Third Day of Christmas Gift

Thanksgiving is over. It is time to get serious about my Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen!

With only 29 days till Christmas, I’m going to have double or triple my efforts to get you all the “days” in time for you to make them. So be prepared for an onslaught in the next couple of weeks! Here is the third installment.

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

I love lemon! The aroma, the color, and above all, the flavor. So it’s no surprise that the dish soap, the hand soap, and the counter spray that I use in my kitchen are the Williams-Sonoma Meyer Lemon Collection. The large refill bottles are the annual gift I ask for every Christmas from my family.

Another favorite is this lemon-scented sugar hand scrub. I use Queen Creek Meyer Lemon Olive Oil to make it.

If you don’t have lemon olive oil on hand or don’t want to go to the trouble or expense to purchase it – regular olive oil is fine and dandy.

After the scrub sits for a while you will need to mix prior to using as the sugar will settle. Just a little bit is all you need to leave your hands extra soft and smooth and smelling great.

This amount is exactly what you need to fill an 8-ounce Mason jar. I adore the squatty little wide-mouth jars that I find at Ace Hardware stores. They come in 4-packs. Although this recipe can be doubled or tripled, I find it’s best to make 1 batch at a time. I pour that into a jar and just start again in the same bowl without washing it out in between batches. It all comes together in a snap. The packaging takes more time than making the actual scrub.

It is beyond adorable when packaged with a vintage spoon. Be sure to include a tag so your recipient doesn’t think it’s something to eat. Not that it’s not edible – it’s all-natural – but scrubbing is what it’s good for! I love this stuff and use it daily. Enjoy!

Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup olive oil (lemon olive oil, if available)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8-ounce half-pint wide-mouth Mason jar

Place the sugar, oil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Use a fork or whisk and mix well to combine.

Pour into the mason jar or another glass container that has a lid that seals really well.

Make a tag that says Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub and attach with a spoon, if desired.

Makes one 8-ounce jar