Quite often, when the weather gets colder and it begins to rain or snow, I yearn for a calming and peaceful smell to waft throughout my house. So I place some water, some cinnamon, a bit of clove and some orange peelings (if we have some) into a small pot, bring it to a simmer and enjoy the comforting smell that drifts through the house.
To me, this smell helps either bring in or hold on to the spirit of the holidays and works just perfectly during the Christmas season.
In order to help keep people just a little healthier - by avoiding giving people even more sweets (I can't help it) - we're giving this combination of spices and orange peelings (wrapped in some holiday patterned fabric with simple directions tied to the pouch) to our friends and neighbors this Christmas season.
Here's the recipe:
Holiday Spice Potpourri
1 stick cinnamon (I broke these in half in order to fit in the pouch.)
5 whole cloves
1/4 cup dried orange peelings
1. Mix contents together with 3 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat and allow to simmer all day - adding water when necessary.
I normally use regular powdered cinnamon and cloves and look forward to trying some new scents by adding cranberries, apples or even lemons or limes.
We make this regularly at our house too, the only difference is that I add a bay leaf. I always get complements on how good my house smells. :)
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