Grounds for Consideration

Due to the burgeoning accessibility of coffee houses that we enjoy here in the United States, I have no shortage of kitschy puns at my disposal with which to colorize the word "grounds." However, in order to spare my readers the burdensome obligation of rolling their eyes repeatedly as they scan the following article, I'm limiting my punning to the title of this post.

Yesterday, Ashley alerted my attention to a recent post from Grace at Design*Sponge. The article details a few creative ways to put old food scraps to creative use.

I was pleased that Ashley thought to share this article with me. For one thing, the fact that she thought of me when she read it indicates that she is a friend who knows me well and who understands that I derive great pleasure from that which is frugal, that which is natural, that which is resourceful. It feels good to be known.

The article was also met with enthusiasm on my part due to its highlighting of one of the potential re-uses of coffee grounds: as an odor absorber in the fridge. I was already aware that coffee grounds could be used as a nitrogen fertilizer in the garden, or as a skin exfoliant, and a quick Google search revealed a plethora of creative methods of repurposing the coffee grounds we might otherwise simply be tossing in the waste bin every morning.

Inspired, I got to the kitchen and quickly whipped up a batch of homemade body scrub. The ingredients:

about half a cup of used coffee grounds, cooled to room temperature
about one tablespoon of brown sugar
a tablespoon or so each of coconut oil and olive oil
a teeny tiny dash of vanilla extract

I took the mixture to the bathroom with me and added a dash of castor oil and a couple drops of lavender essential oil for good measure. At this point, the mixture smelled fantastic. I took it into the shower with me and rubbed it all over my body, focusing on my legs. Reportedly, coffee grounds have potentially beneficial effects on cellulite and varicose veins--two areas I'm not apposed to accepting a little help in.

Naturally, the process was incredibly messy (oh well: I needed to clean my shower anyway); but, me-oh-my, it left my skin looking and feeling awesome (a word I don't just throw around lightly, folks). The amounts I described above left me with roughly enough body scrub for three showers. The oil acts as a preservative, so you don't have to worry about the coffee grounds starting to mold.