Brussels Sprout Gratin.  It's simple to make and totally delicious - trust us, this dish is a keeper.  Note that while JP used the Stonewall Kitchen horseradish mustard in this recipe, any of the Stonewall Kitchen mustards would work perfectly.  Pick one up at Grace today - we're open 9 to 5!  Enjoy the recipe, and leave us a comment if you try it out.  We'd love to hear what you think!

Brussels Sprout Gratin

Ingredients

     4 cups Brussels sprouts (cut into eighths)

     1 large clove garlic, minced

     1/4 cup and 2 tbsp. Stonewall Kitchen horseradish mustard

     1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

     1/4 cup and 1 tbsp. olive oil

     Salt and pepper to taste

Note: JP used individual-sized ramekins, but a glass or ceramic casserole or pie dish would also work.

Directions

1.  Cut Brussels sprouts into eighths, depending on size.

2.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, blanche sprouts in salted boiling water for approximately 5-6 minutes, or until cores are translucent.  Drain well.

3.  Simmer minced garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until golden.

4.  Add drained sprouts and simmer until tender, stirring enough to prevent sticking to the pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.  While sautéing, grease oven-proof dish with olive oil and coat with Panko breadcrumbs along the sides and bottom of the dish.

6.  Check sprouts for tenderness and salt and pepper.

7.  Remove from heat and add mustard.  Combine thoroughly.

8.  In a small bowl, mix 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp. olive oil.

9.  Fill dish with Brussels sprouts mixture and top with breadcrumbs mixture, pressing firmly and evenly along the surface.

10.  Place under the oven broiler until golden brown.

11.Serve warm and enjoy!